Select the Horizontal Type tool.
You enter text with the Type tool much like you do with a word processor.
Before you start entering text, make the following choices in the
options bar.
Let's go from left-to-right on the options bar.
Choice #1 - Font
Select a font in the options bar.
The fonts you see didn't come with Photoshop Elements.
They're the fonts that are already on your computer.
Choice #2 - Font Style
Select a font style.
You can probably ignore this choice, as it applies to only some fonts.
Choice #3 - Font Size
Select a point size.
Font size is discussed in greater detail
below.
Choice #4 - Anti-alias
Anti-aliasing sharpens the edge of the text.
Below, the colored shapes are the tops of two letters, F.
The yellow F doesn't have anti-aliasing.
It's fuzzy.
The orange F has anti-aliasing.
It's sharper.
However, because these letters are large, anti-aliasing may not needed.
If you're creating text with small font sizes, turn Anti-alias
on.
On and off are not clearly designated.
Anti-aliasing On
Anti-aliasing Off
Below, the word Off doesn't have anti-aliasing.
The word On has anti-aliasing.
Off is very fuzzy.
Anti-aliasing is necessary with small font sizes.
Choice #5 - Bold Face
Click the first icon for bold-face text.
Choice #6 - Align Text
Select the text alignment.
Choice #7 - Leading
Leading is the space between lines.
You can ignore this choice for now.
Leading is discussed below.
Choice #8 - Color
The font color in the options bar is the foreground color.
Do one of the following to change the color.
• Change the color in the options bar.
• Double click the foreground color to open the Color
Picker.
If you haven't already done so, go to
Color Picking.
You're ready to enter text.
Move the cursor to where you want the text to begin, click, and start
typing.
Click Enter to go to a new line.
When you're finished, click the check mark in the options bar
to commit the changes.
A new layer is created with the text.
Instead of clicking to start a line of text, you can drag out a paragraph
box.
This will be discussed
below.
Edit the Text
As long as the layer has not been simplified, you can go back and
edit the text.
Do the following.
1) Select the Type tool.
2) Highlight the text.
Click at the beginning of the text, hold, and
drag to the end of the text.
If you want to highlight all of the text in a type layer, double
click the T icon in the type layer.
3) Change the color, font, size, and so forth.
4) Click the check mark in the options bar to commit the changes.
Move the Text
1) Select the Move tool.
2) Click the text itself, not just inside the bounding box, and hold.
3) Drag.
You can preview fonts easily.
Do the following.
1) Select the Type tool.
2) Highlight the text.
3) Click the current font in the options bar.
You can change the font with:
• The scroll wheel on your mouse (usually).
• The up and down arrow keys.
You may want the text to be located in a confined area in your photograph.
For example, you may want the text to be in a column.
Do the following.
1) Select the Type tool.
2) Click, hold, and drag a paragraph box where you want the text
to be located.
The text will be confined to the paragraph box.
Square Box
To make a square box, do the following.
1) Press and hold Shift.
2) Click, hold, and drag.
Sizing a Paragraph Box
There are several ways you can determine the dimensions of a paragraph
box.
Eye
You can drag a paragraph box by eye.
Info Panel
If you open the Info panel, the dimensions of the paragraph box are
displayed as you drag the paragraph box.
Enter Dimension Values
You can enter dimensions for the paragraph box.
1) Position the cursor where you want the upper-left corner of the
paragraph box to be located.
2) Press and hold Alt.
3) Click.
4) Enter values in the Paragraph Text Size window.
Resizing a Paragraph Box
You can resize a paragraph box.
One Side
Position the cursor over one of the tiny boxes on the sides of the
crop box.
Click, hold, and drag the side to a new position.
Entire Box
Position the cursor over one of the tiny boxes on the corners of
the crop box.
Click, hold, and drag the corner to a new position.
If you hold Shift, and click, hold, and drag, the aspect ratio of
the box stays the same.
If you hold Alt, and click, hold, and drag, the box enlarges from
the center out.
If you hold Alt + Shift, and click, hold, and drag, the aspect ratio
of the box stays the same, and the box enlarges from the center out.
More About Font Size
Try Out Different Font Sizes
You can preview different font sizes easily.
1) Highlight the text.
2) Click the current font size in the options bar.
You can change the font size with:
• The scroll wheel on your mouse (usually).
• The up and down arrow keys.
The arrow keys will change the font size by one point.
If you press and hold Shift, and then use the arrow keys, the font
size changes in increments of ten points.
