How To Add Borders & Frames To Images

In this article, I’m going to show you how to add borders to images and screenshots using native tools built into Windows and how to add frames using a popular 3rd-party image viewer.

How To Add Borders To Existing Images

Adding a border to images and screenshots can really make them pop, especially if the background color is plain white. First off, I’m going to show how to add a border to existing images using the native “Paint 3D” app.

• Right-click the image you want to add a border to. From the menu select Open with and then click Paint 3D
• The image will open in the native Paint 3D app
• In the menu across the top, click 2D shapes and then click the square shape on the right

• Now, align your mouse cursor with the top left-hand corner of the image, hold down the left mouse button and drag diagonally down and across the image to the bottom right-hand corner then release the left mouse button. If one edge or another of the border is not quite aligned you can drag each edge individually into the correct position
• You will now see, in the right-hand panel, controls to adjust various elements – color, thickness (width), and opacity

When satisfied, click the tick in the circle to apply the changes. You’re all done and you can now save the image with the new border applied.

How To Add Borders To Screenshots

In this case, I’m going to show you how to use the built-in Snip & Sketch app to apply borders to screenshots.

Open Snip & Sketch, click on the three little horizontal dots at the top right of the window, and from the menu, click Settings

• Locate the Snip outline setting and switch it to On 
• You’ll now see options to adjust color and thickness directly under that switch

Click the back arrow at the top left in the title bar to return to the capture window and take your screenshot

You can also take the screenshot first and then go through the steps as described above – same result. You can head back to those settings at any time and change the color and thickness for each individual screenshot.

Make sure to save the image when you’re done.

How To Add Frames To Images

As far as I am aware, there is no native app in Windows that will allow you to add a frame. However, most popular image viewers will include this as an option. For the purpose of this exercise, I’m using my favorite image viewer, FastStone.

• Open the image in FastStone Image Viewer and hover your mouse cursor over the left-hand side of the window to bring up the hidden editing menu
• Under Effects you’ll see two options: Border Effects and Frame Mask
• Clicking the Border Effects option will bring up a menu where you can choose up to three frames and adjust the color and thickness for each:

(example)

Clicking the Frame Mask option will bring up a selection of 95 different fancy frame shapes to choose from, including hearts and flowers:

Click your chosen frame shape and then click OK. These frames and frame shapes from FastStone can really dress up an image.

Incidentally, the baby in the photo is my 7th great-grandchild of 8 great-grandchildren in total, and he is a bonny boy.

—