Word Split with the Magic Wand Tool

with 75 Comments

 

Word Split with the Magic Wand Tool
by Jenifer Juris

Give your greeting card template the look of perfectly cut paper using the magic of the Magic Wand tool.

For this tutorial you will need:

  • Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop
  • A script title or word art that’s connected with no spaces (Download the Tutorial Files – 31MB)

 

The download link above includes:
a video, a manual, 2 papers, and 3 word art

 

Watch the Video:

 

Step One: Prepare the Workspace

  • Create a new document (File > New > Blank File) that is 7 inches wide by 5 inches high at 300ppi with a White Background. (PS: Choose File > New.)
  • In the Menu Bar, choose View > Rulers to turn your Rulers on.
  • Open a the word art file you wish to use. You can find the included word art in the downloads link above. (File > Open).

NOTE: No matter which of the 3 pieces of word art you choose to use, the tutorial will work the same.

 

Step Two: Add The Word Art

  • Get the Move tool.
  • On the document, while holding down the Shift key, click and drag the word art onto the 7×5 document and then let go.
  • Press Ctrl T (Mac: Cmd T) to get the Transform options. On the document, while holding down the Alt key (Mac: Opt key), click and drag from a corner handle until the word art fits to the edges of the document. If you don’t see the corner handles of the bounding box, press Ctrl 0 (Mac: Cmd ) to fit the bounding box to your viewing area.

NOTE: This step is important for the tutorial to work properly. The word art must be slightly overlapping the edges of the document in order for the rest of the tutorial to work.

  • Click the checkmark to commit.
  • On the document, while holding down the Shift key, click and drag the word art down until it’s roughly two thirds of the way down the document. This would put the middle of the word art at about 3.33 inches down along the vertical.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the name of the word art layer and change it to Xmas Word Art. Press Enter to commit the name change.

 

 

Step Two: Create a Light Gray Layer

  • Click on the Foreground Color Chip to open the Color Picker and choose a light gray color. I’m using Hex #: cccccc. Click OK.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the Create a New Layer icon.
  • Press Alt Backspace (Mac: Opt Delete) to fill the new layer with the Foreground Color.
  • In the Layers panel, move the light gray layer below the word art layer.

 

 

Step Three: Create the Word Split

  • In the Layers panel, click on the word art layer to activate it.
  • Press Ctrl J (Mac: Cmd J) to duplicate the word art layer.
  • In the Layers panel, click on the word art layer just above the light gray layer to activate it.
  • In the Layers panel, hold down the Shift key and click on the light gray layer so that both it and the word art layer above it are activated.
  • In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Merge Layers.
  • Get the Magic Wand tool.
  • In the Tool Options, click on the New Selection icon and set the Tolerance to 32. Uncheck Sample All Layers but check both Contiguous and Anti-Alias. (PS: Set the Sample Size to Point Sample.)
  • On the document, click once on the light gray portion below the word art to select it.
  • Press Backspace (Mac: Delete) to remove the unwanted pixels.
  • Press Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) to deselect.

 

 

Step Four: Add A Drop Shadow

Normally, it’s not good design to add a drop shadow to type. But in this case, we’re using the word art in such a way that adding a drop shadow adds to the design of the card so here’s how to do it.

  • In the Layers panel, click on the Xmas Word Art copy layer to activate it.
  • In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings. (PS: Choose Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow.)

Photoshop Elements:

  • In the dialog box, set the Lighting Angle to 120˚ and then click on the Drop Shadow box to turn it on. Set the Size to 15, the Distance to 7 and the Opacity to 50%. Click OK.

Adobe Photoshop:

  • In the dialog box, set the Blend Mode to Multiply, and the Opacity to 50%. Set the Angle to 120˚. Set the Distance to 7, the Spread to 0, and the Size to 15. Click OK.

 

 

Step Five: Save As

  • Save the document (File > Save As) as a layered PSD file with a unique name. I’m naming mine Word Split Christmas Card Template.psd.

Now that you know how to create the template, let me show you how I chose to customize this.

 

 

In the downloads for this lesson (above), I’ve included these two papers for you to practice with. But whether you use the included papers or papers of your own, it’s a good idea to stick to using 1 solid and 1 patterned paper.

If you need help with how to clip a paper to a layer, please follow this link to our free Fundamentals Classroom. In it, we have a lecture on how to clip papers to layers.

One last note, all three word art pieces were created to fit the 12 x 12 inch document size so if you wanted to use this idea to create a scrapbook page, you can do that as well.

