How to Add a Border in Photoshop (and Why It Disappears)

Adding a border sounds like the simplest edit in Photoshop, and it's simple once you know why it sometimes doesn't work. The two things that trip people up are a greyed-out Stroke command and a border that seems to vanish. Both have quick fixes, and they're covered below.

How to add a border around a whole photo

1. Open your photo and select the photo layer in the Layers panel.
2. Choose Select, then All, so the whole canvas is selected.
3. Choose Edit, then Stroke.
4. Enter the border width in pixels.
5. Click the colour box and pick your border colour.
6. Under Location, choose Inside.
7. Leave Mode on Normal and Opacity at full for a solid border, then click OK.

Why your border disappears

This is the catch that Adobe spells out and most tutorials skip. If the layer's contents fill the entire image, which they do for any normal photo, a stroke set to Outside sits beyond the edge of the canvas, so you can't see it. The fix is to set Location to Inside, or to make the canvas bigger first so there's room around the photo for the border.

Location	Where the border sits	Use it when
Inside	Within the edge of the selection or layer	Bordering a whole photo
Center	Half inside, half outside the edge	Outlining shapes or cut-outs
Outside	Beyond the edge	There's empty canvas around the object

Why Edit, then Stroke is greyed out

Stroke only works on normal pixel layers. If your layer is a shape, a text layer or a smart object, the command is greyed out. Right-click the layer in the Layers panel and choose Rasterize Layer, and Stroke becomes available. Rasterizing turns the layer into ordinary pixels, so make a copy of it first if you might want to edit the text or shape later.

How to add a border around a cut-out or text

1. Select the layer that holds your cut-out or text.
2. If it's a text layer, either rasterize it or turn it into a selection first.
3. Choose Edit, then Stroke, set the width and colour.
4. Choose Center or Outside so the border follows the outline.
5. Tick Preserve Transparency only if you want the stroke kept to areas that already have pixels.
6. Click OK.

Because a cut-out has transparent space around it, an outside stroke shows up here, which gives you that sticker-style outline popular on social graphics.

Other border options in Photoshop

• A frame border: if you've placed photos with the Frame tool, you can add a stroke to the frame itself.
• A border selection: Select, then Modify, then Border makes a band-shaped selection around an existing selection. You can then fill it, which is handy for soft or faded edges.
• A brushed border: Stroke Path uses your current brush settings, so you can get a hand-drawn edge rather than a uniform line.

Tips for borders that look good

• Keep the border on a copy of the layer, or on its own layer, so you can change it later.
• Pick a colour from the photo itself for a border that feels part of the picture.
• Use a thin border for photos you'll show small, like thumbnails, and a thicker one for prints.
• Lower the opacity a little for a softer edge rather than a hard frame.

How to add a border by enlarging the canvas

If you'd rather the border sit around the photo than cover its edges, add canvas instead of a stroke. This keeps every pixel of the picture visible, which matters for photos with detail right up to the edge.

1. Choose Image, then Canvas Size.
2. Tick Relative so the numbers you type are added to the current size.
3. Enter the same amount for width and height, which puts an even border on every side.
4. Choose a colour from the Canvas extension colour menu.
5. Click OK. The photo now sits inside a solid border.

The catch here is the Background layer: the new canvas only fills with your chosen colour if the photo is still the Background layer. If you've already turned it into a normal layer, the extra canvas is transparent, and you'll need to add a colour fill layer underneath. Either way, you can then add a thin stroke on the photo itself for a double-border effect, which looks smart on prints and portfolio pages.

Adding a border to many photos

If you've got a set of product photos or event pictures that all need the same border, record the steps once as an action in Photoshop's Actions panel and play it on each photo. You'll get the same width and colour every time, which matters more than you'd think when the photos sit side by side on a web page. If you're working from Lightroom, it can be quicker to finish the edits there and add the border as the last step in Photoshop.

For more ways to make pictures stand out, my guide to choosing colours that work together helps with picking border colours that suit the photo.

My verdict

For a photo border, Select All, then Edit, Stroke, with Location set to Inside, does the job every time. Most problems come from choosing Outside on a photo that fills the canvas, or from trying to stroke a text or shape layer that needs rasterizing first. Keep the border on its own copy so you can change your mind. If you're making social graphics with borders around cut-outs, this graphics tool can be a quicker route than Photoshop.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I see the border I added in Photoshop?

You probably chose Outside on a layer that fills the whole canvas. Choose Inside, or enlarge the canvas first.

Why is Stroke greyed out in Photoshop?

The layer is a shape, text or smart object. Right-click it and choose Rasterize Layer.

How do I add a border around text in Photoshop?

Rasterize the text or make it a selection, then use Edit, Stroke with Center or Outside.

Can I change the border colour later?

Only if you kept it on its own layer or a copy. A stroke is painted into the pixels.

How do I make a rounded or soft border?

Use Select, Modify, Border to create a band selection and fill it, or stroke a path with a soft brush.

What width should a photo border be?

It depends on how the photo is shown. Thin borders suit small images, thicker ones suit prints.