There are so many effects we can get with text.. this is but a few..

After you open a new image with white background..  Click your text tool and in the 'create as'   set it on VECTOR ,... then type your text ... go to EFFECTS/ 3D EFFECTS/Drop Shadow

Drag and drop this arrow to keep up with where you are in the tutorial

Make sure you have it checked to have the shadow on separate layer. On the layer palette HIDE the text and highlight the SHADOW layer

While the TEXT layer is hid , highlight the shadow layer and  click on your deformation tool grab the middle node on the deformation around the shadow and put it down through its self. Making the shadow look like a reflection of the text, see example below. The shadow should look like a mirror reflection of the text. 

Hold down your shift key and put the same middle node to the left to skewer the shadow.. to make it look like the light source is coming from behind and to the right.

Move the shadow right to the bottom of the text.. touching it..

On the layer palette adjust the opacity of the shadow layer to where you like how it looks.. I have mine set on 14%.

Here is another way to do Text... I first made the red text then the blue. off setting the blue to the right a little.. making the text look dimensional.

This is a cool effect on text by using the Mesh Warp tool under the deform raster layer tool. it puts a grid over the canvas and all you have to do is put a node one way or another. As I've done here in the sample below.

Here it is finished.. with a 3D shadow on it.. I also SHARPENED once after I used the mesh tool.. it tends to blur it some. **That's a good rule of thumb any time you RESIZE, WARP, use DEFORM in any way you always always have to SHARPEN!!**

If you ever wondered what Anti-Alias is.. this sample shows you what Text looks like with and without it... its a smoothing of the edges.. I ALWAYS have my Anti-Alias on Smooth... but some presets are done with it set on sharp. .Smooth makes the edges smooth *makes sense :)* As you can see the Anti-Alias off and sharp. the edges are kind of jagged..

Here are samples of different preset stoke lines.. we normally use just the plain solid line but there are others to choose from and when you adjust the size of the line you can get many different looks.

You can align your text horizontal or vertical

This is something you hardly EVER think of adjusting.. but the

Kerning adjustment.. comes in handy sometimes... if you set the number in the minus numbers the letters are closer together... if its in the plus numbers they're farther apart..

The text below is aligned Vertically

This is like a water reflection... Put your text on a separate layer.. then ADD a new layer and type the text word again as shown below

 On the reflection text layer, highlight it on the layers palette, and click the deform raster layer tool   Grab the middle top node and pull down over the reflection text. Till its the right look and size. Move it up under the top text.. touching the bottom.

To skewer the reflection , grab the  middle node now on bottom and hold down your SHIFT key down and move to the left , as I did below.

On the layers palette lower the opacity on the reflection layer to 30 or so.

To make it look like a water reflection.. use your EFFECTS/ Distortion/WAVE effect with the settings below.. I have another tutorial on how to ANIMATE this reflection.. you might want to check that out

This is text on a belzer curve.. I have an extensive tutorial on this for PSP 7.. PSP 9 pretty much works the same way.. just WHERE the tool is, is different..

Click your PEN tool, have the MODE set to  point to point belzer curve. * have your FOREGROUND color turned on.. and background OFF for this..

on the left side first *I'm left handed :-)* click one time it will put a node there... then lift up on mouse button and go straight across from first node and click mouse button DO NOT lift up on the mouse button.. while holding the mouse button down you drag and pull down.. as in the sample below.. you can see where my mouse cross hairs is OFF the canvas over to bottom right... this is correct.. to get the correct radius for the curve.. this might take you couple of attempts to get this little movement done right or to get the radius for your text like you want it... if you do it wrong.. the UNDO and do again.. Remembering your going to be putting text on the top part of this radius curve. when it looks right to you

Now click your TEXT TOOL  and put your mouse over that curved line till your cursor turns in to an XA with a rocker under it.. like below , click once. then type your text.

Depending on WHERE you clicked on the curve line.. is where the text will  be when you start typing.. as you see here.. mine is off to the left side.. I correct it by putting spaces in front of the text in the text box..

Bringing it to the middle of the arch.

Once it where you want it...As you look on the layer palette you will see what looks like a Vector 1 layer it will have a PLUS + sign next to it... click that and that layer will open and you will see 2 New Path layers  X the top new path layer out.. this will get right of the belzer curve line that's on your canvas. don't want the line showing.. do we :)

Here the line is hid.. now click on the Vector 1 layer right click and promote to raster layer. Now you can add inner bevel, 3D shadow, how ever you want the text to look

When you get a certain TEXT set like you want it.. using what ever font you use.. you can go over to presets on left.. where the arrow is below and SAVE you that preset... it will save this text setting so you can go back to it each time.. it even remembers the font you used...Comes in handy if you use the same font and setting a lot.

Just save the preset and name it...

Well that's it for this tutorial... Hope working with your text is some clearer now

Till the next tutorial.. TOODLES :)

HOME