Problems Adding Text Via a New layer in CS5

[Nodarvch]

I am having problems going back to previously saved .psd image files then adding some text. (Something I have been doing for years)

Usually all I have to do is open the .psd image file (using Photoshop CS5) then select the horizontal type tool, then click within the on screen image (this creates a new layer) usually I add the required text. For some reason although the new layer is displayed in layers the typed text does not show on screen.

I have noticed that at the point I click on screen It show a very small black square, but no sign of the usual vertical flashing line. Any text I add does not show up in the image or in the layer box. If however, I click on the created text layer box, the text shows up within layers, at the same time the small black square on screen disappears completely. I cannot find any way of getting text to display within the image. I have tried increasing the text size to 72 point, but it still does not show up. I am selecting a colour that would show up.

By doing some tests I have found that previously saved images (.psd) that have not been worked on with layers therefore have not had the subject to the “Layer > Flatten Image” does allow me to add text in the usual ways.

I am very confused.

I am wondering if my Photoshop needs to be fully re-set to the original settings. I have checked for any updates – it displays “your applications are all-up-to-date!

[Kris V]

This might be obvious, but when I ran into the same issue, it was simply because the text colour and the background were identical.
Might be worth looking into.....

[Nodarvch]

Sorry to say that this was one of the first things I checked. The small black square is not usual and does not look at all like the normal flashing vertical cursor. I don't know what that this indicates.

[Bryan Conner]

make sure that the opacity and fill of your text layer are set to 100%. Also make sure the text layer has the eye icon showing that the layer is visible.

[herbert]

Could this be something to do with the document dimensions? The text size may be relative to that.

Alex

[Nodarvch]

This is a screen shot showing the layer created - not the black square to the right

The eye is showing and the opacity is set to 100%

[Nodarvch]

Alex this show the image size:-

[pnodrog]

The only time I had a similar problem was with CS3 when I had it set to the text mask tool. If I do that in CS6 the mask colour covers the image and reminds me that I am using the wrong text tool.
However as your problem seems to be related to the file you use I am as mystified as you - can you take a couple of your files to someone else with CS5 and see if they behave the same way?

With text documents sent as attachments they often arrive with read only set as the file attribute and I need to change it before editing. Never struck the problem with tif or photoshop files but it maybe worth checking.

P.S. You posted your screen shots while I was answering and I am now as perplexed as you are. Good luck.

[jcuknz]

It has happened to me all the problems people have mentioned for the reasons they gave.
I wonder if you can organise the text as a new image and then copy and paste it so it is the top layer with the image ... then adjust size and position as a layer in the pack?
I assume PS can adjust the size of individual layers separately from background or other layers as my PSP can, my memory of PS was that it was not as easy as in PSP but that was just an early CS.

[jcuknz]

There is a wrinkle common to both PS and PSP which I use that you get white if the name of the background layer is background. To get transparency it has to be given another title. In your screen capture [11.25] you seem to have a white screen and no picture or text?
EDIT ... often this seems not to work when posting to websites

[Manfred M]

I have had this issue before, but you appear to have checked the issues that have caused this for me, white font colour on white background or font that is too small for the image. I do find that it sometimes takes some time for the text editor to lad in PS, but nothing that sticks around.

Have you tried doing a cold boot on your machine? I wonder if there is a memory corruption issue.

[Nodarvch]

The only time I had a similar problem was with CS3 when I had it set to the text mask tool. If I do that in CS6 the mask colour covers the image and reminds me that I am using the wrong text tool.
However as your problem seems to be related to the file you use I am as mystified as you - can you take a couple of your files to someone else with CS5 and see if they behave the same way?

With text documents sent as attachments they often arrive with read only set as the file attribute and I need to change it before editing. Never struck the problem with tif or photoshop files but it maybe worth checking.

P.S. You posted your screen shots while I was answering and I am now as perplexed as you are. Good luck.

Thanks for all the reply and suggestions. Yesterday Paul said: can you take a couple of your files to someone else with CS5 and see if they behave the same way?

Fortunately, I have a laptop with CS5 set up and today I have been doing some tests.

First of all one of my recent digital creations that has been worked on and saved as a .psd on my main PC, I copied this to my lab top to see if I could add and text in the normal way (as I have done for years). It was the same old problem. It created a layer and the black square, but I could not add any text to the image.

