Photo 11

Sue Leith

exercise type

This lesson provides an opportunity to practice the gradient tool and introduces the type tool. The goal of this lesson is to give you some practice using the type tool in a way that makes type more than letters, but a design element. When you’ve finished save as

Yourname.type.psd and drop in the appropriate drop box.

Drag the image “shapes” to your desktop and open in Photoshop.

1. On a new blank layer create a colorful gradient using any shape and/or colors you like. Move this layer so it appears behind the pitchers.

2. Use the type tool to write your name or anything else you’d like in the image. Size the font at least 60 pts.

3. Scroll through different font’s and choose one you like. Depending on the font you choose, you may want to re-size it larger or smaller – type should be large enough to be clearly visible.

4. Change the color of your type to any color from your gradient. You may make the letters different colors or all the same color, but make them visible and legible.

5. Warp your type using any shape you like.

6. Add effects to your type - any effects you like. For example, you can choose a drop shadow or inner or outer glow.

7. Making sure you don’t have any misspelling or typos liquify your type. You may not edit anymore after using the liquify filter.

8. Move and/or rotate the type so it looks as if it’s coming out from behind one of the pitchers.

Instructions on how to do this exercise are on the back but don’t look

until you try to do it yourself first.

Instructions

1. Click on the new layer icon in the bottom of the layers palette or Layer > New layer and select the gradient tool from the toolbox. Remember to use options in the Options Bar to change the color and/or shape of your gradient. Remember if you see the checkerboard indicating transparency you will be able to add more than one gradient to a layer, if there is no transparency the gradient will create a brand new gradient with each drag of the mouse. Remember also that the length you drag out your gradient will change the softness and colors.

2. The type tool will automatically create the type on a new layer. To change the size, with the type selected, go to the options bar and move the slider.

3. To change the font, first select the type.

To select the text either drag your mouse over it to highlight it (while using the type tool) or command click in the type layer in the layers palette.

To scroll through all the different fonts: Click once on the font name (in the options bar – it will turn blue – and use your arrow keys to scroll through all the different type fonts. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command H to hide the highlight around the text to see it better.)

4. To change the color, first re-select the type, and then click on the color picker in the Options Bar. You could choose a color from the color picker, but if you move your curser into your image window it will turn into an eyedropper you can on any color in your gradient to select that color. Click ok

5. To warp type, re-select the type. Then in the options bar click on the curved “T” next to the color box. Choose any style you like and adjust the bend and distortion until you’re happy with your type. Click OK.

6. For the effects either double click on the type layer or click on the effects icon in the bottom of the layers palette, the one that looks like a circle with an “f” inside. Don’t forget to double click on the effect you want rather than just clicking in the box for all the possible options for that effect. Remember also you can click inside the image to grab the shadow and move it wherever you like.

7. Go to Filter > Liquify, making sure you are on the type layer. Remember lower values for density and pressure give you more control with the liquify options.

8. Make sure you are still on the type layer and that it is below the pitcher layer, grab the move tool, and move the font. You may also use Transform to further size/stretch/rotate/scale etc. Go to Edit > Free Transform or Command T and transform the type as you would any other shape.