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[ 27 ]Step Nine: Next let’s create some text. Click
the Eye icon next to the texture layer in the
Layers panel to turn it off momentarily so
you can see the text you’re about to add.
Switch to the Type tool (T), and press D
to set the Foreground color to black. Click
in the canvas area to set a new text layer.
We’re using the font Impact, but feel free
to use any font you like, as long as it’s a
thick font so you can add some effects to it.
Once the title is set, make sure it’s justi-
fied to the left and set the size to fill almost
the width of the canvas. If needed, highlight
the text with the Type tool, hold the Option
(PC: Alt) key, and tap the Up and Down
Arrow keys to adjust the leading (space
between lines), and the Left and Right Arrow
keys to adjust the tracking (space between
letters). Check your spelling before you go to
the next step. (Mine is typo-ed on purpose!
Moving on.)
Step 10: Go to the Layers panel, Right-click
on the text layer, and choose Convert to
Shape. This will convert the text layer into
vector outlines so the text can’t be edited as
text after this (that’s why you want to check
your spelling). You could make a duplicate
of the text layer before converting it just
in case you need to go back and start over
again. You’ll see in the Layers panel that
the text layer has turned into a shape layer.
Step 11: Now we’re going to customize the
text with some design elements. Turn the
texture layer back on by clicking where its
Eye icon used to be in the Layers panel. Go to
the Toolbar and click-and-hold on the Path
Selection tool (black arrow, shortcut A), and
then choose the Direct Selection tool (white
arrow) just below it when it appears.
Use the Direct Selection tool to mar-
quee around the inner path of the letter O
to select it. You can tell what’s selected by
the control handles; selected handles will be
solid, and unselected ones will be hollow or
white. Once the inner path is selected, sim-
ply press Delete (PC: Backspace) to knock out
the shape.