Participant

Question

How to have text box with white fill background?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
January 13, 2020
5 replies
94171 views

I would like to use text to point out details in a photo.

I am able to put in text boxes t with transparent fill, But don't see how to have white or any other colors.

I found how to put in talk balloons. But I have not found out how to have a Talk Balloon without the pointy part.

How to

This topic has been closed for replies.

jane-e

Community Expert

"I found how to put in talk balloons. But I have not found out how to have a Talk Balloon without the pointy part."

Hi

Talk balloons typically have the "pointy" part. If you are are using the built-in presets that come with Photoshop, then you might choose from the category called "Shapes" instead of "Talk Bubbles" and then proceed as others have said. If you don't see these in PS 2020, then open the Shapes panel from the Window menu and enable Legacy Shapes. Then they will be available in the options bar when you are using the Custom Shape tool.

~ Jane

J

Jay Chow @ Pierry

Participant

Here are the criteria for my solution:

1. No extra layer.

2. Consistent margins.

Steps:

Create a Text Box layer by selecting the Horizontal Type Tool.
Click and drag in the Canvas to create a Text Box.
Enter the text.
With the Text Box layer selected, select the Outer Glow from the fx Dropdown menu.
Set the followings: Blend Mode: Normal. Opacity: 100%. Select desired Solid Fill Color. Technique: Precise. Spread: Adjust the slider in conjunction with the Size slider until the Outer Glow becomes a solid rectangle.
During:

Final:
Return to the text and ajust the font size relative to the desired margin. (The adjustment may be limited.) You may need to Reveal All to see the entire Text Box afterwards.

(Font Size changed from 200px to 220px.)
Trim away unused Canvas area.
.
Right-click on the Layer Name and select Convert to Smart Object.
Click on one of the Corner Anchor Points. Hold down the Shift key and resize the Smart Object to desired size.

This method is not perfect. But at least it maintains text editability, albeit in the Smart Object source .psb Window. The margins are consistent and the text is always centered in both dimensions. Best of all, one Layer only.

Please comment and suggest a better alternative answer.

JJMack

Community Expert

You started with

"

Here are the criteria for my solution:

1. No extra layer.

2. Consistent margins.

"

Then end with and extra smart object Layer.

JJMack

Leslie Moak Murray

Community Expert

Also, if you need the black outline to be on its own separate layer (as I do in my own work), select the shape with the pen tool (right click/"Make Selection"). make a new layer for the outline, and on that layer (with the selection still active), go to Edit/Stroke (it gives you the option to choose the pixel sie of the stroke).

And there are free custom shapes online if you want one with a tail, or if you want a thought balloon. Here is just one of many:

https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/speech-balloon

JJMack

Community Expert

The easiest thing I think you could do is to add a layer style to the text layer to make it stand out it need not be over a shape layer or a fill area you would need to customize for the size the text layer will be. The style would be for the text layer what ever its size is. In fact the text layer fill could be set to 0 all that would show would be the layer style blended into the image. A text layer like that could be used as a watermark on an image an not be too intrusive. A layer style can also add a large white stroke outside the actual text that woul sort of add a white background.