13. Getting Creative with Type

The Type tool in Adobe Photoshop has advanced far beyond its humble beginnings. When Photoshop first appeared, the most you could expect from the Type tool was to enter text. Today it’s a powerful and creative tool. Not only can you place text into any open Photoshop image, you can also use text as a mask, path, or even warp text into any shape you desire. In addition, Photoshop now preserves type without rasterizing. That means, that type created in Photoshop will print out as fine as type created in Adobe Illustrator, or InDesign; regardless of the image’s resolution. When you work in Photoshop, type becomes as creative a design element as any other available feature.

Working with the Character palette gives you the ability to select a specific font, style, and size, as well as expand or contract the space between letters with leading and kerning, or you could simply increase or decrease the physical width of the text. Baseline shifting even gives you the ability to raise or lower text off the original line. In addition, the Paragraph palette lets you create automatic breaks between paragraphs, and align rows of text left, center, right, or force justify.

When you’re working with large blocks of text, Photoshop’s Spell Check command lets you identify and correct any misspelled words, and the Find and Replace feature makes quick work of identifying and replacing words or formats. You can isolate image pixels with a type mask to create words out of pictures. For example, you could type the phrase Fall is Coming, and use the image of leaves. The Type mask would make the words appear as if they were spelled out in colorful fall leaves. In addition, you could use a type mask in combination with Photoshop’s layer styles to create text that almost leaps off the page. Working with text in Photoshop is more than typing words on paper, it’s a process every bit as creative as working with graphic images.

Using Standard Type Tools

PS 6.3

Photoshop comes with a set of standard typing tools, which are controlled in much the same way as any typing tools in any typing program. However, the creative possibilities go far beyond those of a standard typing program. When you work with the Type tools, you begin by typing some text, and then controlling the text, through the toolbox and the Options bar. Photoshop helps you maintain control over the text by automatically placing it in a separate type layer.

Use Standard Type Tools

Click and hold the Type tool on the toolbox, and then select the Horizontal Type tool.

Click in the document window and begin typing.

Photoshop creates a Type layer, and places the text in the layer.

Important

When you work with the Type tools, the normal shortcut functions of the keyboard will not work. For example, holding down the Spacebar to access the Hand tool will only create a space at the insertion point of the text.

Move your cursor to a point away from the text, and then drag to move the text.

Did You Know?

You can create type on a path. Create a path using Photoshop’s Pen tool, select the Type tool, and then click on the path. Photoshop creates an insertion point and when you type, the text follows the path.

Double-click to select a specific word, or drag across the text to select groups of words.

Change the text color by clicking the Options bar color swatch, and then choosing a new color from the Color Picker dialog box, or use the Swatches or Color palettes to select a new color.

Delete the text by clicking within the text and pressing the backspace key to erase one letter at a time, or select a group of text and press the Backspace (Win) or Delete (Mac) key.

Insert text by clicking within the text to create an insertion point, and then typing.

Did You Know?

You can edit type on a path. To edit text at any time in the creative process, double-click on the Type layer thumbnail, or select the Type tool, and then click on the text.

For Your Information: Preserving Text to Print

Photoshop lets you preserve text to print. Photoshop’s type options give you control over text in much the same way as high-end layout programs, and even allow you to save the vector nature of text. This allows you to print Photoshop images with crisp text that’s not dependent on the resolution of the document.

To save a Photoshop document and preserve the text, click the File menu, point to Save As, and then choose the EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format. Click the Include Vector Data option, and then save the file. The EPS document holds the type information and lets you print the document from any program including layout programs like InDesign, and Quark Xpress.

Working with Type Options

PS 6.3

Photoshop lets you control text through the type options, located on the Options bar. To access the Type options you must have one of Photoshop’s Type tools selected. It is not necessary to change type options after typing. If you know what you’re after, you can set the options, and then commence typing. However, if the need arises to change the text, Photoshop comes to the rescue with a host of type options, such as font family, size, color, justification, even high-end type processing controls like leading and kerning. You can preview font families and font styles directly in the Font menu. Font names appear in the regular system font, and a sample word (“Sample”) appears next to each font name, displayed in the font itself.

