How to Add Text in Photoshop

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The beginner's guide to typing and text effects in Photoshop
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Adobe Photoshop is mostly used for illustrations and editing photographs. You can also add text in Photoshop and adjust qualities such as the font, size and color of the text, creating advertisements, images, or titles. Keep in mind that the main reason why people create text in Photoshop is to add a visual element to their Photoshop image with short messages, rather than type out long paragraphs or make text-only documents.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Adding Any Text

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  1. It looks like a "T." Click on the icon, or simply press "T" on your keyboard to bring up the text tool. Now, anywhere you click in your image will allow you to start adding type.
  2. Once you click the Text tool, a bunch of options will appear at the top of Photoshop allowing you to choose the color, font, size, and alignment. You can also use the "Character," or the "Paragraph," which resemble the text editing boxes in programs like Microsoft Word. You can find these boxes by clicking on "Window" from the very top of your screen and checking "Character" and "Paragraph." [1]
    • Font: lets you select different font names such as Arial and Times New Roman.
    • Font Size: adjust the points of the font size to make the text bigger or smaller.
    • Font Alignment: choose whether you want the text to be centered or flushed to the right or left.
    • Font Color: clicking on the font color box will allow you to choose different colors for the text.
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  3. If you simply click somewhere on the image, a cursor will appear where your first letter will appear. You can simply start typing, and Photoshop will add the words from this starting point.
    • If you're just adding simple text, this may be all you need to do.
    • If you know how to use the pen tool, you can click on a path to write text along that line.
  4. If you need to text to fit with a specific area, you can click and drag out the area before you begin typing. Any text that doesn't fit will not appear unless you shrink the font size.
  5. Click outside the text box or press the Ctrl (Control) and Enter keys on your keyboard simultaneously to see how the text finally appears on your Photoshop image. If it keeps trying to start new text when you click out, then simply click on another tool to leave the text editor and move on. You can double-click on the text, or simply click on it again with the Text tool selected to edit the font and type at any point.
    • You can no longer edit text if you "Rasterize it." If you accidentally get this option, ignore it for now.
    • If the text layer is selected, press Ctrl-T or Cmd-T to resize the text by hand, instead of having to choose new font sizes. [2]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Making More Elaborate Text Effects

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  1. Remember, this icon looks like a "T." Click on the T and hold the mouse down to reveal the following alternate text options.
    • Horizontal Type Tool: used most frequently, the horizontal type tool lets you type solid letters horizontally from left to right. This is the one use if just normally click the Text tool.
    • Vertical Type Tool: Allows you to write your words up and down, instead of left to right.
    • Horizontal Type Mask Tool: This turns your text into a mask, which can be used for a variety of fun Photoshop tricks. Off the bat, it will basically map the layer beneath the text and use it to "color in" your type.
    • Vertical Type Mask Tool: Works just like the Horizontal Type Mask, but writes letters up and down instead of left to right. [3]
  2. If you need complete control over your text, the Character and Paragraph menus are the place to go. The Character menu's logo is an A followed by a vertical line. Paragraph resembles a P with a double vertical line and circle filled in, but you can also click "Window → "Paragraph" if you can't see it.
    • Click and drag the icons in each menu to test them. You can actually seem them function in real time. Most deal with line spacing.
    • The Character menu generally has more to do with the actual type, where Paragraph adjusts the overall block of text and it's alignment. [4]
    • If you can't access the Paragraph Options, right-click the text and select "Convert to Paragraph Text." [5]
  3. If you don't see this option on the menu, select Layer Style first, and then select Blending Options at the top. This brings up a variety effects for professional looking type. The Blending Options allow you to add shadows, outlines, glows, and even 3D options, each of which is fully customizable. While you should experiment freely in the Blending Options menu, some key effects for good text include: [6]
    • Bevel & Emboss: This will make the text 3D. It reassembles turning the lines of the text into 3D cylinders, like pipes.
    • Stroke: This outlines your text with the line of a color, thickness, and texture you get to choose.
    • The Overlays: These will change the color of your font, placing a gradient, pattern, or new color over the shape of the text. You can even lower the opacities of these overlays, allowing you to do some fun shading and blending.
    • Drop Shadow: Puts a moveable, short shadow behind your text -- like there was a wall a foot or two behind it. You can change the angle, softness, and size of the shadow. [7]
  4. Find and add free new fonts online. Adding fonts to a photoshop is incredibly easy. You simply download the fonts, then drag them into the program to link them up. You can search online for "Free Fonts" to find anything you need.
    • Fonts are typically .ttf files.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I remove a text from an image in Photoshop?
    Shari Fairclough
    Social Media & Graphic Design Expert
    Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University.
    Shari Fairclough
    Social Media & Graphic Design Expert
    Expert Answer
    You can use the Spot Healing Brush Tool to remove text from an image, this icon looks like a band-aid in the toolbar. Select the Spot Healing Brush Tool, adjust the brush size as needed, and then simply paint over the text you want to remove. Photoshop will automatically blend the surrounding area to cover the text. Another newer method is that, with the new AI-powered tools, you can use the Content-Aware Fill feature. Select the text using the Lasso Tool or the selection tool, then go to "Edit" > "Content-Aware Fill." Photoshop will analyze the surrounding pixels and intelligently fill in the selected area, which removes the text automatically.
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  • Question
    How do I get rid of the box when have written what I want to write?
    Community Answer
    You simply click on the Move tool (the first in the toolbox that looks like a mouse with a 4-point direction arrow).
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  • Question
    What do I do if text is not showing up when I type it in?
    Community Answer
    The color you're typing in is most likely the same color as the background. Either change the color of the background or the color of the text.
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      Tips

      • If, for some reason, the text tool doesn't work, create a new layer and try again. If this doesn't work, open the text tool. Click on the T with the downward arrow in the top left corner, then click on the little gear icon. Choose "reset tool" to get your Type back on.
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      • To add text in Adobe Photoshop quickly just press the "T" letter key on your keyboard to select the Type tool.
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      Warnings

      • Keyboard shortcuts don't work while you are using the Type tool. This is because Photoshop recognizes your keyboard purely for typing purposes while you type your text.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about adobe photoshop, check out our in-depth interview with Shari Fairclough .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.extropia.com/tutorials/photoshop/text_tool.html
      2. ↑ https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/type/photoshop-type-essentials/
      3. ↑ https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-the-text-tool-in-photoshop/
      4. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/add-text.html
      5. ↑ https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/10-type-tools-you-probably-arent-using-in-photoshop--psd-32175
      6. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/add-text.html
      7. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/layer-opacity-blending.html
      8. https://www.photoshopessentials.com/photoshop-text/photoshop-type-tool.php

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To add text in Photoshop, start by selecting the Type tool from your tools palette, so the text settings menu appears at the top of the screen. With the Type tool still selected, click anywhere on your image to create a text box and begin typing your text. Using the text settings menu, you can change things like the font, size, and color of the text. You can also add more elaborate effects by right-clicking the text layer and choosing "Blending Options." From here, you can try adding a shadow behind your text, outlining it, making it glow, or giving it a 3D bevel and emboss effect. For more advice, including how to find free fonts for Photoshop, read on!

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