How to Edit Text: i keep creating new text layer. asap

JJ
Posted By
Jaime_James
Mar 19, 2008
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6927
Replies
13
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Closed
How can you edit an existing text layer in Photoshop CS (8.0)? Always before i have just been able to click on it, and the bounding box appeared, but now it won’t. no matter how i try i create a new layer everytime and i am going crazy! i found some advice already, but none of it is working. please someone help. asap!

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MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Mar 19, 2008
Is the text layer locked by any chance?
P
Phosphor
Mar 19, 2008
Double-click on the "T". That should highlight the text, then you should be able to edit it. Check your leading. If it’s way off the text cursor may not be hitting the text which causes the problem.
JJ
Jaime_James
Mar 19, 2008
if it was locked, it would show the little lock to the left of the layer title, right? if so, then no
JJ
Jaime_James
Mar 19, 2008
realized the problem. i applied a filter to this layer the other day, and it had to rasterize it. i didn’t realize that i would not be able to edit it later. i am just going to have to recreate the layer.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. the t comment is what made me realize it wasn’t acting as a normal text layer anymore.
JJ
John_Joslin
Mar 19, 2008
and it had to rasterize it. i didn’t realize that i would not be able to edit it later.

You must have ignored the warning message then!
JJ
Jaime_James
Mar 19, 2008
doesn’t everyone ignore those messages??? 🙂
P
Phosphor
Mar 19, 2008
Try this on for size, Jaime. It’s a work in progress:
============================================================ ========== Type Tool Tips for Photoshop

Most folks understand how to create text in Photoshop. You select the Type Tool from the Toolbox, or you tap the "T" key on your keyboard. Then, in the Character Palette you set the attributes for font, color, size, etc. A simple click in your document window will mark the spot where you may begin typing unbounded "point" text. Or, you click and drag in your document window to create a paragraph text box. Type out your text, then tap your "Enter" key to commit the text to its new layer.

It’s pretty straightforward, and Photoshop offers a decent set of tools to adjust how your text looks. One hitch that long-timers will tell you about, though: It’s generally accepted that Photoshop isn’t the best application to be using if you have to have to create a lot of text because it doesn’t have all of the adjustment functions necessary to produce large amounts of professional-quality text. Well, the real world being what it is, sometimes, and for some users, Photoshop is the only application they have to work with; might as well make the best of it, right?

So, once you have text entered onto a layer in your document, how do you then reselect it—either all of it or just a portion— and navigate through it easily? What follows will answer some of those questions.
Note: The keyboard shortcuts that follow assume you are using a Mac. If you’re using Windows, substitute the CTRL key for "Command."

Double-Click on the boxed ‘T’ thumbnail on the desired Text Layer in the Layers Palette. This will select and highlight all of the text on that layer.

Then, if you want, you can use some keyboard shortcuts to move the "Blinking Bar" Type Tool cursor through the text.
Assuming that your text is enclosed in a click-and-dragged out paragraph text box–When all text is highlighted:

• "Home" key will move cursor to the beginning of first line of text. • "End" key will move cursor to the end of last line of text.

When text is NOT highlighted, but cursor is flashing within the text:

• "Home" key moves cursor to the beginning of the line it’s in. • "End" key moves cursor to the end of the line it’s in. • Command + "Home" moves cursor to beginning of first line of text. • Command + "End" moves cursor to end of the last line of text. • Shift + "Home" selects text from cursor position to the beginning of the line it’s in. • Shift + "End" selects text from cursor position to the end of the line it’s in. • Shift + Command + "Home" selects text from cursor position to the beginning of the first line of text.
• Shift + Command + "End" selects text from cursor position to the end of the last line of text.

Arrow keys can also be used to select text in various ways. When your cursor is flashing within the text:

• Shift + Right Arrow cumulatively selects text one character or space at a time, from cursor position, progressing toward the end of the text.
• Shift + Left Arrow cumulatively selects text one character or space at a time, from cursor position, progressing toward the beginning of the text.
• Add the Command key to select whole words at a time, in either direction. • Shift + Up Arrow selects text from cursor position back to the next line above the cursor. • Shift + Down arrow selects text from cursor position forward to the next line below the cursor position.
• Add the Command key to select text starting from the cursor position, and accumulating either back to the beginning of the first line, or forward to the end of the last line.

That covers most of what (or more than) you need to know to navigate through and highlight text. There are some other key combos, and now that you have an idea of what to do, I’ll let you experiment and discover them on your own.

Type Tool Visual Indicators

Keep a close eye on your Type Tool cursor as you move it near to and away from a hunk of text in your document window.

• When you see it as a plain old "I-Bar" cursor—> ….that means that it’s ready to select a position within that text, or to select a hunk of that text.

• When you see a "boxed I-Bar" cursor—>
….that means your cursor is outside of the selectable area for the current text, and is ready for you to click (to start right in typing some unbounded point text) or click-n-drag (to create a paragraph text box). This will, of course, create a new text layer.

How can you get a visual indicator of where that selectable area for current text begins and ends without blindly moving your Type Tool cursor around the text? Double-Click on the "Boxed-T" thumbnail in the Layers Palette. The text for that layer will become highlighted in your document window. See the black area that surrounds the text? That shows you the actual space occupied by the characters. If your Type Tool cursor is inside this area, it will display the plain "I-Bar" cursor. If it’s outside of that area, it will display the "Boxed I-Bar" cursor.

Want to FORCE Photoshop to create a new Type Layer, even though you’re seeing the plain I-Bar cursor?

Hold the SHIFT key, then either click, or click-n-drag out a paragraph text box.
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Mar 21, 2008
(Hey, Phos — how’d you include those graphics? I thought HTML tags had been disabled in posts?)
DM
dave_milbut
Mar 21, 2008
I thought HTML tags had been disabled in posts?

they’re back on.
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Mar 21, 2008
I just read the announcement. What a relief!
MA
Melissa_Ann_Lambert
Jul 4, 2008
I don’t understand about clicking the "T" icon in the layers palette. Please help! I don’t see a T!
S
Silkrooster
Jul 5, 2008
When you place text on the image, a new layer is created. On that layer in the layers pallette is a box with a T in it. Clicking that icon will highlight that text as well as bring upo the text tools in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
JJ
John Joslin
Jul 5, 2008
Ouch!

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