How to Add a Border to an Image
Drop your images above, pick a colour and a width, and the framed result appears immediately. The first decision worth making deliberately is whether the border goes outside the image or inside it. Adding outside grows the file — a 1000-pixel photo with a 20-pixel border becomes 1040 pixels — which is what you want when the whole picture must stay visible. Drawing inside keeps the dimensions exactly as they were by scaling the photo down within the same canvas, which matters when the output has to be a specific size, such as a fixed thumbnail slot. Beyond that, turning off uniform width lets you set each of the four sides independently, and that's more useful than it first sounds: an asymmetric frame with a deeper bottom edge is exactly what makes a photo look like a polaroid, which is why there's a one-tap preset for it. Everything is a real pixel value rather than a vague small-medium-large choice, so you can match an existing layout precisely. Frame a whole folder with the same settings and take the results as a single ZIP. Nothing is uploaded.
Add your images
Drag and drop, paste, or click to browse — multiple at once.
Set the border
Choose colour, width, per-side values and inside or outside.
Download
Save each framed image, or take the batch as one ZIP.
Why a Border Helps
Separation from the page
A photo with light edges placed on a white page appears to bleed into it. A border gives the image a definite edge, so the eye reads it as a distinct object rather than part of the background.
Breathing room
A margin of empty colour around a photograph is why gallery mounts exist. It stops the subject feeling cramped against the frame and makes a set of mixed images look consistent together.
Common Use Cases
Instagram square posts
Pad a non-square photo with a border so it fits without cropping.
Polaroid look
White frame with a deeper bottom edge, ready for handwriting.
Separate from a white page
A thin grey border stops a bright photo bleeding into the background.
Product photography
Consistent framing across a catalogue looks more professional.
Screenshots in documents
A border makes a screenshot read as a distinct element.
Print mounting
Simulate a mat board before sending to print.
Presentation slides
Frame images so they sit cleanly on a coloured background.
Photo prints
Add a white margin so nothing important sits near the cut line.
Tips & Best Practices
Scale the border to the image
A 20-pixel border looks generous on a 400-pixel thumbnail and invisible on a 4000-pixel photo. Match the width to the size.
Deeper bottom edge for captions
The polaroid look comes from asymmetry — roughly three times the bottom margin of the sides.
Use inside mode for fixed slots
When the output must stay a specific size, drawing inside avoids breaking your layout.
Match the border to the background
A white border on a white page effectively adds padding; a contrasting one creates a visible frame.
Keep it consistent across a set
Batch the whole folder with the same settings so the images sit together properly.
Add the border last
Crop and resize first, then frame — otherwise resizing scales the border too.
Troubleshooting
The border is barely visible
It's too thin relative to the image size. A large photo needs a proportionally wider border to read at all.
The image got bigger
That's outside mode working as intended. Switch to inside if the dimensions must stay the same.
My image looks squashed in inside mode
Inside mode scales the photo to fit within the border. With very different per-side values that can change the proportions.
Transparency turned white
JPEG has no alpha channel. Choose PNG to keep transparency outside the border.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add a border to an image for free?
Drop your images above, pick a colour and width, and download — free, no signup and no watermark.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens in your browser, so your images never leave your device.
Can I set a different width on each side?
Yes. Turn off the uniform option and enter exact values for top, right, bottom and left.
What's the difference between outside and inside?
Outside adds the border around the image so the file grows. Inside draws it within the existing dimensions, which stay unchanged.
How do I get the polaroid look?
Use the preset — a white frame with a much deeper bottom edge, which is what makes it recognisable.
Can I pick any colour?
Yes. The colour picker accepts any value rather than limiting you to presets.
How wide should the border be?
Scale it to the image. Around 2 to 5% of the shorter side reads well at most sizes.
Can I border several images at once?
Yes. Add a whole folder and download the results as a single ZIP.
Will it crop my image?
No. Outside mode adds space around it; inside mode scales it down to fit. Nothing is cut off either way.
Does it work with transparent PNGs?
Yes. Choose PNG output to keep transparency outside the border area.
Is there a file size limit?
No. Nothing is uploaded, so the only constraint is your device's memory.
Can I add rounded corners too?
Use our round corners tool afterwards — the two work well together.
Should I border before or after resizing?
After. Resizing a bordered image scales the border too, which usually isn't what you want.
Which format should I choose?
PNG for lossless quality and transparency, JPG for a smaller photographic file.
Does it add a watermark?
No. The output contains only your image and the border.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded it runs entirely in your browser, so it keeps working without a connection.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone with nothing to install.
Is this tool really free?
Completely free, forever — no account, no ads and no premium wall.
100% free · No signup · Processed in your browser · Never uploaded
Last updated: August 2026 · FlipMyFormat Add Border
Written and maintained by the FlipMyFormat team · Runs entirely in your browser