Work with Type Options

Open a document.

Select the Type tool on the toolbox.

To toggle between horizontal and vertical type, click the Change Text Orientation button on the Options bar.

If this option is selected on a pre-existing type layer, the text switches between horizontal and vertical.

Click the Font Family list arrow, and then select from the fonts available on your computer.

Click the Font Style list arrow, and then select from the font styles available on your computer.

Click the Font Size list arrow, and then select from the pre-set font sizes, measured in points (6 to 72).

Photoshop uses a standard Postscript measuring system of 72 points to the inch.

Click the Anti-aliasing list arrow, and then select from the available options.

Anti-aliasing creates text that is visually smoother to the eye.

Click the Left, Center, or Right Justification button.

Justification balances text created on two or more vertical or horizontal lines.

Click the Color Swatch button, and then select a color from the Color Picker dialog box.

Click the Warped Text button to apply special warped text effects to text.

Click the Toggle The Character And Paragraph Palettes button to show the palettes or to turn them off.

Did You Know?

You can use non pre-set font sizes from the Options bar. Select the current point size on the Options bar, type a point size, and then press Enter (Win) or Return (Mac).

You can change font attributes with the Character palette. Click the Character palette, select the text you want to change, and then use the options on the Character palette.

Frequently Asked Questions: What’s the Difference Between the Fonts?

Everything you type appears in a font, a particular typeface design and size for letters, numbers, and other characters. Usually, each typeface, such as Times New Roman, is made available in four variations: normal, bold, italic, and bold italic. There are two basic types of fonts: scalable and bitmapped. A scalable font (also known as outline font) is based on a mathematical equation that creates character outlines to form letters and numbers of any size. The two major scalable fonts are Adobe’s Type 1 PostScript and Apple/Microsoft’s TrueType or OpenType. Scalable fonts are generated in any point size on the fly and require only four variations for each typeface. A bitmapped font consists of a set of dot patterns for each letter and number in a typeface for a specified type size. Bitmapped fonts are created or prepackaged ahead of time and require four variations for each point size used in each typeface. Although a bitmapped font designed for a particular font size will always look the best, scalable fonts eliminate storing hundreds of different sizes of fonts on a disk.

Working with the Character Palette

PS 6.3

Each version of Photoshop brought it closer to becoming a true typesetting application, and with the ability to preserve text layers, and work through high-end type controls, that time has finally arrived. You can work through the Character options without having any Type layers. However, if you select the text in a Type layer, the changes made will impact the selected text. Changes made to the active type layer do not impact any other type layers, and only the text actually selected in the type layer will be changed.

Use the Character Palette

Open a document.

Select the Type tool on the toolbox.

Click the Toggle The Character And Paragraph Palettes button on the Options bar.

Select the Character palette.

Select from the following options:

Font Family. Click the list arrow, and then select a font family from the fonts available on your computer.
Font Style. Click the list arrow, and then select a font style, such as Regular, Bold, Oblique, and Italic. If the font family you select does not have any styles, this box will be grayed out.
Font Size. Click the list arrow, and then select from the pre-set font sizes, measured in points (6 to 72). Photoshop uses a standard Postscript measuring system of 72 points to the inch.
Kerning. Click the list arrow, and then select from the pre-set values for kerning. Kerning adds or subtracts space between two characters.
Leading. Click the list arrow, and then select from the pre-set values for leading. Leading adds or subtracts space vertically between lines of text.
Tracking. Click the list arrow, and then select from the pre-set values for Tracking. Tracking adds or subtracts space between words.
Vertical Scale. Enter a value to change the vertical scale. Vertical Scale increases or decreases the vertical height of the text.
Baseline Shift. Enter a value to set the Baseline Shift. Baseline Shift raises or lowers selected text, using the baseline as a reference.
Horizontal Scale. Enter a Value to change the Horizontal Scale. Horizontal Scale increases or decreases the width of the text.
Font Color. Click the color swatch, and then select a color from Photoshop’s Color Picker dialog box.
Font Attributes. Click the buttons to select additional font attributes, such as Underline, and Strikethrough.
Spelling And Hyphenation. Click the list arrow, and then select a language reference for Spelling And Hyphenation.
Anti-aliasing. Click the list arrow, and then select from the available options. Anti-aliasing creates text that is visually smoother to the eye.

