Here’s one for doing multiple colors on the shape outline. Use shape tool, and draw out shape. Hold control key and click on shape layer in layers palette. This will select your shape. Create a new layer. Use Edit<Stroke to get an outline of the shape on the layer. Turn off or delete shape layer. You now will only have the outline of the shape. Go to layers palette and click the square checkered board icon that says lock beside it…right under the blend mode setting box. This will lock the transparency. Use paint brush alter shape outline color as much as you want without fear of going out of lines. To turn transparency lock off again if you need to, just click checkered board icon again. As for the dashed lines, in Elements you can’t really automate like in CS with stroke on a path but you can use brush spacing to accomplish this. It will, however, take a bit of manual work on your part. Again draw out shape…just for reference in this case. Create a blank layer over your shape. Select a brush then go to brush icon not the one with brushes but the one in dead center of your options bar and look for where it says more options. Here you will find a variety of ways to alter your brush stroke. To do a dashed effect play with spacing. Don’t worry about messing up brushes. Next time you select the same brush it will be just like when you first selected the brush. If you’re pretty steady with a brush you can just trace the outline with your brush or if you need everything super straight then just take your brush and click on a corner of your shape, hold shift key and click end of straight segment. Instant dotted line. You’ll have to do this for each straight segment. Again, do the lock transparency thing and paint in your colors. Circles you’re stuck with tracing for creating dotted lines. Variance of thickness will probably have to be done with eraser. I’m sure being PSE that this isn’t the only method. It seems like just about everything can be done at least three different ways.
Terri
John,
Here’s how to create a solid outline of a custom shape:
1. Select the Custom Shape Tool.
2. In the tools options bar, click the down arrow next to the ‘Shape’ box. Click the right arrow and select ‘Shapes’.
Select a solid shape.
3. In the tools options bar, click the down arrow next to the ‘Style’ box. Click the right arrow in the upper corner of the styles palette and choose ‘Visibility’.
4. In the tools options bar, click the down arrow next to the ‘Style’ box and choose ‘Hide’.
5. Click in the image window and hold down the Shift key while dragging out the shape (Shift preserves the aspect ratio of the shape). This creates a new layer called ‘Shape 1’. The shape has an outline, but at this time it is just a path indicator, not a real outline made of pixels.
6. In the Layers palette Ctrl-Click the ‘Shape 1’ layer. Now the path outline will "sparkle". That’s because the selection marque is overlapping the path so it looks a little strange.
7. Click the New Layer button on the layers palette.
The selection marquee will look normal now.
8. With the new layer (named ‘Layer 1’) selected, Edit > Stroke. Choose width (maybe 2-3 pixels), color, and location for the outline. The location has options Inside, Center, and Outline, but for your purposes any of these should do.
Also make sure the Preserve Transparency button is unchecked. Click OK.
9. You now have the transparent outlined shape in ‘Layer 1’. The original ‘Shape 1’ layer is no longer needed and can be deleted.
