Post by Tom on Aug 5, 2021 13:05:04 GMT -8
I have often struggled when it comes to combining text with an image. The text is either not well integrated or distracting, obscures the subject or other important elements in the image, etc.
This is such fun I couldn't resist one more! I added a drop shadow to the text to float it above the grass:
A recent thread GUIDENCE NEEDED WITH PROJECT started by @richrdstone has received a lot of good input and it got me thinking again about how to combine lines of text in a way that complements the image. In my research I came upon a technique for creating a custom text box in Elements and am quite excited to share it with you!
The basic idea is to create a custom text box that fits around the contours of the subject, so that the text looks more integrated with the image.
- Select where the text should NOT be (I used the Quick Selection Tool to select the flower)
- Expand the selection: Select | Modify | Expand... (I used 30 pixels)
- Invert the selection: Ctrl-Shift-I (everything outside the flower is now selected)
- Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and pick the Intersect with selection option (see the image below)
- Drag out a selection overlapping the subject. (This is where the text will be)
Here is what my image and layer stack look like after step 5:
We have created our region, but how do we coax Elements to use it as a text box???
Here is where the secret sauce is!
Follow these steps exactly:
6. Copy your selection to its own layer (Ctrl-J)
7. Click the Text Tool (T) and pick the Text on Selection Tool. This tool works much like the quick selection tool; use it to select the region in the layer you just created. 8. Commit the selection by clicking the green check mark, then select the Horizontal Text Tool.
9. The region will disappear, but now type undo (Ctrl-Z) and the region will reappear (inside the region the cursor will be the text I-beam with a circle around it)
10. Click in the selection region and enter your text. It will be constrained to the region you created!
I fine-tuned the font size, right-justified the text and centered the title to achieve the result below:
This is such fun I couldn't resist one more! I added a drop shadow to the text to float it above the grass: