Adding Point and Paragraph Text

Most of the time you’ll be using point or paragraph text in your projects. Point text is best for short single lines of display type. Use paragraph text when you want long passages of type where lines automatically wrap.

Point text is left, center, or right aligned from the point where you click on the canvas and continues in a straight line (FIGURE 18.1). It will not wrap to another line unless you manually add a paragraph or other break character, so it can continue past the edge of the canvas.

To add point text:

1. With a Type tool, click the canvas.

2. Type or paste in the desired text. When you add type, Photoshop automatically adds a new type layer to the Layers panel.

3. Press Enter/Return to add line breaks as desired.

4. To accept the new text, click the Commit button on the Options bar. (Or, click Cancel if you’ve changed your mind.)

Paragraph text is contained within a bounding box that you set and modify with the Type tool (FIGURE 18.2). It wraps automatically to fit the box and will rewrap if you reshape the box.

Tip

If you want to set a precise bounding box for paragraph text, Alt/Option-click, and enter the desired Width and Height in the Paragraph Text Size dialog (FIGURE 18.3).

To add paragraph text:

1. With a type tool, click and drag on the canvas to set a bounding box for the text.

2. Type or paste in the text. Photoshop automatically creates a new text layer in the Layers panel.

3. To accept the new text, click the Commit button on the Options bar. (Or, click Cancel if you’ve changed your mind.)

If you try to paste in more paragraph text than will fit in the box you created for it, part of the text becomes overset. It’s still in the file, but it will not be visible.

To find and fix overset text:

1. Click the type with a Selection tool or a Type tool. If there’s overset text, a plus sign appears in the corner handle of the bounding box (FIGURE 18.4).

   

2. Move, scale, or edit the text, or resize the box by dragging the control handles or changing the Width and Height values in the Properties panel.

If you change your mind after adding text, and want to convert from paragraph text to point text (or vice versa), the process is simple. However, if you are converting from paragraph text, you will need to fix any overset text first, as it will be deleted in the conversion (FIGURE 18.5).

To convert paragraph text to point text, or vice versa:

1. Click the T icon of the type layer on the Layers panel.

2. Choose Type > Convert To Point Text or Type > Convert To Paragraph Text.

Choosing a Font Family and Style

As someone once said, “fonts are the clothes words wear.” Use these methods when it’s time to dress up your text.

To change the font family and font style:

1. Select the type.

2. On the Options bar or Character panel, click the Font menu arrow to display a list of available font families and styles.

3. To preview how your text will look with a different font, move your pointer over the font in the list (FIGURE 18.6).

   

4. To apply the currently highlighted font, press Enter/Return or click the font name.

To search for specific fonts by name or style:

1. Select the type.

2. On the Options bar or Character panel, click in the Font Family field.

3. Start typing a font name or style, such as semibold or condensed. Photoshop will filter the font list to match what you type. You can also type partial names, such as clar to display every version of Clarendon active on your computer (FIGURE 18.7).

   

4. To preview a font in your document, move your pointer over the font in the list.

5. Press Enter/Return or click the font name to apply it to the text.

Tip

To display only fonts from a specific class of fonts (Serif, Sans Serif, Script, etc.) use the Filter menu at the top of the fonts menu. Choose All Classes to reset the menu to display all available fonts (FIGURE 18.8).

Tip

You can also filter the Fonts menu to show only Adobe Fonts, fonts you have favorited, or Adobe Fonts that are visually similar to the current font (FIGURE 18.9).

Kerning and Tracking

Kerning and tracking are typographic terms for changing the space between text characters. Kerning is used to change the spacing between a pair of text characters. Tracking is used to change the spacing across a range of characters, typically an entire paragraph.

To apply kerning:

1. With a Type tool, click between two characters on a type layer.

2. Do one of the following:

   • On the Character panel, drag the Kerning icon () left to decrease or right to increase the kerning. (FIGURE 18.10) (Or enter a positive or negative value in the kerning field.)

