On the layer with the paw on transparent background, left click the layer thumbnail to make the selection active. You should see "marching ants" around the selection.

Now, go to Edit>stroke(outline)selection, and position the stroke inside.

Please post back with you progress.

Message was edited by: hatstead If you can't make it work, please post a representative picture so that we may provide targeted directions in greater detail

Sorry, I omitted a cruicial detail.

If you have a layer with an object surrounded by transparency, CTRL+left click the layer thumbnail to make the selection active.

The print screen below is illustrative. I selected the car with the lasso tool, went to Layer>new>layer via copy.

That generated Layer 1, car surrounded by transparency.

To make the selection (car) active, press CTRL+left click the layer thumbnail on layer1. Note the marching ants.

Again, sorry to have misled you.

Make the selection

Go to Edit>stroke(outline)selection, select width of stroke, color that contrasts with background, position stroke inside.

Go to Select>deselect or CTRL+D to get rid of the marching ants.

Suggest that you become familiar with use of layers - the heart and soul of this program.

Simon,

Let's try again.

Here is an image of 2 boats on a trailer.

1. I used the lasso tool to select the 2 boats - you can use the Selection brush tool, if you desire. The selection has to embrace the objects, 2 boats here
2. I went to Layer>new>layer via copy. Now the 2 boats are on a separate layer - Layer 1
3. Shut off the visibility of the background layer. To do that ,click on the eye icon in the layers palette, on the background layer, on then left. The 2 boats on Layer 1 are surrounded by a checkerboard pattern - transparency
4. Press CRTL+Left click the layer thumbnail on Layer 1 to get the marching ants back

   5   .Go to Edit>stroke(outline)selection. I used green for the stroke color, width=10px, position:inside.

Here it is on a black background for better visibility.

"Where"?

Ok.  I created a brand new blank file.  I then created a new paws image using Elements drawing tool.

I now want to make that image transparent.  I should not need any layers as there is nothing else there at all.  I know the purpose of the layers - to make a copy in case you screw it up.  Or in the case of your boats, and VERY clever way of highlighting something within a photo.

Not needed in this scenario and will help me learn how to do it.

Simon

I assume that the "marching ants" are around the red car in its entirety.

In the dialog for the stroke, did you indicate the position:inside?

ok.

With the selection active in Layer 1, go to Select>modify>expand to expand the selection by a few pixels and apply the stroke outside. You will need to experiment to get it right for your purpose.

Also have a look in Select>refine edge to fine tune the selection.

Another approach to address the critical nature of this project is as follows:

1. Make the selection active on Layer 1

2. Then open a blank layer above layer 1. This will be layer 2. Apply the stroke on layer 2 (Edit>stroke--)

3. Access the move tool, and with the corner handles of the bounding box, you can resize the outline on layer 2.

Note that this is not a drawing program. There is an inexpensive add-on called Elements +. This has Paths.

http://simplephotoshop.com/elementsplus/

I've just added text to an image and want to "OUTLINE" that text.

How do I do it?