Adding Text to Pictures in Software

Generator QR-Code in Software Adding Text to Pictures

If you re used to using a word processor like Microsoft Word, you may be surprised to find that many image editors don t allow you to type directly onto the canvas as if you were writing a letter to Mom Instead, you need to type your text into a dialog box and then paste that text into the image In fact, the Text tool in Paint Shop Pro plays by a few unusual rules:

box, then transfer it to the image when you re done You can see the Text Entry dialog box used by Paint Shop Pro in Figure 14-1

I The color of the text will usually be painted in the currently selected foreground color,

I Text is an editable object when you first position it That means you can position it,

stretch it, transform it, and so on but only right away If you change tools and do something else, that text typically becomes a permanent part of the image

Text fill FIGURE 14-1

The Text Entry dialog box lets you specify the style, color, and size of text you add to a digital image

There are exceptions to this unusual text handling, of course PhotoShop Elements has an outstanding text entry system that lets you type directly onto the image and edit it afterward as well In Paint Shop Pro, here s how to add text to a picture:

1 Change the foreground color to whatever you want the text to be 2 Click the Text button in the tool palette The mouse pointer will change to the letter A

3 Click in the image where you want the text to be positioned The point that you click will be the lower-left corner of the text box Note that the timing of this step varies in different programs In Adobe Photoshop, for instance, you don t position the text until the end 4 When the Text Entry dialog box appears, choose a font and font size, and type your text into the space provided

5 Click OK The text should appear in the image at the place where you positioned it in step 3 6 For the moment, the text is treated as an object that you can edit You can resize the text by dragging the small boxes in the sides of the text box You can reposition the text by dragging the box that s in the very center of the text box:

There s a lot you can do with text in an image so much more than just pasting letters down in some primary color Attractive text, in fact, is what makes or breaks documents like posters and greeting cards A lot of text tricks are so easy to do that you can experiment and create your own I ve got a few you might want to start with, though

The first thing you ll do is fill the text with something other than a boring, solid color You can create gradient text very easily In Paint Shop Pro, for instance, here s what you do: 1 Using the color palette, select the foreground and background colors that you want to make up your gradient 2 Click the Text button in the tool palette, and then click in the image where you want to position the text The Text Entry dialog box should appear 3 In the Styles box, change the Fill item to Gradient This will fill the text with a gradient fill

4 Enter your text in the entry box and specify a big, fat font so the gradient will be clearly visible 5 Click OK to paste the text into the image You should get a result similar to Figure 14-2 You can do a lot of things to customize this gradient text You can gradient-fill the Stroke style instead of the Fill style, for instance, and the result will be a gradient in the outline of the text instead of the inside of the text You can also change the direction of the gradient fill To do