     

   • Choose Metrics from the Kerning menu to apply the kerning value built into the current font (FIGURE 18.11).

     

   • Choose Optical to let Photoshop determine the kerning based on the character shapes, which usually produces a tighter result (FIGURE 18.12).

     

To apply tracking:

1. Select the text with the Type tool or click the layer on the Layers panel to adjust tracking of all text on that layer.

2. On the Character panel, drag the Tracking icon () left to decrease or right to increase the tracking. (FIGURE 18.13) (Or, enter a specific value in the associated field.)

   

3. To remove custom tracking, reset the tracking value of selected characters to 0.

Adjusting Leading, Vertical Spacing, and Baseline Shift

Leading and baseline shift are the two features you can use to move horizontal type up and down. If you’re working with vertical type, then tracking is the feature that will allow you to adjust the vertical spacing between characters.

Leading is the spacing between lines of type in a paragraph. The character with the highest leading value in a line of text determines the spacing of the entire line (FIGURE 18.14).

The Auto leading value is calculated as a percentage of the current font size. By default, it is set to 120%. So Auto leading applied to 20-point type will be 24 points. To change it from the default, open the Justification dialog from the Paragraph panel menu and enter a new Auto Leading value (FIGURE 18.15).

To adjust leading in horizontal paragraph type:

1. On the Layers panel, click a type layer.

2. On the Character panel, enter or choose a Leading value.

Leading apples only to horizontal type. For vertical type, you change the vertical space between letters using tracking (FIGURE 18.16).

To adjust the spacing between characters in vertical type:

1. On the Layers panel, click a type layer containing vertical type.

2. On the Character panel, change the Tracking value.

To convert vertical type to horizontal type, or vice versa:

1. Double-click a type layer thumbnail.

2. On the Tool Options bar, click the Toggle Text Orientation icon ().

You can use Baseline Shift to adjust the vertical position of type, typically raising or lowering characters relative to the others on the line (FIGURE 18.17).

To apply Baseline Shift:

1. Select the words or characters you want to shift.

2. On the Character panel, drag the Baseline Shift icon () right (raise characters) or left (lower characters), or enter a value. Positive values move characters upward from the baseline; negative values move them down.

Inserting Special Characters

You can achieve a more polished look with type by applying ligatures, fractions, and other alternate characters, provided you are using a font that contains those glyphs. Typically, OpenType “Pro” fonts offer the most special character options (FIGURE 18.18).

For example, you can replace a typed fraction like 1/2 with the typographically correct ½ glyph. You can also replace letter pairs such as ff, ffl, and st with ligatures that combine those letters into a single glyph (FIGURE 18.19). Or, if you are working with display type, you can insert swash and titling characters to add flair.

To insert or specify alternate glyphs for OpenType characters:

1. With a Type tool, click in text to create an insertion point.

2. Open the Glyphs panel (Type > Panels > Glyphs), and scroll to find the glyph you want to insert.

3. (Optional) Use the Font Category menu to display a subset of the font, like Punctuation, Fractions, Dashes & Quotes, Symbols, and so on (FIGURE 18.20).

   

4. Double-click a glyph to insert it (FIGURE 18.21).

   

Formatting Paragraphs

You’ve formatted your text at the character level, applying fonts, colors, and so on. Now, it’s time to take your design to the next level and apply formatting to paragraphs of text, setting the alignment, justification, indents, and spacing options. You can do all these things with the controls on the Paragraph panel.

To access paragraph settings:

1. With a Type tool, click in a paragraph or select a series of paragraphs. Or, if you want to apply settings to all the type in a layer, click the layer on the Layers panel.

2. If necessary, click the Toggle Character and Paragraph Panels button on the Options bar (). (Note that paragraph settings are also displayed in the Properties panel when you are working on a type layer.)

