Photoshop: Making a text box with color or border.

how fill text box in photoshop?

answer: can’t.

solution:  you can want in photoshop -we know it’s great - steps not easy.  see below solutions making seem text box filled color, bordered, semi-tansparent etc.

in photoshop, text box text inside , less box surrounds it.  in other words, box transparent , effects apply font shapes typed inside user.  photoshop (cs4) can produce incredible, professional, amazing text images. no doubt it!

a photoshop text box can display 1 of 2 types of bounding boxes: 

its object bounding box there moving whole text layer, rotating it, duplicating , distorting.  clicking once on text layer pallet , selecting move tool (v) produce bounding box.  the direct selection tool (a) won’t recognize it.  note:  if try resize box object, distorts/stretches text inside.  this can make cool effects want text stay way font designed.  see: layers>type>warp text.

the text bounding box there highlighting, re-typing , selecting margins of actual text/paragraph etc.  selecting text tool , clicking on existing text produce bounding box.

some features accessible in either mode.

the photoshop text tool has 2 types of cursors:

the new text box cursor looks text insertion cursor (often seen in word processing) dotted box around it.

to produce new text box cursor select text tool , move on new work area.

the edit text cursor looks ordinary cursor people familiar (no dotted box). 

to produce edit text tool, hover text tool on existing text , cursor changes simple insertion shape (without dotted box).  a click put text editing mode, not new text box mode.  this drove me batty while because used clicking anywhere inside existing text box , blinking cursor pop in automatically - @ end of last letter.  this doesn’t happen in photoshop; if new text box tool active, try place new box anywhere click overlapping another.

when in mode (edit existing text) can hover arrow edges of text box , resize bounding box without altering shape of text itself.  this how make text box larger or smaller fit/accommodate needs.  you can highlight text, insert between words/letters.  highlighted text available changing font, color, size, cutting/pasting etc. 

to out of edit text mode, click check box on tool column above or type enter (not return) or type cmd-return (mac), ctrl-return (win).  if want cancel changes existing text box click ex-circle on tool column or press esc key (top left of keyboard-escape key)

ok, main point:

to make effect looks text box filled, bordered, semi-transparent etc., have create object shape (box) , place behind (under) text box.  linking 2 allows move them around easily.  the drawback that, when need larger box, you’ll have alter size of both boxes , possibly re-center them each other (i know it’s sort of dumb have many steps shaded text box or bordered one.)

begin selecting rectangle shape tool , draw shape on screen of size.  in layers pallet layer created 2 items (layer thumbnail , vector mask) double click 1 on left layer thumbnail).  change color light 1 such baby blue or yellow.

now select text tool , click once on shape.  a text box created same size of rectangle (any shape work too).

type text box , change font type, size , color might use regularly.  check see text color black (can changed later).  the text automatically wraps around when reach edge of box , fits (inside margins can altered pixel later).

now link 2 boxes 1 another.  shift-click each layer in layers pallet select both , choose link button @ bottom of window layers or go layers>link layers.  now when move 1 move other too!

using paragraph tools can center text, indent first line, , add space between paragraphs.  except first paragraph seems close top of colored rectangle; doesn’t it?  photoshop won’t add leading (horizontal space) between text box , top of first paragraph.

there 2 ways fix this:

1.     select text tool , click inside existing text hover pointer above little box/tab in top center of rectangle , bring down bit.

2.     or unlink 2 layers (to unlink click link again while 1 of 2 layers selected in pallet) , move colored rectangle bit.

in first instance not necessary unlink boxes.  this advantage because altering colored rectangle without unlinking distort text altering text box if not in object text mode (see intro.)

ok, advantages:

now have set can use background box (colored rectangle) make other effects.  select separate layer won’t have unlink it.  to make box semi-transparent change either layer opacity or layer fill (found in layer pallet).

to create border box:

1.     select colored rectangle box , under layers>styles>blending options (or double click in open area of layer pallet shape.)

2.     select stroke, change:  fill type color, color black, size 4, position inside, blend mode normal, opacity 100%. click ok/apply

3.     back in layer pallet, change fill 0% , have border attached text box.  you may have alter inside text box again depending on thickness of border if made position inside keep sharpness of rectangle.

4.     yes work other shapes , custom shapes.  remember draw shape first , place new text box on before other alteration done.  this ensures photoshop creates text box same size/dimension of chosen shape.  it makes margins fit irregular shapes triangles.

5.     try it!

