Text in Elements - Photoshop Elements 13: The Missing Manual - page 749

NOTE
Once you simplify text, you can't change its anti-aliasing setting.
WORKAROUND WORKSHOP: USING ASIAN TEXT OPTIONS TO
CONTROL SPACING
When you're using the Vertical Type tool, it can be tough to space letters correctly. Elements lets
you adjust the leading ( Text Gradients ) , but with vertical text, that setting affects the spacing
between columns of letters, not between the letters within a column. Also, sometimes you may
want to adjust the spacing between letters written in horizontal text. Elements lets you make
either of these fixes, but you need to enlist the help of the program's Asian Text Options—even if
you're writing in English.
To get started, go to Edit→Preferences→Type/Photoshop Elements Editor→Preferences→Type,
turn on the Show Asian Text Options checkbox, and then click OK. Now, the next time you click
in an image with a type tool, you'll see the Asian Text options menu in the Tool Options area, just
below the alignment buttons. Click the Asian character or the down-pointing arrow next to it to
see a pop-out panel with three options: Tate-ChuuYoko , Mojikumi , and a drop-down menu with
percentages on it. You want the drop-down menu, which is for Tsume , a setting that reduces the
amount of space around the characters you apply it to.
To apply Tsume, just highlight the characters you want to change in your image, and then select a
percentage from this drop-down menu. (The higher the percentage, the tighter the spacing.) You
can select a single letter or a whole word when using Tsume. Since it reduces the space all the
way around each letter you apply it to, you can use it for either vertical or horizontal text, al-
though for horizontal text, you'll probably use it to tidy up the spacing of just one or two letters.
For vertical text, Tsume is a great way to tighten up the spacing of all the characters.
Warping Text
Elements lets you warp text in all sorts of fun ways. You can make it wave like a flag, bulge
out, twist like a fish, or arc up or down, among other things. These complex effects are really
easy to apply, and best of all, you can still edit the text once you've applied them. Fig-
ure 14-6 shows just a few examples of what you can do. If you add a layer style, too ( Adding
Layer Styles ), warping is even more effective.