Option + – (hyphen or minus sign) creates an en dash on the Mac. On Windows the shortcut is Alt + 0150.
Option + Shift + – (hyphen or minus sign) creates an em dash on the Mac. On Windows the shortcut is Alt + 0151.
For more information about dash usage, click here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash
• To warp multiple layers of text as a single unit, first convert the layers into a Smart Object, then add the warp.
• When creating point type, holding the Command (Mac) | Control (Win) allows the repositioning and scaling of the text. To constrain the proportions of the type while scaling, add the shift key).
• Command + Return (Mac) | Control + Enter (Win) commits the text.
• Shift-click the Type tool in the image area to create a new type layer when close to another type block. (Adding the shift key prevents Photoshop from auto selecting nearby text).
• While the type in the image is selected, Command + H (Mac) | Control + B (Win) + H will hide the selected “reversed out” type enabling a more accurate preview of the type (especially when selecting at color).
• Option + Delete (Mac) | Alt + Backspace (Win) fills any selected type with the foreground color. Command + Delete (Mac) | Control + Backspace (Win) fills any selected type with the background color. If the type layer is selected, but no individual letters within the text block are selected (there isn’t any text insertion point in the text), these shortcuts will change the color of all of the type on a layer.
To change the Type tool’s default settings, close all open documents and make your changes in the Options bar. These settings will now be your new defaults.
If you often set type in Photoshop, you can also use Tool Presets to save and reuse certain combinations of fonts, sizes, colors etc. To save a Tool preset, customize the Type options, then save them as a tool preset either from the Tool Presets panel of the Tool Presets drop down in the Options bar.
Of course if you are using Photoshop CS6, you also have the ability to save Character and Paragraph styles. Click here (Paragraph and Character Styles in Photoshop CS6) for more information on the new Type features in Photoshop CS6.
In this video tutorial (Paragraph and Character Styles in Photoshop CS6), Julieanne Kost demonstrates how to increase your productivity when working with type by creating Paragraph and Character styles in Photoshop CS6. With these styles, you can apply formatting to selected characters, lines, or paragraphs with a single click.
In this Episode of The Complete Picture (Creating Transparent Logos for Watermarks and Overlays in Photoshop) I will demonstrate how to create a single vector logo out of multiple type and shape layers, specify a consistent size, apply a style and save the entire creation as a Tool Preset! In addition, I will show you how to add a scan of your signature to any photograph with a simple change of a layer blend mode.
Tool presets can save hours of time a week depending on the tools you use. For example, if you have three different fonts that you use for different clients all at certain sizes with specific alignment options, colors etc., simply set those options and, at the far left of the Options bar, click the tool icon to display the Tool Presets Picker (or select Window > Tool Presets to view the Tool Presets panel). Click the New Preset icon (the dog-eared page icon) to save your preset. You can also click the arrow for a variety of additional options such as saving and loading tool presets that you may share between machines and/or with friends. Obviously Tool Presets go far beyond fonts, as they can save any tool’s options such as cropping sizes, dodge and burn settings,paint brushes etc.
To change multiple Type layers at one time, select them in the Layers panel and with the type tool selected, change the desired attributes in the Options bar.
When using the Type tool, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + L, C, R will align a paragraph left, center, or right. While working with text, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + M to display the Paragraph panel.
When using the Type tool, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + Shift + up arrow or down arrow will increase/decrease baseline shift.
When using the Type tool, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + left arrow or right arrow will increase/decrease kerning/tracking
When using the Type tool, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + Shift + < or > will increase/decrease the point size.
Simply clicking with the Type tool will create Point Type (lines of type that have to be manually broken to wrap using the return key). To create Paragraph Type, (type that is flows within a bounding box) click and drag with the Type tool to draw the bounding box. Or, Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) -click in the image area with the Type tool to display the Paragraph Text size dialog box to numerically enter the height and width of the bounding area.
Click in the text entry field next to the font family (on the Options bar) to highlight the font name and use the up/down arrow keys on the keyboard to select the next/previous typeface (if the type is selected in the image area, you can see the type change as you select different typefaces). While type in the image is selected, Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + H will hide the selected “reversed out” type enabling a more accurate preview of the type.
Clicking the cursor within a type block will auto-select the Type layer on the Layers panel. Shift-click with the Type tool to create a new Type layer (in case you’re close to another type block and Photoshop tries to auto-select it). Double clicking on the “T” icon on Layers panel will select all of the type on the layer.
When entering text, you’re in a semi-modal state in Photoshop – similar to Free Transform. However, the return or enter key will break the text to the next line – not commit to it (like it would apply the transformation). In order to apply (or commit the text) use the Command (Mac) / Control (Win) + return or enter.
