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Captions using PS

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:11 am
by Alex
Hi all,

The agency that I'm doing some freelance work for requires the images I upload to be captioned and also have a copyright notice. Can anyone recommend an easy way to do it in PS CS?

Thanks heaps
Alex

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:47 am
by johnd
Hi Alex, would just adding a text layer do the trick? If you need to get the (C) symbol to display as a C inside a circle, you can build it in Word and cut/paste it into the text layer. Using a layer doesn't change the source photo so you can take it off if you need to. However, if you have to provide the image as a jpeg, you'll have to flatten the layers before saving the jpeg.

Cheers
John

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:02 pm
by Aussie Dave
If you open a text layer and press (Alt+0169), this will give you the copyright symbol.

This also works in this reply box....just click on reply and try it...© © © :lol: Sorry, I got carried away.

It might also pay to clarify what they want, as they may be talking about the IPTC fields (Internation Press Telecommunications Council)...similar to EXIF.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:44 pm
by johnd
Aussie Dave wrote:If you open a text layer and press (Alt+0169), this will give you the copyright symbol.

This also works in this reply box....just click on reply and try it...© © © :lol: Sorry, I got carried away.

It might also pay to clarify what they want, as they may be talking about the IPTC fields (Internation Press Telecommunications Council)...similar to EXIF.


Dave, way to go. It works. ©

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:50 pm
by Yi-P
Create a new PS file with transparent background (a large 1000x1000px can do)


Type your name and the (c) sign and desing to your liking


Crop tight on the name/design


Select your text layer (CTRL + Click on the layer's pallette)


Edit -> Define brush -- set a name


Go back into your image, select your brush, colour you want, single click anywhere you want to. BANG, no more typing or layer copying, just one click away from it. Adjust brush size to suit your need.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:21 pm
by Nogshale
Yi-P wrote:Go back into your image, select your brush, colour you want, single click anywhere you want to. BANG, no more typing or layer copying, just one click away from it. Adjust brush size to suit your need.


I get lost here...how do i select the brush?

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:45 pm
by Yi-P
If you have defined your brush successfully from the first steps, your new brush will appear in your brush type selection pallette when you select the brush tool (B).

It will appear under the name you assigned to it (say, "Yi-P 2006").

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:55 pm
by Alex
Thanks heaps for your help, guys.
Cheers
Alex

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:06 pm
by Aussie Dave
Yi-P wrote:Create a new PS file with transparent background (a large 1000x1000px can do)


Type your name and the (c) sign and desing to your liking


Crop tight on the name/design


Select your text layer (CTRL + Click on the layer's pallette)


Edit -> Define brush -- set a name


Go back into your image, select your brush, colour you want, single click anywhere you want to. BANG, no more typing or layer copying, just one click away from it. Adjust brush size to suit your need.


To do this, you will also want to make sure you have the same DPI set for your new layer, so it's the same as the image you'll be adding it to. Otherwise, adding a 300dpi brush over a 72dpi image will appear huge (I'm pretty sure), and vice versa if it's a 72dpi going onto a 300dpi image.

I have a similar thing setup, which adds my signature to the bottom of all the "websized pics" I create (which are always 700px at the longest end @ 72dpi).

I have created a PSD image, which is the exact same size as my resized webpics and have located the signature exactly where I always want it to display. I then created an action that opens this PSD file, saved in a certain folder on the PC, copies it, pastes it onto the image I'm working on then merges the layers....so with one click of the button, it adds it to your image and everything's done for me.

Just another way of doing the same thing. However, if it's likely the signature will change locations depending on the individual image, the brush method is probably the best way to go.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:28 pm
by Yi-P
Aussie Dave wrote:To do this, you will also want to make sure you have the same DPI set for your new layer, so it's the same as the image you'll be adding it to. Otherwise, adding a 300dpi brush over a 72dpi image will appear huge (I'm pretty sure), and vice versa if it's a 72dpi going onto a 300dpi image.


Always setup sig brushes at large resolutions.