For Your Information: Using the Character Palette

The function of the Character palette is to give you precise control over the elements of a paragraph. Unlike the Character palette, it is not necessary to select a paragraph to change it; you only need to have the insertion point of the cursor inside the paragraph you want to change. Photoshop as well as other type and layout programs, define a paragraph as the times between the pressing of the Enter (Win) or Return (Mac) key. For example, you press the Enter key and type several sentences, when you press the Enter key again, the cursor jumps to the next line and you continue typing. The pressing of the Enter (Win) or Return (Mac) key defined the end of one paragraph and the beginning of another.

Working with the Paragraph Palette

PS 6.3

Each version of Photoshop brought it closer to becoming a true typesetting application, and with the ability to preserve text layers, and work through high-end type controls, that time has finally arrived. You can work through the Paragraph options without having any Type layers. However, since paragraph styles are applied to paragraphs of type, not individual letters or words, if you select a Type layer, the changes made with the Paragraph palette will be applied to the text within the layer without the necessity of selection.

Use the Paragraph Palette

Open a document.

Select the Type tool on the toolbox.

Click the Toggle The Character And Paragraph Palettes button on the Options bar.

Select the Paragraph palette, and then select from the following options:

Justification. Click to choose from the various Justification methods.
Indent Left Margin. Enter a value to indent the left margin (values from -1296 to 1296).
Indent First Line. Enter a value to indent the first line of the paragraph (-1296 to 1296).
Indent Right Margin. Enter a value to indent the right margin (values from -1296 to 1296).
Space Before Paragraph. Enter a value to increase or decrease the space before each new paragraph (-1296 to 1296).
Space After Paragraph. Enter a value to increase or decrease the space after each paragraph (values from -1296 to 1296).
Hyphenate. Select the check box to hyphenate long words at the end of text lines.

Setting Anti-Aliasing Options

PS 6.3

Photoshop’s Anti-aliasing option helps to make text appear smoother by painting the edges of the text with semi-transparent colors. When text is displayed on a raster monitor, the text is built using pixels, and since pixels are essentially bricks, the edges of curved type have a tendency to look ragged. By painting the edges of the text with semi-transparent pixels, the type blends into the background, creating a smoother look. Unless you apply a gradient or mask, text is typically one color; activating anti-aliasing can increase the colors (at the edge) to 6 to 10. While this works to make the text smoother, it will also make small text (under 12 points) harder to read. The trick with anti-aliasing is to experiment with the various options to determine which one works the best, and that means occasionally turning anti-aliasing off.

Set Anti-Aliasing Options

Open a document that contains a type layer.

Select the Type tool on the toolbox.

Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer containing the text.

Click the Anti-aliasing list arrow on the Options bar, and then select from the following options:

None. Turns off anti-aliasing.
Sharp. Creates visually sharp type in the active layer.
Crisp. Creates crisp type (not as sharp, as the Sharp option).
Strong. Creates a heavier (bolder) type.
Smooth. Creates type with a smooth appearance.

Important

The anti-aliasing option is only applied to the type in the active type layer.

Using the Warp Text Option

Photoshop’s Warp Text option gives you creative control over the look of text. No longer are you confined to straight vertical or horizontal text. In the Photoshop world, text can be created in almost any size and shape. As an additional bonus, warping text does not require converting the text into a raster. So days later, you can access the warped text, change its font family, size, and color. It’s all about control... in this case, controlling text.

Use Warp Text

Open a document.

Select the Type tool on the toolbox, and then select a type layer in the Layers palette or create a new type.

Click the Warp Text button.

Click the Styles list arrow, and then select from the following style options:

Arc
Arc Lower
Arc Upper
Arch
Bulge
Shell Lower
Shell Upper
Flag
Wave
Fish
Rise
Fisheye
Inflate
Squeeze
Twist

Click the Horizontal or Vertical option to warp the text in a horizontal or vertical direction.

Enter a percentage value in the Bend box, or drag the slider left or right (-100 to 100). Bend controls the physical amount of bend applied to the text, based on warp style.

Enter a percentage value in the Horizontal Distortion box, or drag the slider left or right (-100 to 100). Horizontal Distortion controls the amount of distortion on the horizontal axis applied to the text based, on warp style.

Enter a percentage value in the Vertical Distortion box, or drag the slider left or right (-100 to 100). Vertical Distortion controls the amount of distortion on the vertical axis applied to the text, based on warp style.

Click OK.

For Your Information: Designing with Warp Text

The Warp Text option is a great way to draw attention to a heading or word within a Photoshop document. However, warp text can be extremely hard to read, so use it sparingly. Think of the overall design of the image, and then ask yourself if the warp text supports the mood and message of the image. If it doesn’t, then don’t use it. Don’t fall into the designer’s trap of using every new feature you come across. If it doesn’t support the message, use something else, like a layer style gradient, or bevel and emboss.

Using Spell Check

There’s nothing more embarrassing than creating a document that contains misspelled words. Although you wouldn’t use Photoshop to create a text document, Photoshop includes a fully functional spell checking system, which at least lets you make sure all of your words are spelled correctly.

Use Spell Check

Open a document that contains one or more Type layers.

You do not need to have the Type tool selected to perform a spell check.

Click the Edit menu, and then click Check Spelling.

When Photoshop encounters a word not in its dictionary, it displays the word in the Not In Dictionary box, and gives you one of the following options:

Ignore. Ignore this word one time.
Ignore All. Ignore all instances of this word.
Change. Photoshop will give you a list of possible alternative spellings. Select one from the Suggestions box, and then click Change.
Change All. Change all occurrences of the word, based on the selected suggestion.
Add. Add the word to Photoshop’s dictionary.

Photoshop continues to highlight misspelled words until the document is completely scanned.

When you’re finished, click Done.

Finding and Replacing Text

In the editing process, it is sometimes helpful to find and replace a particular word or phrase because the text needs to be changed, either locally or globally, throughout the document. The Find and Replace Text command make it easy to locate or replace specific text in a document.

Use Find and Replace

Open a document that contains one or more type layers.

Click the Edit menu, and then click Find and Replace Text.

Enter the text to locate in the Find What box.

Select from the following Find and Replace Text options:

Search All Layers. Select the check box to search all type layers.
Forward. Select the check box to search forward through the document.
Case Sensitive. Select the check box to search for the word in the same case as typed in the Find What box.
Whole Word Only. Select the check box to search for whole words as typed in the Find What box.

Enter the text to replace the text in the Change To box.

Click Find Next to locate the next occurrence of the word:

Click Change to change the word.
Click Change All to change all occurrences of the word.
Click Change/Find to automatically change the word and locate the next occurrence.

When you’re finished, click Done.

Using the Rasterize Type Command

When you are working with type, some commands, filters, and painting tools are not available. To continue working, you must first rasterize the type layer. When you rasterize a type layer, you’re converting the type into pixels, and once the rasterize operation is complete, the text within the type layer is no longer a font. Therefore, make sure you like the font family, and it’s spelled correctly before rasterizing. Once complete, you can now apply commands and filters normally reserved for non-text images.

Use Rasterize Type

Open a document containing one or more type layers.

Select the Layers palette, and then select one of the type layers.

Click the Layer menu, point to Rasterize, and then select from the following commands:

Type. Click the command to rasterize the type in the active layer.
Layer. Click the command to rasterize the contents of the active layer (does not have to be type).

The Type layer is converted into a standard layer, and all of Photoshop’s painting tools, filters, and commands will work on the information in the layer.

Creating Work Paths and Shapes from Type Layers

When you work with type, there are certain restrictions to what you can do. You can’t apply filter effects to type, and many of Photoshop’s commands do not function with type. One solution is to rasterize the type layer. However, rasterized type is converted to pixels. What if you want the text converted into a vector path? Once type is saved as a path, you can manipulate it like any other vector path. The text path is no longer considered text; however the original type layer is intact, and editable. Creating a path and at the same time preserving the original type layer, gives you the best of both creative worlds.

