Photoshop Brethrens!

Blacksmith · 04-19-2006, 01:35 PM

Alright, I've been trying to improve my skill on certain area's within photoshop and one very frustrating thing for me is TEXT! I can make a sig or whatever and do rather decent text, but it's extremely frustrating trying to get it the right color without blending it TOO much or TOO little. Especially since you can't edit after Raterizing it, which pisses me off even more.

What I would like to know is what are the best ways to use text within any banner? I want my text to have more meaning and maybe some tips on how to edit it without the program giving me shit. Wheretf is Dante when ya need'em.

Dante · 04-22-2006, 09:00 PM

What the? How did I get mentioned?! Well since I try to be the Graphical Guru, Lemme think something up.

Something that helps me after I found a good place to put the text, is experimentation. Scroll through your fonts [get more at www.dafont.com] and find a good font that you like, mess about with outer glows, drop shadows, inner glows, bevels, etc. THings like that.

A little hint that I use, is when you have your font, and placement. Blend it on an Overlay, set a black or dark outer glow, and get a lighter version of that colour for the inner glow. And it realy makes the text stand out.
Lemme show you what I mean.

I start with a basic banner, with a some text blended on overlay.
http://yaay.us/~angel/Tut/1.jpg
You cant see it at the mo, but lets go into the layer options...
After i add some inner glows [http://yaay.us/~angel/Tut/Inner-Glow.jpg] and some outer glows [http://yaay.us/~angel/Tut/Outer-Glow.jpg] it realy starts to stand out a little more, and thus the text is visable.
http://yaay.us/~angel/Tut/2.jpg

Now this is just a very basic tut on how to use glows, and the most important part is experimentation and practice. once you get the feel for everything, making things look good will be a breeze.

Blacksmith · 04-22-2006, 09:03 PM

Someone finally said something, and it was you. But yeah I put you into the picture cause I trust you with photoshop and shit. Thanks, I'll definitely take that into consideration. Though one thing, when you do the inner or outer glowing it kind gives it that yellow/white glow and you can't change the outer glow color of it (or so have I tried), anyway you can? I've tried neon glow, lighting, etc etc...nothing works.

Dante · 04-22-2006, 09:06 PM

To change the colour, just click on the colour box next to the gradient box and under the noise etc thing. Its pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
If you need anymore help, hook me up on Msn or aim or whatever you use.

Blacksmith · 04-22-2006, 09:09 PM

lol, not the color of the font, the color of the glow.

Dante · 04-22-2006, 09:10 PM

yeah, once you're in the Layer porperties window, click on the inner glow tab, then just click on the box. It shouldnt cause that much of a problem, surely.

Angantyr · 04-25-2006, 03:24 PM

Before I tried to get some help with photoshop but nobody replied, ie they started something but didn't finish it. Anyway I am learning the basics of Photoshop in hopes that I can easily make a banner for my websites and such. But anyway I was wondering if you could help me out a bit (Anybody just as long as they know what they are talking about). Anyway Currently I only really know how to move images around and cut them out so they can be transparent. What I want to learn is how to blur two images together, also any text effects like the one above, making the image 1 colour like the 1 I've got etc. Oh I have a pdf which teaches me how to make rain but thats about it lol.

Dante · 04-27-2006, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wintermetal

Before I tried to get some help with photoshop but nobody replied, ie they started something but didn't finish it. Anyway I am learning the basics of Photoshop in hopes that I can easily make a banner for my websites and such. But anyway I was wondering if you could help me out a bit (Anybody just as long as they know what they are talking about). Anyway Currently I only really know how to move images around and cut them out so they can be transparent. What I want to learn is how to blur two images together, also any text effects like the one above, making the image 1 colour like the 1 I've got etc. Oh I have a pdf which teaches me how to make rain but thats about it lol.

I'll help you, I've been working with Photoshop for over 2 years and I know my way around it.

If you need to ask me questions about it, or want to learn something I know how to do, just ask here or MSN. As for the things to wanted;
The making the image all one colour is pretty simple. Once you have what you want to make 1 colour, merge all the layers and press CTRL+U [Hue And Saturation], click colourise and drag the top bar for the colour, second for the shade, bottom for the brightness of it.

Pretty simple ay?

Blacksmith · 04-27-2006, 10:27 AM

Or, after merging all the layers you can press Ctrl+b to bring up the "Color backround" I do believe which has a wider selection of blending.

Dante · 04-27-2006, 10:37 AM

Wider selection yes, but not if you want just 1 plain colour like Blue for example. Hue And Saturation would be the best choice. Or, instead of merging, create a new layer atop of all the new layers and put a block colour you want in that, and set it to Saturation blending. That will put all the layers beneath it under that colour.

Daddy · 04-28-2006, 05:43 AM

If there were were one suggestion I had to make when it came to text in photoshop is to make layer effects your friends. THose guys are awesome. I have about...20 or so presets (Its been awhile since I used PS) just for texts - i love them.

Dante · 04-28-2006, 08:34 AM

Layers effects can make some text stand out and look nice. But I say only use them sparingly. I don't like it when the same effects are used over and over, variety is nice, and adding filters to the text is a little one. But some banners, the text needs to be plain and simple, with just a base colour. But its mainly your choice wether you choose to use them, or not.

Blacksmith · 04-28-2006, 09:04 AM

I use those some times, but as said...sparingly. I don't like to raterize or make things too complicated. Anyway, if you guys are wondering why your sigs aren't working (which I have a feeling you do), I'll do some short explaining.

Strangely, about a week ago, our sigs started to not work using the IMG tags. They never found the problem, so instead they had us use the other code (<img src="link here">) instead, so go ahead and do that. But anyway I've figured out what I needed to know here, this can be closed.

hellbred · 04-28-2006, 09:49 AM

I personally like to use a nice array of fonts. Some fonts need massive alterations, and effects to make them look decent, but with a nice font type you don't need much.

So, I've got thousands upon thousands of nice fonts. Most I've downloaded, some I've purchased, and some have come with pre-made templates that customers have wanted for their web site designs.

Either way.. I think simplicity is key. Too many effects make a text style go to crap.

Angantyr · 05-08-2006, 03:49 AM

I have to agree with you there. Anyway I am working on a sig right now, but I am having problems moving 1 image over, I am trying to drag it across but it won't let me, any suggestions?

Edit: Well I figured it out, providing I haven't change it by the time you see it, I've changed it. Thanks for the colour help, I will have to see how I can use it later on. What would you guys suggest for drawing stuff? Google is useless for finding the pics I want

also I have figured out how to change the blue colour to a more suiting colour, but I can't think how to change his beard, I dunno do you think it would look better blonde? Oh and if you know how to make like smoke or something around him that could be quite useful for the other image.