 

 

Credits:
Card: Jenifer Juris
Page & Photo: Jenifer Juris
Kit: Spirit of Christmas by HGD by Laurie Ann
Fonts: Christmas Mystery, Forever Grateful, Coronamatic 67 

 

The download link above includes:
a video, a manual, 2 papers, and 3 word art

 

_____________________________________________

Jenifer JurisAuthor: Jenifer Juris | Contact Us
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75 Responses

  1. Corry de Jong-van Sandwijk
    | Reply

    Thanks, I love it.

    I have pse2022 so not everything is the same anymore, but it worked 🙂
    I used it for holiday pictures.

  2. Ann Clamme Monroe
    | Reply

    The Thank You Very Much letters are not connected so the bottom of the page is not selected. Draw a line between the top of the T in Thank to the top of the Y in you and then it will work.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Hi Ann! This was a known issue last year and we had fixed the download files to have a correct Thank you very much word art file. Or at least we were supposed to have. Did you still have the download files from last year or did you just download these recently?

  3. Claudia Green
    | Reply

    Hello! I am doing this for the first time, using PSE2020 on a HP Pavilion laptop. I’m on Step 3 using the Magic Wand. I believe all previous steps were completed correctly. You tell me to change the tolerance to 32…is that the same as the brush size? I don’t see tolerance. Also, I don’t see contiguous and anti-alias. When I try to continue, it doesn’t work…it doesn’t split it like you show in your tutorial. Thanks!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’ll email you so you can send me a screenshot. But it sounds like you don’t actually have the magic wand tool activated because all of those options would show if you did. But don’t worry, we’ll get you figured out. 🙂

  4. Sheri
    | Reply

    Hi, Jenifer

    I was success in creating a Merry Christmas. I am trying to do Thank you card. Like Michelle’s message, it isn’t working. I downloaded the upgraded “Thank you” Art Word and still not working for me. I even tried to stretch out so that letters are at the edges. How can I remove the unwanted pixel?

    Sheri

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Hi Sheri – I think you need to “refresh” the blog post because in Michelle’s case, she was still using the faulty Thank You word art. I’m going to email you the correct word art now but I’m pretty sure once you use the correct word art, it will work perfectly. 🙂

  5. Michelle
    | Reply

    Hi Jen,
    I keep trying to do the Thank You but it constantly picks all the pixels, not just under the word art.
    I have tried 3 times to do this and it does the same thing each time. I have moved the work art so that much of the
    “T” in the beginning and the “U” in the end are almost cut off and still doesn’t work for me. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong?

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Hi Michelle. It sounds like you need to re-download the files for this lesson. There was a small gap in the original Thank You word art that I missed so a corrected version was placed in the downloads a few days after the release of this tutorial. Once you have downloaded the new word art, try again and if you are still stuck, please email me and I’ll help you from there. 🙂

  6. Chris
    | Reply

    I had so much doing this tutorial! I am so happy I found your classes! Learning so much and loving it!
    Thanks for all that you offer!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the tutorial!! 🙂

  7. Nannette Dalton
    | Reply

    So cute and fun…. thanks Jenifer!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like it!! 🙂

  8. Jessie Trotter
    | Reply

    Just now had the time to do the tutorial. As you said, this is a hectic time of year. This is awesome and I made my Christmas card for sending electronically to the folks on my email list. I wish I hadn’t already bought printed cards… would have been perfect to send to everyone! 🙂 Thank you so much, Jenifer!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so happy you enjoyed the tutorial and are putting it to use already! I used mine as my FB cover photo. Merry Christmas!! 🙂

  9. Margaret Wood
    | Reply

    Jenifer, you are the gift that keeps on giving! Thank you so much for this tutorial. I love it and have now begun working on my Christmas cards for next year!
    I hope you and your loved ones have a happy Christmas and an even better 2020.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Thank you SO much and same to you!!! 🙂 🙂

  10. Cindy
    | Reply

    Great tutorial, I’ll definitely be using this! Thank you!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you’ll be able to use this! 🙂

  11. Joy
    | Reply

    Love this. Thank you!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you like it! 🙂

  12. Joy
    | Reply

    Great tutorial. Thank you!

  13. Sharron Lamb
    | Reply

    I think this one goes into the WIN column, Jenifer. Seems like the fans of this one are legion! As for me…half the birthday cards I make this year will be from this template. I’ll try not to give a card using it to more than one person in a family, but I gotta tell you, if I weren’t such a thoughtful, sensitive, sweet person (ROTF, LOL, WMP), EVERYONE would be getting a version of it! Thank you doesn’t seem like enough. <3

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Awww, man. You made my night! Thank you so much for the lovely comments Shar!! I’m so so happy you find the tutorial useful and will use it right away. 🙂

  14. Joyce K
    | Reply

    Thank you so much Jenifer! This is so cute!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re so welcome! 🙂

  15. JUDY TREUGE
    | Reply

    Thank you so much Jenifer! what a fun idea and tutorial!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re so welcome! 🙂

  16. Sheri
    | Reply

    Thank you!

