Ask the Maker: an updated text guide.
john_scorpy and naginis both requested an updated version of my out dated and embarrassing text guide. Seeing as I have described it thus, I felt it prudent to acquiesce to their requests at this point in time. So we shall, again, embark down the long and confusing road that is my brain while attempting to engage with Photoshop’s text tool in a satisfying manner. There is a high probability of bad jokes therein and an even higher probability of my using the phrase “I have no idea what I’m doing.” more than once. Proceed with as much caution as you deem necessary should you choose to continue.
Now before I received lots of angry comments about not getting to the damn point already, let’s begin with what I sincerely hope will be more of a learning tool and less of an unmitigated disaster.
Firstly, I do not plan to adhere to the old song and dance and give you a list of my favourite go to fonts. They are, more than likely, the exact same as everyone else’s. Let it never be said that I go against the grain. If you have a question about a particular font in such and such an icon, please feel free to ask me-here or in the icon post in question-as I assure you that I do not bite and that I will share the answer with you if I am capable of doing so.
I will also not go into the boring spiel about choosing the right colors for your text. I assume that you are familiar with the eye dropper tool and how to use it. Interestingly enough, if you have a newer version of Photoshop, the eye dropper tool, when selected in the tool bar specifically, creates a two toned color matcher that can be quite useful if you are in doubt as to which colors suit one another the best.
What I am going to do is share one or two tips I’ve accidentally stumbled across that will, with any luck, make the courting of your own text tool that much more successful.
COURTING TIP #1
When attempting to court the ever illusive and incredibly shy text tool, one must remember to never, under any circumstances (unless they be of a particularly dire nature), abort the attempt. Your text tool, be it a lady or a gentleman, will often require much coaxing in order to win his or her affections.
COURTING TIP #2
When attempting to win the love of your text tool, it is often wise to construct a secondary plan by which to woo. Please remember to duplicate all your text layers before rasterizing so that, should your first attempt fail abysmally, you can always regroup with grace. This will impress your text tool and allow you to begin anew in your attempts to engender fondness. Similarly, suitors may find it beneficial to place each word on a separate layer or even single letters on their own layer for additional ease during times of complication in the wooing process.
COURTING TIP #3
When courting a text tool, it is also wise to remember that your lady or gentleman does not like being treated like a frightening and unknown entity. He or she is quite similar to other tools you may have encountered before and will appreciate gifts such as textures and adjustment layers just as much as the next gentleman or lady.
- layer modes
o Like most layers, text layers often prefer to change modes throughout the day. Accommodating these changes and flattering accordingly can do wonders to put you into your text tool's good graces.
- textures & adjustment layers
o In addition, your text tool may be fond of additional texturing and coloring in order to bring out its best features. Textures and adjustment layers can be key trump cards in maintaining the affections of your text tool. One must, however, take care to ensure that your text tool's journey is still smooth and it is thus advised that excessive contrast and the use of curves may push your text tool farther away from you instead of pulling him or her close. In order to circumvent this, please see the section on blurring and other filters, and also keep in mind that right clicking on your text layer will allow you to 'select pixels' and create layer masks and layers in the shape of your text.
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texture set to soft light at 46% and masked off Killian's face | credit: behindmylove @ tumblr
- additional adornments (accent fonts, shapes, tiny text, etc.)
o Gifts of jewels and other adornments can often win over a text tool. The use accent fonts, for instance, to highlight or emphasize a word or phrase; accent fonts are usually more stylized and ornate in nature; inversions of this technique (example #3) may allow your beloved text tool to stand out in a unique and special way.
o Shapes can also add an element of emphasis as well as highlighting a certain aspect of the text; boxes are terrific in this respect especially when positioned behind words, and you will find lines can be terribly useful as well if you have space but nought to fill it with; the shape tool has other shapes in its repertoire as well, and you would not go amiss by allowing your lady or gentleman to try on more unique shapes for size.
o The same line of text--duplicated, in another flattering color, placed behind the original line, and nudged slightly so that it is visible--can bring out the best in your text tool.
o Tiny text has gone in and out of fashion, but it can be just the right ace up your sleeve should you need something extra to woo your text tool into your company; in between lines of words, underneath, or around, tiny text is a useful element to give your amorous intentions that finishing touch. Clean, block-shaped (old sans black, intro, etc) fonts in small sizes with the tracking extended often make for the best effect.
COURTING TIP #4
In a similar vein, your text tool may be prone to flights of fantasy and whimsy. Should this be the case, it can be to your advantage to experiment in order to keep in your text tool’s good graces. Taking your text tool to new places and visiting the warp tool for a new look can often lead to your text tool looking at you in a new and most positive light.
