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NYPC Photoshop SIG
Working With Text
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Two Ways to Enter Text

Freeform
Select the text tool and just start typing. A new text will be created.

Paragraph Type
Select the text took and use it to draw a box. A text box will be created. You can drag the handles to re-flow the text. A new text will be created.

 

 

When printed small, Serif Text looks better.


Onscreen small, San-Serif Text looks better.

 

 

The Character Palette

Character Palette

Font Select the typeface here. Ariel, Times New Roman, etc...
Style Bold, Italic or other options built directly in font. Preferable to using the equivalent effect.
Size The basic size of the font. Usually expressed in points. Other options allow you to scale or otherwise modify the size and aspect ratio of the text.
Color The color you want the text to be. It uses the normal Photoshop color picker.
Tracking The overall distance between characters on a line.
Kerning Controls the spacing between two specific letters. This must be supported by the font itself and is not available for many fonts.
Vertical Scale Stretch or shrink the type vertically.
Horizontal Scale Stretch or shrink the type horizontally.
Leading The space between lines. Beware - It can be applied to individual letters. If you are not careful, the bottoms of letters may not be aligned.
Baseline Shift The vertical position of a character within the space allotted by the leading.
Effects

Effects applied to the type by the Photoshop.
Bold - Italic - If the bold or italic font type is available use that instead.
All Caps - Small Caps
Superscript - Subscript
Underline Strike through.
Language Set for use by hyphenation and spell checker.
Anti-Aliasing

Used to minimize "the jaggies". Creates partially transparent pixels at the edges of characters to make text look better.

Not Anti-Aliased Ant-Aliasing

None - Sharp - Crisp - Strong - Smooth

 

 

 

On the Edit menu:
Check Spelling
Find and Replace

 

 

 

When a Type Lay is Active
The Layer Menu Type Sub-Menu is Available

Create Work Path

Creates a path based on the text.

Go to the path palette and change the name to save it.

Now you can work with it like any path
Fill
Stroke
Manipulate the defining points.
Convert to Selection

See our pen tool notes for more info, (in PDF format).
Full Notes - Cheat Sheet
Convert to Shape Create a Photoshop shape mayer based on the text.
Horizontal Text like this.
Vertical

T
e
x
t

Anti-Alias

Used to minimize "the jaggies". Creates partially transparent pixels at the edges of characters to make text look better.

Not Anti-Aliased Ant-Aliasing

None - Sharp - Crisp - Strong - Smooth

Convert to Paragraph Text Converts "freeform text" to paragraph type.
Warp Text

Canned text warping.

Can be used first and then text can be converted to a work path or shape

Warped Text

 

All the normal layer effects work with text.
You can make the text will transparent and see only the layer effect.