I don’t work with vector shapes quite enough to fully understand the value of this text-to-shape conversion, but here’s my stab at it: Firstly, what you did was likely correct, but the color fill will still be aliased since it can never cleanly follow a vector curve. You just aren’t seeing the vector shape due to the fill. To do so, click on the left icon or "adjustment’ icon of the shape layer and change the color fill to white. Then, click on the vector mask, the right icon that shows your text. When you do, you will see the vector outline of your text. If you zoom in on that, you’ll find that the curves are are smooth vectors and the shape can indeed be scaled without degradation. But, once you add a fill color or pattern, you’ll see those "jaggies" again because the square pixels cannot be flush against the vector curve.
I’m not quite sure how converting text into a shape for scaling would offer any advantage in preserving quality over that of specifying the text at simply a larger font size. I suspect the results would be similar. Perhaps someone else can clarify what I might be overlooking in this assumption.
Keep in mind also that a final image in GIF, TIF, JPG, or other raster formats are indeed that…raster…and they will still exhibit aliasing along curves.
Regards,
Daryl
You have the Vector Mask for the Shape Layer visible in the Paths palette. Click off of it in the palette, and it should look better. And view it at 100%, not magnified.
Ok now I’m really confused here! Sorry
When I save just text to a PDF file the quality remains extremely sharp regardless of the text size, or whether it’s a smart object or shape. Is this because PDF is vector based??
If this is the case where would I benefit from converting text to a shape?
The only reason to convert text to a shape is to have the ability to alter the path or shape of the characters beyond the limits of the font or Photoshop.
eg: changing the dot of an ‘i’ to a square, etc.
If it is just for sizing, keep the type and don’t convert to a shape.
It’s also useful for sending the .psd to someone, without having to send along a copy of the font as well, in case they don’t have it themselves. That was one of the reasons for developing the .pdf format.
Thanks John, that is the situation I find myself in where I must deliver this file to the next person.
Cool, now I dont need to send the font over with the file. (Only then they cant edit the text but thats fine.)
