How to add a border to a photo online free
Upload the photo, choose a width and a color, and download. That's the whole job, and it all happens in your browser. The border is added around the outside of the image, so your picture keeps every pixel and the file simply gets a little bigger: a 1200 × 800 image with a 20 px border becomes 1240 × 840.
Want a double border? Add the first one, download it, then upload the result and add a second border in another color. A thin black line inside a wider white border is a classic print look.
Picking a border width that looks right
Width is in pixels, so the right number depends on how big the image is. As a rule of thumb, a border between 1% and 3% of the image width looks deliberate without overpowering it.
| Image width | Subtle outline | Clear border | Bold border |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 px (blog, docs) | 1–2 px | 8–12 px | 20–25 px |
| 1080 px (Instagram) | 2–3 px | 10–20 px | 30–40 px |
| 2000 px and up (print) | 4–6 px | 20–40 px | 50 px |
Image border vs photo frame
PicX has a second tool for this, the photo frame maker. Use this image border tool for crisp outlines and bright colors on screenshots, diagrams and graphics. Use the photo frame maker when you want a wide, soft mat around a photograph, up to 100 px in white, off-white or slate.
Borders also help in documents and presentations. Slides and docs usually sit on white, so a screenshot with a white or light background has no visible edge. A 1–2 px black outline fixes that, and using the same width and color on every screenshot in a guide makes the whole thing look consistent and deliberate.
