Using Type

About type

Type consists of mathematically defined shapes that describe the letters, numbers, and symbols of a typeface. Many typefaces are available in more than one format, the most common formats being Type 1 (also called PostScript fonts), TrueType, OpenType, and CID (Japanese only).

When you add type to an image, the characters are composed of pixels and have the same resolution as the image file—zooming in on characters shows jagged edges. However, Photoshop and ImageReady preserve the vector-based type outlines and use them when you scale or resize type, save a PDF or EPS file, or print the image to a PostScript printer. As a result, it’s possible to produce type with crisp, resolution-independent edges.

Creating type

You can create horizontal or vertical type anywhere in an image. Depending on how you use the type tools, you can enter point type or paragraph type. Point type is useful for entering a single word or a line of characters; paragraph type is useful for entering and formatting the type as one or more paragraphs.

Type entered as point type (top) and in a bounding box

When you create type, a new type layer is added to the Layers palette. In Photoshop, you can also create a selection border in the shape of the type.

Note: In Photoshop, a type layer is not created for images in Multichannel, Bitmap, or Indexed Color mode, because these modes do not support layers. In these image modes, type appears on the background.

To enter paragraph type:

•Drag diagonally to define a bounding box for the type.

•Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you click or drag to display the Text Box Size dialog box. Enter values for Width and Height, and click OK.

3Select additional type options in the options bar, Character palette, Paragraph palette, and Layer > Type submenu. (See “Formatting characters” on page 349 and “Formatting paragraphs” on page 358.)

4Enter the characters you want. Press Enter on the main keyboard (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to begin a new paragraph. If you enter more type than can fit in the bounding box, the overflow icon appears on the bounding box.

5(Photoshop) If desired, resize, rotate, or skew the bounding box.

6(Photoshop) Commit the type layer. (See “About using the type tools (Photoshop)” on page 343.)

The type you entered appears in a new type layer.

To resize or transform a type bounding box:

1 Display the bounding box handles:

•(Photoshop) With the type tool active, select the type layer in the Layers palette, and click in the text flow in the image.

•(ImageReady) With the type tool active, select the type layer. If the bounding box handles don’t appear, make sure that the Text Bounds option is selected in the View > Show submenu.

2 Drag to achieve the desired effect:

•To resize the bounding box, position the pointer over a handle—the pointer turns into a double arrow —and drag. Shift-drag to maintain the proportion of the bounding box.

•(Photoshop) To rotate the bounding box, position the pointer outside of the bounding border—the pointer turns into a curved, two-sided arrow —and drag. Shift-drag

to constrain the rotation to 15° increments. To change the center of rotation, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the center point to a new location. The center point can be outside the bounding box.