Using Photoshop to Shape Text
Flexibility is abundant in the Photoshop CS2 Program. With the wide range of features this program has to offer, it can rise to meet any demand you could give it. Not only can Photoshop CS2 offer great effects for your images, you can also transform text from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Photoshop’s Warp Text tool allows you to wrap or bend text around an object in your image to make attention-grabbing, personalized banners or headlines. You can also warp text in both horizontal and/or vertical directions to give your text an individual look and feel. Photoshop has many means by which to manipulate text, but this will provide a starting point that will especially come in handy if you have not had the chance to use these text features before.
Start off by opening an image that you would like to add text to. Select the horizontal tool from your toolbar and click in the area of the image close to where you would like to add your text to. Now type in the text you would like to add. Adding standard text enhancements such as italics, bold or underline can also be applied while in text mode.
Once you’ve finished adding text, select and right-click it to open the contextual menu. Select Warp Text…to open the Warp Text dialogue box. Within this box, you can select from a number of pre-defined text warps using the Style pull-down menu. Select the warp that comes closest to the effect you’re trying to achieve. If you’re not sure about the kind of warp you want, you can try some out to see what effect they have on your image text.
Beneath the Style pull-down, you’ll find several sliders that will enable you to fine-tune the warp effects. You can adjust the text bend, and the horizontal and vertical distortion. If you don’t want to use the sliders, you can also enter a percentage value for these three properties. When you have achieved the proper effect, click OK. The Warp Text effect will be applied to your image