Create Work Paths

Open a document containing a type layer.

Select the Layers palette, and then select one of the type layers.

Click the Layer menu, point to Type, and then click Create Work Path.

Important

Paths cannot be created from fonts that do not contain outline data, such as bitmap fonts.

Select the Paths palette.

Select any of Photoshop’s Pen tools to modify the path.

Creating Shape Layers

When you convert a type layer into a shape layer, the type layer is converted into a layer with a vector mask. In essence, Photoshop fills the layer with the color of the text, and then creates a vector mask to define the type. Once created, the vector mask can be edited just like any other vector shape.

Create Shape Layers

Open a document containing a type layer.

Select the Layers palette, and then select one of the type layers.

Click the Layer menu, point to Type, and then click Convert To Shape.

Important

When you convert a type layer into a shape layer, Photoshop removes the type layer and replaces it with the shape layer. You gain the ability of manipulating the image as a vector shape; however, you lose the ability to edit the type.

Click the Vector Mask thumbnail in the Layers palette, and then edit the mask using any of Photoshop’s Pen tools.

Did You Know?

You can change the fill color of the text in your document. Click the Image Thumbnail, and then fill the area with a color, pattern, or gradient.

Creating a Type Mask

Photoshop has two type tools—the Horizontal or Vertical type tools and the Horizontal or Vertical Mask tools. The former creates regular type, using the fonts available on your computer system, and when you add type to the screen, the color of the font defaults to the current foreground color. The latter is a masking tool. When you use the type mask tools, Photoshop creates a mask in the size and shape of the selected font with the mask appearing as a red overlay. Once the mask is created, you can modify it just like any normal text layer, by changing the font, size, or even use the Warp feature. Unlike the normal type tools, Photoshop does not create a type layer for the mask; the mask simply appears in the active layer. Being able to create a mask from a font opens up all kinds of creative possibilities. For example, you could use a mask in conjunction with a photograph to create a unique fill or you could use a mask to create a chiseled look to text.

Create a Type Mask

Open a document.

Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool on the toolbox.

Click in the document window to place an insertion point, and then type.

As you type, Photoshop creates a mask in the size and shape of the current font.

Use the editing tools on the mask to change its font family, style, and size.

Important

Masks, like regular text, must be selected before any of the above changes are applied.

Select the Marquee tool on the toolbox, or any other of Photoshop’s selection tools.

The mask converts from a red overlay into a traditional selection.

Move into the interior of one of the letters, and then drag to move the selection.

Isolating Image Pixels Using a Type Mask

One of the advantages to a mask is you can create type using any fill you desire. For example, you’re doing an advertising piece for a real estate company in California, and you want something unique for the text, so you get an image of the plains, create a type mask with the words SUNSET and then use the image and mask to create a unique fill.

Isolate Image Pixels

Open a document containing the image you want to mask.

Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer containing the image.

Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool on the toolbox.

Click in the document window to place an insertion point, and then type.

As you type, Photoshop creates a mask in the size and shape of the current font.

Important

If you want a lot of the image to show through the mask, use a large, thick mono-weight font, like Impact.

Use the editing tools on the mask to change its font, style, and size.

Did You Know?

You can move the mask after you’ve converted it into a selection. Click any selection tool, and then drag from inside the selection. The selection area will move without modifying the actual image. In addition, you can use your arrow keys to gently nudge the selection left, right, up, or down.

Select the Marquee tool on the toolbox, and then position the mask directly over the portion of the image you want inside the text.

Click the Select menu, and then click Inverse.

Press the Backspace (Win) or Delete (Mac) key to delete the inverse selection.

The Invert command reversed the selection and the deletion removed all the pixels outside the mask.

Did You Know?

You can use Photoshop’s adjustment tools to control the selection. Instead of deleting the surrounding image, click the Image menu, point to Adjustments, and then click Levels. Move the middle gray slider left or right to increase or decrease the brightness of the surrounding pixels. That way the text will stand out against the original image background.

