Use the Weight input value to change the thickness of the outline. The menu should look something like this: If you do not currently have the Stroke menu active then you can access it by navigating to: Now it’s time to determine the size of the outline (or stroke.) To do this we will need to access the Stroke menu. Step 3: Navigate to the Stroke menu and use the Weight input to dictate the size of the outline Your subject should now have a small outline going around it in the chosen color: A thin outline in the chosen color is applied to the subject. Once you’ve chosen a color, click OK to apply the changes. As indicated in this menu, you can choose colors by: Use this menu to choose a color for your outline. Once you double-click the box you will be prompted with a color picker menu: The color picker menu allows you to choose a color for your outline. Right now there is no stroke applied to the object, so the box has a red slash going through it. Locate the Fill and Stroke menu and double-click the box to the bottom-right of the order: The stroke box has a red slash going through it by default. So in order to apply an outline to some text in Illustrator, we’ll need to apply a stroke. In Adobe Illustrator, outlines are known as “strokes”. Step 2: Use the Fill and Stroke menu to apply an outline to the object in the desired color Once applied, the text will no longer be an editable text object and will now simply be a vector path that is shaped like text. To do so, select it and navigate to:Īlternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut, which is Shift + Control + O. In order to apply an outline using the method in this lesson though we’ll need to convert this text object to a vector path. If you’re looking to apply outlines to PNG images and other rasterized elements then check another tutorial I did on applying outlines with Photoshop.įor this demonstration I will be applying an outline to the following text object: In this tutorial we’ll be applying an outline to text. The reality is that Illustrator is a vector design tool, therefore its tools and features are meant for working with vector objects. In order to create outlines in Illustrator we must first ensure that the subject we’re applying them to is a true vector path and not a bitmap, image, or text object. Step 5: Apply squared, rounded or beveled corners to your outline Step 1: Ensure that the object you’re applying the outline to is a vector path.Step 4: Within the Stroke menu, change the Align Stroke setting to place the outline behind the subject.Step 3: Navigate to the Stroke menu and use the Weight input to dictate the size of the outline.Step 2: Use the Fill and Stroke menu to apply an outline to the object in the desired color.