Size Appears to Depend on the Resolution
The size of the text appears to depend on the resolution (ppi) of the photograph.
For example, below, the font size was 72 points for both
of the letters.
The Ts are appear to be different sizes because of the resolution
of the images was:
• 300 ppi on the left.
• 72 ppi on the right.
 |
 |
| 300 ppi |
72 ppi |
| 1" x 1" |
4.167" x 4.167" |
Left Image
The image on the left appears to be bigger.
However, it's tiny.
The image size is only 1" x 1".
The T is about 3/4".
Right Image
The T on the right appears to be smaller because we're not looking
at it at print size (life size).
The image size is 4.167" x 4.167".
The T is about 3/4", the same size as the other T.
The two letters are the same size.
Print Size
Below, the two letters are displayed on the screen at their print
sizes.
(Select the Zoom tool, and then select Print Size in the options
bar.)
You can see that the letters are the same size.
Inches Instead of Points
Photoshop Elements has font sizes up to 72 points.
If you need a larger font size:
1) Determine the size of the text in inches.
2) Highlight the font size in the options bar.
3) Enter in the value, followed by in.
Photoshop Elements will convert the size in inches to the equivalent
size in points.
Font Size Shortcuts
Highlight the text, and do the following.
If you're adjusting the leading, highlight one or more lines
of text.
| Increase |
size |
by 2 pts |
Ctrl + Shift + period |
Cmd + Shift + period |
| Increase |
size |
by 10 pts |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + period |
Cmd + Option + Shift + period |
| Decrease |
size |
by 2 pts |
Ctrl + Shift + comma |
Cmd + Shift + comma |
| Decrease |
size |
by 10 pts |
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + comma |
Cmd + Option + Shift + comma |
Leading, Kerning, & Tracking
So far, you've chosen the size of the text.
You can also set other dimensions.
Leading
Leading (pronounced like the metal) is the distance between lines.
In the options bar, look for the Set the leading box to the left
of the Color box.
Auto
When leading is set to Auto, the leading will be 120% of the font
size.
Manual
If you set the leading manually, the setting remains the same, even
when you change the font size.
You must remember to readjust the leading for other font sizes.
Leading Shortcuts
Highlight one or more lines of text.
| Increase |
leading |
by 2 pts |
Alt + down arrow |
Option + down arrow |
| Increase |
leading |
by 10 pts |
Ctrl + Alt + down arrow |
Cmd + Option + down arrow |
| Decrease |
leading |
by 2 pts |
Alt + up arrow |
Option + up arrow |
| Decrease |
leading |
by 10 pts |
Ctrl + Alt + up arrow |
Cmd + Option + up arrow |
Kerning & Tracking - Not Available
Kerning is the adjustment of the space between two highlighted letters.
Tracking is the adjustment of the spaces between a group of highlighted
letters.
Photoshop Elements doesn't support kerning or tracking.
Text in Photoshop Elements is vector based.
The text is produced from a mathematical formula, and is a "path."
The path is "projected" from the "lens" of the
vector formula.
You're not seeing pixels.
Vector-based text can be resized easily.
When you save a photograph using the JPEG or TIFF file formats, the
vector-based text is rasterized.
The projection of the text becomes pixels.
For example, if you want to use a gradient on vector-based text,
you must first go to Layer > Simplify Layer.
This command converts the vector-based text to raster-based text.
|
Color change
Layer Styles
Clipping Mask
Some transformations
|
Filters
Gradients
Some transformations
|
Make a Copy
Once you simplify a type layer, you can't edit the text.
Therefore, make a copy of the type layer.
Then, if you need to edit the text, you can use the non-simplified
layer.
1) Make sure the type layer is active (highlighted).
2) Press Ctrl + j.
Simplify one of the type layers, and hide the other one by deselecting
its eye icon.
To select all of the text in a type layer, press and hold Ctrl, and
click the T icon in the type layer.
For characters and symbols not on your keyboard, go to
Characters (ä) & Symbols (©).
Other Type Tools
There are several other Type tools.
Here's what you can do with the Horizontal Type Mask
tool.
You may want to make text from a photograph or other artwork.
Regular "Ink"
Photograph as "Ink"
1) Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool.
2) Click where you want the text to be located.
3) Enter the text.
4) Select the commit check mark.
5) Press Ctrl + j.
The text appears on a new layer.
The text is no longer a color, but is made from the photograph.
You can use complex grouping to create text.
Go to
Clipping
Masks.
