Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual

386 Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual

Adding Special Effects

opposite direction. For example, if you want an inverted arc, choose the Arc

style and move the slider into the negative region.

• Horizontal/Vertical Distortion. These settings control how much your text

warps in the horizontal or vertical plane. Moving the sliders gives you a very

high degree of control over just how and where your text warps. They work

pretty much the same way as the Bend setting—type a negative or positive per-

centage or move the sliders.

The best way to find the look you want is to experiment. It’s lots of fun, especially

if you apply a Layer style first (page 358) to give your type a 3-D look before warp-

ing it.

TIP Many of the Warps look best on two lines of type, so that the lines bend in opposite direc-

tions. However, you can also get very interesting effects by putting two lines of type on separate

layers and applying a different warp to each.

To edit your warp after it’s done, double-click the Warp thumbnail icon in the

Layers palette. Doing that automatically makes the text layer active and highlights

the text. Then, click the Warp icon in the Options bar again. The Warp dialog box

opens and shows your current settings. Make any changes you want or set the style

to None to get rid of it.

TIP Elements gives you helpful step-by-step instructions for warping text in the How To palette.

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