Creating Chiseled Type with a Type Mask

This technique is great for creating three-dimensional text on any image. For example, you could use this technique to create the extended text on a plastic credit card, or words chiseled in marble. The technique is simple, but the results are impressive. Using the Bevel and Emboss layer style generates the effect, and the trick is it darkens the upper-left portions of the selection, while lightening the lower-right portions. This creates the illusion of a light source falling across a concave or chiseled surface.

Create Chiseled Type

Open a document containing the image you want to use for the chisel effect.

Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer containing the image.

Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool on the toolbox.

Click in the document window to place an insertion point, and then type.

As you type, Photoshop creates a mask in the size and shape of the current font.

Use the editing tools on the mask to change its font, style, and size.

Important

You’ll need a thick sans serif font, like Arial Black, or Impact.

Select the Marquee tool on the toolbox, and then position the mask directly over the portion of the image you want the words to appear.

Press Ctrl+J (Win) or +J (Mac).

Photoshop creates a copy of the image pixels inside the type mask, and then places them in a layer directly above the active layer.

Click the layer containing the copied image pixels.

Click the Add Layer Style button, and then click Bevel & Emboss.

Select from the following options that will give the text the appearance of being chiseled:

Style. Inner Bevel
Technique. Chisel Hard
Depth. ~ 150%
Direction. Down

Click OK.

Using Masks to Generate Special Effects

Using Type masks to generate unique fills or three-dimensional text are great features. However, one thing is always predictable, and that’s the shape of the text. The mask created with the Type Mask tool will always follow the curve and shape of the font used to create the mask; but not if you combine a Type Mask with a Layer Mask. For example, you create a marketing piece where you are using the words RADICAL, and you want the edges of the word to be more dramatic. You’ve looked at some of Photoshop’s Brush Stroke Filters, but you don’t want to apply the filter to the image, just the edges of the word. That’s where Type masks and Layer masks do their magic. By combining a Type and Layer mask, you can achieve exactly what you want using an image to fill type, and modifying the edges of the type without distorting the image.

Use Masks for Special Effects

Open a document containing the image you want to use for the type effect.

Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer containing the image.

Select the Horizontal Type Mask tool on the toolbox.

Click in the document window to place an insertion point, and then type.

As you type, Photoshop creates a mask in the size and shape of the current font.

Use the editing tools on the mask to change its font, style, and size.

Important

Sans serif fonts, like Impact, always work best when you’re using images to mask text; however, experiment with different fonts.

Select the Marquee tool on the toolbox, and then position the mask directly over the portion of the image you want inside the text.

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Add Layer Mask button.

Photoshop creates a layer mask from the type mask, and then selects the layer mask.

Important

The Background cannot hold a layer mask. If the layer designated as the masking layer is background, move into the Layers palette and double-click on the Background thumbnail, give it a new name, and then click OK.

Click the Filters menu, point to Brush Strokes, and then click Spatter.

Modify the Brush Stroke options until you see a good image.

Sprayed Radius
Smoothness

Click OK.

Creating and Modifying Text on a Path

Using the type options, you can enter type that flows along the edge of a work path created by the Pen or Shape tool. When you enter type along a path, it flows in the direction in which anchor points were added to the path. For example, creating horizontal type on a path create type that are perpendicular to the baseline, and creating vertical type on a path creates type parallel to the baseline. Once the type is created, selecting the Direct Selection tool allows you to reshape the path, and the type will change to fit the new form of the path.

Create and Modify Text on a Path

Select a Pen or Shape tool on the toolbox, and then create a path.

Select a typing tool (horizontal, or vertical type or mask tools) on the toolbox.

Position the pointer directly over the path, and then click once.

The path now has an insertion point added to the line.

Type the text you want. As you type, the words flow along the curve of the path.

Select the Direct Selection tool on the toolbox to access and modify the path by controlling the position and shape of the anchor points.

Select the Path Selection tool and click at the front of the text to move the text forward and backward on the path.

For Your Information: Printing Type on a Path

The path does not appear when the document is printed. If you want to see how the image will appear without the path, click the View menu, point to Show, and then click to uncheck the Target Path. To view the path, recheck the Target Path option.

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