I than saved the same image on my laptop but as a .jpg, file - same results.

I then opened up an image NEF Raw image that had not been worked on before on my laptop, I managed to carry out all my required adjustments in RAW then open the image, I did a crop then added text , flatten the image. Saved it as .psd all done with no problems. I even went back to it to see if I could add further text – again no problems.

I copied this image to my main PC computer and I managed to open the image, but could not add any further text, it opened a layer and again with the black square.

I then created three identical image files (from a fresh NEF Raw file on my laptop) and copied them to my PC jpg, psd and tiff.

I opened one image at a time, added some text (with one layer) to each file. I ended up flattening each image then doing a crop. After doing a crop on each image the image would no longer allow me to go back and add any text layers. It did in all three cases create the layer, but with the single black square within each image as before.

The one thing I noticed was with the .jpg image the square allowed me to drag it and make it larger (see screen shot3 below) What is it?

I could not do this with the .psd or the tiff files.

I am of the conclusion that my main computer (PC) has a software fault within CS5.
I have checked the settings between my laptop and my PC, all the settings are the same - with exceptions of memory settings, scratch drives and the fact I have two monitors on my PC.

I seem to recall years ago having a problem with Photoshop and I had to do a re-set, but I cannot recall how this is done. I think this has to be my next plan of action.

[Manfred M]

To reset Photoshop start it and quickly press <ctrl> <shft> <alt> on a PC and it will reset the preferences to the default values.

[herbert]

Alex this show the image size:-

Your image is 2.126 pixels per inch.

Your fonts will be specified using typesetting sizes (points). There are 72 points to the inch. So a standard 12 point font will be less than one pixel. To see a font you will need a massive font size (>10000pt).

Try changing your document to 300 ppi with the image size dialog. Don't change the dimensions, just the ppi.

Your should then be able to add fonts that are visible.

Alex

[Nodarvch]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am hoping to continue my checking at some point tomorrow, I will repot back ASAP.

[Nodarvch]

Alex, You are spot on with your answer, I had been pressing the closed square bracket to try and increase the black square but it did not work for me, but as you said viewing the IMAGE SIZE and looking at the Resolution within the Document Size did show that the resolution was indeed incorrect. Changing to around 300ppi did solve the issue. (Obviously, I had to up-tick the “Scale Sizes, Constrain Proportions, & Resample image”.

To be honest I don’t quite understand why the ppi changes, normally with one of my images it’s normally as the enclosed screen shot. This problems seems to pop-up after I have done a crop and perhaps used layers but after the image is flattened. It is only a problem that seems to have developed in recent weeks.

Many thanks to Manfred, I will keep at hand your instructions for the re-set, I may need to use this at some point in the future.

Many thanks to all who have contributed to my problem, this is a great site.

[herbert]

The crop tool can effect PPI. It is something to watch out for when using it.

You can see your document dimension in the status bar at the bottom left of the Photoshop window. Just mouse-click on the document information down there and you can change it to one of a few things (e.g. file size, dimensions, etc). It is a quick thing to check when you are getting strange results related to sizing.

Alex

[Nodarvch]

The crop tool can effect PPI. It is something to watch out for when using it.

You can see your document dimension in the status bar at the bottom left of the Photoshop window. Just mouse-click on the document information down there and you can change it to one of a few things (e.g. file size, dimensions, etc). It is a quick thing to check when you are getting strange results related to sizing.

Alex

Thanks Alex, a good tip I will keep my setting to Document dementions from now onwards.

[John Morton]

The crop tool can effect PPI. It is something to watch out for when using it.


Alex

DEFINITELY!

When the crop tool is selected (CS4; probably generic to all later Photoshop versions) there are fields available in the tool preset bar under the file headings across the top. I think that if your preferences are set set for pixel units (the measure rulers along the top and side of a document, for instance) then anything entered into these open fields will default to pixels.

So if you preset the crop toll for 8"X10" without checking on that, surprise, you get a crop scaled to 8 pixels by 10 pixels.

I don't know if this relates to the issue that you have encountered but maybe check the fields for the crop tool when it is selected and make sure they haven't shifted to a measure unit other than what you are expecting.