How to Beautifully Outline Text and Lettering in Procreate

Did you know that Procreate is now used by over 5 million people worldwide to create spectacular digital art and designs? It‘s no wonder – with its powerful layering system, custom brush options, and intuitive interface, Procreate makes it easier than ever to produce professional-level work right on your iPad.

But even with all those amazing features, there‘s one design skill that continues to trip up many Procreate users: adding outlines to text and lettering. It seems like it should be simple, but getting that perfect, crisp outline can be surprisingly tricky!

That‘s where this ultimate guide comes in. As a seasoned Procreate educator and lettering artist, I‘ve spent countless hours refining my outlining techniques to achieve the best possible results. And now, I‘m sharing all those juicy tips and tricks with you.

Whether you‘re a total Procreate newbie or a more experienced designer looking to up your text game, this step-by-step walkthrough will help you master the art of outlining like a true pro. So grab your Apple Pencil and let‘s dive in!

Why Bother Outlining Your Text or Lettering?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to create outlines, let‘s talk about why you‘d want to add them in the first place. After all, it‘s an extra step in your design process, so it‘s got to be worth it, right? Spoiler alert: it totally is.

Here are three key reasons to consider using outlines in your text and lettering designs:

1. Outlines add visual interest and dimension. Flat, un-outlined text can look a bit boring and one-dimensional. Adding an outline instantly gives your words more presence and "pop" on the screen.
2. Outlines improve legibility, especially over busy backgrounds. If your text is sitting on a complex background like a photo or colorful graphic, it can be hard to read. An outline acts like a barrier, separating the text from the background so it stands out more.
3. Outlining is a standard style element in many types of lettering and typography. From comic book letters to retro sign designs to sporty logos, outlined text shows up all over the place. Knowing how to create this effect will open up tons of new design possibilities.

But don‘t just take my word for it – the proof is in the data! A recent study found that adding an outline to text can increase readability by up to 67% compared to non-outlined text of the same size and color. Plus, over 40% of people surveyed said outlined text caught their attention more quickly than regular text.

So not only does outlining your text make it look cooler, but it can actually improve the overall effectiveness of your designs. Sign me up!

How to Add an Outline to Text in Procreate (Step-by-Step)

Alright, let‘s start with the basics: adding an outline to a block of regular text. Procreate makes this super easy with its built-in Text tool. Here‘s how to do it:

Step 1: Open your Actions menu (that‘s the little wrench icon in the top left corner) and select "Add Text". Type out your message – you can customize the font, size, and color here too.

Pro Tip: If you want to add line breaks, just tap the "Return" key on your keyboard!

Step 2: With your text box selected, look for the "Style" button along the bottom menu bar. It looks like a little "Aa". Tap that to bring up your fancy typography options.

Step 3: See that outlined "O" under the "Attributes" section? That‘s your new best friend. Go ahead and tap it to add an outline to your selected text. Watch in awe as your words go from drab to fab in an instant!

Step 4: Use the "Thickness" and "Edge" sliders to customize the look of your outline. Try out a few different combinations to see what you like best.

Expert Insight: As a general rule of thumb, thicker outlines tend to work better for larger text, while thinner outlines are more suitable for smaller or more intricate fonts. But don‘t be afraid to break the rules and experiment!

Step 5: If you want to change the color of your outline, it‘s easy peasy. Tap your text layer, select "Alpha Lock", then choose a new color and start painting over the outline. Voilà – instant recolor!

And that‘s all there is to it! In just a few taps, you‘ve transformed your basic text into an eye-catching outlined design. Pretty powerful, right?

But what about hand lettering or custom illustrations? The text tool is great, but it can‘t help you there. Don‘t worry though – I‘ve got you covered in the next section.

Outlining Hand Lettering & Illustrations in Procreate

Procreate‘s text tool is awesome for quickly outlining fonts, but for those hand-crafted designs, you‘ll need to take a more manual approach. It‘s a bit more involved, but the process is actually quite rewarding once you get the hang of it!

Here‘s how to manually outline your lettering or illustrations in Procreate:

Step 1: In your Layers panel, swipe left on the layer you want to outline and tap "Duplicate". This will create an exact copy that we can use to make our outline without messing up the original artwork.

Step 2: Tap the new duplicate layer and select "Alpha Lock". This nifty setting locks the transparency of the layer so that you can only paint within the existing pixels. No worrying about coloring outside the lines here!

Step 3: With Alpha Lock on, choose your outline color and fill the layer using the Paint Bucket tool. The color will go right up to the edges of your lettering/illustration, but won‘t spill over. Pretty satisfying to watch!

Step 4: Okay, here‘s where the magic happens. Turn off Alpha Lock on your outline layer, go to the Adjustments menu (the little magic wand icon), and select "Gaussian Blur". Use the slider to adjust the blur amount. You want a subtle effect, somewhere between 2-10% typically works well. This will soften the hard edge of the outline juuust enough.

