This lesson plan will be focusing on the elements of creating text on a path in Paint Shop Pro. In particular we will be working with text on an open path, aligning text on a closed path, and fitting existing text to an object path.

 

Text Basics

You will remember in Paint Shop Pro you can work on three types of layers: raster, adjustment(raster) and vector. A raster layer is oriented in pixels, and stores and displays objects by combining units of colored light, called pixels. A vector layer is object oriented, and it stores a vector object as a set of properties.

There are three general steps to creating text; activate the tool, set the options on the tool options palette and add the text. The text tool is used to create raster and vector text and to edit vector text. Vector text can only be placed on vector layers. If you place vector text on a raster layer, Paint Shop Pro will place it on a new vector layer, but if you place it on a vector layer it adds the new object to the layer.

A path is an outline that defines the shape of a vector object and can be composed of one or more contours. By placing vector text on a path of vector lines and shapes, you create curved text. When text is combined with an object, the paths of the two are linked so they must be on the same layer.

 

Creating Text on an Object Path

  • Draw a curved line with the Draw Tool set to Freehand

  • Select the Text Tool and move the cursor to the Vector Object, it will change to the Curved Text cursor

  • Click the Vector Object and the Text Entry dialog box opens

  • Select the text settings making sure to choose the Vector option

  • Click OK and the text will appear on the path

 

Aligning Text on an Open Path

An open path has a specific starting and ending point

  • Left-justified aligns the the text at the starting point of the path

  • Right-justified aligns the text with the ending point of the path

  • Center-justified places the text at an equal distance between the starting and ending points of the path.

 

Aligning Text on a Closed Path (Shape)

A closed path has a starting and ending point that meet to form a continuos shape, as in a circle

  • Left-justified text is centered in the midpoint of the left or left side of the path (shape)

  • Right-justified text is centered on the midpoint of the right or right side of the path (shape)

  • Center-justified text is centered about the midpoint of the top or upper side of the path (shape)

 

Fitting Text to an Object Path

Vector text can be combined with an object so that the text follows the shape

  • Select the Vector object Selection tool

  • Press the shift key while selecting the vector object and the text to group them together

  • Right-click the vector object group and select Fit to Path. (The text will now be in alignment along the path of the shape).

 

Make the Object Invisible

  • From the Vector Properties dialog box uncheck the "Visible" box or

  • From the Layer Palette select the layer with the object and click the visibility button

 

Tip: There are keyboard shortcuts (hot keys) that are easy to remember to activate these tools quickly:

  • The Text Tool simply hit the "x" key

  • The Drawing Tool simply hit the "i" key

  • The Vector Object Tool simply hit the "q" key

 

Lesson Plan

Now that we have covered some of the basics of working with text you are ready to try them and hopefully have some fun. Here are three (3) online tutorials that will use each of the vector text techniques that we have covered. Please submit at least one tutorial result to the group or you can submit one for each tutorial. Be creative!!

PSP 7 Text Tool

  1. Text on a Path: http://www.psphelp.com/circular%20text/circular%20text%207.html

  2. Cut-out Text: http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/paintshoppro/ht/psp7cutouttext.htm

  3. Watermarking:  http://www.haylerscreations.com/watermarktutorial.html

 

PSP 8  Text Tool

  1. Text on a Path: http://suzshook.topcities.com/tutorials/textoncurve/8index.htm

  2. Metallic Text: http://loriweb.pair.com/8metaltext.html

  3. Reverse Text on a Path: http://moonsdesigns.com/tutorials/psp8/reversepath.html

 

Bonus Text

 

 

Lesson Submittal

Please remember to resize your final image so that it is no larger than 350 pixels on the largest/longest side. Please name your results as:

 Your name - text1 (for tutorial 1)

Your name - text2 (for tutorial 2)

Your name - text3 (for tutorial 3)

Submit your results to the group at

http://pspimaginarium.com/forum

 

::Index:: ::Intermediate Series:: ::Glossary:: ::Short Cut Keys:: ::Resources::

 

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