Photoshop Basics: How to Edit Text in Photoshop

The addition of texts to images further improves the quality of an image. Sometimes images are important to give more substance to an image. There are a variety of uses for adding text to images. It could be used to add labels to an image. Or more importantly, many graphic artists use texts to create signatures of watermarks to their works. This is very important as plagiarism and owner attribution for various content is a major issue in digital media.

Here are ways on how to add, remove, and edit the text in Photoshop:

Adding, Removing, and Replacing Text on an image

Adding Text to an Image

There is one simple way to add a text to an image. This could be done through the Type Text Tool. There are two kinds for this – the Horizontal Type Text and the Vertical Type Text. The Horizontal Type text adds text that is read from left to right. On the other hand, the vertical type tool adds an image that is read from top to bottom.

• Adding a single line: Press the letter T key on the keyboard. Click on the target location of the text. An Insertion Icon (blinking I-beam) will appear. Type in the text you wish to add. Press Enter key on the keyboard.
• Adding a paragraph: Click and drag on the canvass to create a rectangle. This rectangle will become a Text Box that allows texts in multiple lines. Type in the text you wish to add. Press Enter key on the keyboard to exit.

Removing or Replacing Text from an Image

There will be instances that existing texts from an image should be removed. However, there is no specific tool on Photoshop that deletes texts from an image. Despite this, it does not mean that existing texts from an image cannot be removed.  Here are different tools that could be used to remove texts (or objects) in an image:

• Use the Spot Healing Brush Tool: This tool is used when deleting texts or objects within an image. Usually, it copies the pixelation, color, shade, and other attributes of a sampled area within the image. Then, it recreates all the details onto a separate selected part of the photo being edited. Usually, this is helpful when removing objects or texts on an image with solid backgrounds. What is great about this tool is that the pixelation is then blended seamlessly.
• Clone Stamp Tool: As the name suggests, this particular tool is used to create a ‘clone’ or a copy of a particular portion of an image. This ‘clone’ is then ‘stamped’ on top of an area within the image being edited. It copies exactly from a selected area of the image and recreates it onto the other portion where the text or object needs to be ‘removed’. Then, the cloned portion of the image will cover the object being deleted. This is not only useful in deleting objects but also in duplicating objects within an image being edited.

How to Edit Text in Photoshop

Understanding the Character Panel

The Character Panel on Photoshop allows the editing of various variables affecting a text. Users could change the style, size, orientation, and even color of a newly added text. To open the Character Panel, on the Window bar choose Character. The keyboard shortcut for this is pressing together CTRL key + letter T key (Windows) or COMMAND key + letter T key (Mac).

Here are a few of the basic options that could be edited on the Character Panel:

• The Font Family is the style of font being used for the text. There are different default font styles available for Photoshop. For instance, the user could use the Arial font style or Times New Roman font style.
• Toggle Orientation is the option that allows the user to change the orientation of the text either vertical or horizontal.
• Font Size is very direct to the point. However, the size of the font could be changed in terms of measurement units. The user could choose in terms of the metric scale, imperial scale, or even by pixel sizes.
• The Font Color allows the user to select a color that matches the tones of the original image. There is a Color Picker tool available for selection. Also, users could edit the color of the text per character.
• Alignment is very different from justification. This changes the spacing and scaling of texts relative to each other. This is very useful when creating texts with multiple lines.
• Warp Text allows the user to style the presentation of the text. The text could be curved, distorted, stretched, and so on using the Warp Text tool.

There are more advanced ways on how to edit texts in Photoshop. Advanced skills may even allow a user to create custom font styles on the application. There are even text effect options available for more advanced tutorials. Usually, these kinds of skills require additional plug-in installations onto the software.

Also read: Photoshop Basics: How to Feather in Photoshop