How can I...

[bmcdee]

Greetings! I'm trying to change the text on the sign to make a birthday card for a friend. Any ideas how I could do it would be appreciated. Thanks a super whole bunch in advance.

 

[IamSam]

Hi bmcdee and welcome to PSG.

I have to run to work right now but I'm certain someone will be along to help yo with this. It's very easy to do and I will tell you that you will need a similar font to that in your example. If you have not already found one, then you might start looking while you wait for help.

Sorry, I have to run. Good luck.

 

[ibclare]

If I understand the issue, all you need to do is take the polygonal lasso, make the edges like you would using a jigsaw, make a new layer on top of the bg, then fill that layer with the same color as the current sign.

Sample the color. You can select the brush tool, double click on the top color, move you mouse to the color you wish to sample, or you can use the info tool to select the color, then when you hover the mosue and click it will change that color to the one you want. I would say choose pure black but it probably is a shade of black instead.

Alternatively, you could use a 100% hard, black brush and just paint within the lines as parents advise their creative kids ))

To make a perfect replic of the sign shape you can use the pen tool. For this kind of tool, you'll need a tutorial even though it is basic pen tool use. Like Sam, I have to go and can't look up a tut, but I will later if someone else doesn't/. Or you could use one of the above methods.

As Sam said, pick out the font you want (plenty of sites online to choose one, if it isn't already in the default fonts, but there are plenty default fonts, all the regular ones you could want really.

 

[bmcdee]

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. Sorry if I wasn't exactly clear that I'm looking to replicate the look of the letters on the scrolling text box thingy at the bottom (open your account, etc.) so it will say something like, "Happy Birthday Tom", or whatever I decide on.

 

[ibclare]

Yes, but you might need to get rid of the letters totally, if you want the Tom part on the banner. Then you could just make a text layer and scroll through the fonts, the sample thing will pop out for you, if you see a similar, pick it. Otherwise, go to dafont.com and look at sans serif fonts. LOL, I hope I'm getting warmer . . .

 

[bmcdee]

I may have found something. Again, thanks for the help.

 

[ibclare]

I was just thinking, duh. There is slight arc to the words. Use the text tool word art option. It is an icon on the text tool bar, a capital T with an arc below. Choose arc and play with the horizontal vertical sliders to get the right angle. Of course, once again a simple line, in this case, with the pen tool is the most accurate. Make a slight arc with the pen, the place the text cursor so that it is ready to type onto the path.

You can also do this with transform, distort or warp, but I think the other options are easier.

 

[ibclare]

Here is a short instruct

I used a brush at 100% with the blackish color. It is still slight off, so you'll have to paint in the edges - I would suggest.

Then I made a text layer (used arial for simplicity). Then rasterized this. Right click on the text layer, choose rasterize.

Then I used Transform>warp. Ctl/cmd + T, right click and choose warp to set that up (faster than using the edit menu). Drag the lower and upper outside handles till you get the bend you want.

Apply the transformation (just click enter).

Now (easier to follow doing this in two steps I think) Transform again, no special command. Just choose a handle and rotate into position.

I hope this helps.

 

[bmcdee]

Thanks again. I want the letters to actually look like the dot-matrix/scrolling sign style in the photo.

 

[ibclare]

Very hard to see them in that size and resolution. But if I understand (and I doubt that I do), add a gradient layer over the text, clipped to the text only, and make this go from black to clear. Just paly with the placement of the gradient. Beyond that, I really am not sure what you are trying to achieve. Perhaps you could add a duplicate of the text and set it to dissolve, or add a filter to make a dot pattern, then add a gradient layer.

 

[ibclare]

Those filter effects to try include >filter>noise>add noise; filter>sketch>halftone pattern; filter>pixelate>color halftone.

 

[ibclare]

Here's what I'm talking about from the top layer down:



Top layer is set to blend mode, dissolve.

Second layer: right click on text layer and choose rasterize; use filter>noise>add noise; just play with settings as default may not be what you want. You can keep adding the noise filter to increas the effect and get more difference between the B&W separation.

Third layer: right click on text layer and choose rasterize; use filter>sketch>halftone pattern

Fourth layer: right click on text layer and choose rasterize; use filter>pixelate>color halftone. Desaturate the image.

Here is layer 2 with noise added two more times

 

[bmcdee]

Thanks again! You are fab.