Problems using type on .bmp and .tif files

[jerry seitchik]

Is there any way of typing on .bmp of .tif files? I have no problem using the type tool with .jpg files, but the type tool doesn't work properly on files that came from my scanner(.bmp files) or files that I received via fax (.tif) The layers palette indicates that the layers are partially locked in all three cases. The type tool only creates a type layer in the .jpg file.

[Tracy Connell]

Well, I don't know the correct answer to this but this is what I do:

Select All
Copy
Paste into a new image

Then you should be able to write text on the new image.

Tracy.

[John Calloway]

When you figure out what is causing your problem, please post back. I use Elements 1.0 to import forms all the time. I change the mode to greyscale, then, use the text tool to fill in whatever I need to fill in on the form.

Seems to work fine.

Let us know what solution works for you.

JCalloway

[Barbara J. Breault]

Changing PEG TO TIFF after down loading to Computer file.

Is there a way I can change the file of pictures I just down load in peg format to Tiff in one click of the mouse? Instead of one photo at a time.

BJB

[Beth Haney]

Go to File>Batch Processing. You can convert an entire folder at once. There are options for converting by format and also by size. I think you can even rename, but I never do that.

[BobHill]

There should be no problem in adding text to a BMP or TIFF format although with a BMP it'll flatten and not be editable once saved. TIFF files will retain editable ability to edit text, as will PSD, of course. I suspect if you can't, try deleting the Prefs file and see if that corrects things (close Elements, then immediately after clicking the Elements startup icon hold down Control/Command+SHIFT+ALT/OPTION keys until you get the message asking if you wish to delete settings. Say YES and you should be able to get and see all default settings including use of Text Tool.

Bob

[jerry seitchik]

Reply to suggestions on entering type on .bmp and .tif files

Bob Hill's suggestion for deleting the prefs file seemed to make things much better. I was then able to type on the .bmp and .tif files. Only the .tif files get a type layer when you type. The .bmp type on the .bmp files looks bad again after you confirm, but I discovered that if you save the file and reopen it the type looks OK. This may have been true all along.
Tracy Connell's suggestion also worked but the results were the same as typing on the originals after I deleted the prefs file.

For both of these cases the file size was large. For the .tif files I was able to merge layers but the file was still large. Worst case file sizes for a simple picture were 1M.

John Calloway's suggestion for changing to grayscale worked best. Both .tif and .bmp had type layers. The type always looked natural. The file size could be reduced to about 45K after converting back from grayscale, merging layers and saving. The final file size seems to depend on the order in which you do merging, converting back to bitmap and saving. Also for some reason explorer gives smaller sizes than elements gives for the open file. Both .bit and .tif files can be reopened and edited prior to merging layers.
Thank you all for your help.

[BobHill]

Jerry,

It's easy to become confused about the byte sizes of images, but remember that in Explorer (or any file/folder "reader") you are seeing the files storage size, while when an image is open in a raster program you are seeing the IMAGE size. Big difference. In the program (any raster program) the image you see on screen will be sized by the total number of pixels times it's color mode (RGB being 24bit/3bytes per pixel). When you "store" or Save an image to a particular image format (PSD, JPG, BMP, TIFF, etc.) the stored file size is determined by the Image size Plus the format sizing. Some formats add to the process (BMP) and some formats are highly compressed (JPG). But whether added format bytes or compression files, they all follow the number of pixels times the color mode when imaged in the program.

Bob