Stroking a selection or layer with color

You can use the Stroke command to paint a colored border around a selection, layer, or path. This allows you to create a softer border than one created using the Stroke layer style. The Stroke layer style provides a resolution-independent method to stroke a shape. (See Managing layers.) You can use the Stroke layer effect when you want to stroke the entire layer. If you want a quick way to create a stroke on the current layer--without necessarily following the edge of the layer--use the Stroke command.

To stroke a selection or layer:

1. Specify a foreground color. (See Choosing foreground and background colors.)
2. Select the area or layer you want to stroke.
3. Choose Edit > Stroke.
4. In the Stroke dialog box, specify the width of the hard-edged border.
5. For Location, specify whether to place the border inside, outside, or centered over the selection or layer boundaries.
6. Specify an opacity and a blending mode. (See Setting options for painting and editing tools.)
7. If you're working in a layer and want to stroke only areas containing pixels, select the Preserve Transparency option. (See Locking layers.)

To stroke a path:

1. Select the path in the Paths palette.
2. Choose Stroke Path from the palette menu.
3. In the Stroke Path dialog box, choose a tool to stroke the path.