Getting a bordered effect around text graphics

[Marcia]

I've seen text (graphical) that looked like it had another color border or edging surrounding all the lines. I know the graphics program that comes with FP (which I don't use) does it with a wizard, but how is it done with Photoshop 5, Corel PhotoPaint or PSP6?

[mivox]

I couldn't say for sure, but I'd bet there are Photoshop/PSP plug-ins for a wide variety of text effects, including bordering. However here are two techniques I've used to acheive the same effect in Photoshop:

a. Make a magic wand selection of the blank area of your text layer
b. Create a new layer beneath your text
c. Use your Select menu to "select inverse"
d. Use the Select menu to "modify selection" -> Expand -> X pixels
e. Fill the expanded selection in the lower layer with whatever border color you want to use.

--or--

a. Render your tect layer (or duplicate the layer and render the copy)
b. Make a magic wand selection of the blank area of the rendered layer
c. Use your Select menu to "select inverse"
d. Use your edit menu to "Stroke" around the selection with the desired color and pixel width

That said (now that my fingers are cramped from all that typing... ;) ) I can't help but think there's an easier/faster/better looking way! Anyone?

[tbear]

In PSP7, when creating new text, you can control fill colour and stroke (border) colour, even choosing patterns or neat effects.
<cringe>Should you want to</cringe>
Can't remember if you have this facility with PSP6.

[korkus2000]

Use the outer glow layer effect in photoshop. I find that a blur of 2 will give you a crisp outline. You may have to rev up to 5.5. I don't remember if 5.0 had layer styles/effects. I like to outline a lot of text so I just built an action for it. You also don't have to rasterize the text layer.

[hasbeen]

Couldn't you just use CSS?

e.g. .brdr { border: #FF0000; border-style: solid}

I haven't tested it much, but it works in IE 6.

Just a thought as it's a simple way of doing it (although it's not really "graphical").