Stroke Path Over A Second Object

[SLPeet Photography]

I know how to add a stroke around a photograph or object. But can someone please tell me how I can make the same stroke go around part of a second object or text that covers part of the edge of photo such as with many Lobby Cards like the one shown here. Is this a job for the pen tool or is there another way? Thanks. 

[Chuck Uebele]

If you're talking about the photo, you can duplicate the photo layer, set the fill opacity to 0, then mask out the edge area that doesn't have the stroke. You have to check that the mask hides the effect in the blending dialog box.

[SLPeet Photography]

Hi, Chuck. 

Well basically, when I add a cutout that only slightly overlaps the photo with a stroke, I only want the stroke around the cutout where it overlaps the photo and not the entire cutout. Please see sample here.  As you can see the cutout of the dancer has the stroke going all around her. I just want to have it where she overlaps the main photo. Basically just her head and arm to have a stroke.

[Bojan Živković · Accepted solution]

Chuck is giving you right direction. You can accomplish that task using new layer and fill opacity set to 0% what wll hide content on lazer but will show layer effect like Stroke. Here is one possible solution for image which you have uploaded as example. I guess you have layered file with each element on its layer. 

• 
  Create new bank layer.
• Ctrl + click on layer thumbnail with image in center, big one. That will load selection.
• Ctrl + Alt + click on thumbnail with small image in bottom left corner to subtract from selection.
• Ctrl + Alt + click on thumbnail with blue background behind text. That will subtract that selection from main selecton loaded in the second step.
• Select blank new layer and fill with color.
• Set Fill to 0%.
• Add Stroke layer style.

[SLPeet Photography]

It worked!!!. Thanks, guys 🙂