How to add stroke

[Suraiya A]

Hello,

I created this drawing in AI. later to remove the plainness I took each one into Photoshop (Copy, paste as pixel). done some coloring and merge all layers. later I place each on in Illustrator again (with a transparent background) to apply a black stroke. But no way I could apply that. I need a black stroke/boundary around each one.

Please tell me how can I do that. Please.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

They are pixels now. Did you keep the original vector objects? In that case you can overlay them here and use them for the stroke.

There are methods to get a stroke even on pixels, you could try that as well. So when you apply a stroke to a pixel image, use the Appearance panel for that. And then add Effect > Path > Outline object to that stroke.

Like so: Aussehen = Appearance

Kontur nachzeichnen = Outline object

In the bottom left of the panel with the button you apply a stroke

[Suraiya A]

😮 Thank you soooooooo much. 

[Monika Gause]

Glad you could solve it. Happy New Year!

and one more thing: for whatever reason this does not work well on rotated images:

[Suraiya A]

Can you please tell me how can I apply the gradient to that stroke? I selected that stroke in appearance panel. Apply the gradient from the swatch panels, but the color is not changing. (attached)

[Suraiya A]

Happy New year. ❤️

[Monika Gause]

Unfortunatela your screenshot is not showing up. Can you please upload it via the forum's web interface? When posting there's a button to embed an image in your post.

I just tried to apply a gradient to the stroke and it should work. Please make sure that the Appearance panel is visible in your screenshot.

[Suraiya A]

Can you see now?

[Monika Gause]

OK, I see that you uploaded it to the original post.

The problem is that you also applied an art brush. Art brushes do not support adding a gradient to them.

There are options to have a gradient in them, but that would mean that you have to separate the stroke from the image.

[Suraiya A]

oh okay. Yes, I needed a Stroke brush around them. I learned a lot from you. Thank you so much for your kind help.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

My pleasure. I'm glad I can help you.

So in order to get the gradient into the stroke, what I would do:

1. Make this a basic troke: take away the brush and the gradient in the Appearance panel. So this is just a basic stroke (click on Basic in the brushes panel)

2. Object > Expand Appearance. This gives you a group that contains the stroke(s) and the pixel image.

3. Ungroup those.

4. Maybe you want to check your trokes, there might be a lot of points in the paths. You could Object > Path > Simplify

5. Make a copy of the paths with the strokes (you can use Edit > Copy and then Edit > Paste in front.

6. Apply the brush to all those top objects

7. Apply a gradient to all those bottom objects

8. select all those paths with brushes and group them. You can select one and then use Select > Same > Appearance (if they all have the same brush and color and troke thickness

9. Select all the paths with gradients and all the group with the brush paths and then open the Transparency panel and click on "Make Mask". Check "Invert"

[Suraiya A]

Take my love and respect! Thank you so much.

[Monika Gause]

Thank you for your kind words. It was a pleasure to start the year with your beautiful artworkand your interesting questions around its creation.