Adding Text & Shapes

Working with Text and Shapes

Text and shapes are essential elements for creating graphics, social media posts, presentations, and marketing materials. The Picify Editor provides powerful tools for adding and customizing both, giving you full creative control over your designs.

Unlike pixel-based elements, text and vector shapes remain editable and can be scaled to any size without losing quality.

Adding Text

The Text tool (T) allows you to add editable text to your designs.

Creating Text

1. Select the Text tool from the toolbar or press T
2. Click anywhere on the canvas to create a text insertion point
3. Start typing your text
4. Click outside the text box or press Escape when finished

Text Box vs. Point Text

• Point text: Click once to create. Text extends in a single line until you press Enter for a new line.
• Text box: Click and drag to create a bounding box. Text automatically wraps within the box boundaries.

Editing Existing Text

• Double-click a text layer to enter edit mode
• Select text by clicking and dragging
• Triple-click to select an entire paragraph
• Ctrl/Cmd + A selects all text in the layer

Font Selection

The right font sets the tone for your entire design. Picify Editor provides access to a wide variety of fonts.

Choosing Fonts

• Select your text layer or highlight specific text
• Open the font dropdown in the properties panel or options bar
• Scroll through available fonts or type to search
• Click a font name to apply it

Font Categories

• Serif: Traditional fonts with decorative strokes (Times, Georgia). Best for formal, elegant, or traditional designs.
• Sans-serif: Clean fonts without decorative strokes (Arial, Helvetica). Best for modern, minimal, and digital designs.
• Display: Decorative fonts for headlines and emphasis. Use sparingly and never for body text.
• Script: Handwritten and calligraphic styles. Perfect for invitations, logos, and accents.
• Monospace: Fixed-width fonts where each character takes equal space. Great for code, tables, and technical content.

Font Pairing Tips

• Limit yourself to 2-3 fonts per design
• Pair a display or serif font for headlines with a sans-serif for body text
• Use fonts from the same family for guaranteed harmony
• Create contrast through size and weight, not just different fonts

Text Styling

Beyond font selection, you can style text in many ways to create visual hierarchy and emphasis.

Basic Styles

• Bold (Ctrl/Cmd + B): Makes text heavier and more prominent
• Italic (Ctrl/Cmd + I): Slants text for emphasis or titles
• Underline (Ctrl/Cmd + U): Adds a line below text
• Strikethrough: Draws a line through text

Size and Spacing

• Font size: Measured in points (pt) or pixels (px)
• Line height (leading): Space between lines of text
• Letter spacing (tracking): Space between all characters
• Word spacing: Space between words

Text Color

• Click the color swatch to open the color picker
• Apply solid colors, gradients, or patterns
• Use the eyedropper to sample colors from your image

Alignment

• Left: Text aligns to the left edge (default for most languages)
• Center: Text centers within its container
• Right: Text aligns to the right edge
• Justify: Text stretches to fill the full width

Text Effects

• Drop shadow: Adds depth with a shadow behind text
• Outline/Stroke: Adds an outline around characters
• Glow: Creates a soft glow effect around text

Drawing Shapes

Shape tools create vector graphics that can be resized without quality loss. Access shape tools by pressing U or selecting from the toolbar.

Rectangle Tool

Creates rectangles and squares.

• Click and drag to draw a rectangle
• Hold Shift: Constrain to a perfect square
• Hold Alt/Option: Draw from the center
• Corner radius: Adjust in properties to round corners

Ellipse Tool

Creates circles and ellipses.

• Click and drag to draw an ellipse
• Hold Shift: Constrain to a perfect circle
• Hold Alt/Option: Draw from the center

Line Tool

Draws straight lines between two points.

• Click to set the start point, drag to the end point
• Hold Shift: Constrain to 45-degree increments
• Stroke weight: Adjust line thickness in properties
• Arrowheads: Add arrows to start, end, or both

Polygon Tool

Creates multi-sided regular polygons.

• Click and drag to draw the polygon
• Sides: Set the number of sides (3 = triangle, 6 = hexagon, etc.)
• Hold Shift: Constrain rotation to 45-degree increments

Star Tool

Creates star shapes with customizable points.

• Points: Number of star points (5 is classic)
• Inner radius: Depth of the indentations between points
• Lower inner radius creates sharper, more dramatic stars

Shape Customization

All shapes can be customized using the properties panel.

Fill Options

• Solid color: A single color fills the shape
• Gradient: Smooth transition between colors
• Pattern: Repeating image or texture
• No fill: Shape outline only (transparent interior)

Stroke Options

• Color: Outline color
• Width: Thickness of the outline
• Style: Solid, dashed, or dotted
• Position: Inside, center, or outside the shape edge
• Caps: How line ends appear (butt, round, square)
• Joins: How corners connect (miter, round, bevel)

Transforming Shapes

• Move: Drag the shape or use arrow keys for precise positioning
• Resize: Drag corner handles (hold Shift to maintain proportions)
• Rotate: Hover outside a corner handle until the cursor changes, then drag
• Flip: Use Edit menu or right-click for horizontal/vertical flip

Shape Layer Effects

Apply layer effects to shapes for additional styling:

• Drop shadow: Shadow beneath the shape
• Inner shadow: Shadow inside the shape edges
• Outer glow: Soft glow around the shape
• Inner glow: Soft glow inside the shape
• Bevel and emboss: 3D-like raised or sunken effect

Working with Paths

Paths are vector-based lines and curves that form the foundation of shapes. Understanding paths gives you complete control over custom shapes.

Pen Tool (P)

The Pen tool creates custom paths by placing anchor points.

• Click: Create a corner point
• Click and drag: Create a smooth curve point
• Close path: Click the starting point to complete a closed shape
• Open path: Press Escape or switch tools to leave the path open

Editing Paths

Use the Direct Selection tool (A) to modify existing paths:

• Click an anchor point to select it
• Drag anchor points to reposition them
• Drag handles to adjust curve direction and intensity
• Add points by clicking on a path segment
• Delete points by selecting and pressing Delete

Path Operations

Combine multiple shapes using path operations:

• Unite: Combine shapes into one
• Subtract: Cut one shape out of another
• Intersect: Keep only overlapping areas
• Exclude: Keep everything except overlapping areas

Best Practices for Text and Shapes

Typography Tips

• Establish clear hierarchy with size, weight, and color
• Ensure sufficient contrast for readability
• Left-align body text for easier reading
• Avoid justified text in narrow columns
• Never stretch or distort fonts

Shape Design Tips

• Use consistent stroke widths throughout your design
• Align shapes to a grid for professional results
• Group related shapes together
• Use subtle shadows to create depth without overwhelming

Combining Text and Shapes

• Use shapes as backgrounds for text blocks
• Create badges and labels by combining shapes with text
• Use lines and shapes to create visual hierarchy
• Maintain consistent spacing between elements