Photoshop offers a range of text tools and editing options to integrate typography seamlessly with imagery. This article compiles the essential ideas from the draft to provide a comprehensive guide on creating, styling, and positioning text, as well as working with text on shapes, paths, and selections.
Text tools and how they work
Use the Horizontal Type and Vertical Type tools to create and edit text. The new text you type is entered in a new text layer. You can create single-line text or paragraph text. Each line of single line text you enter is independent-the length of a line grows or shrinks as you edit it, but it doesn’t wrap to the next line. To create a new line of text, press Enter.
Clicking in an image with a type tool puts the tool in edit mode so you can enter and edit text. You must commit changes to the type before you can perform other operations, like selecting menu commands. The text appears in its own layer.
Text on shapes, paths, and selections
In the shape of text, you can create cutouts with the text or add text on the outline of a path created from a selection. After clicking with the T tool, placeholder text (Lorem Ipsum) will appear. This will disappear as soon as you start typing your text.
Types of text placement include:
- Text on Shape: applies text to a shape layer or path.
- Text on Path: adds text along a defined path or custom path.
- Text on Selection: places text along a selected region or path.
Entering and committing text
Click in the image, outside the textbox, to finish typing and commit changes. The text is inserted into the image, and you can move or transform the text layer as needed. To finish editing, press the Commit button or the Enter key on the numeric keypad, then select a different tool.
Text formatting and alignment
Photoshop lets you apply a font family to new or existing text. You can adjust tracking (space between characters) for new or selected text and apply bold or italic styles. Text alignment options let you align text to the left, center, or right within its bounding box or text area.
Advanced text effects
You can warp text on the active layer to fit a curved or irregular shape. Anti-aliasing options influence the smoothness of the text edges, helping to integrate the typography with the image’s pixels.
Working with text on shapes, paths, and selections: practical steps
- Select the Text tool and click inside the shape or path where you want the text to begin.
- Draw or define a path or selection as needed, then hover over the path so the cursor changes to the text mode icon.
- Type your text and commit the changes to place the text on the path or shape.
- For text on a custom path, draw the path, then use the Text on Custom Path tool to place text along the path.
Inserting and editing text in place
When you place text in an image, the text appears on its own layer, which allows independent editing, moving, coloring, and applying effects without altering the background image. The insertion point is set at the location you click, and you can insert text anywhere within the image’s bounds.
Additional tips for efficient text work
- When editing text, avoid switching tools prematurely; ensure you commit your changes to finalize the text layer.
- Use the Type tool to create both single-line text and paragraph text depending on the layout needs.
- Experiment with text on shapes and paths to create dynamic compositions and integration with graphic elements.
Text Along Path Tutorial in After Effects | Text On Path
The text baseline and alignment are important for readability and visual balance within the image. After finishing text placement, consider adjusting the text’s position relative to key image features to improve composition.