How can I add filling background and outline images like shown below?

[SergeantCojones]

Hello,

I tried to give images a background filling by also outlining the image, so that it appears the same on any color background in Illustrator. Since I could not find a solution with image trace and all for what ever reason I got mad and bought photoshop sub too again.... anyways... 😄

I hope to find solution now for photoshop in this community, highly appreciate any help as I have tried hours and hours already in Ilustrator and had to give up on it there. The original file is from a past designer I hired and I have a lot of images like that which I want to reuse. He originally created the files in photoshop, so using photoshop might be the only answer. Here I am.

Below you see the orange cat which is opened in photoshop and it shows nicely where the empty/transparent spot is. I want to fill these areas with black for example, and create an outline around the cat in the same color, so the image appears the same no matter on which background.

How can I do this efficent in photoshop?

Thanks!

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

Put a solid color fill layer at the bottom of your layer stack, and fill that with black. Add a layer effect style to the cat layer for either a stroke or outer glow, by double clicking on the Cat layer in the layers panel.

[SergeantCojones]

Thank you so much, it works, and so much easier. 

The result needs some more adjustment, so I need to ask how would you do it?

As you can see in the images I would like to have a thickness more thinner something like in image cat 1.

For the empty place to completely fill with stroke only, I would need to have a really thick outline as you can see in image cat 2.

Image 2 also has a not so clean looking outline, since the tail has a few parts.

Is there a way to fill this out and or connect more smoothly to make the total image look better?

Thinner outline possible and matching connection what you think?

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

I would duplicate the layer, and had the stroke set at the two different thicknesses. Then I would create a mask on the thicker stroke and just have that, where you want it.

[SergeantCojones]

Thank you sir! 

[SergeantCojones]

Actually I can´t find what you mean with making mask in photoshop. Long time was mostly active in Illustrator can you explain? 

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

 by pressing alt/opt then clicking on the mask icon, at the bottom of the layer panel, you can create a mask that is filled with black that hides the entire layer. Then choose the brush tool and white as the color and paint the thick stroke areas back in.

[SergeantCojones]

Dude you are amazing thank you.

This way is super effective and useful for me.

[Chuck Uebele]

Very good. Glad it's working for you.