How to put text inside shape, but only in the shape in Photoshop

[joeh87907460]

Is there anyway to put text inside a shape but constrained to the actual shape? I would like to be able to make a complex or simple shape, fill it with text and have the text flow throughout the shape without crossing the boundries of the shape. In the example below, the black ring/doughnut is the shape. However when the text tool is selected and the cursor moved over the shape it changes to the circle icon indicating it is placing the text in the shape. But, all it does is place the text in largest diameter and does not flow within the shape at all, it acts as if it is just one big circle. That is not what I want or need. How can I make Photoshop flow the text only in the black shape and not across the hole in the middle of it?

The text shouldn't be covering the hole in the middle.

[jane-e]

Hi

It can be done in Illustrator. Are either of these what you are looking for, and do you have Illustrator?

~ Jane

[joeh87907460]

Thank you Jane for the reply. I do have illistrator but I have no idea how to use it. 🙂 I've tried to learn it but none of the tools work the same as the ones in Photoshop and it's such a headache to switch between the two to do something that should be able to be done in one application. To me, Illistrator is a hard to learn program. In your example, the one on the left is exactly what I'm wanting to do. 

[jane-e]

Hi

I apologize for not getting back to you. I have been out of my office. I was waiting to hear what you were looking for to give instructions.

• In Illustrator you simply draw a circle, then use the Type tool and hover over the inside of the circle. Confirm there is a circle, not a square around the i-beam and click inside to get the Lorem impsum text, which can be replaced.
• A second smaller circle has Text Wrap (Object Menu). I used the default of 6 pts, but that can be adjusted at any point.
• I've just now added a third larger circle in the back and made it black to look more like yours.
• I did not, however, use red text on a black background, as that is one of the first things that comes up for readability warnings. For some people, the two colors become one. For the rest of us, it's just difficult and that color combination should be avoided.

~ Jane

[joeh87907460]

Thank you Jane for the instructions! And thanks for the color readability information. I was finally able to do it in Illistrator. 🙂 I wonder if there is a way to open those layers in Photoshop and edit them there?

 

[jane-e]

"I wonder if there is a way to open those layers in Photoshop and edit them there?"

You can go into PS and choose File > Place Linked to place it as a Smart Object. Double-click the SO to edit it using Illustrator.

~ Jane

[joeh87907460]

Thank you again! I'll be practicing this until I get it right! 🙂

[taytaylooo]

Hi Jane - I came across your response while trying to find some help with my envelope distortion issue, and I am wanting to have the same effect has the right hand circle. I am using adobe illustrator! If you could explain how you did that I would really appreciate the help! Thanks

[Chuck Uebele]

As Jane said, you can do it in Illustrator. You can't have any holes in you shape with Photoshop, however. 

[jane-e]

Chuck, I tried it with a compound path and it failed. The text wrap works.

~ Jane

[davescm · Accepted solution]

You can do it in Photoshop but you have to pull off a little trick.

Add a small rectangle with path operations set to subtract to cut a slot into your circle

Now add your text

Then go to the shape and using the path select (black arrow key) and delete key, remove the slot

Dave

[joeh87907460]

Thank you Dave! That worked like a charm! I tried to do it in Illistrator but couldn't make it work. Your 'trick' for doing it in Photoshop works great.

[jane-e]

This is brilliant, Dave! How did you come up with removing and reinserting a slot?

~ Jane

[davescm]

It just gets around the fact that you can't have a hole cut out. By adding the slot, there is no "hole", instead you have a continuous path around the shape, so text inside the shape then works. Once the text is added - just remove the slot. You have to be careful with the positioning but it does work.

Dave

[jane-e]

That makes sense, and it seems to work. Do you think it's easier in PS or AI though?

In AI, you don't have to be careful with the positioning if that's a factor. It's very flexible.

~ Jane

[davescm]

If you know and have access to both - then Illustrator. If you only know Photoshop or have just a single app plan (or the Photography plan) then doing it in Photoshop is the answer

Dave

[joeh87907460]

Jane, I've been trying to do this in Illistrator ever since I read your reply with the examples. I can make two circular paths to make the shape, but I can't get text on them like your example. I did get text on it once, but the text went underneath the smaller circle in the middle of the big one. I tried combining them, grouping them ect., to no avail. Now all I get is an error message pop up that says, "You must click on a non-compound, non-masking path to creat text inside a path", which tells me nothing since I'm not familiar with it. I've had that Illistrator program for a couple of years since it came with the CC subscription. Every couple of months I'll start it up and try to learn how to use it but it's confusing and unintuitive and just plain hard to learn. So I give up on it and wait a couple more months then try it again and it's the same thing over and over with that program. 

If you would, please tell me how you did that and maybe a light bulb will come on in my head and I'll learn something new. 🙂 

[jane-e]

Hi Joe,

It's just 3 circles of different sizes. They are not grouped or combined (aka "compound path"). You might want to group the 3 when you are finished though.

I used the Ellipse tool and clicked to make an ellipse exactly 350pt x 350pt (you can change this). Then I switched to the Type tool and note what the cursor looks like. Click to add Lorem ipsum text.

You can type new text. At some point you will need to change the color so you don't have black text and a black circle. Center the text.

Draw a smaller circle in the middle. Mine is 100pt x 100 pt. With my bigger circle selected I can see the center point, so I Option+Click with the Ellipse tool. Alternatively you could use Alignment here.

Option+Click gives me the dialog where I type 100x100, then OK and it centers the circle.

The circle is Black. Go to Object > Text Wrap > Make. Use Text Wrap Options to adjust the wrap.

Here's the black circle with Text Wrap of 6 pts. Change the fill to White.

You need a larger black circle in the back. My first circle is 350pt, so this will be 375pt. Again, adjust. You can Option + Click the center or use Alignment on the three circles. Send the new larger black circle to the back. Remember to change to text color either now or later.

In your Layers panel you will see three objects:

• the small white ellipse
• the white text
• the large black circle

The order of the steps does not matter, and all three objects can be resized and recolored, etc., when you have finished. The first time I made the first two circles, added the text wrap, then added the text, and last I drew the biggest outer circle and sent it to the back instead of the way I'm showing you now.

Let me know how it goes, Joe!

~ Jane

[joeh87907460]

Thank you so much Jane! Perfect instructions! 

[jane-e]

You're welcome, Joe. I'm glad it's working for you! 😊

~ Jane

[Trevor.Dennis]

I'm thinking that those people who only have Photoshop, but might have an Office 365 subscription, could probably do this in Publisher.