"Warping" Asian text characters

[beavis2002]

Hope someone can help with this problem.

I`ve been using Fireworks 8 on a project and for the most part thats fine for the job at hand. However I`ve hit a problem and I was hoping that Photoshop Elements (I`m using version 4.0) might have a workaround.
I don`t have the resources to purchase full version Photoshop or Illustrator.

I want to use Japanese text in an image I am creating.
I have Asian text IME installed on my computer so typing regular Japanese characters is not a problem. Thats easy.

The difficulty comes when I want to "transform/deform/skew" whatever you care to call it. In this case the characters all revert to a row of empty white boxes.

I don`t know much about Elements but I think there is a tool for "warping" text. Does anyone know if this tool can be applied to asian text characters?
If so could you talk me through the menu steps please.

Much obliged.

[Byron Gale]

beavis2002,

I don't know whether there are any abnormal behaviors associated with using asian text... but here's how to warp text in PSE4.

Select the Text tool, pick your font, and click in your image to begin typing. The text is created on a new Text layer.

After you commit the text, the two right-most buttons on the Options bar become available. The one with the arced line beneath the T brings up the Warp Text dialog, where you can pick from several canned styles, and then modify them yourself.

Another method to try would be to use the Free Transform tool (CTRL-T) after committing the text. If this is what is giving you the white boxes, you could try simplifying the Text layer before transforming.

HTH,

Byron

[cats4jan]

First make sure your asian text options are checked.
edit> preferences> type> show asian text options

If the text warp doesn't work, you can change your text to a graphic - by simplifying it.

You can then treat the text as you would any graphic and use the distort filters, etc. I'm not real handy with distort, but if text runs vertical - the filter> distort> shear - may work. If the text runs horizontal, you can turn it 90 degrees and apply the shear.