pstext

toc =Using Photoshop's Text Tool=

Creating a Document
For this example, let's use a letter-sized document.
 * 1) Launch Adobe Photoshop CS3.
 * 2) Choose File > New.
 * 3) Make a document that is 11" wide by 8.5" tall. The document's resolution should be 200dpi, which is appropriate for printing.

Adding Text

 * 1) Click the Type Tool. [[image:type_tool.gif]]
 * 2) Click once in the center of the document.
 * 3) Click the center text button found in the tool settings.
 * 4) Select a font and a font color.
 * 5) Type your first and last name or your title.
 * 6) Click on the Move Tool to finish your text box.



Resizing Text
You could take the Type Tool, highlight your text, and manually adjust the font size, but doing so would take a long time. Luckily, Photoshop allows us to freely scale the text. Tip: You may need to zoom out (Ctrl+ -) to see the text box's handles as you increase its size.
 * 1) Verify that you are working in the text layer.
 * 2) Choose Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T.
 * 3) Holding the Shift key (to maintain perspective), drag the text box from its corners.
 * 4) Scale the text to fill most of the page.
 * 5) Press Enter to finalize the change.



Warping the Text

 * 1) Click on the Type Tool.
 * 2) Move the pointer over the text. When the dotted border around the pointer disappears, triple click the text to select it.
 * 3) Click the create warped text button found in the tool settings.
 * 4) Choose a type of warp.
 * 5) Click OK to apply the style.



Adding Layer Styles to the Text
Layer Styles allow you to add fills, strokes, drop shadows and other effects to the text. To add a layer style: Tip: You must click on each style's name to see its settings. Checking the box next to the style will apply only the default settings.
 * 1) Double click the text layer in the layers palette. If the layers palette is not visible, press Fn+F7. You must double click to the right of the layer name. Optionally, you can right click on the layer and choose Blending Options.
 * 2) Drag the Layer Styles window over so it is not covering the text. This will allow you to see the effects as they are added.
 * 3) Experiment with different layer styles.
 * 4) Click OK to lock in changes.





Open a Background Image
This image will be the fill inside the text.
 * 1) Launch Adobe Photoshop CS3.
 * 2) Open the image you would like to use as the text's fill.



Create the Mask

 * 1) Click and hold on the Type Tool.
 * 2) When the menu appears, select the Horizontal Type Mask Tool.
 * 3) Type your text.
 * 4) Unlike in the previous example, the transform tool will not work here. You will need to estimate the correct font size.
 * 5) Once the text is added, click the Move Tool.
 * 6) The text will now become a selection.



Remove Everything BUT the Mask Text

 * 1) Choose Select > Inverse. This command moves the selection area to the outside of the text.
 * 2) Choose Edit > Cut. Everything but the text should disappear.



Add Layer Styles

 * 1) Double click the layer from the layer palette to add any desired effects.

Crop the Image

 * 1) Use the Crop Tool to eliminate all but the text.