Embossing Text

[Shari]

I am sure I am missing something very straightforward but - I have the test of Merry Christmas that I would like to try clear emboss. I found it under styles and effects but when I click on it my text does not change. I have looked up embossing in Scotts book but that only shows how to do a whole photo - same in the tutorial here. I did at one point get the embossing box come up but then I didn't know what to do with it or how to make it clear.
I think in my mind I am still working with Print Shop where everything was just a click. Can someone please tell me the steps to take text on the photo and change the look to embossing or anything for that matter. Thanks so much. It's only 11 AM here and I am already frustrated!!

[Pauline]

Shari my day isn't going much better. I had a saw to prime before painting. One can of primer had a glogged hole. Found another one, same thing! :mad: I managed to soak them and get them unclogged but still couldn't get them to work. Got fed up and found a can of black spray paint. That will do. Managed to spray one side, and when I noticed a spot I missed tried to spray it and WOULDN"T WORK!! I'm very frustrated. It has not been a good day.

I will try and help you out shortly but first I have to go into elements and check it out. I'm really not good at remembering where things are and what they are unless I'm in there looking! :o

[Pauline]

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/3653/fireplace3ni.th.jpg (http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fireplace3ni.jpg)

This was just quick, so don't pay attention to the lousy cloning out of your letters or the choice of font. I just grabbed the first one.

First I used the colour white so that I could see what I was typing. I typed my font. Hit enter (on the number part of the keyboard) to accept the text then used the free transform to rotate it a bit and follow the angel of the fire place. After that go to EFFECTS< CLEAR EMBOSS (it is for text and shows up as a T). DOUBLECLICK to get the effect. That is probably what you were missing. One click doesn't seem to work.

Now you should have the little cursive f in your layer. Click on it and you can change the settings. In my case the global lighting was set for 58, and the Bevel size was only 1 pixel. A value much higher than 3 seemed to make it disappear (this could also have been your problem.)

Now you have one other choice. Do you want the letters to be raised like I did in this one or do you want them to look carved into the fire place. Choose bevel UP for raised letters and bevel DOWN for carved in letters. Both looked good.

Good luck and let me know if you have further problems or if it was something else you were trying to do. Also you need to make a decision whether to remove the one long branch/pussy willow? that will be sticking up in front. If you want it to remain, you will have to mask out the letters where the branch appears so that the letters look like they are behind it. In this one I quickly cloned it out when I was removing your letters.

[Shari]

Wow Pauline -
Thanks so much. I don't know how you even got that thumbnail in the post? With you - I don't need books. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon (which I am happy to do because I am a breast cancer survivor and feeling good these days) so I am going to print your post and have some fun with different techniques tonight. My file is getting bigger and bigger with all these learning notes - but it sure is fun. Thanks again.
Shari

[Pauline]

Shari good luck tonight with it. The images are posted in www.imageshack.us (http://www.imageshack.us) You then have a choice to put in a thumbnail which I like. You click on the link for the thumbnail and copy it and then post it in your message. It shows up as a link until your post appears and then it's a thumbnail.

That's wonderful that you are a cancer survivor. It probably gives you a whole new outlook on life. I need to remain more positive these days! :(

[CarolLHB]

Shari-this may sound like a stupid question, but do you have your text layer active? If you go under Layer Styles>bevels there is a clear emboss that works well if your text is the same color as what you are adding text to. Also-if you are a subscriber there is a great tutorial in the subscribers area called "Elegant Embossing" that works great for text.

Hope this helps...:)