When set up, you may just reduce the scale of your brush to suitable size and it will work the same way. The brush I use is about 1000px wide. But then scale it down to 250px still works great.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:37 pm
by Alex
Thanks again, guys.

Alex

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:51 pm
by Alex
johnd wrote:Hi Alex, would just adding a text layer do the trick? If you need to get the (C) symbol to display as a C inside a circle, you can build it in Word and cut/paste it into the text layer. Using a layer doesn't change the source photo so you can take it off if you need to. However, if you have to provide the image as a jpeg, you'll have to flatten the layers before saving the jpeg.

Cheers
John


This is a really dumb question, but what do you mean by a 'text' layer? Is it a type of layer? If it is I can't see it as one of the layer types listed.

Thanks
Alex

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:25 am
by Yi-P
Alex wrote:This is a really dumb question, but what do you mean by a 'text' layer? Is it a type of layer? If it is I can't see it as one of the layer types listed.

Thanks
Alex


When you use the type (text) tool, photoshop will automatically place the text on its own 'layer'.. and that is the text layer.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:02 am
by Alex
Yi-P wrote:
Alex wrote:This is a really dumb question, but what do you mean by a 'text' layer? Is it a type of layer? If it is I can't see it as one of the layer types listed.

Thanks
Alex


When you use the type (text) tool, photoshop will automatically place the text on its own 'layer'.. and that is the text layer.


Ah Thanks YiP!

Alex

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 11:40 am
by johnd
And the advantage being that you can easily remove/change the text (if you have the PSD file) if you want to. Once it's flattened into a single layer with all the other image pixels, it's there for ever.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:55 pm
by CraigVTR
©
Hi guys
I have been following this thread and decided to set up a brush this morning with the © . As you can see the ALT + 0169 works when I do it in this reply box but in pscs2 I get this,
Image

See the small box before my name, that is the ©, any ideas?
Thanks
Craig

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:20 pm
by johnd
Craig, have you got the © symbol in the same text box as your name, with the same font size, text colour etc as your name? Maybe it's a super tiny font and not showing up, or the text box it's in isn't big enough to view the symbol. Maybe, somehow the text is transparent or something. If it's in the same text box as your name, then you should be able to select it all and create a brush with it. One thing to look for: Check your layers where you are creating the brush, the © symbol should be on the same layer as your name text.

Sorry, but that's all I can think of.
Cheers
John

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:32 pm
by CraigVTR
John
Thanks. I had the © in the same text box as my name and set in the same font. I changed the © to Times New Roman and bingo, there it was.
The preset brush now works spot on.
Thanks again
Craig
©©©©© :D :D :D :D :D

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:38 pm
by Aussie Dave
I'm not 100% certain of this, however the font may need to be a "true-type font" in order to show the © symbol.

If you try and use non-standard/custom fonts, they may not support symbols (such as ©).

What font were you using to start with ?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:44 pm
by CraigVTR
Dave you are right, and so was John in suggesting the font. I changed the © to a true type font and it appeared as if by magic. :D :D
Craig

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:33 pm
by Alex
I have also discovered from S. Kelby's book that the copyright symbol is one of the symbols available in PS when you go to free drawing tool and choose copyright sybmol. You can creat a new layer and write there.

Alex

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 5:06 pm
by johnd
Alex, I'm working thru that book at the moment. Not up to the © bit yet, but it's a great book. So much info. Even in some of the early basic chapters.
Cheers
John

PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:41 pm
by Alex
johnd wrote:Alex, I'm working thru that book at the moment. Not up to the © bit yet, but it's a great book. So much info. Even in some of the early basic chapters.
Cheers
John


John, agree the book is amazing and has lots of useful simple to follow info.

Alex

PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:08 am
by Yi-P
The ALT + *** combination works differently on different keyboard language setups.

It may not work identically on different language keyboard settings. Say if you have an Asian language setup already for the keyboard and other have only the english language setup, the ALT+** combination of ASCII code is actually different on the two setup/layout.

Best way is open up character map (accessories->system tools) and find the (c) sign.. Or simply copy and paste it.