Typography is integral to any design, and if you're using Adobe Photoshop for your creations, it all starts with the text tool. Adding, modifying, and editing your text could not be simpler, and can open up a world of great design for the budding graphic designer.

So, in this article, we show you how to add and edit text in Photoshop. Which is easier than you think.

How to Add Text in Adobe Photoshop

  1. Click the Text tool button in the menu or use the keyboard shortcut T. Once you do that, you should see a cursor.
    text tool in photoshop
  2. Click on the canvas where you want your text to appear and start typing.
    add text in photoshop

How to Add Paragraphs in Adobe Photoshop

  1. Click the Text tool button in the menu or use the keyboard shortcut T. Once you do that, you should see a cursor.
  2. Click and drag on your canvas where you want your text to appear and draw a bounding box to limit the dimensions of your text.
    add text box in photoshop
  3. You can then start typing in your text box.
    add paragraph in photoshop
  4. You can alter the dimensions of the text box by clicking and dragging any of the anchor points. Just hover over them and your cursor should turn into arrows.

How to Edit Text in Adobe Photoshop

Once you've inserted the text, you're going to want to select a font (the best Photoshop typefaces you can use) that suits your design.

With the text tool still selected, you can choose all of the key features, including typeface, weight, and size, with the menu at the top of the screen. Use the dropdown menus to make your selections. You can also choose the text justification and color.

edit text in photoshop

Another way to access these settings if you're running Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 is through the properties panel:

  1. Go to Window > Properties to open the panel.
  2. Select the layer of text you want to edit.
  3. With the layer selected, you should see all of the same text settings listed above in the properties panel.
photoshop properties panel

For even more features and settings, you'll want to open the Character panel by going to Window > Character.

Here, you can access the same settings above, as well as a few others. You can change your leading (space between lines of text) and kerning (space between characters), switch your text to all caps or small caps with the click of a button, and more.

character options in photoshop

If you can't edit text in Photoshop, that's most likely because your layer is locked. To unlock the layer, select it in the Layers panel and click the lock icon. You can then edit the text within that layer.

How to Modify and Move Text in Adobe Photoshop

There are two ways you can access and change existing text. For a simple approach, do the following:

  1. Select the Text tool from the Tools panel or by using the keyboard shortcut T.
  2. Click anywhere directly on the text you want to edit on your canvas.

The second method requires you to have your layers panel open, but you don't need to have the Text tool selected:

  1. Open up your layers panel by going to Window > Layers.
  2. In the list of layers in your Layers panel, find the text you want to edit and double-click the large T button. This will highlight all of the text in that layer.
  3. You can then click your cursor in that text to select, delete, or add more text.
    modify text in photoshop

To move your text, do the following:

  1. Select the Move tool from the Tools panel or use the keyboard shortcut V.
  2. Click directly on the text on your canvas and drag to move without releasing the mouse.
    move text in photoshop

Mixing Text With Images Is Easier Than You Think

If you need to add some text to your photos in Photoshop, there are various ways to do that as shown above. Adding text is just the beginning of text styling, and you can add a number of effects and color shades to your text in just a few clicks.

If Photoshop happens to be your primary image editor, it's worth learning some of the most useful Photoshop tips and tricks. This should let you get the most out of Photoshop.