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Our layout is ready for some journaling and a title, so let's start with journaling. Oh, you don't journal on layouts? Well, maybe you could try it out, just this once. You may even like it better since you can type it in any font you like. 
Adding Text to your layout
- Generally, you want your text to appear above all the other layers, so click the topmost layer in the Layers palette to select it.
- Click the text tool button (
) to activate it.
Shortcut: Type "t" - Since we are going to type a paragraph of text, put your mouse near the upper left of the white journal strip (leaving some space as a margin) and drag it to the lower right, making sure not to cover the flower. You will see a dotted-line box that shows your new text box.
- In the options bar at the top of the screen, you will see the text options, and they will look refreshingly familiar! You have basically the same options as common software. From the left, the first dropdown box allows you to select a font, the next allows you to select a font style (bold, italic, etc.), the next box is font size. There are several buttons for 'faux' font styles. Some fonts don't come with all the styles - for example, they may not have a 'bold' version, so Photoshop can make a facsimile of bold using the Faux Bold button. After the faux styles buttons, you have a button for alignment (left, right, center.) Choose the options you would like, or you can use mine:
Gill Sans MT font, regular style, 14 point size, and left aligned
- Next on the options bar is a drop down box for leading (vertical spacing between lines) which I leave at "auto".
- Finally, you will see a little box with a color in it - in the image above, the color is red. Although you may want to keep the color that is selected on your screen, go ahead and click there anyway, so you can see the Elements color picker.
- You will now see the Elements Select Color dialog box. You can choose a color in several ways:
- click on the 'rainbow' bar to select a color, then click to choose a shade in the box on the left
- type the RGB or Hex (hex is the box with a "#" next to it) values of a color, if you know them, in the boxes on the right
- move your mouse over your layout and click on a color you like in your layout.
Using one of these options, choose a color for your journaling text. I used black (hex #000000).
- Click OK to accept your color choice.
- Your cursor will automatically be in your text box, so start typing your journalling. Because we drew a text box, the text will automatically wrap to the next line.
- When you are finished typing, click the commit button (
) to accept your changes.
Where is the commit button? The commit button for text is always in the options toolbar at the top of your screen.
Adding the date and title for your layout.
- To add the date where I did, first click on the white grid journal strip layer to select it.
- Type 't' to activate your text tool, then click once on the white journal strip, just to the right of the flower.
- Alter the font size, style, and color to your liking, or use mine:
Lucida Handwriting, Italic, 18 pt, Black (hex = 000000) - Type the date of your layout, and then click the commit button (in the options bar) to save the text you typed.
- Uh-oh! Half your date is hidden by the flower. You could make the font teeny-tiny to make it fit, but instead, let's rotate it.
- Making sure your text layer is selected in your layers palette, click Image: Rotate: Layer 90° Right from the menu bar. (You may remember this from Lesson 3).
- Now, your date is rotated along the right side of your journal strip. If it doesn't line up just right, type "v" to activate your Move tool. Then, click and drag the date until it lines up nicely.
- Next, let's add the title - even easier! Type "t" to activate your text tool.
- You can put your title anywhere you like (ah... the freedom!) - click in your layout wherever you would like your title to begin.
- You can make adjustment to font size/color using steps 3 - 7 in the section above, or use mine: Lucida Handwriting, Italic, 48 pt, White (hex = ffffff)
- Click the commit button () in the options bar to save the text you typed.
... and <drum roll> that's it! You can go on to Print and Publish, but really, you are done! What do you think? (Not of my layout - what do you think of yours? Well, I would love to see it! So, if you'd like to get some help printing it and saving it for the web, just meet me at the next lesson.
