adding cool type fonts to photos?

[elcamino84]

I would like to add text to photos..easy enough but I would like to have the ability to have graduated color foir the font face. I have Elements 4.0 and first version of CS and the only choices I have are thousands of solid colors. SECOND Question: I would like to create a square/rectangle to frame a portion of an image. The shape wil be thick with a solid color. I would like to leave whats inside the square/rectangle in color and the rest in black and white...any suggestions?????

[vanderstouw]

in cs you can put in your type... and then rasterize it once you get it how you like it, and then use it as any other layer... use it's selection (which you don't have to rasterize it for)... and use that selection as a mask...

there really are tons and tons of options...

easy to use gradient effects on a layer and use that text selection as a mask... etc...

I play w/ type a lot...:
http://www.pbase.com/vanderstouw/words

[photojaq]

Here is how to do what you want on color and B+W:

Frame is in color - image within frame is B+W:
Assume you are working with B+W image in PS. When ready to add final frame do the following:
Image | Canvas Size command
Choose color from lower right corner of dialog
Make sure the size of the Width and Height dimensions are in Pixels

Frame is in B+W - image within is in color
Image | Canvas Size command
Choose B+W color from lower right corner of dialog.
PS calls the it "Canvas extension color"

See here for all sorts of Touches of color within B+W images and how to do:
http://www.thephotofinishes.com/corelColortouch2.htm
is just one of a whole series of tips/tutorials on getting to B+W and mixing with color in PS and PSP.

Hope this helpful