Justification

You can use Justification settings to tighten or loosen the default spacing between words or letters in paragraphs of justified text. Justification settings can also apply glyph scaling to make characters wider or narrower. Taken together, these settings can have a strong impact on the overall flow and appearance of paragraph text. For example, use them when you need to fit more text in a particular area without changing the font or font size (FIGURE 18.22).

To change the spacing between words and letters in justified text:

1. Select the text you want to modify.

2. Choose Justification from the Paragraph panel menu.

3. In the Justification dialog, select the Preview option so you can see the effect of changing settings.

4. Use the controls in the Justification dialog to set Maximum, Desired, and Minimum values for Word Spacing, Letter Spacing, and Glyph Scaling.

Working with Type on a Path

You can make type flow along the edge of an open or closed path created by a Pen or Shape tool. You can also use a closed path as a container for type.

To enter type along an existing path:

1. With a Type tool, position the pointer over the path so it changes its appearance () and click.

2. Enter the type.

3. To adjust the vertical alignment of type on a path, use the Baseline Shift controls in the Character panel. Negative Baseline Shift values move the type down. Positive Baseline Shift values raise type above the path (FIGURE 18.25).

   

To enter type inside a closed path:

1. With the Type tool, position the pointer inside the path so it changes its appearance () and click.

2. Enter the type. The path acts as a container, so lines automatically break wherever the type reaches the path boundaries (FIGURE 18.26).

   

You can change the position of type along a path and its orientation to the path by flipping it. When moving your type along a path, pay attention to the end of the type to make sure it all remains visible. If you move type so far that it will no longer fit on the path, you will create overset text. This text is still in the file, but it will not be visible until you fix the problem by moving, scaling, or editing the text. You can tell if there is overset text by clicking the path with a Selection tool or a Type tool. If there’s overset text, a plus sign inside a small circle appears at the end of the visible text ().

To move type along a path:

1. With either the Direct Selection tool or Path Selection tool, position your pointer over the type on a path. The pointer changes to an I-beam with an arrow ().

2. Click and drag the type along the path. Keep your pointer on the same side of the path; do not drag across it, or the type will flip (FIGURE 18.27).

   

To move type by changing the shape of a path:

1. On the Layers panel, click a layer containing type on a path.

2. With a Type tool or Selection tool, click the path on the Paths panel to make it active.

3. To change the path’s shape, do one of the following:

   • Choose Edit > Free Transform Path and then reshape the path by dragging with the control handles or change the width, height, angle, or skew in the Options bar.

   • With the Direct Selection tool, click and drag anchor points to move them.

4. The type moves to conform to the new shape of the path.(FIGURE 18.28).

   

To flip type to the other side of the path:

1. With either the Direct Selection tool or Path Selection tool, position your pointer over the type on a path. The pointer changes to an I-beam with an arrow.

2. Click and drag across the path.

Warping Type

You can create special effects by applying warp styles to type. Any warp style you apply becomes an attribute of the type layer, so you can make changes to it at any time.

To warp type:

1. Select a type layer.

2. With a Type tool, click the Warp button on the Options bar ().

3. Choose a warp style and orientation (Horizontal or Vertical).

4. (Optional) Specify values for such warping options as Bend, Horizontal Distortion, and Vertical Distortion (FIGURE 18.29).

   

5. Click OK.

To change or remove a warp effect:

1. Select a type layer.

2. With a Type tool, click the Warp button on the Options bar.

3. Apply different settings in the Warp Options dialog, as desired. Or, to remove a warp effect, choose None from the Style menu.

4. Click OK to apply the changes or remove the effect.

Painting on a Type Layer

If you want to apply certain creative effects to type, like painting directly on type with the Brush tool or distorting the letters with the Smudge tool, you must convert it to pixels first via the Rasterize Type command (FIGURE 18.30).

