StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Okay, I have a speech bubble, and I need to figure out how to manipulate it, so I can make the arrow point at someone instead of just straight down. When selected, it shows the vertices but won't let me do anything with them. So, if anyone knows how to freely adjust vertices on shapes in Photoshop, I would appreciate your help.

(BTW, I have Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0)

I never used photoshop elements....

But, let me make sure I get what youw ant to do right, prior to offering assistance...

you have a spoken bubble which does this
and what you want to have it do is this correct?

Correct, although technically I want it to go the other way.

I am not exactly clear on what you are trying to do. Do you have a vector shape where you are trying to manipulate the lines defining it, or a regular image that you are simply trying to edit it? The apprach is very different depending on which case it is. Note that I have photoshop CS, so things may be somewhat different for you but the basic idea should be the same.

If you are trying to modify the location of particular vertices in a vector shape, there are two options. First, go to the tool selection bar. There should be either a black or white pointer arrow tool (like a mouse pointer, directly above the fountain pen tool). Hold down on this and two more options should pop up, one white arrow and one black arrow. Select the black arrow. Click on your vector graphic. You should see a bounding box around the graphic with vertices marked with little black square. Now hold down the "ctrl" key. You can then click on one of the vertices and raw it wherever you want. You don't have to hold down the ctrl key anymore once you click on one of vertices. This seems to switch it to the white arrow. You might be able to get it to work by starting with the white arrow, but I can't seem to get that approach to work consistently.

Now, on the other hand if you just have a regular image, the approach is much easier. First, I would recommend duplicating the text box twice. If it isn't already, make it a layer. Then, duplicate that layer, then do it again. Leave the original alone, that way you can go back to it if you screw something up (it happens a lot when doing this sort of thing). Next, highlight just the text box without the little pointer thing in one of the new layers. It doesn't matter how you do it as long as you just get the text box and not the pointer. On the menu bar go to select-->inverse, then hit the "delete" button. Do the same thing with the second layer, except this time highlight only the pointer.

Now, you have two options. I would recommend doing the following. WIth the pointer layer highlighted, on the menu bar go to edit-->Free Transform. Now you can either rotate the pointer by hand by click outside of the bounding box and dragging in a circle or by inputting a specific angle in the context-sensetive bar at the top of the screen (there should be a field where you can input a specific angle). Don't forget to hit "enter" to store the changes. Now move the pointer back in place by the text bubble. It won't line up perfectly, you will probably have to move part of the pointer underneath the text bubble so there aren't any gaps and add or remove black lines so the outline is correct, but that isn't a big deal. Once you have it how you want, link the text box and the pointer in the layers palette and click Layer--Merge Linked in the menu bar. You can now discard the layer storing the original text box.

Alternatively, you can do the same thing but instead of rotating the pointer you can skew the bottom of it in the direction you want. This tends to distort the size of outlines, though, so I would not recommend it.

I'm trying to modify vertices on a vector shape. However, I have the black pointer, but not the white one (are you talking about the shape selection tool?) I can see the little black boxes, but can't do anything with them. I also don't have the fountain pen tool. I'm using Photoshop Elements, not the full photoshop package, and I'm beginning to think it might not have that option.

Which is pathetic, seeing as how microsoft word can do the same thing...

You have to hold down the "ctrl" key after selecting the black arrow tool but before actually using it.

Still no luck... I actually have two 'arrow' tools, a shape selection tool and my normal 'move' tool. I'm beginning to suspect this feature was deliberately removed in Elements.

You may have to rasterize it and use the other strategy I suggested. Actually, you may even be able to do it without rasterizing (try that first because it won't distort the line shape if you stretch or skew it).

Yeah, that's what I'm doing. It works pretty well, unless I have to curve the bubble... Meh...