- rotation
o Looking at the situation from a different angle can be just the refreshment that your dearest needs to see you in the best light possible. Thus to encourage growing affection, it can be useful to think of puzzle pieces and move your words of love around accordingly. Match the lovely angles presented to you in the canvas, slant words to create more room for your beloved, or flip things upside down to ascertain the best way to present yourself.
- alignment
o Depending on how traditional your text tool may be feeling at any given moment, it may be useful to forgo the typical straight block alignment for something more angled or piecemeal in order to express your ardent feelings upon the beloved text tool that has caught your eye. Do not disregard the traditional block method, however, as it can be particularly useful when attempting to expound upon your text tools many virtues to a particularly crowded and busy canvas. It is in these instances that placing your text on separate layers, word by word, can often be the most beneficial.
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traditional blocks of text in straight lines | text with broken and unentered lines and angled text
- backgrounds
o Some text tools are more delicate than others, and will require a little extra time in order to get them out into the public eye on your arm. In the mean time, it is best to allow your flower to bask in the background while you lend him or her your support elsewhere. Particularly useful if you find yourself attending a removed background affair and often used to your best advantage with layer modes, as advised earlier in this guide. Lower opacity layers, in this instance, can also allow for additional text flirtation should your text tool suddenly feel emboldened.
- blurring & other filters
o A soft touch can often be the key to taming your text tool. In particular, a soft Gaussian Blur can be the finishing touch to a perfect outing with your lady or gentleman. However, if you are feeling particularly bold, other blurring filters can leave a more lasting impression on the right text tool. If one is particularly inspired, other filters may help catch the eye of your text tool. Diffuse Glow can often add that extra sparkle, and filters from the Stylize menu and Texture menu, among others, can create unique effects that are sure to impress in the right situations.
- the warp tool
o Particularly daring suitors may entertain the apples of their eye with the warp tool*. Those who are unfamiliar with this wooing tool will find it at their disposal here. It will then present to you a menu by which you can control your text with ease. The options available are many and require experimentation in order to prefect them for your text tool. Style options that your humble courting guide has found to be particularly effective in wooing her own text tool include: Arc (Lower & Upper), Arch, Bulge, Wave, Rise, Fisheye, Inflate, and Squeeze. It is also often beneficial to significantly lower the Bend percentage to something more manageable as most text tools do not appreciate over indulgence in this area. Bigger canvases, however, may allow for opulence.
* (Edit > Puppet Warp & Edit > Free Transform are also methods by which you can achieve similar effects and may interest suitors who have found the Warp Tool lacking in some way and/or require additional freedom or effects to keep the attention of their chosen lady or gentleman.)
Shell Lower | Horizontal | Bend 21% | Distortions: None.
Arc | Horizontal | Bend 21% | Distortions: None
Wave | Horizontal | Bend 84% | Distortions: None
COURTING TIP #5
As the previous sections have hinted at, your text tool often requires a great deal of attention. Prudent would-be wooers will find it necessary to create plenty of room for their text tool and its needs. Negative space is the easiest, and often the best, route to take to ensure a long-lasting and happy relationship. The types of negative space that exist are varied. Wise wooers will take the time to find the kind that best fits the text tool in question at the time of wooing.
- plain and simple negative space that you’ve extracted
- negative space created by empty space in the screen capture (empty expanses of skin, hair, clothing, and any other space void of attention seeking paraphernalia)
COURTING TIP #6
Though you may be absolutely certain of your text tool's affections, you must be wary. The text tool, though shy and reclusive, is devious and intelligent. Though this may, indeed, by why you fell for your lady or gentleman, take care for it may also spell your downfall. Copying and pasting text from quote websites and lyric websites can often backfire for this reason so always double check the grammar and for any extra, unwanted text. A happy couple will also make use of the Spell Check tool available in Photoshop (select the text tool and right click) in order to ensure continued domestic bliss.
May your quest to win the heart of your text tool be full of wonderful surprises and successes, and should you ever feel the creeping dread of failure or crippling doubt, please feel free to revisit any of these tips, should you find them helpful in the slightest, in order to shore up your confidence once more. Your text tool will appreciate the extra pampering, and as long as you refuse to give up, your love affair will be a long and happy one.
disclaimer #1: My sister told me I was a moron when I told her I was doing this, and my mother laughed. I assume that means this is safe for public consumption.
disclaimer #2: I would apologize for this, but I giggled too much while writing it so I'm not going to.
disclaimer #3: I don't know why I do crap like this.
Should you wish to request a guide or a tutorial, my Ask the Maker thread is here.
Should you wish to peruse previous guides and tutorials, you can do so here.