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I want to re-size the bounding box for an existing block of text. I found that by holding down the CTRL key on Windows, it will let you scale the text block, but I just want to resize the bounds of the text not scale it.

I've already looked at http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-75d7a.html which describes out to SCALE the text as noted above.

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3 Answers 3

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There are two forms of text objects.. Point text ( click and start typing) and Paragraph text (click-drag a box, then start typing).

Paragraph text contains a bounding box which can be resized.

Point text has no bounding box, therefore the bounding box can not be resized since it doesn't exist.

If you have point text, but want a bounding box, highlight the text layer in the Layers Panel and choose Type > Convert to Paragraph Text from the menu.

This will create a bounding box around the text by converting the Point Text to Paragraph text.

To alter a bounding box size, insert the type I-beam cursor in the text so its blinking, then hover your cursor over an edge of the bounding box. The cursor will change to an arrow indicator letting you know you can click-drag to resize the bounding box.

You can also convert Paragraph text to Point Text the same way. The Type menu will display a "Covert to Point Text" item if you have a paragraph text layer highlighted in the Layers Panel.

Note that Only Illustrator CC or newer has a similar "convert" command. Previous versions of Illustrator have no method to automate the conversion of Point Text to Area Text, and vice versa.

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  • Well, I learned something today! Is there an equivalent command to convert built in to Illustrator? I did a cursory glance but didn't see anything.
    – Brendan
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 21:06
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    Unfortunately no. There's no similar converting command in Illustrator for Point and Area text. Lord knows I wish there were and I've submitted a few feature requests asking for it.
    – Scott
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 21:10
  • You can also convert to point/paragraph text by right-clicking on the later in the layers panel.
    – BrianV
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 14:00
  • Of note, the next release of Illustrator for the Creative Cloud is promoting a convert option between point and area text.
    – Scott
    Commented May 29, 2013 at 21:31
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There are two ways to create text in Photoshop. Point mode and bounding box mode. If you use the type tool to drag out a bounding box when you first create the text, then you will be able to edit the bounding box. If you just click and start typing then the text will never get a bounding box.

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Before you start typing your text, click and drag to create a text box rather than simply clicking. You should be able to resize as you'd expect then.

This concept is explained (with Illustrator in mind but the concept is the same) here.

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  • Brendan, that doesn't work. It simply creates a new text box. There is now "Show bounding box" in Photoshop.
    – BrianV
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 20:17
  • If the text you created is already a point type object, there's no way to resize the bounding box because there is no bounding box, at least not in the way you'd expect. Cut the text, create an area type object, and paste your text into that. You should be able to resize the bounding box apart from the text size then.
    – Brendan
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 20:24
  • If that is the case, then it's crazy. I remember doing it in previous versions of of PS.
    – BrianV
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 20:27
  • Did it work? I could be misunderstanding your problem.
    – Brendan
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 20:33
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    Well, I'm glad you got your answer. For what it's worth (for anyone following along at home), you can't perform your solution on a point type object, only on an area type object.
    – Brendan
    Commented Oct 9, 2012 at 20:44

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