How to Outline Text in Adobe InDesign: 1-Min Guide

How to Outline Text in Adobe InDesign

Updated on:

April 6, 2026

By:

Madhav Bhandari

Use this interactive demo to learn how to outline text in Adobe InDesign.

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Here’s a quick and easy guide on how to outline text in Adobe InDesign:

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To outline text in Adobe InDesign, highlight the text and navigate to the Appearance section, where the style properties are located.
Click the Fill and choose 'None' to remove the font color.
Go to Stroke Weight and adjust the number to create an outline.
Check the applied changes—you have successfully outlined text in InDesign.

📌 Why this matters

Outlined text creates visual hierarchy and improves readability against complex backgrounds, making your designs more professional and accessible. This technique becomes particularly powerful when you're working with layered graphics, photography, or colorful backgrounds where solid text might disappear or clash.

Beyond basic visibility, outlined text maintains its structure when converted to paths for print production, ensuring consistent output across different printers and preventing font substitution issues. It also allows you to create decorative effects and maintain brand consistency when specific fonts aren't available to other team members or print vendors.

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