{"id":14312,"date":"2026-07-07T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/?p=14312"},"modified":"2026-07-07T07:13:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:13:33","slug":"right-outline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/right-outline\/","title":{"rendered":"Right Outline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve read my \u201cStroking Shapes & Stuff<\/a><\/strong>\u201d post from back in April of 2024, you already know the basics about strokes. Over the years I\u2019ve written multiple posts about using strokes but I sadly never really did a very good job explaining all of the settings. Today I want to go into more detail about not only settings but also about choosing the right outline (stroke).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people typically know how to add an outline to a shape. The trickier part is knowing how to figure out the best Position setting to get the right outline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The featured image above shows strokes in each of the three positions available. You may or may not be able to clearly see the differences between each in that image. But I promise to give you better examples below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stroke Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Two<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In order to determine the right outline, it\u2019s best to understand stroke settings in general. You may be surprised when I say there are a lot of people that have no idea there are actually two different methods for creating strokes in Photoshop Elements (PSE). If you read that aforementioned post of mine from April of 2024, you already know that \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s something perhaps you don\u2019t already know; these two methods do not work the same. While both methods create outlines, they differ in how they are applied, edited, and rendered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which of the two is considered the most effective method is usually driven by the object. The Layer Style Stroke is best for editable effects, while the Edit->Stroke (Outline) method is highly effective for maintaining sharp, unrounded corners on text or complex objects.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Destructive<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In PSE, a very important difference is that the Layer Style Stroke is a dynamic, non-destructive effect tied to a specific layer, while Edit->Stroke permanently affixes a painted outline onto your pixels (sort of) I\u2019ll explain that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to start by hopefully providing a good explanation of both methods!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Layer Style Stroke<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Layer<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Quick reminder; I use PSE 2024. If you use a different version, some of my screen shots may look different from what you see on your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a quick breakdown of the Layer Style Method (Non-Destructive):<\/p>\n\n\n\n