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Edit text

Last updated on 2 March 2023

Edit type in a type layer

After you create a text layer, you can edit the text and apply layer commands to it. You can insert new text, change existing text, and delete text in text layers. If any styles are applied to a text layer, all text inherits the attributes of those styles.

You can also change the orientation (either horizontal or vertical) of a text layer. When a text layer is vertical, the type lines flow from top to bottom. When a text layer is horizontal, the type lines flow from left to right.

Do one of the following:
- Select the Horizontal Type tool or the Vertical Type tool (or select the Move tool and double-click the text).
- In the Expert mode, select the text layer in the Layers panel.
When you click in an existing text layer, the Type tool changes at the insertion point to match the orientation of the layer.
Position the insertion point in the text, and do one of the following:
- Click to set the insertion point.
- Select one or more characters you want to edit.
- Enter text as desired.
Commit the text layer by doing one of the following:
- Click the Commit button in the options bar.
- Click in the image.
- Select a different tool in the toolbox.

Select characters

Select a type tool.
Select the text layer in the Layers panel, or click in the text flow to automatically select a text layer.
Position the insertion point in the text, and do one of the following:
- Drag to select one or more characters.
- Double-click to select a single word.
- Triple-click to select an entire line of text.
- Click a point in the text and then Shift-click to select a range of characters.
- Choose Select > All to select all the characters in the layer.
- To use the arrow keys to select characters, hold down Shift and press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key.

Choose a font family and style

A font is a set of characters—letters, numbers, or symbols—that share a common weight, width, and style. When you select a font, you can select the font family (for example, Arial) and its type style independently. A type style is a variant version of an individual font in the font family (for example, regular, bold, or italic). The range of available type styles varies with each font.

If a font doesn’t include the style you want, you can apply faux (fake) versions of bold and italic. A faux font is a computer-generated version of a font that approximates an alternative typeface design.

If you’re changing the existing text, select one or more characters whose font you want to change. To change the font of all characters in a layer, select the text layer in the Layers panel, and then use the buttons and menus in the options bar to change the font type, style, size, alignment, and color.
In the options bar, choose a font family from the Font Family pop‑up menu.
Do one of the following:
- Choose a font style from the Font Style pop‑up menu in the options bar.
- If the font family you chose does not include a bold or italic style, click the Faux Bold button, Faux Italic button, or both.
Note:

The type you enter gets its color from the current foreground color; however, you can change the type color before or after you enter text. When editing existing text layers, you can change the color of individual characters or all type in a layer.

Choose a font size

The type size determines how large the type appears in the image. The physical size of the font depends on the resolution of the image. A capital letter in 72‑point text is approximately 1‑inch high in an image that is 72 ppi. Higher resolutions reduce a given text point size because the pixels are packed more tightly in higher resolution images.

If you’re changing existing text, select one or more characters whose size you want to change. To change the size of all the characters in a layer, select the text layer in the Layers panel.
Select the Horizontal Type tool or the Vertical Type tool .
In the options bar, enter or select a new value for Size. You can enter a size larger than 72 points. The value you enter is converted into the default unit of measurement. To use an alternate unit of measurement, enter the unit (in, cm, pt, px, or pica) after the value in the Size text box.

Note:

The default unit of measurement for type is points. However, you can change the unit of measurement in the Units & Rulers section of the Preferences dialog box. Choose Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers, and then select a unit of measurement for Type.

Change text color

You can change the type color before or after you enter text. When editing existing text layers, you can change the color of individual characters or all type in a layer. You can also apply a gradient to text in a text layer.

Do one of the following:
- To change the color of text before you type it, select a type tool.
- To change the color of existing text, select a type tool and then drag to select the text.
To choose a color from a list of color swatches, click the the Color menu in the options bar. To select a color and add it to the palette, click .

Apply style to text

You can apply effects to text. Any effect from the Effects panel can be applied to text in a layer.

Applying styles to text — Before (top) and after (middle and bottom) applying styles to text.

For new text, write and commit the text you want to apply a style to. Then, select from the available presets in the Tool Options bar.
For existing text, select a layer that contains text.
Open the Effects panel, and double-click the thumbnail of a style you want to apply to the text.

Warp type

Warping allows you to distort type to conform to a variety of shapes; for example, you can warp type in the shape of an arc or a wave. Warping applies to all characters in a text layer—you cannot warp individual characters. Also, you can’t warp faux bold text.

In the Edit workspace, select a text layer.
Do one of the following:
- Select a type tool, and click the Warp button in the tool options bar.
- Choose Layer > Type > Warp Text.
Choose a warp style from the Style pop‑up menu. The style determines the basic shape of the warped text.
Select an orientation for the warp effect—Horizontal or Vertical.
(Optional) Specify values for additional warping options to control the orientation and perspective of the warp effect:
- Bend to specify the amount of warp.
- Horizontal Distortion and Vertical Distortion to apply perspective to the warp.
Click OK.

Unwarp type

Select a text layer that has warping applied to it.
Select a type tool, and click the Warp button in the options bar; or choose Layer > Type > Warp Text.
Choose None from the Style pop‑up menu, and click OK.

Change the orientation of a type layer

Do one of the following:
- Select the text and then click the Toggle Text Orientation button in the options bar.
- Select a text layer and then choose Layer > Type > Horizontal, or choose Layer > Type > Vertical.

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