Photoshop® Elements 8 All-in-One For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Working with Type

In This Chapter

• Understanding type basics

• Getting to know the Type tools and modes

• Entering and editing text

• Making type follow a path

• Editing text

• Rasterizing a Type layer

• Exploring masking, shaping, and warping effects

Yes, images are powerful. But so are words. In fact, humans tend to remember images better when they're combined with words. This is why we don't recall our dreams that well — no words are paired with the images. Enough psychobabble. You may never need to pick up a Type tool. But, just in case you need to add a caption, headline, or short paragraph, we want you to be comfortable using the Type tools.

Elements allows you to create, edit, stylize, and even distort type. Keep in mind that this capability is no substitute for a hard-core page-layout or word-processing program. But for small chunks of text here and there, it's surprisingly effective. This chapter is all about adding great-looking snippets of text to great-looking images — an unbeatable combo.

Understanding Type Modes

The text you create in Elements can be categorized in several different ways, but ultimately, you're either adding just a little text (such as a word or single line) or a lot (a paragraph or so). Accordingly, Elements can create type in two modes:

• Point Type: Use this mode to create a headline or label. You can create point type by clicking in your image and typing; the line ...