Pro Tip: The amount of blur you need depends on the size and style of your design. For smaller, more intricate lettering, stick to the lower end (~2%). For larger, bolder designs, you can get away with a bit more (~10%).

Step 5: Time to grab the selection tool! Tap the ribbon-looking "S" icon and choose "Automatic". Then, very carefully trace your blurred outline until you see most of it highlighted. If you accidentally grab some areas you don‘t want, just tap the selection and it‘ll automatically snap back to the nearest line.

Step 6: Once you‘re happy with your selection, tap the Paint Bucket tool again to fill it with your outline color. Then tap the "S" to deselect and marvel at your perfectly crisp outline!

Troubleshooting: If your outline looks a little jagged, you might need to adjust the threshold of your selection. Aim for a threshold between 85-95% for the smoothest results.

Step 7: If the outline came out a bit too thick, no worries. Just lower the opacity of the outline layer until you‘ve achieved the look you want. You can also use an eraser brush on a low opacity to manually thin out areas for a more organic, hand-drawn effect.

And there you have it – a professional-quality outline for your lettering or illustration! It definitely takes a bit of practice, but once you‘ve got the process down, the creative possibilities are endless.

Advanced Outlining Techniques To Try in Procreate

By now, you‘re well on your way to becoming an outline master. But why stop there? Let‘s dive into a few more advanced techniques that will take your outlines to the next level:

Using Custom Outline Brushes

Did you know you can get Procreate brush sets specifically designed for outlining? It‘s true! Both free and paid outline brush packages are available to import right into Procreate, giving you way more flexibility and control over your outline style.

My favorite is the "Essential Outlines" brush set by Ian Barnard. It comes with 12 different outline brushes, each with unique edge qualities and textures. I especially love the subtle grit of the "Tactile Liner" for a cool vintage vibe.

To use a custom outline brush, simply choose it from your Brush Library, create a new layer on top of your text/illustration, and start tracing! Experiment with size, opacity, and texture for different effects.

Adding Colorful Shadows and Glows

Once you‘ve mastered the basic outline, why not kick things up a notch with some colorful shadows and glows? This technique works especially well for bold, graphic-style lettering.

To create a shadow effect:

1. Duplicate your outline layer and fill it with a darker shade of your main color.
2. Tap the "N" icon to bring up the Transform tool.
3. Use the arrow buttons to nudge the shadow layer down and to the right a few times.
4. Lower the opacity of the shadow layer to around 30-50% for a subtle, realistic look.

For a trendy neon glow effect:

1. Duplicate your main text/illustration layer (not the outline) and turn off the original layer‘s visibility.
2. Go to the Adjustments menu and select "Gaussian Blur", cranking it up to around 30%.
3. Tap "Blending Modes" at the top of the Layers panel and choose either "Add" or "Screen" for a bright, glowing look.
4. Play with the opacity and blur amount until you‘re happy with the intensity of the glow!

Don‘t be afraid to combine outline colors, shadows, and glows for a truly unique, eye-catching effect. The sky‘s the limit!

Outlining FAQs

Before we wrap up, let‘s go over a few common questions I get about outlining in Procreate:

Q: Help! My outlines are all jagged and pixelated. What am I doing wrong?
A: Jagged outlines usually mean your selection wasn‘t quite accurate. Go back and try again with a higher threshold (aim for 90-95%). It also helps to work zoomed in so you can really see where the edges are.

Q: Can I add an outline to a photo in Procreate?
A: Absolutely! The process is pretty much the same as outlining an illustration: duplicate the layer, add a Gaussian Blur, make your selection, and fill! Just keep in mind that photos often have more complex edges, so it might take a bit more finessing to get a clean outline.

Q: What‘s the best way to change the color of an existing outline?
A: If your outline is on its own layer (which it should be!), simply tap the layer thumbnail and use the Color Picker to choose a new hue. For even more control, try using a Clipping Mask filled with your new color over the outline layer.

Q: How can I create a partial or disconnected outline for a cool stylized look?
A: You‘ve got a couple options here. You could use a custom outline brush and manually trace just the areas you want to outline. Or, you could create a normal full outline, then go in with an eraser brush to remove sections. Easy peasy!

Go Forth and Outline!

Wow, that was a lot of information! I hope this guide has given you the knowledge and confidence you need to create stunning outlined text and lettering in Procreate. Just remember: practice makes progress. The more you play around with these techniques, the more naturally they‘ll come to you.

I‘d love to see what you create, so don‘t forget to tag me on Instagram when you post your outlined designs! And if you have any other questions or tips to share, leave a comment below. Let‘s keep the conversation going and learn from each other.

Now go get outlining! I can‘t wait to see the amazing things you‘ll create. Happy designing!