SUBJECT: Create a text path for adding text to a journaling mat.

PROGRAM: PSCS3 (can be adapted for other versions of Photoshop)

PREREQUISITES: Basic understanding of the layers palette and the selection and text tools, Creating a Text Path for Journaling Mats Part 1

Last week’s tutorial Creating a Text Path for Journaling Mats covered making a path that fits inside a journaling mat, but what if you have elements around the mat?  Or have ‘tucked’ the mat under a photo.  This tutorials will show you how to use the selection subtraction options to further customize a text path.

My starting point below is a journal spot that I have embellished with various elements.  Each item is still in it’s own layer.  I’ll quickly recap the steps covered last week, see the first part of the tutorial for more detailed steps with screen shots.

1) Ctrl + click on the journaling mat icon in the layers palette. You should have marching ants around the edges of the journaling mat.

2) Go to Select>Modify>Contract, enter the number of pixels you want to contract the selection. Click OK.

3) Click on the Polygonal Lasso tool in the Tools Palette.  Toward the left side of the Options Bar, you’ll see 4 icons with various square configurations.  Click on the third one from the left. This is the ‘Subtract from Selection’ option.

4) Now outline the area around your elements that you want to ‘take away’ from the selection.  To do this, click on your canvas to create ‘corners’ of a shape around your elements.

Continue around your elements until you are back to your starting point and click.

The shape will automatically be subtracted from the original selection.

6) Repeat this process as needed until only the area in which you want text is selected.

Note: I use the Polygonal Selection Tool because I find it works the best for creating an irregular shape around elements.  However you can use the subtract setting with any selection tool (Lasso Tool, Marquee Tools, etc.)

With your selection set, all that remains is to create your text path and begin typing.  These steps are covered in detail in part 1, so I’ll just give you the basic steps here.

7) Open the Paths Palette by going to Window>Paths

8) At the bottom of the  Paths Palette, click on the dotted circle with two arrows to create a path from your selection.

9) Click on the text tool in the Tools Palette then click on your canvas inside of the path.

10) Begin typing your text. Your text should fill the inside of your journaling mat as you type.

Embellishments used in this tutorial are from Down in the Meadow available at Sweet Shoppe Designs.