Feature Spec Tool: Type

Canvas Interactions

The Type tool creates a type layer that is either point type or paragraph type. Single clicking on a canvas with the Type tool will create a point type layer. Clicking and dragging on canvas will create a paragraph type layer.

Multiple undoing is not supported, but single undoing is supported. To commit editing, press Cmd+Enter or Ctl+Enter. To discard editing, press Cmd+Period or Ctl+Period. Escape key can be configured as either commit editing or discard editing in the preferences of the standard Photoshop (Preferences:Type:Type Options:Use ESC key to commit text).

Double-clicking a type layer on the canvas with the Select tool enters text editing mode. Double-clicking the layer icon in the layers panel also enters text edit mode.

A type layer can be transformed by selecting the type layer with the Select tool. Click on a type layer and grab a transformation handle (squares over the bounding box) or an edge of bounding box and drag it to a desired size. Pressing Cmd (Ctl) key during the dragging will allow skewing the box. A type layer can be rotated. Hover the mouse just outside of the bonding box to observe the cursor changes to a little curved arrow. Then press the mouse button and drag it. After done with the transformation desired, press Enter to commit the transformation. Pressing Esc key will discard the editing.

Selecting a paragraph type layer with the Type tool allows resizing of the paragraph box without causing type layer transformation.

Modifiers

• “T” or “t” selects the Type tool.
• Shift drag: will constrain a paragraph to a perfect square
• Alt (Option) drag: will draw a paragraph from center
• Alt+Shift drag (Opt+Shift drag): will draw a paragraph from center in a perfect square

Panel Interactions

Appearance Panel

• Text attributes can be set or modified in the Appearance panel in either text edit mode or after text is committed (with layer selected).
• Text Color (Click the box to change the text color. The color picker dialog appears. The box shows preview “Aa” of the font selected with the color selected)
• Blending Mode (Popup menu)
• Opacity (%, 0 <= n <100)
• Typeface (Font family name)
• Size (Pt, 0.01<= n <= 1296)
• Type Style (Font style and/or weight)
• Alignment (Left, center, right, and justify. Click an icon)
• Letter Spacing (Pt, -1000 <= n <= 10000)
• Line Spacing (Pt, 0.1 <= n <= 5000, or “auto")

Layers Panel

• Double-clicking "T" icon on a type layer in the Layers panel selects entire text in the type panel and enters text editing mode.

Libraries Panel

• To apply a character style, color, or layer effect from libraries, select a text layer (either on canvas with the Select tool or in the layers panel) and click on the asset in the Libraries panel to apply.
• To add a character style to a library, select a text layer and click “Add Character Style” (A) icon at the bottom of the Libraries panel.

Alignment Panel

• W, H, X, Y, reference point, rotation, flip horizontal, flip vertical, swap, and layer alignments can be set depending on the text layers selected.
• Currently, a type layer can be transformed by changing W and H valued in the Alignment panel. This should be disabled in a future release. Issue 2289

Effects Panel

• Layer effects can be added to text layers.

Export Panel

• Export assets can be defined for text layers.