 

 

toxic cumquat wrote:

 

how fill text box in photoshop?

answer: can’t.

solution:  you can want in photoshop -we know it’s great - steps not easy.  see below solutions making seem text box filled color, bordered, semi-tansparent etc.

in photoshop, text box text inside , less box surrounds it.  in other words, box transparent , effects apply font shapes typed inside user.  photoshop (cs4) can produce incredible, professional, amazing text images. no doubt it!

a photoshop text box can display 1 of 2 types of bounding boxes: 

its object bounding box there moving whole text layer, rotating it, duplicating , distorting.  clicking once on text layer pallet , selecting move tool (v) produce bounding box.  the direct selection tool (a) won’t recognize it.  note:  if try resize box object, distorts/stretches text inside.  this can make cool effects want text stay way font designed.  see: layers>type>warp text.

the text bounding box there highlighting, re-typing , selecting margins of actual text/paragraph etc.  selecting text tool , clicking on existing text produce bounding box.

some features accessible in either mode.

the photoshop text tool has 2 types of cursors:

the new text box cursor looks text insertion cursor (often seen in word processing) dotted box around it.

to produce new text box cursor select text tool , move on new work area.

the edit text cursor looks ordinary cursor people familiar (no dotted box). 

to produce edit text tool, hover text tool on existing text , cursor changes simple insertion shape (without dotted box).  a click put text editing mode, not new text box mode.  this drove me batty while because used clicking anywhere inside existing text box , blinking cursor pop in automatically - @ end of last letter.  this doesn’t happen in photoshop; if new text box tool active, try place new box anywhere click overlapping another.

when in mode (edit existing text) can hover arrow edges of text box , resize bounding box without altering shape of text itself.  this how make text box larger or smaller fit/accommodate needs.  you can highlight text, insert between words/letters.  highlighted text available changing font, color, size, cutting/pasting etc. 

to out of edit text mode, click check box on tool column above or type enter (not return) or type cmd-return (mac), ctrl-return (win).  if want cancel changes existing text box click ex-circle on tool column or press esc key (top left of keyboard-escape key)

ok, main point:

to make effect looks text box filled, bordered, semi-transparent etc., have create object shape (box) , place behind (under) text box.  linking 2 allows move them around easily.  the drawback that, when need larger box, you’ll have alter size of both boxes , possibly re-center them each other (i know it’s sort of dumb have many steps shaded text box or bordered one.)

begin selecting rectangle shape tool , draw shape on screen of size.  in layers pallet layer created 2 items (layer thumbnail , vector mask) double click 1 on left layer thumbnail).  change color light 1 such baby blue or yellow.

now select text tool , click once on shape.  a text box created same size of rectangle (any shape work too).

type text box , change font type, size , color might use regularly.  check see text color black (can changed later).  the text automatically wraps around when reach edge of box , fits (inside margins can altered pixel later).

now link 2 boxes 1 another.  shift-click each layer in layers pallet select both , choose link button @ bottom of window layers or go layers>link layers.  now when move 1 move other too!

using paragraph tools can center text, indent first line, , add space between paragraphs.  except first paragraph seems close top of colored rectangle; doesn’t it?  photoshop won’t add leading (horizontal space) between text box , top of first paragraph.

there 2 ways fix this:

1.     select text tool , click inside existing text hover pointer above little box/tab in top center of rectangle , bring down bit.

2.     or unlink 2 layers (to unlink click link again while 1 of 2 layers selected in pallet) , move colored rectangle bit.

in first instance not necessary unlink boxes.  this advantage because altering colored rectangle without unlinking distort text altering text box if not in object text mode (see intro.)

ok, advantages:

now have set can use background box (colored rectangle) make other effects.  select separate layer won’t have unlink it.  to make box semi-transparent change either layer opacity or layer fill (found in layer pallet).

to create border box:

1.     select colored rectangle box , under layers>styles>blending options (or double click in open area of layer pallet shape.)

2.     select stroke, change:  fill type color, color black, size 4, position inside, blend mode normal, opacity 100%. click ok/apply

3.     back in layer pallet, change fill 0% , have border attached text box.  you may have alter inside text box again depending on thickness of border if made position inside keep sharpness of rectangle.

4.     yes work other shapes , custom shapes.  remember draw shape first , place new text box on before other alteration done.  this ensures photoshop creates text box same size/dimension of chosen shape.  it makes margins fit irregular shapes triangles.

5.     try it! or try using indesign!

 

 

 

there. fixed you.

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