    Is there a way to have your downloaded video be closed captioned via utube? I can turn on the close-captioned from the blog’s website but after downloading, it doesn’t give me that option once I clicked on the mp4.

    Sheri

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      That’s a great question. Let me ask Jen White about that. She’s on vacation so I may not have an answer for you right away. 🙂

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Hi Sheri!

      Jen answered back and said that captions are only on the YouTube version. So if you want the captions, you’ll have to watch it online. Sorry it’s probably not the answer you wanted but adding captions to these videos would make the time required such that we couldn’t offer them for free. I hope that helps answer your question. 🙂

  17. Rhonda Blaney
    | Reply

    Thank you will give this a go.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  18. Sue
    | Reply

    Another great card idea! I have enjoyed all of the card ideas that all of you have given us lately . Thank you!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you like the card! 🙂

  19. Barbara
    | Reply

    Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing.
    Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome and Merry Christmas to you, too! 🙂

  20. Luana
    | Reply

    Perfect timing! I was just going to sit down and make a birthday card for a friend and decided to watch your tutorial first. And now I’m off to make that card! Thanks for a great lesson.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you can use it right away!! 🙂

  21. Bobbie
    | Reply

    Love this, Jenifer! I can hardly wait to try it with many cards and pages. Tonight will be the time!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so happy you love it! 🙂

  22. Shirl/Grambie
    | Reply

    Thanks for another special tutorial that always display your design expertise. Also, the accompanying goodies are just fantastic. Love the font and your adorable family photo and its placement. Hopefully, I can complete this tutorial. Happy Holidays. Hugs 🙂

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you like it! Happy Holidays to you, too! 🙂 🙂

  23. Renee
    | Reply

    Great tutorial. Can you tell me what font was used for the word art?

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Yes! It’s a font called Christmas Mystery. It’s sold at the Hungry JPEG website.

  24. Monica
    | Reply

    Thank you so much!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome!

  25. SUSAN KENDALL
    | Reply

    Whoa! I have so wanted to learn to do this. Thank you!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  26. Diane
    | Reply

    I LOVE this card design! Thank you so much for the tutorial and resources for creating it! This is something I am definitely going to try!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you like it! 🙂

  27. Lori Bickford
    | Reply

    LOVE this!!!! Another amazing video, thank you!!!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  28. Faa Ahmed
    | Reply

    Thanks, Jenifer!
    I love this template and already…..I have so many ideas for it.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Woot! I love being able to inspire others in their creativity! 🙂

  29. Loretta Habig
    | Reply

    This looks fun to try! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to play with it.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  30. Steph
    | Reply

    I love the split wordart look! Thanks for this very fun tutorial. I will be using this idea.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      I’m so glad you like it! 🙂

  31. simone
    | Reply

    Thank you this is wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  32. Kay Morrison
    | Reply

    Great tutorial. Thank you Jennifer. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome and Merry Christmas to you, too! 🙂

  33. Vivian
    | Reply

    Thank you Jenifer. I’m looking forward to trying this. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! I hope you have a Merry Christmas, too! 🙂

  34. Maggie Adair
    | Reply

    A lovely tutorial Jenifer, thank you. The ‘Thank you so much’ wordart needed to have the ‘T’ moved to join the rest of the wordart otherwise the magic wand tool selected all the gray area instead of just the bottom part.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Oh my goodness, you’re right! I’ll fix it asap!

  35. Christine Bishop
    | Reply

    Thank you so much, Jenifer, for this wonderful tutorial and supplies in today’s newsletter. It is such a pretty card and looks easy as well.
    Christine

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re so welcome! 🙂

  36. Dana Smith
    | Reply

    Thank you! Great video.

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      You’re welcome! 🙂

  37. Bill Burns
    | Reply

    A great tutorial, Jenifer – thank you.
    Season’s greetings to you and yours,
    Bill

    • Jenifer Juris
      | Reply

      Thx so much and Merry Christmas to you! 🙂

      • Terri
        | Reply

        Love this tutorial. Really like the script. What font is this?

        • Jenifer Juris
          | Reply

          Hi Terri, it’s listed in the credits – the script font is called Christmas Mystery and it is sold at The Hungry JPEG website. 🙂

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