Add Border to Image
An outside border changes an image's shape as well as its size, so a 16:9 thumbnail framed that way is no longer 16:9; frame a thumbnail on the inside instead.
100% free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
Put a solid border around any image, outside it so nothing is covered or inside it so the size stays exactly the same. The image is edited in your browser and never uploaded.
Border placement
Download as
What this tool does
Add border to image files here without an editor, an upload or an account. Drop in a photo, pick a width and a colour, and the frame is drawn around it straight away. Add a second, inner line in another colour for a double border, then download the result as JPG, PNG or WebP.
How to add a border to an image
- Add the image. Drop it onto the page, paste it, or choose it from your disk.
- Choose the placement. Outside adds the border around the picture, so nothing is covered. Inside paints it over the edges, so the image keeps its exact size.
- Set the width and colour. The border slider runs from 1 to 200 pixels. The inner line sits between the border and the picture and is off until you give it a width.
- Download. A PNG keeps any transparency; a JPG fills see-through areas with white.
Outside or inside: which to choose
An outside border adds the same number of pixels to every side, which is what most people mean by "add a border without cropping". It also changes the shape: a 1280×720 image with a 20 px outside border becomes 1320×760, which is no longer 16:9. For a photo that is going to Instagram or a print that rarely matters. For a YouTube thumbnail it does, because a picture that is not 16:9 is shown with bars or cropped (see why your YouTube thumbnail is cropped). That is why this tool switches to Inside on its own when you load a 16:9 image: the frame covers the outer edge and the file stays 1280×720.
No upload, no watermark
Several of the pages that rank for this job ask you to upload the photo to their server, or put the border inside a bigger editor. Here the image is read by your browser and redrawn on a canvas on your device, so nothing is sent anywhere, and the download is the full original resolution with no mark added. The page shows the exact output size before you save, so there are no surprises.
If you want a stroke that follows the outline of a cut-out subject rather than the edge of the picture, use add outline to image. To check the framed thumbnail at feed size, use the thumbnail preview, or generate a thumbnail from scratch.
Last updated October 29, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a border to an image without cropping it?
Choose Outside. The border is added around the picture, so every pixel of the original stays visible and the image grows by twice the border width in each direction.
How do I add a white border to a photo?
Drop the photo onto this page, leave the border colour on white and set the width with the slider, then press Download. White is the default colour, so a white frame needs no other changes.
What is the difference between an inside and an outside border?
An outside border makes the image bigger, while an inside border keeps its size and covers the outer edge of the picture. Use Outside when nothing may be hidden and Inside when the dimensions must stay the same.
How do I add a border to a YouTube thumbnail?
Use an inside border so the thumbnail keeps its 16:9 shape. Load the 1280×720 image, pick Inside (the tool selects it for 16:9 images), set the width and colour, and download; the file is still 1280×720.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is read by your own browser and the border is drawn on a canvas on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, so the original stays private.
Stop designing thumbnails. Start generating them.
Describe your video, pick your face, and Thumblore returns click-ready 1280×720 thumbnails in seconds — free to start.
Try Thumblore freeMore free tools
YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
Paste any YouTube link and pull the thumbnail in every size YouTube stores, up to full 1280×720.
Open tool →Thumbnail Text Adder
Drop an image, add bold outlined text, download a finished 1280×720 thumbnail. No editor needed.
Open tool →Thumbnail Preview & Safe Zones
Check your thumbnail at real YouTube sizes — feed, mobile, sidebar, end screen — with safe zones and a squint test.
Open tool →