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Note: Directions using PSP7 in
italics, with green screenshots provided by AngelaNussbaum.
There are two ways to add curved text to your digital
scrapbooking pages, the most common is with preset vector shapes.
Sometimes you want a custom shape or do not have the exact shape
you are looking for. I will show you how to create a vector shape
to use in this tutorial.
To start, we will use a preset shape to understand
how text-on-a-path works.
Open PSP and a new 12X12 transparent Raster layer.
Activate your Custom Shape Tool (shortcut P).
Use the drop-down box to choose the circle and make
sure "Create As A Vector" is checked. Draw out the circle.
It will be hard to see.
Activate your Pick Tool (shortcut K).
You should now see the Vector Tool Bar. At the very end is an icon
that looks like a blue square and circle with a red check mark,
this is the Vector Properties dialogue box.
From the Vector Property Box, you can edit your vector
shape. Change the Stroke width to 15 and click "OK." Your circle should
be easily visible now.
In PSP7, to change the ellipse (the shape name
of the circle) stroke width, right-click on the + in front of the
vector layer, you will see "ellipse" underneath it. Right-click
on Ellipse and select "Properties." There it gives option
for stroke.
Add a new vector layer and activate your Text Tool
(shortcut T).
When you hover the cursor over the circle, your Text
Tool should change from a +A to a +A with a ( under it, this tells
you that you have a path to follow. Type some text with your font
at 60; it will curve around the outside of the circle.
I add my Text on a new layer so that I can turn the
Shape layer off by clicking the eye if I do not want the shape to
show. If you delete the shape layer, you are removing the "path"
and your text will go back to horizontal.
Activate your circle layer again and click the Pick
Tool (K) to get a bounding box around the shape,
then activate your Pen Tool (shortcut V), make
sure you are in Edit Mode button on the Tool Bar.
You will see nodes show up on the circle. Right-click
on one of the circle's nodes and choose Edit> Reverse
Path. Your text will change direction and go inside your
circle. To move the text in or out of the shape you must be in Text
Edit Mode. Use the offset settings: (-) settings move out, (+) settings
move in as default.
In PSP7 the Pen Tool is called "Object Selector."
Select the ellipse, activate the Object Selector, then select "Node
Edit" and click on the node. To change the node, you have to
right-click the node you selected.
Now that we have covered the basics of Text-on-a-path,
let us make a custom path. I am using the curve from ScrapSimple
Embellishment Templates: Curves 2.
Open a new 12X12 Raster layer and drag in a shape
you would like to use. This technique works best with curvy shapes
rather than angled ones.
Add a new Vector layer (Layers> New Vector),
or from the Layers Palette, click the icon.
Activate your Pen Tool (Object Selector in PSP7),
set your Materials Palette to Black Stroke, and Fill: None (click
the circle with a line through it).
Click the Freehand Tool and check "Connect Segments,"
"Create As Vector" and "Show Nodes." Set Stroke
to 15.
Set your Materials Palette to Black Stroke, Fill: Null
(as above). Start clicking carefully around the shape, each time
you click you will be adding a node. Continue all the way around
the shape and connect the ends together.
Turn off your shape and change the Pen to Edit mode.
Right-click on the shape you have drawn, Edit> Select
All. Right-click again, Node Type> Smooth.
You can now tweak the nodes if needed. Zoom way in and left-click
on a node that you want to reposition and move it.
You are now ready to add a new vector layer and your
text as we did above.
Many thanks to Angela Nussbaum
for her help with this tutorial!
Layout by Dee-Ann Decker
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Tutorial written by Dee-Ann Decker
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