The Text tool
When you select the type tool in the toolbox, your cursor
will change to an I-beam pointer. A small line across the
I beam marks the location of the type’s baseline. For
vertical type, it marks the centre axis that the type will
be created along.
The type tool’s options bar will appear as soon as you
select the tool. You can set the type’s options before
you click in the image to add type.
Click in the image to add point type. Paragraph type is entered
by clicking and dragging a bounding box, and then adding text
inside it. While you are adding or editing type, the options
bar will change tobe in edit mode. Type may be edited by drag-selecting
and applying new options. If you move the cursor a little
ways away from the type you’ve added, the pointer becomes
the move tool, and type can be repositioned.
If you are happy with the type you’ve added or changed,
accept it by either clicking the large check mark on the right
end of the options bar, by pressing the Enter key on the numeric
keypad, or by pressing Ctrl-Enter on the regular keyboard.
If you don't like your changes, and don’t want to accept
them, click the big X on the options bar or press the Esc
key.
Each time you use the type tool, a new layer is created with
that text on it. Any of the layer styles, or other layer options
can be applied to type layers.
Point type enters the text in a line from the point
where you first click. Line breaks may be created by pressing
Enter, but otherwise, the type does not wrap. If you have
difficulty positioning point type xactly where you want it,
apply it (click the big check box) and then move it with the
move tool. To do this, be sure you’ve selected the type
layer which has the type you want to move, then choose the
move tool in the toolbar. Drag, or press the arrow keys to
move the
text layer in one pixel increments.
Paragraph type is entered in a bounding box. Text will wrap
to stay within the box. If you add more type than will fit
within the box, it will be indicated by an overflow icon,
and the overflow type will not show in the image. Resizing
the text box by dragging a corner will allow the overflow
text to show. Pressing Enter creates a new paragraph, not
a line break, in paragraph text.
The bounding box can be rotated, skewed, and resized. If you
don't want to see the bounding box outline, choose View >
Show > Text Bounds. Selecting that option in that menu
toggles it on and off.
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The type mask tool creates a selection outline in the shape
of the letters typed. You can do anything with that outline
that you can do with any other selection. Unlike the regular
type tools, this one does not appear on its own layer. The
type is added to the current, active layer. It is preferable
to use this tool on an image layer, and not any type layer
that you may have added previously.
You can do anything with a type layer that you can do with
a regular layer such as duplicating it, changing the stacking
order, applying layer effects and styles, and changing layer
opacity. However, some of the Photoshop features will not
work on a type layer. For example, if you want to apply filters
to your type, you will need to first turn the type layer into
a regular layer. After you've done this, the type becomes
part of the image and cannot be edited as type any more.
To turn a type layer into a regular layer, select the layer
in the Layers palette, and then choose Layer > Rasterize
> Type.
Tip - The default setting for type is to use fractional character
widths. This is best in most cases. However, when using type
sizes smaller than 20 points for online uses such as web sites,
fractional character widths can make your type look terrible.
The spacing will be inconsistent with some of the letters
running into each other, and others too far apart. Turn off
fractional widths by going to the Character palette, and clicking
on the little arrow in the upper right corner to access the
palette menu. Click on Fractional Widths to toggle it off.
Turning this setting off will affect all text on the currently
selected layer.
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