Help with text editor in Paint Shop Pro 7 please?

Can anyone post a brief step by step guide as to how to add text to images in Paint Shop Pro 7 please?

I am able to load an image and click the text icon on the left side. Then i can go as far as clicking on the image and begin to add text but everything after that is a mess lol. For instance;

I cant seem to be able to center the letters correctly and put them where i want.
I can't seem to find any pretty text to use. The only text i see is the default text letters (Ie. ariel, times new roman etc)
Each line I start after hitting return, I have to click spaces to try and align it with the rest of the completed lines. The text doesn't automatically align like in "Word Perfect."
I cant seem to change the spacing between the lines on the image.
But the biggest problem for me is I cant seem to be able to go back and edit the text on an image after clicking "ok" because when i do, the old letters do not disappear on the image and another set of letters are stamped right on top. All I am left to do to try and correct it is start all over.

I have tried looking in the online program manual but there is very general information about using the text editor and it doesn't mention how to fix any of the above.

Can some one with knowledge please help? thank you.

I don't know the specifics of PSP 7 in particular, as it's REALLY old, but here are some answers that are generic to all raster editors:


Any text you enter will be on a layer. You can use the manipulator tool to move the layer around the canvas, just as with any other image element.



In every program on your computer, including PSP, you'll only ever be able to use the fonts that are actually installed on your machine. Just because you've got a program that's capable of doing neat things with text doesn't mean you get to use fonts you don't have. Whatever you've got in your Windows\Fonts folder will be what's available in all your programs. If you don't like the fonts you have, get more.



I'm not sure how PSP 7's type tool worked, but there should be some justification settings in it somewhere. Try looking up "justify" in Help.


Again, I don't know exactly where, but I'm sure it's got some paragraph settings. Try looking up "paragraph" in Help.

If it really comes down to it, you could always just put every line of text on its own layer, and then manually move each one into place. You shouldn't have to do that, but it's an option if all else fails.


Sounds like you're creating a new text layer rather than editing the existing one. As long as you haven't rasterized the text, it should remain editable. The problem most likely is in the way you're trying to select it. Again, I'd suggest consulting the Help files to learn how to do it properly. Try looking up "select text".

If PSP 7 behaves anything like Photoshop and later versions of PSP, the appearance of the cursor should change when you're in position to select text. Clicking and dragging at that point will cause you to highlight existing text for editing, just like in a word processor.

If it behaves more like Acrobat, there my be a dedicated "select text" tool that is different from the "create text" tool you've been using.


I hope this has been somewhat helpful. As I said, I've never actually used PSP 7. The first version of PSP I ever used was 9, and that was just so I'd know enough about it to write some tutorials for it on this forum. I'm primarily a Photoshop user. Maybe someone more up on their PSP history will be able to chime in.

Best advice though, invest in an up to date program. What you're using is 7 years old! PSP is currently at version 11, so you know.

It's been so long since I used PSP7, I honestly don't even remember if it *supports* vector layers, Chosen... It probably does, but I didn't use it back then so much.

Anyways...

<i>I cant seem to be able to center the letters correctly and put them where i want.</i>

Remember to work in a new layer, first of all... Although when you first create any text its a separate "layer", if you created the text as anything other than a vector image, as soon as you deselect it it drops down to whatever active layer you were working on.

As long as the text is in a layer, it can be selected and manipulated just like any other element of your image... use the lasso or selection box or however you prefer and drag it around.

If PSP7 supports vector graphics, create the letters as a vector... this has a couple of added advantages: It automatically creates a new layer, if you were working on a raster layer, and there are alignment tools (Objects > Align) that don't work on raster selections, for some reason.

<i>I can't seem to find any pretty text to use. The only text i see is the default text letters (Ie. ariel, times new roman etc)</i>

Get some nice fonts. There are tons of free font archives on the internet.

<i>Each line I start after hitting return, I have to click spaces to try and align it with the rest of the completed lines. The text doesn't automatically align like in "Word Perfect."</i>

What alignment mode are you in? Do you have the text set to center each line, or what?

That said, PSP is not a word processor. It only has very basic text tools. Don't expect to be able to do everything you can do in a word processor.

<i>I cant seem to change the spacing between the lines on the image.</i>

See above, but yeah, this is one thing PSP has never been good about. Either just make each line a separate object, or else edit the spacing by hand when you're done, I'm afraid.

<i>But the biggest problem for me is I cant seem to be able to go back and edit the text on an image after clicking "ok" because when i do, the old letters do not disappear on the image and another set of letters are stamped right on top. All I am left to do to try and correct it is start all over.</i>

Right. You're creating a raster image... It's not a word processor. Think of it like a typewriter. Once you've created your text, it's no longer "text"... it's a picture of text. If you want to edit it, it behaves like a picture... you have to erase it and draw over it.

Working with vector graphics is a little different... there you can edit the text after you placed it.

Aw heck. Been spending too much time on fark... Well, I'm not going to go back and reformat my response tonight.

Thank you Chosen and Reitsuki. Taking the time to write such detailed advice is very kind of both of you and worth it's weight in gold. Your generosity is very much appreciated

I do still use PSP7 and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

It's pretty much as Reitsuki says with a couple of adjustments;

1) Justification is quirky as hell. If you click on the justify buttons you won't see anything change in the Text Tool dialogue. What actually happens is;
Justify Left - the left edge of the whole Text Object aligns to the point where you originally clicked on the image, so if you clicked in the middle of the image the text will all be to the right of that point.
Centre - the whole Text Object centres on the point where you originally clicked on the image.
Justify Right - You guessed it! This means that if you clicked toward the left of the image to try to place a start point for your text it disappears completely off to the left of the image!!

To centre the text to the image therefore just click on the dead centre pixel and choose 'Centre' on the dialogue.

2) The Text Object is a Vector object. To return to any previously created line of text open up the Layer Palette and the layer which you placed the text on will have a sub-menu. Click on the minus sign to the left of the layer button and this will drop down showing all text objects and the text which is their content. Clicking on these buttons will activate the object. Move, resize or double click on the activated Text Object to edit the text. Obviously you can no longer edit text once you have merged layers.

If you only have a background layer a new vector layer will be automatically created when you create a new Text Object.

Hope this helps