Text affects

[kwjaccard]

This is probably an easy thing, but I have a learning disability (A.D.D), so I need to have it explained to me.

 

I am adding Text to an image, and need it to have a shadow affect. How is that done?

 

Thanks

Jake J

[Cc4FuzzyHuggles]

Hi.

If you want a drop shadow I can help you.
If you mean a shadow like the kind the sun makes when it shines on a person, I'm not very good at that yet.

Drop Shadow Plugin
You can get the plugin here. If you don't know how to install plugins see here.
1) Type your text on it's own layer. (have it be any color other than black, we will be using black for the drop shadow).
2) This is optional, but I suggest you then duplicate your text.
3) Click on the lower text layer, and also choose black as your primary color.
4) Then run the Drop Shadow Plugin. Play with the settings till you have something you like.

To make your own drop shadow...
1) Type your text on it's own layer (have it be any color other than black, we will be using black for the drop shadow).
2) Duplicate your text layer.
3) Click on the lower text layer, and in the layer's properties re-name it to "Drop Shadow". (see here for working with layers.)
4) While on the Drop Shadow layer, go up to the Menu Bar > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, and lower the lightness slider all the way down to -100, to make the text black.
5) Next, go up to the Menu Bar > Effects > Blurs > Gaussian Blur (if you want a broad drop shadow use a higher radius, if you want a cleaner drop shadow use a lower radius.)
6) After you have blurred the text to make it like a shadow, use the arrows on your keyboard to to move the shadow down and over and into a position that you like.

7) Optional, you can duplicate the Drop Shadow layer to make the shadow stronger, and then merge that duplicated layer back down into the regular Drop Shadow layer. (to keep your shadow as one layer)
8) Optional, you can open the properties of your Drop Shadow layer and lower the layer's opacity to fade the shadow.


Sun Shadow.
If you want to make a shadow like the kind the sun makes, all I can suggest is try playing with rotate/zoom.
Make your text on it's own layer.
Go up to Menu Bar > Layers > Rotate/Zoom.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Cc4FuzzyHuggles