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Even with the best font size, style, and color, the text in your image might not capture the viewer’s attention if you don’t put it at the center. Learning how to center text in Photoshop will help capture the viewer’s attention, regardless of how distracting the image is.
How to Center Text in Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most versatile photo-editing applications, allowing you to edit your photos and add text for captioning. However, if you don’t know how to center text, Photoshop will default add the text near the left border.
Since Photoshop has complex features that allow you to work with a wide range of objects such as shapes, selections, and canvas, you can use any of the following methods to center the text depending on your work.
Centering the Text in a Photoshop Canvas
Launch Photoshop and open the image you want to add the text to. Choose the text layer and then pick the Type Tool from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the interface. With the tool selected, click at any point on the canvas, type the text and then follow the following steps to center it in the canvas.
- Select the text layer from the layers and then hit the V key on your keyboard or pick the move tool located on the toolbar on the left-hand side of the interface. Alternatively, you can hit the keyboard shortcut key Command + A if you are using a Mac or Ctrl + A if using a Windows PC.
- Usually, a dotted line that looks like marching ants will form around the canvas, showing your selection. The alignment options will also show at the top, next to the transformation controls.
- Click on the align horizontal centers icon to align the text horizontally. Usually, this option is indicated by a pair of rectangles with a center horizontal dotted line.
- Click on the align vertical centers icon to align the text vertically. This option is indicated by a pair of rectangles with a center vertical dotted line.
- Keep in mind that you can use the horizontal alignment option or vertical alignment option if you only need a horizontal center alignment or vertical center alignment.
- With the text layer aligned, you can then hit the keyboard shortcut keys Ctrl + D if you are using a Windows PC or Command + D if using a mac to deselect and remove the dotted line of marching ants.
Centering Text in a Selection
Sometimes you might want to center the text inside a specified region in canvas rather than the entire canvas. That means you will need to specify the region to which you want to add the text before centering. Usually, you can use the following steps to make a selection using the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
- Pick the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the tools panel on the left-hand side of the interface or hit the M key on your keyboard.
- Click and drag the mouse outwards on your image to make a rectangular selection of the part you want to add and center the text. Keep in mind that the selection is the region inside the animated borders. If you are unsatisfied with the selection, you can undo it by hitting Ctrl + Z on your Windows PC or Command + Z on your mac.
- After getting the desired selection, navigate to the Layers Window and then choose the text layer.
- Like when centering the text in a Photoshop canvas, navigate to the toolbar, pick the Move Tool, or hit the V key on your keyboard.
- Choose the horizontal center alignment and vertical center alignment to center the text.
- You can then deselect by hitting Ctrl + D on a Windows PC or Command + D on a mac.
Centering Text in a Photoshop Shape Object
Sometimes you might want to add and align text to a shape object in Photoshop. Although you can use selection tools such as the Marquee Tool to make a selection, it can be challenging, especially when working with complex shapes. However, you can make a selection of the shape itself using the following tips.
- Create your shape by selecting the shape layer and drawing out the shape. Usually, a new layer with the drawn shape will appear on the layers panel.
- Change the shape into a selection by holding down the Ctrl key on your Windows PC or the Command key on your mac and then clicking on the thumbnail. Usually, a dotted line that looks like marching ants will form around the shape.
- Activate the text layer by selecting it in the Layers Window
- Pick the Move Tool and then use the above steps to center the text, just like when centering it in a selection.
Centering the Text Without a Selection
Sometimes you might want to align your text to the center without a selection, just like the way you would do in a Microsoft word. Without selection, pick the Text Tool from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the interface or hit the T key on your keyboard.
From the Layers Window, select the text layer you want to align, and three alignment options will appear on the settings bar at the top. Usually, the right-align text icon represents right alignment for aligning the text to the right-hand side, and the left-align text icon represents left alignment and helps align the text to the left-hand side.
Click on the center text icon located between the left and right align icon to align your text to the center of the text box. Keep in mind that the text will not necessarily align to the center of the canvas, and you might need to adjust your text box size and location.
Centering the Text With Snap Guides
The Photoshop snap guides help position and align different layers in a canvas. Usually, a purple snap appears to guide you in the right positions to place the layer when you start moving it around, and the algorithm will also help to move the layer to the nearby correct alignment.
Simply navigate to View, choose Snap To, and then select All to activate the snap guide when you drag your text layer using the Move Tool. In most cases, the lines indicate the most common positions, such as the centers, and help move the nearby objects to more aligned positions.
Typically, you don’t need to accurately position the layer on the center of the center purple snap lines. You only need to drag your text layer near the center and release the mouse, and then the algorithm will snap the layer into the correct center position.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Reshape Text in Photoshop?
When converting text into shape, right-click on the text layer and select Convert to Shape. Press Shift + A to choose the Direct Selection tool (under the white arrow tool) and click and drag the arrows on the path to change the characters to the new shape.
How Do I Use the Text Tool in Photoshop?
Highlight the Type Tool from the Tools Palette, click and drag to form a text frame. Choose the font and font size of your choice from the Character Palette or the Tool Options Palette. Write your text and choose the Move Tool to inactivate the Type Tool, then move the text box to the location of your choice on the document.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are working on a canvas, a selection, or a shape, learning how to center text in Photoshop will help position the text at the center of your object and capture the viewer’s attention. You can align the text using the center alignment options or the Photoshop snap guides.
