How to Convert Text to a Shape in Photoshop and Change

Learn how to not just convert text into shapes in Photoshop, but also how to alter those shapes and their colours. Details below...

0:00 - Converting Text into Shapes
Within the Layers panel, right mouse click on a text layer (not the layer thumbnail) and choose "Convert to Shape".

0:25 - Altering the Shapes
A shape is made up of one or more vector paths which themselves contain a series of anchor points.

Direct Selection Tool
This tool allows for individual anchor points within vector layers to be selected and moved. To select multiple anchor points, click, drag and release with the mouse to define an area. To restrict movement to horizontal or vertical directions, hold down the Shift key while dragging the anchor points.

Path Selection Tool
This tool allows for entire paths within vector layers to be selected with a single click and moved.

Select Option
Within the Options bar running along the top of Photoshop is a Select option that contains two settings. The first, "Active Layers", only allows for the selection of content within vector layers that are active within the Layers panel. The second, "All Layers", allows for the selection of content within any vector layers of the Photoshop document.

1:45 - Changing Colour
Double click on the thumbnail for the shape layer within the Layers panel. Choose a new colour from the Color Picker panel that opens up.

1:58 - Separating Individual Letters
Select one or more letters by dragging a selection over the relevant anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool. Individual letters can also be selected by clicking on them with the Path Selection Tool. With the anchor points selected, from the menu choose...

Layer - New - Shape Layer Via Cut

Visually, nothing will change within the document. However, those selected letters will now be on their own separate shape layer.

[redsantana]

You're amazing. You could just show how to do and end the tutorial, but explaining the whole processing behind is what makes this tutorial perfect. Thank you so much!

[PlushyPachi]

you dont understand how long ive been trying to figure out how to do this. i fucking love you. you explained this so easily and simply, and the title is literal. 10/10 exactly what we need

[johnritchie]

Awesome..best wishes for 2021 to you & yours!

[rubendekker]

this was the best video i've seen today. No jokes! Thanks bro!!

[asphaltandtacos]

This is a very helpful video. Thank you!

[thewatcher]

This is a rare tutorial explaining a lot of steps almost all other tutorials skip, I was so confused in this option because after converting to shape I was not able to distort letters.. the letters were moving instead.. turns out that path selection tool was selected and I need direct selection tool for text manipulation. also I didn't know I needed to activate the anchor points first before I could move them

[johnritchie]

Thank you Michael few health issues right now but hopefully I’ll bounce back..Thanks again!

[oskararnarson]

I've used photoshop for a billion years but I've never used "Shape layer via cut"... Jesus Christ that was helpful. Thank you.

[PatriciaHoffman-bz]

Awesome video, extremely helpful. Any tips on how to make the letters all wider without having to drag every point on the letter shape individually? I have tried the blending options by adding a stroke to the outside but it actually doesn't expand the corresponding points to the wider stroke. Is there a step I'm missing or a better way to do this? Thanks so much in advance!

[curlylyric]

Hey! I don't have a right click option, on my mac, is there another way to get it to convert into a shape?

[MyNegativeCreep]

Can you show also how to Split this text into two colour blocks and paint it in different colours? Thanks

[aaronfitness]

When I click convert to shape, the layer seems to disappear, the image is still on my canvas but the layer is gone from my Layers tab?

[George]

I can't find that button that says convert to shape, Its just not there for me

[arvinraghu]

Is it possible to convert multiple layers at once ?

[shallomons]

I click convert to shape, but there's text "could not complete your request because the type layer use a faux bold style". What should i do?

[ty]

its useful but how to convert it back to text？can u teach me？tq

[liano]

how to seperate a letter without creating a new layer?