How do I create tabular column in Photoshop 7.0
Answers
Whether you need to draw information-holding tables for a client or for your business's promotional materials, you can use Photoshop's Shape tool to draw the table's columns and rows. The Text tool provides text for the table, and layer styles enable you to add color and flair. By using the graphics of the Shape tool instead of the graphics of the commonly used Brush painting tool, you can easily move and align table lines after drawing them. The Shape tool's graphics also provide guidelines for adding text, something that Brush-painted tables don't provide.
1. Create a U.S. Letter document, then click the "Tool Preset" button at the far left of the Options toolbar. Click the "Reset All" command to prevent a prior configuration of Photoshop's Shape tools from hindering your table drawing.
2. Press "D" to make black the foreground color and white the background color, then click the solid-line ellipse from the Tools palette to run the Shape command. Click the rectangular icon on the Options toolbar, then click and drag on the canvas to draw a rectangle to the size you want for the table.
3. Click the line segment on the Options toolbar to load the tool for drawing line segments, then press "-" -- the hyphen key -- to specify Subtract mode. This mode enables column and row lines to appear clearly against the table background.
4. Click on the table background where you want a column line to start. Move the mouse to where you want the column line to end, then press and hold the "Shift" key to specify a strictly vertical line. Click the point where you want the line to end to complete the line.
5. Create the remaining column and row lines you want for the table, then click the black arrow on the Tools palette to run the Path Selection tool. Press and hold "Shift," then click all column lines to select them. Click the second rightmost button on the Options toolbar to run Distribute Horizontal Centers. Photoshop evenly spaces the column lines you chose. Distribute the table's horizontal lines with Distribute Vertical Centers, the fifth button from the right on the Options toolbar. Press "X" to make white the foreground color.
6. Click the "Shape" item in the Layers panel to select that layer, press "T" to run the Text tool, then type "36 pt" in the Font Size control in the Options toolbar. Click a table cell to select the cell, then type the cell's text. Press "Ctrl-Enter" when you're done. Repeat this step to add text to other cells, being sure to first click "Shape" in the Layers panel.
7. Click the "Shape" item in the Layers panel, then click the "Fx" button at the bottom of the Layers panel to display a list of layer styles. Click the "Color Overlay" command, then click the color swatch of the Layer Styles dialog box to display a color palette. Click the color you want for the table background and close the palette.
8. Click the "Inner Shadow" item at the left of the dialog, then drag the "Choke" slider to the far right to add a shadow to the table's lines. Close the dialog to view your completed table.