lisacohen
08-21-2006, 07:01 PM
This week I'll be starting a new feature here and on my blog (http://lisacohen.typepad.com)called Photoshop Focus which will highlight a technique or process that you can use to learn to use Photoshop to your advantage. There are so many things to learn with this program that I find when I use it everyday, I can find something new everyday as well! Hope you enjoy this tutorial series.
Quick Tip for Tracking (the space between the letters in your words)
1. Select the Text Tool
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/texttool.jpg
2. Type a word. I used the Rosewood font at 24 pt but pick anything that you want. Here's what it looks like with the default Tracking of 0 (zero).
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/notracking.jpg
3. Highlight your text and hold the ALT key (for PC) or Option key (for the Mac) while pressing the right arrow key to increase the tracking. [To decrease the tracking hold the ALT or Command key while pressing the left arrow.]
Here's what a few presses of the right arrow key can do. The font size is still the same (24 pts) but now the tracking is 140.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/140tracking.jpg
Here's what a few MORE presses of the right arrow key looks like. The font size is still the same but now the tracking is 340.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/340tracking.jpg
Using the Long Method of Tracking
You can also do this without the shortcut (but once you know how to do the shortcut... why take the long way?) But in case you forget, here's how to do it through the menu...
1. While the text tool is the active tool, click on the Character/Paragraph palettes button. It's at the top under the main Photoshop menu.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/textoptions.jpg
2. On the Character tab you can manually adjust the Character Tracking by typing in a number of your choice or you can use the scrubby sliders. To use scrubby sliders, hover the mouse over the area of the palette that says AV with the arrow under it. Your mouse will turn into a double headed arrow. When this happens press the left mouse button down (or the only buttons down for you cool Mac users) and move the mouse to the left to decrease the tracking number or move to the right to increase the number.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/textoptionsbox.jpg
It's just that EASY!
Now go have fun and switch up your character tracking! Some fonts are naturally tighter and don't look that great with increased character tracking (script fonts that are meant to connect spring to mind). And if you put too much tracking in a word or title it can become difficult to read because the eye has a hard time stringing the words together. But you're the artist so have fun and do what you think looks good.
Other topics coming soon:
* Black and white conversion methods
* using LAB for amazing sharpening
* using LAB for tantalizing landscapes
* Quadtones and Split tones for striking photography
If there are other things that you want to know how to do or projects that I have done that you look t and say, "How's she do that?," let me know so I can include them in future tutorials.
Quick Tip for Tracking (the space between the letters in your words)
1. Select the Text Tool
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/texttool.jpg
2. Type a word. I used the Rosewood font at 24 pt but pick anything that you want. Here's what it looks like with the default Tracking of 0 (zero).
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/notracking.jpg
3. Highlight your text and hold the ALT key (for PC) or Option key (for the Mac) while pressing the right arrow key to increase the tracking. [To decrease the tracking hold the ALT or Command key while pressing the left arrow.]
Here's what a few presses of the right arrow key can do. The font size is still the same (24 pts) but now the tracking is 140.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/140tracking.jpg
Here's what a few MORE presses of the right arrow key looks like. The font size is still the same but now the tracking is 340.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/340tracking.jpg
Using the Long Method of Tracking
You can also do this without the shortcut (but once you know how to do the shortcut... why take the long way?) But in case you forget, here's how to do it through the menu...
1. While the text tool is the active tool, click on the Character/Paragraph palettes button. It's at the top under the main Photoshop menu.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/textoptions.jpg
2. On the Character tab you can manually adjust the Character Tracking by typing in a number of your choice or you can use the scrubby sliders. To use scrubby sliders, hover the mouse over the area of the palette that says AV with the arrow under it. Your mouse will turn into a double headed arrow. When this happens press the left mouse button down (or the only buttons down for you cool Mac users) and move the mouse to the left to decrease the tracking number or move to the right to increase the number.
http://lisacohen.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/textoptionsbox.jpg
It's just that EASY!
Now go have fun and switch up your character tracking! Some fonts are naturally tighter and don't look that great with increased character tracking (script fonts that are meant to connect spring to mind). And if you put too much tracking in a word or title it can become difficult to read because the eye has a hard time stringing the words together. But you're the artist so have fun and do what you think looks good.
Other topics coming soon:
* Black and white conversion methods
* using LAB for amazing sharpening
* using LAB for tantalizing landscapes
* Quadtones and Split tones for striking photography
If there are other things that you want to know how to do or projects that I have done that you look t and say, "How's she do that?," let me know so I can include them in future tutorials.