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Extreme newbie question...can't undo ellipse tool?


povictory

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Hello,

Despite being a complete newb, I've taken the plunge with CS6 and I've been pretty amazed with what i've been able to achieve so far by just putzing around...but I've run into a bit of a road block.

So basically, I've been trying to enhance a photo of my fiancee and me for the save-the-dates for our wedding. I have a silver star (in it's own layer) in the background where I'm trying to add text. I'm using the Brush Tool to add text and it's been working great except when I try to add a "0". My freehand drawing looks awful so my newb solution was to use the Ellipse Tool to create a large black oval and then create a smaller silver oval in the middle to match the background, thus creating an "0". I'm sure expert users are cringing at that...but it worked for me! :rolleyes:

Anyways, my problem has come about because I accidentally used the Ellipse tool to put an "0" where it doesn't belong. I tried to use the trusty "Step Backward" tool to undo it, but it didn't work. I've tried everything else I can think of to fix this (erase tool, clone stamp, copy silver background via layer to drag over the "0") but nothing works because the ellipse is out front and any change I make only impacts the star in back. I see in the Ellipse menu that there is an option to "Bring Shape To Front" and "Send Shape to Back" but those options are greyed out and don't work.

I feel like there has to be some simple option I'm missing. Any ideas on how I can get rid of this Ellipse shape? I've been putting in a lot of time on this picture and I feel like I've come a long way (despite my newbie ways) so it would be very frustrating to start over. Any assistance anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated!

Also, I'm very new to forums like this, so if there is some key info I'm leaving out, please let me know and I will try to provide.

Thanks in advance!

Chris
 

ibclare

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If you would like to upload your psd, a picture says a thousand words and saves me trying to figure out what questions to ask you, LOL. So important to always make a new layer for everything . . . But it isn't like you're the first to make a newbie mistake, uh no, not at all. From what you're describing, it seems there should be a way to fix this. Now if your 0s are on a higher layer afer all, then that is why they don't get covered by copying the silver. If you're using the clone tool, do it on it's own layer on top and be sure that "all layers" is checked. Since I can't see what you've done, I can only guess. So let's see that psd.

And welcome to the forum.

BTW, sorry your thread took so long to come up; our auto-spammer moderated it.
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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Chris,
Have you tried using the Path Selection tool? Your ellipse is a vector path and can be selected using this tool. Just click on the ellipse with the tool, the handles will show up, hit delete and it's gone.
Path select tool.JPG
 

iDad

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It sounds to me the the large oval was blended to the surface of what ever layer and not saved as a separate layer if you ca not back up far enough then I think (guessing I haven't seen the work) you need to do some editing of that layer in queston
 

ibclare

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Unless in fact it is just the lines of a path he is seeing . . . though he didn't mention using a path tool


. . . without that psd, it's all supposition.
 

ALB68

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Unless in fact it is just the lines of a path he is seeing . . . though he didn't mention using a path tool


. . . without that psd, it's all supposition.
That was my supposition. (Haha..been there done that.)
 

povictory

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Hello all,

Thanks for all the responses! I've attached the .psd file (even though I'm a little nervous to do so because of my amateurishness! haha)

So specifically I'm talking about the left star. I think I had been working on it for a long time and absentmindedly centered "00" on it which would give me 2003 instead of 2013...doh! So first and foremost I'm hoping someone could direct me on how to remove that second "0".

Secondly, does anyone have any advice on drawing curves with the brush tool in a controlled way? I already figured out the holding down Shift key when drawing straight lines. So far I've just been drawing the letters and then stepping backward and re-drawing if I don't like it...which takes quite a long time. I think I finally got our names to look fairly decent but I feel like the October is a little goofy looking.

Thanks!

ChrisView attachment IMG_1423_edited.psd
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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delete 0.JPGI think what you need tp do is to unlock the background layer. Double click and it will become LAYER 0. You can then select the 0 and delete it.
 
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povictory

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hmm...I've unlocked the background layer but I can't seem to select the 0. Do I still need to have the background layer selected?
 

ALB68

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hmm...I've unlocked the background layer but I can't seem to select the 0. Do I still need to have the background layer selected?
You have to have the layer where you want to delete selected. You can also just turn off Layer Ellipse 11. That does not delete it per se, but if you flatten the image and let PS delete hidden layers, then it also takes care of the issue. You also had a brush mark on the left star layer. I fixed that with the spot healing tool.

Edit- I stand corrected. You do not have to unlock the background layer, but you do have to select the layer on which you want to make the deletion.
 
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ALB68

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Too late now I'm sure, but there is a history palette that will let you revert back more than one step.
Good advice Hawk. Nice thing about computer stuff is there is always more than one way to accomplish the mission.
 

ibclare

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Too late now I'm sure, but there is a history palette that will let you revert back more than one step.

I recommend, especially for newbies, to go into edit>preferences (different for mac) >performance>history & cache and find the history states. I think the default is only 20. If you're like me, and 40 brush strokes later you want to go back, you need a few states. You have up to 1,000! But I believe the higher the number, the higher the RAM used.
 

povictory

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Ok, now I feel really dumb. For whatever reason I was only seeing Layers 0-3, and the layers I renamed "Left Star", "Middle Star", and "Right Star" in the Layer window. After closing and re-opening, I see all of the ellipses on their own separate layers. I just selected the one to remove and deleted it, easy as pie. I wonder if I collapsed them somehow so that not all of the layers were showing?

Despite being a bit embarrassed, I'm thrilled that I can keep going now...

Going back to my previous message, anybody have any suggestions for things I could do to draw letters with curves in a more controlled way? I'm not sure my hand is steady enough on it's own!

Again, thanks for the tips, encouragement, and patience!
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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Ok, now I feel really dumb. For whatever reason I was only seeing Layers 0-3, and the layers I renamed "Left Star", "Middle Star", and "Right Star" in the Layer window. After closing and re-opening, I see all of the ellipses on their own separate layers. I just selected the one to remove and deleted it, easy as pie. I wonder if I collapsed them somehow so that not all of the layers were showing?

Despite being a bit embarrassed, I'm thrilled that I can keep going now...

Going back to my previous message, anybody have any suggestions for things I could do to draw letters with curves in a more controlled way? I'm not sure my hand is steady enough on it's own!

Again, thanks for the tips, encouragement, and patience!

Not to worry. You have a good start. PS has so many things to learn and remember, sometimes you can't see the "forest for the trees". Happens to me all the time.
 

povictory

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Thanks again for the help and encouragement! I've been working a bit with the Pen Tool as well as watching some youtube tutorials and it is exactly what I'm looking for!
 

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