I’m going for the most common problem first. Do you have your Layers palette open? If not, open it. Each line of text goes on a new layer in Elements, and it could be that the text is there but you just can’t see it. Check each layer of the image and make sure the text isn’t hiding under something else. If you can see the text in the palette but not on the screen, use your cursor to drag the text layer above the background layer.
If a hidden layer isn’t the problem, delete the Preference folder. With Elements closed, click on the start up icon and make a quick grab for the Control, Alt, and Shift keys. Hold all three down until you get a screen asking of you want to delete Settings. Say Yes.
I have the layer palette open, when I click on a background to use the text tool, layer 1 will come up in the palette. But all that it shows is a black T which never changes when I try to type. I deleted the settings but that didn’t help.
David,
Sometimes I need to increase the size of the font in order to make the text visible to the eye. Ken
Any chance the color of the text is the same as that of the background?
Eh, I know you ask questions like this because some people are stupid. Font size or color or type is not the issue. The curor doesn’t even move when I try to type. It’s active and blinking but nothing happens.
David:
No insinuations intended; sometimes we all just don’t notice. Anyway, what about the opacity of this text layer? Although if the cursor isn’t moving at all, hmmm…. sorry.
The Num Lock key didn’t get depressed, did it? When I have that activated on my Mac, I can’t type any text.
I noticed something while messing around, I don’t know if it is normal or not, I never paid attention. Every image I open or new image I start comes up as background in the layer palette and is locked and nothing is selectable in the palette as far as opacity or unlocking. AS such:
Is that how its supposed to be?
David, that’s correct – all single-layer images open as Background Layers. To unlock it, double-click on the layer in the Layers Palette and you’ll get a popup; either accept the suggested name or rename it yourself.
Still can’t text on that.
This is weird, I installed a version of photoshop 6 I had on disc and the type wont work on there either. Everything else works on both versions, but can’t add text on either.
OK, I went into safe mode for a different issue but decided to run elements anyway. Text tool worked fine. Imagine that. Came back in normal mode, still isn’t working here.
Did you have any anti-virus software running when you installed? If so, uninstall Elements and the Preference folder (have to do that manually), disable your anti-virus, and then put Elements back on. Some of that anti-virus software, and especially Norton, causes some really bizarre and unpredictable conflicts with Adobe products.
