Using Type in Photoshop

Sunday, December 16, 2012
                     (post 2 of the day)

Using Type in Photoshop

   I already write about type, but you can enhance your type through a sub-menu of type called "warping". Basically, you can take the type and distort it in a variety of ways, all of course in a pleasant manner.  You probably could do the same thing by selecting the type layer and then transform >>distort. It's a typical software trait to keep most of anything added to different versions of a software. Somewhere along the line, someone added text, then Adobe created rasterization in PS,then someone suggested to be creative , and so and so forth.

   So warping text in Adobe's sub-menu (my term) means to be creative in a pre-defined already seen and used  set of "effects".

A 1970's-1980's Matchbox Fire Engine 

Model # YFE05

Made in China

NOt the most sought-after toy (I couldn't resell it!).

Top Arrow: Remember to rename or change the name of the file

Bottom Arrow: Where the Type Tool resides

You need to create a new layer, so you don't damage the original photo.

Once you add the new layer, place the mouse on the screen.

2 things will happen:

1. The text cursor appears

2. An "optional" sub-menu (my term) for text (warp) appears that can be used.

Beforer, I could not access that sub-menu.

 Pressing the Warp Icon will bring up this menu.

If you don't put any numbers in the  3 squares, the text will be normal.

I'm going to select the flag option

1. Top arrow: point to colour selection

2. Middle arrow is pointing to a flag effect of 50% in the bend adjustment only.

3. Bottom arrow is pointing to a warp text icon

When you highlight the current text effect, you can change it:

1. Top arrow is pointing to a text change to a fish effect

2. Bottom arrow points to the default "warp text" icon.

There are no individual icons for all of the different text warping effects

Removing the highlight (lift the cursor) removes the blue on blue effect.

The Yellow is how the final fish effect would appear.

Layer >>Rasterize >>Text

If you don't already know, text in Photoshop needs rasterization.

That means to "round off" or smooth the text since it is made of pixesl, compared with vector-based text in Illustrator).

Even so, the text is never fully rasterized. As long as you don't "examine" the text too closely, 

you won't notice the micro pixels and the squares that make up the text!

However, the effect is still there, even if you rasgterize the text in PS.

Rasterizing the text will have the layer window (on the right) change from white to the checkered pattern. 

Merge Visible the layers or Flatten Image

The layer window now only shows 1 layer 

The final result

Notice that O chanvged the name of the file!

     You shouldn't have any trouble  working with the text tool and the sub-menus. As a matter of 

fact, it can be fun.

That's it for today.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great day.

Stacey