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May 2, 2019
Answered

PDF Type layers vs Shape layers

  • May 2, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 936 views

Hi,

When you save a PDF from Photoshop, type layers are saved as text that can be recognized (ie, copied, or previewed without opening). If for whatever reason you don't want that, you can convert those type layers to shape before saving your PDF.

However, this method has the unfortunate side-effect of making entire blocks of text the same color, since it applies 1 color per layer and there can be more than one color per type layer to convert. Since Photoshop does not have the ability to apply different colors to different shapes within the same shape layer (though I'm not sure why, text layers have been doing it for decades) you're kind stuck having to create as many duplicates as there are colors used in the converted type layer, and painstakingly repositioning everything manually afterward.

So I was thinking, what if I saved it as-is (type layers and all) and then use something else -- like Acrobat DC -- to convert the type to shapes ("stripping" the type layers of their recognizability, so to speak).

  1. Is that even doable from Acrobat DC, or is converting to shape before exporting the only way?
  2. If it IS doable from Acrobat DC, how would it handle those type layers that had more than one color in them? (Better than Photoshop does, or not?)

   

(Would be great if there was a way to tell the PS "Convert to shape" option to create as many layers as there are colors in that type layer. You could even group them together on the output, if there's any concern that might create too many layers to keep track of.)

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Stephen Marsh

    Yes, you can convert Photoshop text layers to paths/outlines in Acrobat Pro. Use Print Production Tools > Preflight > PDF Fixups > Convert Fonts to Outlines as illustrated below:

    That being said the PDF will still suffer the limitations/consequences of being created in Photoshop and not in a vector program... I.E. the paths will be masking a raster image of the colour fill and will not be vector coloured fills as would be the case from say Illustrator or InDesign).

    Here using PitStop Pro 2019's new Object Browser we can see the structure of a simple 3 word, single text layer converted to paths:

    2 replies

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    May 2, 2019

    Yes, you can convert Photoshop text layers to paths/outlines in Acrobat Pro. Use Print Production Tools > Preflight > PDF Fixups > Convert Fonts to Outlines as illustrated below:

    That being said the PDF will still suffer the limitations/consequences of being created in Photoshop and not in a vector program... I.E. the paths will be masking a raster image of the colour fill and will not be vector coloured fills as would be the case from say Illustrator or InDesign).

    Here using PitStop Pro 2019's new Object Browser we can see the structure of a simple 3 word, single text layer converted to paths:

    Michael Bullo
    Community Expert
    Michael BulloCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 2, 2019

    This is not your dream solution and it is a little manual but perhaps some of this could help…

    1. Create your text and convert it to a shape layer. This will of course make all of the text a single colour if it wasn't already.
    2. With the Path Selection Tool (Black Arrow) select all of the individual letters that you want to be a different colour (shift key to select multiple paths).
    3. Jump all of these paths to their own shape layer through the menu Layer > New > Shape Layer Via Cut. If you are doing this a lot, take note of the keyboard shortcut.
    4. To change the colour of these letters simply double click the thumbnail of the new layer in the Layers panel.
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