Please HELP ME! or shoot me!

[Sergio]

Man, I am trying to do the most BASIC thing that can be done with PSE5, and I'm stuck on step one. I'm trying to do the project filters "HOT" out of the new Elements mag..Volume 4, number 5.

I can't even do step one!!! I'm trying to set the background to black and write the word "Hot" in white!

I'm in editor....is this right? When I pull up the background swatch I pick black. Then it's say to hit Ctrl-Backspace. When I do, nothing happens????:confused: So, the next step it says to format your text in the options Bar at the top.....I see the opition bar, but choose white from the color pop up menu, then type the word HOT in all caps. ?????

How can I make this soooooo HARD!!!!!! I have a brain and was told it works, but I'm not sure when it comes to this program.

Please send help. I should have been do with the whole project in the time it took me to post this.

Maybe God is telling me to stick to chess?

Thank you.

Tim:(:(

[vawitt]

Hi, Tim. Sorry you are frustrated but your post title made me laugh :o

CTRL+Backspace fills the background with the background color, not the foreground color.

To reset your foreground to black and your background to white, press the letter D on your keyboard.

Then, when black is your foreground color, try ALT+BACKSPACE instead.

Hope this helps, 'cuz I don't own a gun. Or a bow and arrow...:eek::D

OOPS, just read the directions. Background color should fill with CTRL+Backspace. Are you sure you are actually using the CTRL key? Or the actual backspace key instead of Delete (both are finger fumbles I make frequently). Make sure you have the layer actually selected and any selection boxes closed.

Another option is to use menus: Edit > Fill layer > Background color (if it is really black) or just select black from the list of options.

~Val in cloudy IL

[Sergio]

Hi Val,
But, I need the background to be black. Do you have the mag?

Thanks,
Tim:)

[Inspeqtor]

Val,

You beat me to it! I had to open up Elements first to see what was happening.

Tim,

Val is right about using the foreground color, use Al-Backspace. However, to use CTRL-Backspace, if Black is your Foreground color, press X to switch foreground/background colors.

I also don't own a gun or have bows and arrows. I do have a couple cameras I could 'shoot' you with though :)

[Inspeqtor]

Tim,

If Black is not one of the colors in your color picker, then press D to pre-set it to Black/White.

[Sergio]

So, I need a black background. It won't change when I hit Ctrl-backspace??

I then will write with white letters.

Tim

[Inspeqtor]

Tim,

When you use CTRL-Backspace, it will fill the docuement with what ever color is selected as your BACKGROUND color. If you have a white document, and your BACKGROUND color is set to white, then when you press CTRL-Backspace, it fills the document again with white.

Have any more questions? Feel free to ask!

[Sergio]

Thank you for trying, but I do have the background set to black, but everything is the same color as when you open up PSE5...gray like the whole program. I'm I in the right place....Editor....full edit? I'm trying to say that no colors are going into the window? Sorry, that's the only way I can say it.

Please start me from opening the program. I must have done something wrong?

Tim

[kimi_boo]

Try it backwards

hit "D" to set your colors to default
Highlight your background layer
Hit Alt, Backspace to fill with the foreground color.

Your background layer should now be black. :)

There are lots of ways to do the same thing.

[Sergio]

I don't have a WHITE document yet?

I'm very sorry to ask for help.

It's also time to change my quote, lol! I feel like an @**!

Tim

[Inspeqtor]

Ok Tim, lets try this:

Go to File/New (or press CTRL-N) to start a new file.

At this point you will see the New Dialog. Does your box look the same as mine? (The size could be different, no problem there)

1410

[kimi_boo]

Thank you for trying, but I do have the background set to black, but everything is the same color as when you open up PSE5...gray like the whole program. I'm I in the right place....Editor....full edit? I'm trying to say that no colors are going into the window? Sorry, that's the only way I can say it.

Please start me from opening the program. I must have done something wrong?

Tim

Make sure your imagae in RGB mode. Color mode.

go to: Image, mode, RGB

[TonyW]

Try File>New>Blank File. Pick a size and choose Background Color from the drop down. Assuming the background colour is Black you'll get a new document filled with black which I think is what you want.

Tony

[Inspeqtor]

Thank you Kim! I was not sure if that was the problem, but I suspected it might be :)

[Sergio]

They are white and black on the tool bar, but I can't fill in my work space?

Tim

[Inspeqtor]

Tim,

Check your RGB mode per Kim :)

[Sergio]

yes, set to RGM.

Tony, I do have a black background now. Thank you.

Now, I try the next step of still, step one, lol! BANG!!

Thank you all so much.

Tim

[Sergio]

Charles, Thank you. Yes the box did look like that.

Now I have my white letters on my black background, BUT I have a white line under the letters? Like it's underlined?

Tim

[Sergio]

I guess these step by step tuts in the mag must not be for people just starting out....Rookies/ slow people, lol.

[Inspeqtor]

Tim,

The underline will be there AS YOU ARE TYPING. When you press ENTER the underline will disappear. Have you pressed Enter yet?

[Tina_B]

Let me see if I can help
The line under the word is because you have told it to do that. When you click on the type tool and click on your document it puts a blinking line where you are to start typing. Now look back up and there will be a row of T's One is plain, one is tilted one has a line under it. click on the first one and it will get rid of the line under the text.
Don't feel silly about asking questions because we have all been there. Besides it gives us something to do.
Tina B

[Inspeqtor]

Thank you Tina for your help :)

[Sergio]

Yep, Thanks Tina, that worked!:)


Thank you all. I did change my quote, to how I feel right now, lol!

Thanks

The Grasshopper

[mom to 4]

Tim: Please don't feel like an idiot. I had a little trouble with it too, but I posted what I did in the last few pages of the football thread (that really long thread in the Subscriber Gallery section.)

I will read your whole post and let me see if I can figure out the problem.

I love the way my last one turned out. Let me get it I will post it here.

[mom to 4]

here it ishttp://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1aKTPj1iXyoXL13ydAeJTOTJOoEuK0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1aKTPj1iXyoXL13ydAeJTOTJOoEuK0)

You will have to click on it to really see the writing.

[mom to 4]

Oh, by the way Tim, I had to run the filter over it about 3 or four times to get the flames to extend the way I wanted them to.... if you look back in the football thread, I posted my 3 trys (around page 117 of the thread.):D

Glad tina was able to figure it out for you!

[Tina_B]

Tim
I am glad we could help.
Tina B

[Sergio]

Colleen,
It looks GREAT! That's what I'm trying to do. Do you think it's too hard for a FIRST PSE project??


Thank you!:)

[Sergio]

I'm on step four!:)

Now, How do I cut of the flames/fire that are below the letter? Anyone?

Thanks,

Tim

[mom to 4]

I'm not sure what you mean. If you used the wind filter, I would think that they are all going up, away from the bottom. Can you post a screen shot? What about just using the eraser tool to get rid of them?

[Sergio]

The flames are going up, but they started below the word for some reason. Like I said, this is the first thing I'm trying with this software, so I have a lot to learn. I'll try to erase the flame under the letters. If not, I'll go get some lunch and try again latter. I think I should have started with taking the red out of someone's eyes to start, lol! Too Deep.


Thanks again!

[mom to 4]

Tim:

Many of us just jump in... me included! I am not sure if you had the letters turned the right way and the correct (right or left) setting selected why it would do that.

hey,, I just dove right in too when I started!