Add a border to an image
Put a solid frame round a picture in any colour. Add it outside the image so nothing is hidden, or draw it over the edges to keep the size the same.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing is uploaded
- No sign-up
- Batch up to 20 images
Drag & drop your image here
or tap to browse · you can also paste from the clipboard
JPG · PNG · WebP · GIF · BMP · AVIF · SVG · up to 50 MB each · up to 20 files
Choose imagesBefore
Result
Processed image will appear here.
How to use the image border tool
Add the picture, choose a border colour and move the thickness slider. Pick "Around the picture" to keep the whole image and make the file larger in pixels, or "Over its edges" to keep the size and cover the outer strip. Download in the original format.
- Add your imageA thin black border is added to start with.
- Choose colour and thicknessAnd whether it goes around the picture or over its edges.
- DownloadKeep the original format, or pick JPG, PNG or WebP.
About this tool
A border separates a picture from whatever it sits on. A thin dark line stops a pale screenshot dissolving into a white page; a broad white band gives a photo the look of a print; a coloured frame ties a set of images to a brand. Thickness is a share of the picture's shorter side, so one setting gives a matching frame on images of different sizes.
There are two ways to add it. "Around the picture" grows the canvas by the border on every side: the image is untouched and the file's dimensions increase. "Over its edges" draws the border on top of the outermost pixels: the dimensions stay as they were and a strip of the image is covered. Use the second when the size is fixed by wherever the picture is going.
What you get
- Any colour, from a hairline to a quarter of the picture
- Around the picture or over its edges
- Thickness that follows the picture's size
- Batch up to 20 images
- Nothing is uploaded
When to use the image border tool
Pale images on a white page
A thin dark line defines the edge of a screenshot, a chart or a scan that would otherwise bleed into the page.
A print-style frame
A broad white or cream border gives a photo the look of a mounted print when it is posted or printed.
Branded frames for a set of pictures
The same colour and thickness on every image in a catalogue or a feed makes them read as a series.
Cut lines and safe margins
A hairline border shows exactly where an image ends when it is to be trimmed or placed in a layout.
What each thickness gives
| Thickness | Share of the shorter side | On a 3000 px photo | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.3% | about 9 px | Hairline |
| 5 | 0.9% | 26 px | Thin line |
| 12 | 2.1% | 64 px | Clear frame |
| 30 | 6% | 181 px | Broad frame |
| 60 | 14% | 409 px | Heavy mount |
| 100 | 25% | 750 px | As thick as a quarter of the picture |
How it works
With the border around the picture, a new canvas is made that is wider and taller than the original by twice the border thickness, the picture is copied into the middle of it untouched, and the four bands are painted in. With the border over the edges, the canvas is the size of the original and the bands are painted on top of the picture's outer rows and columns. In that mode the thickness is limited so that some of the picture always remains visible.
Thickness runs from 0.2% to 25% of the picture's shorter side and is at least one pixel. The border is a flat colour with square corners. If the picture has transparent areas they are kept in PNG and WebP, with the border drawn solid around them; for JPG they are filled first with the background colour offered in the settings. A border that would push the picture past the size a browser can build stops with a message instead of failing silently.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The picture is now the wrong size for where it is going
- "Around the picture" adds to the dimensions. Switch to "Over its edges" to keep them, or resize the result afterwards.
- The border hides part of the image
- That is "Over its edges". Switch to "Around the picture", which covers nothing.
- The border looks thicker on one picture than another
- It should not: thickness follows each picture's shorter side. If two pictures have very different shapes, the same share of the shorter side can look different against the longer one. Adjust per picture if it matters.
- A white border does not show
- On a white page a white border is invisible by design: it adds space, not a line. Choose a darker colour if you want the edge to be seen.
Frequently asked questions
Does the border change the size of my picture?
With "Around the picture", yes: the width and height each grow by twice the border. With "Over its edges", no: the size is unchanged and the border hides the outer strip of the image. The result panel shows the final size either way.
How do I add a white border to fit a square for Instagram?
That is a different job: padding to a shape, not a frame of even thickness. Use Add White Border to Photo, which adds bands on two sides until the picture is square, 4:5 or 9:16.
Can I make a border with rounded corners?
Not in one step. This page draws a square-cornered frame. You can round the corners of the result afterwards with the Round Image Corners tool.
Can I use a pattern, a gradient or a second line?
No. The border is a single solid colour. For a double frame, run the picture through twice with two colours.
What border colour should I use?
Black or dark grey to define an edge, white for a print look, or a colour taken from the picture itself for a frame that feels part of it. The Image Colour Picker gives you the code of any colour in the photo.
Can I border a whole folder of images?
Up to 20 at a time. Add them together, set the border once and download the results as a ZIP.