The Type Tool and Editable Type Layers
Dateline: 09/14/99
Editable Type
Editable type layers were added to Photoshop 5, and then a few additional enhancements
were included in the 5.5 upgrade. It used to be that when you added type in
Photoshop, it was placed onto a new layer, but if you ever wanted to make a
change to the text once it was placed, you had to start over. All that has changed
in Photoshop 5. You now have the ability to change the text, typeface, color,
size, and a whole lot more at any time - as long as the layer remains a type
layer. For some functions, you do have to render the type layer which makes
it no longer editable, but with the addition of layer effects, you may never
need to render a type layer. (More on layer effects in my next installment of
this feature.)
Type Tool Options
Let's take a look at the type tool options. As you can see all of your installed
fonts are available from a drop down list. Any selection you make in the Type
tool dialog is automatically updated in the preview of the dialog window and
also in your document window. The type tool preview can be viewed at any percentage,
or set to fit in the preview window.
By highlighting text in the preview area, you are able to selectively change most of the options for the active selection. In other words, it is possible to make a single word bold, by selecting just the word. Or you may make a single letter larger, by selecting the single character and adjusting the size. You can preview a variety of fonts by selecting a font and using the arrow keys to cycle through your available fonts to see them updated in the preview window. You can set type size according to points or pixels.
The type color defaults to the foreground color selected in the toolbox, but this can easily be changed directly within the type tool dialog by double-clicking the color swatch. While the type tool color picker is active, moving the cursor outside of the color picker activates an eyedropper that allows you to pick up any color from an open image, or any of the visible color swatches on screen... a very handy feature. Unlike the other options, changing the type color effects the entire text string and cannot be applied to selections within the text string.
The drop down list to the right font selection drop down allows you to choose from any available variations such as bold, italic, and underline. A new feature in version 5.5, if a particular font does not include style variations, you can now apply simulated variations of underline, faux bold, and faux italics. Also new to version 5.5, you now have the ability to adjust the level of anti-aliasing. You can choose from crisp, strong, and smooth, or no anti-aliasing. In addition, you can control the text alignment, kerning, leading, tracking, baseline, and fractional widths. All these options are clearly explained in the online help, so I won't go into them here.
 |
 |
|
Vertical Stacked
|
Vertical Rotated
|
Vertical Type & Type Masks
Hidden behind the regular type tool which we have been exploring so far, you'll
also find tools for type mask, vertical type, and vertical type mask. The vertical
type offers all the options of regular type, but the text is placed vertically.
The vertical text can be stacked vertically with letters upright, or by checking
the rotate option, the entire text string is rotated vertically. The regular
and vertical type mask tools allow you to make text selections. These are not
editable because you are actually creating selections instead of text, but like
any other selection, they can be saved.
Type
Layers
When you use the type tool, your text is placed on a special layer called a
type layer. You can identify a type layer because it will have the "T"
indicator in the layers palette. Type layers are automatically named according
to the text that is entered, but can be renamed in the layer options.
When you double-click a type layer, you are presented with the type tool options for editing the text. This differs from double-clicking a regular layer where you are presented with the layer options. If you want to change the layer options for a type layer, you can either use the Layer menu, the Layers palette flyout menu, or the right-click pop-up menu in the layers palette.
When
the type tool is active, you can also right-click on any text in your document
window for a pop-up menu (shown at right) that provides quick access to several
options.
That about covers the Type Tool and Type Layers, check back soon when I'll be exploring Layer Alignment and Layer Effects.
Return to the Introduction/Table of
Contents
Go to the Next Page: Layer Alignment
Also see: Photoshop Resources
 |
Sue Chastain |
Screen shots captured with Corel Capture 9.
