Photoshop help thread

[RweTHEREyet]

I tried to start this on the scrap booking section, but I think most of those folks are paper scrappers.

I am new to Photoshop Elements and need lots of help. I have been viewing a lot of tutorials, using a book and am taking one-on-one classes at the Apple store (yep, I use a mac), but my learning is not keeping up with what I want to do--I have no patience. So, I thought it might be a good idea for those of us that need help, to post questions here and see if some of you pros can help us out.

So, I will start with my challenges so far, and if anyone can help or point me to a tutorial, I would be so grateful.

My questions start in the next post.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Is there a way to make text fit into a circle, like a smiley face. I was directed to a tutorial that showed me how to use the "arc", and I can do that, but when I pull the edges to fit inside the circle, the text is distorted.

My apple guy suggested doing it one word at a time using the "arc"--that could take forever.

I understand that in Elements (which I use), unlike Photoshop, you cannot make text follow a path.

So, anyone have any other suggestions. It appears that in Photoshop there is often more than one way to do something and get the same results.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Anybody begging for help here.

 

[Dom13]

I have found it's possible to get the letters to match the curvature of a circle but it's not easy. Try pulling one of the corner point while holding down the shift key. This should keep the text proportionate. By tweaking it you can get it as I did with my pin trading logo below.

 

[DisneyMom92]

You can also get your text to go into a complete circle by using the distort function. I don't have the program in front of me here so I can't give you all the instructions, but I remember distort and polar opposites or something like that. If you want me to post more when I get home, let me know.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Thanks guys, and yes, DisneyMom, please do post more, post all the tips you want. I need all the help I can get. I know just enough to be dangerous and to get frustrated.

 

[rumblytumbly]

Try these:

http://www.box.net/public/pz7ozq54t8

They are free text paths for PSE. This is not where I originally got them from but I can't find the link to where I originally got them. There are several size circle text paths, a heart text path and a star. I used these text paths to do this in PSE:

Hope that helps some.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Thanks Rumbly , I wish I had checked this earlier this evening, I would have played all night long. Now I am off to learn how to use text paths.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I discovered a site tonight that might be of interest to others:


www.elementsvillage.com

it is a discussion site for elements users. I briefly read a few posts and it seems like a great help site with some very experienced users answering questions.

Hope this helps someone.

 

[LV Disney Fan(atic)]

I discovered a site tonight that might be of interest to others:


www.elementsvillage.com

it is a discussion site for elements users. I briefly read a few posts and it seems like a great help site with some very experienced users answering questions.

Hope this helps someone.

Thank you! I'm another one who's just started using Elements and that link is great

 

[yellowfish78]

I'm bumping this up from who knows where on the board, but I have a question now!!!

I have a map that I want to trace so I only have the part of the map that I really need (aka the important roads and not all the color to save some ink).

I've been able to use the pen tool with the paths selected to outline all the roads on my map (and then I can make the background image layer invisible so I have my lines) but for the life of me I'm unalbe to fill in the roads - it fills in the background. So I need to figure out how to reverse it.
Is there a way to reverse it? Is it because I don't have pixels on the page? I've tried filling with color then drawing my lines, but it still doesn't work.

HELP please!

 

[Dom13]

Not sure but it sounds like the "roads" aren't closed in. If that's the case either close the area you wish to fill in completely (you may have to zoom into see where the "leak" is) or use the selection tool to draw around the area (marching ants) and then fill.

If that's not it send me the file and I'll take a look at it. domthirteen at cox dot net.

 

[DisneyMom92]

I'm bumping this up from who knows where on the board, but I have a question now!!!

I have a map that I want to trace so I only have the part of the map that I really need (aka the important roads and not all the color to save some ink).

I've been able to use the pen tool with the paths selected to outline all the roads on my map (and then I can make the background image layer invisible so I have my lines) but for the life of me I'm unalbe to fill in the roads - it fills in the background. So I need to figure out how to reverse it.
Is there a way to reverse it? Is it because I don't have pixels on the page? I've tried filling with color then drawing my lines, but it still doesn't work.

HELP please!

If I am understanding your question right... after you have your selections the way you "think" you want, but are coloring backwards...go to select in the toolbar above, then click "inverse." This swaps what is selected for what is not and vice versa. If it's not as Dom suggested...maybe this will work for you.

Good luck.