Adobe PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Manual page 161

Applying gradient fill to text
You can fill text using the gradient tool.
To apply gradient fill to text:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select the Horizontal Type tool to enter
horizontal text.
Select the Vertical Type tool to enter
•
vertical type.
In the options bar, make sure that the Create a
2
Text Layer button is selected. Select a font family
and a font size.
Enter the type you want and then click the OK
3
button in the options bar to commit the text.
Choose Layer > Simplify Layer to convert the
4
image to a bitmapped image.
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
5
(Mac OS) on the text layer in the Layers palette to
select the text.
Select the Gradient tool.
6
In the options bar, click the desired gradient
7
type (linear, radial, angular, reflected, or
diamond).
Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker
8
pop-up palette.
Position the pointer on the text where you want
9
to set the starting point of the gradient, and drag
to define the ending point.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
Specifying the gradient transparency
Each gradient fill contains settings that control the
opacity of the fill at different locations on the
gradient. For example, you can set the starting
color to 100% opacity and have the fill gradually
blend into an ending color with 50% opacity.
The checkerboard pattern indicates the amount of
transparency in the gradient preview.
To specify the gradient transparency:
Create a gradient as described in steps 1
1
through 10 of "Creating or editing gradient fills"
on page 151.
To adjust the starting opacity, click the
2
left opacity stop above the gradient bar. The
triangle below the stop turns black, indicating that
the starting transparency is being edited.
Set the Opacity by doing one of the following:
3
Enter a value between 0 (fully transparent) and
•
100% (fully opaque).
Drag the arrow on the Opacity slider.
•
To adjust the opacity of the endpoint, click the
4
right transparency stop above the gradient bar.
Then set the opacity as described in step 3.
To adjust the location of the starting or ending
5
opacity, do one of the following:
Drag the corresponding opacity stop to the left
•
or right.
Select the corresponding opacity stop, and enter
•
a value for Location.
To adjust the location of the midpoint opacity
6
(the point midway between the starting and
ending opacities), do one of the following:
153
User Guide