Note that most other features that cannot be directly applied to live type, like filters, or the Transform > Distort or Perspective commands, can be applied to Smart Objects. So, it is not necessary to rasterize type to use these features. Instead, convert the type layers to Smart Objects. Then, if you need to modify the text, you can simply edit the Smart Object (see Chapter 14).

Also, in some cases, you may be able to create the effects you want by painting on a separate layer, while keeping your live type intact.

If you need to rasterize a type layer, it’s a good idea to keep a backup of the original text in case you need to make changes to it. To preserve a copy of the editable type layer, click on it in the Layers panel and press Ctrl/Command+J.

To rasterize a type layer into pixels:

• Right-click the type layer name and choose Rasterize Type. The layer thumbnail changes from a T to the type shapes surrounded by transparent pixels.

Replacing Missing Fonts

The problem of missing fonts occurs when you open a document that uses fonts not installed on your computer.

On the Layers panel, a type layer with missing fonts appears with a yellow warning icon ().

Photoshop will automatically activate missing Adobe Fonts when you open a document that uses them, provided you are online and logged in to your Creative Cloud account. While missing Adobe Fonts are syncing to your computer, you will see a blue download icon on the Layers panel. When the fonts are synced, the icon will disappear, and you can work with the type as normal.

If you activate missing fonts from a source other than Adobe while a document is open, you may see a gray warning icon on a type layer thumbnail (). Double-click it to update the layer before proceeding. Or, if there are multiple layers with gray warning icons, choose Type > Update All Text Layers.

If you are unable to activate missing fonts automatically, you can replace the missing font manually, or use the Manage Missing Fonts feature to resolve the situation.

To manually resolve missing font issues:

1. On the Layers panel, double-click the thumbnail of the type layer with missing fonts.

2. In the dialog that appears, do one of the following:

   • Click Replace and choose a different font in the Options bar.

   • Click Manage, and use the options in the Manage Missing Fonts dialog to either replace the missing font with the default font or with a font already used in the document (FIGURE 18.31).

     

Matching Fonts

If you have an image containing type that is not live, you can use the Match Font feature to find visually similar fonts in the Adobe Fonts collection.

To find and activate matching fonts:

1. Select Type > Match Font.

2. Adjust the rectangular marquee so it encompasses up to three lines of type. The more different characters in the sample, the more accurate the search results will be.

   Photoshop displays a list of fonts that are similar to the text in your selection.

3. To activate an Adobe Font from the list, click the cloud icon (FIGURE 18.32).

   

When the Match Font feature works, it can be a great time saver. The problem is, it frequently doesn’t work, which can be frustrating. If you’re not satisfied with the initial search results, try readjusting the marquee to force Photoshop to search again. You may also get better results with other font matching services like What the Font.

Creating a Text Sandwich

Here’s another timeless text technique that almost every Photoshop user should have in their bag of tricks. You’ve seen it countless times on magazine covers where a model’s head (or some object) overlaps the magazine title.

To make a text sandwich:

1. Identify which portion of the image you want to overlap the text and make a selection of it.

2. Copy that selection to a new layer (Ctrl/Command+J) and drag that layer above the type layer (FIGURE 18.33).

   

Filling Type with an Image

One common job that Photoshop users are asked to perform is filling type with an image. When it’s done well, the shapes of the type outlines combine with the content of the image to convey a message that’s greater than the sum of its parts. There are various ways of accomplishing this, but the most flexible and efficient is to use a clipping mask.

To fill type with an image:

1. Start with a file containing the image you want to put in type. If the image layer is the Background layer, click its lock icon on the Layers panel to convert it from a background layer into a regular layer.

2. Create a type layer with the text you want and format it as desired. Large, bold, sans serif type usually works best.

3. On the Layers panel, drag the image layer so that it is immediately above the type layer.

4. Create a clipping mask by Alt/Option-clicking on the divider between the image layer and the type layer on the Layers panel. The image appears inside the text (FIGURE 18.34).