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?
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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
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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
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?
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
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
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