Photoshop Style Techniques Can Make Text Readable

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Photoshop Style Techniques Can Make Text Readable

A major website renovation I've been working on for the last few days has reminded me how useful Photoshop's "Styles" are when you want to overlay text on top of an image. The "Styles" tool is the one you use to apply drop shadows, outlines, textures, and three dimensional effects to text.

Yes, I know it is possible to go completely overboard with this special effects stuff. But from a strictly functional point of view, some of these techniques come in very handy. The most common scenario is where you want to use a relatively complex image as a background for a headline. Often you just want a method of setting the headline text off from the background to give it increased definition and impact. The example below shows the subtle addition of a drop shadow and a bit of an outline to the text.

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The second example illustrates this even more clearly. Often text placed over an image will not even be readable unless you use some technique for distinguishing the text from the background. In this case I've used a heavy white outline.

Often headline text like this would get lost in the complex background image without the outline treatment. Here is an even better example:

Don't be fooled by the sometimes difficult-to-understand Photoshop interface. As I was, you will probably be tempted to try applying one of the canned style combinations available in the "Show Styles" dialogue. Now that I know better I completely ignore this dialogue. Instead, I access the "Styles" control panel from the "Layers" by simply double-clicking on the layer I want to work on. The preview is "live", so you can see what happens when you apply an adjustment.

Keep it simple at first. Experiment with drop shadows and outlines. These are often enough to make a great looking chunk of text -- and a great looking graphic, sign, or banner.

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