How to Add a Text Form in Photoshop

Add headers or lines of text to your Photoshop file to complete your image. Adding type to a Photoshop file is easy and the program offers a variety of effects to customize the wording.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photoshop
• Digital image

1. Choose the type tool in your toolbox and click the area of your document where you want to insert text. The cursor will appear prompting you to begin typing.

2. Change the font, size and style of the text on the type menu which appears across the top of the screen when the type tool is selected. The tools can also be accessed in the character palette. This palette provides other options such as bold, italics and alignment.

3. Edit an existing block of text by selecting the type tool and positioning the cursor on the text you want to edit. Highlight the line of text to make changes to its overall appearance.

4. Add an image into your line of text to draw attention to a heading or title. Copy the desired image to the clip board by clicking on the image window and choosing "Select" from the menu. Click back on the text document and in the layers palette, hold down the CTRL key and click the text layer. Paste in the image by selecting "paste" from the edit menu. You can resize you image if needed by using the free transform tool.

5. Use the move tool to move the text field if necessary.

6. Hit the enter key on your numeric pad to return to the regular edit mode. The other enter key will cause a line break in your text.

7. Change the color of the text by highlighting the words with the text tool, then selecting a color swatch in the text options bar, the text dialog box or the character palette. Make sure the font color you choose contrasts sufficiently with the background color.

8. Form warped text by selecting the warp tool (a "T" and three dots) from the top tool bar when the text tool is selected.

9. Add an outline to your words by selecting the text and setting the foreground color (found at the bottom of the tool bar) to the desired outline color. Click the new layer button in the layers palette. You can then choose stroke in the edit menu and set the width to the desired amount. Set the location to "Outside" and click "Ok."

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to create a fillable text form for use on the web, use HTML to do this correctly. Photoshop does not offer the capability to create a text form.
• Photoshop will disable other features while the type tool is selected. If you want to use another command, you will probably have to deselect the type tool.