Randstroken

Randstroken is a term used in typography and vector graphics to describe a secondary stroke applied along the outer edge of a shape or letterform. The term derives from rand, meaning edge, and stroke, referring to the line drawn around or along a path. In practice, a randstroken creates a border or halo effect that can increase legibility, provide visual separation from the background, or give a display design a punchier look.

Common configurations include choosing stroke width, color, and alignment relative to the base path. Alignments are typically inside, outside, or centered on the original outline. Some designs employ multiple strokes at different colors or opacities to create depth or a glow-like effect. Randstroken can be used on text, logos, icons, and other vector shapes.

Implementation is supported in most vector graphics and font-editing tools. The outer stroke will often affect rendering for raster outputs, and care should be taken with small sizes where the stroke can degrade readability or introduce aliasing. Accessibility considerations include maintaining sufficient contrast between the edged glyph and the background.

Related concepts include outline fonts, strokes in typography, and border effects. Randstroken differs from inner strokes or fills in that it emphasizes the outer boundary of the shape. In contemporary design, randstroken is one among several border techniques used to stylize type and graphics.