Text cutouts

[ian]

Can anyone please walk me through the details in creating a text cutout? That is, creating text and having my own background fill the text letters. An example can be found at http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/IT/wwwdev/photoshop/text.html. Thanks!

[Jodi Frye]

hello, very simple method;

Put your text layer below your image and then do a Crtl+G

[Jodi Frye]

oh, the link didn't work for me...so i just assumed...

[ian]

Sorry, the link should not have had the period at the end. The example can be seen at http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/IT/wwwdev/photoshop/text.html


Thanks again

[Wendy]

If you follow the link ... part way done the page you will see "Type tool basics" click on it and it takes you to Jay's site.

The text is done using the Type Mask Tool (look in the tool box, click on the little triangle at the side of the text tool and you will see it).


Wendy

[ian]

Sorry, don't mean to sound hopeless-I'm just completely new to Photoshop Elements 3. I tried to follow Jay's tutorial, but I got lost. :( I can get as far as using the type mask tool, but after that, I don't understand how to get the background to fill my text, and how to cut the text out of the image. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Wendy]

Ian,

Don't worry about it ... we all have to start somewhere. The section on Jay's site wasn't really a tutorial it was more a few suggestions ... OK lets see what we can do.

I'm using PSE2 but hopefully it will be very similar:

Open your image ... the one that you want to show through your text.
Open up the layers palette
Create a new layer .... Layer>New>Layer
Make sure your foreground colour is white and do Edit>Fill
Your screen should now be all white
Select the Horizontal Type Mask Tool and Type in your text
Click the mouse and you should see your text outlined by "the marching ants"
Do Edit>Clear

You should now have a white screen and your text filled with the background image.

Fingers crossed :)


Wendy

[Jodi Frye]

Hi Wendy ! How is the weather treating you these days ? So cold here...beyond cold ! I'm wearing 2 layers as we speak !

ian, the type mask tool works well for this...tho not sure if you saw my first post at the top. It is by far the simplest 'one click' method.

[Wendy]

Hi Jodi,

Weather has been cold but its now a little warmer .... thank goodness :)


Wendy

[ian]

Hi Jodi, Thanks for the tip...I guess I'm one of those people who has to do everything the hard way, because the Ctrl-G didn't work for me.

Hi Wendy, Thank you for walking me through the text cutout process. I had to do it several times (I know, what a newbie!) and it finally worked, but I guess in Photoshop Elements 3, the last step is to do an edit>CUT (not clear).

Hope the weather warms up for you! :D

Thanks again,
ian

[Wendy]

Ian,

Glad it worked in the end ... :)


Wendy

[Jodi Frye]

ian, not sure why it didn't work out.

When you first bring an image into Elements it's called a 'background' layer...double click on that layer and a pop up will ask you to rename or just click OK to the default '0'. This makes it an editable layer. Using the text tool automatically puts text on it's own layer. After you add text drag the text layer below your image layer in the layers palette. Make the top image layer active by clickin on it then hold down ctrl and G button at the same time. What's nice about this method is that you can use the move tool on your image layer to move it around so that the parts you want will show on the text layer below.

Glad you were able to get it tho.