Text Effect: can others reproduce consistently

[terrypin]

Looking for some eye-catching text I found this in my archives:



I like the effect and reproduced it the first time I tried. But I'm darned if I could do it again! I tried in both PSP 8 and 2018. Could someone reassure me that they can do it at least twice please?

I suppose I should raise my next point in the Scripts section, but does anyone have an up-to-date source of scripts for text effects please? Most of those I tried based on my ancient notes no longer exist.

[hartpaul]

I cannot get that done even once. There seems to be a step(s) missing and / or steps incomplete.

4. Enter test, largish size. Do you then apply the text or just switch from text tool to move tool?

In either case I get the marquee in the shape of the letters.

5. When I use the Move tool the whole image moves not the selection which is still on just the one layer.
I do not get it automatically floating the selection. If I manually float the selection Selections > Float then I can move the selection around but get no foreground / background colors showing

[LeviFiction]

Yeah, the only way I could get the cut-out effect was to use the selection tool to move the selected area and not the move tool. That fills the previous area with the background color if the layer is a background layer and not a full raster.

[hartpaul]

I can't even get that
this is what I have done
1. Load an image Set the foreground to Black and the Background to White.
2. Selection tool - rectangular selection, Mode -Add, select an area and get marching ants.
3. Now using right click drag from within I can move the selection, clicking outside the selection removes it
4. Left clicking inside the selection and dragging starts a new selection area and because it is inside the already selected area it disappears when mouse button is released.
Left clicking outside the selected area and dragging selects a new area and adds it to the total selected area so I can get three or four separate selected areas.

No way can I move that selected area to leave a white background area behind (ie cutting out the selection and moving it elsewhere.) I seem to remember that this was possible in earlier versions but no longer.

[patara]

Looking for some eye-catching text I found this in my archives:

I like the effect and reproduced it the first time I tried. But I'm darned if I could do it again! I tried in both PSP 8 and 2018. Could someone reassure me that they can do it at least twice please?

I suppose I should raise my next point in the Scripts section, but does anyone have an up-to-date source of scripts for text effects please? Most of those I tried based on my ancient notes no longer exist.

I didn't try using your steps, but it is easy enough to do in PSP using the Shadow Tool.
1. Make vector text and select Create Raster Selection and Promote to Layer OR Create Floating Text on new layer.
2. Apply Drop Shadow - Black - Offset V 3, Offset H -3, Opacity 100, Blur 0. OK
3. Apply Drop Shadow - White - Offset V -3, Offset H 3, Opacity 100, Blur 0. OK
4. Select None.

Using an offset of 3 gave me a similar result to yours.
I prefer to do my shadows on a new layer so I can then edit them.
Here is my result compared to yours

Re Text Effects, there is an old 32 bit Plugin for Text Effects called TextArt from Plugin Creativity.
It still works in newer versions of PSP 32 bit. Was retail, but now free.

http://www.plugincreativity.net/products/text-art.shtml

TextArt
Create and customise hundreds of special effects to any text in any font. From simple outlines, contours and stripes to polished chrome, gold and steel. It even provides semi-transparent effects such as glass and mist.
Just select the area you want to contain your text, type the title or headline into the dialog and then apply one of over 350 special effects. Use the preset styles or change the colours to suit.
Over 130 new effects in v2 include Scribbles, Patches, Spangles and many more.
Plus the new Custom option lets you use your own images as textures or alpha channels to create unique effects.

[LeviFiction]

hartpaul, set the mode to replace. Both add and remove modes will fail in getting this to work. But when set to replace the selection tool will move the selection not just the outline.

[hartpaul]

Ahh thank you Levifiction. Still learning new things.

[terrypin]

I didn't try using your steps, but it is easy enough to do in PSP using the Shadow Tool.

Agreed, and more intuitive IMO, as I mentioned in my subsequent post:
viewtopic.php?f=104&t=66093

That method doesn't require me to understand factors like defloat, etc.

Re Text Effects, there is an old 32 bit Plugin for Text Effects called TextArt from Plugin Creativity.
It still works in newer versions of PSP 32 bit. Was retail, but now free.

http://www.plugincreativity.net/products/text-art.shtml

TextArt
Create and customise hundreds of special effects to any text in any font. From simple outlines, contours and stripes to polished chrome, gold and steel. It even provides semi-transparent effects such as glass and mist.
Just select the area you want to contain your text, type the title or headline into the dialog and then apply one of over 350 special effects. Use the preset styles or change the colours to suit.
Over 130 new effects in v2 include Scribbles, Patches, Spangles and many more.
Plus the new Custom option lets you use your own images as textures or alpha channels to create unique effects.

Looks good, many thanks, duly downloaded and will try soon.

--------------------
EDIT: Excellent first impression. I'll enjoy playing with this, thank you!

[terrypin]

Yeah, the only way I could get the cut-out effect was to use the selection tool to move the selected area and not the move tool. That fills the previous area with the background color if the layer is a background layer and not a full raster.

I think that explains why I accidentally got it right the very first time - by moving immediately after the marquee appeared. Subsequent failures were due to selecting the Move tool as the instructions said.

[JoeB]

Text Art can produce a lot of interesting effects. It is limited, however, in that you can only type one line of text and cannot change font or size for each separate word. However, you can get around this by producing different text on different blank (new) layers which then gives you the ability to move, resize, etc., different text components. The other limitation is that it only lays down raster text.