So... I'm making a skin right, a heavy skin. And well I want to put the name; my name, "Larz" on the side-panels. So I flip it 90 degres and type "Larz" on the side-panels. Then I flip it back to where I was before, and continue. But the moment I click the paint bruch, dodge tool, blur tool to the skin, the following message occurs:"This layer must be rasterized before proceding. Rasterize this layer and this project will no longer be editible". So I click "ok" and I try to use the paint (or any other editing tool for that matter) and it wont let me. The question is how do you get by this obstacle, or can you. NOTE: I am using the Photoshop 30 day trial, not that that probably matters but I included it anyway. And I looked all through the forum/skin section for an answer and I coulden't find one. So don't get mad at me if you think I repeated this forum question.

I am not sure. I am not a skinner but thank you for taking the time to try and find the answer your self. I can tell you that is not here in the Skin's forums. I am 1 of the many Moderator for this web site and I was the one who cleaned up this section so I know for a fact the answer to question is not here ! B)

Try merging all visible layers after you insert text.

Which version of Photoshop are you using? From what I know, rasterizing the type in Photoshop 7 still lets you doodle around.

In order to use those tools on text it must be first converted to a picture. Rasterizing means converting text to a bitmapped image. That said, you may not realize that when you type a new line of text in Photoshop that it creates a new layer. Open your layers palette after typing and click back on the tank skin layer. You are trying to use those tools on the text layer and not the tank layer. If you are in fact actually trying to use those tools on the text layer then it must first be rasterized.

Never merge or flatten an image until you are completely finished. Always save a working.psd file so you can always go back and make any needed modifications to individual layers. Do a "Save As" for your completed files such as.jpg,.eps.

Last edited: Friday, December 03, 2004 at 2:15:31 PM

Well...
I used Racers suggestion and well... I typed larz on the side panels and and tried merging the layers. I coulden't because it wasent in black but I did click "Merge visible" and that seemed to work quite effectivily. The good part is that it seemed to work, the bad part is that I dont really know what "merge layers" or "merge visible" really means, all that I really know is that it got me past that little obstackle. And the type of photoshop I have is Photo Shop 7.0 30 day try out. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions, however I would still like to know what this "Merge layers does". But it's okay now, I'll just continue to play around with it. Hopefully I will be finished before the 30.. No wait 16 now day try out. It looks nice even if I do say so myself. I will be puting it up in the skin section in oh probably in the next 3 or 4 days. Just for fun though because it is a custom tank designed for me, but if anybody wants to download it it will be there.

-Larz

When you create text, it usually creates it as a Layer, the picture that you start out with is the Backround layer. Here's a good page about layers: here

Thank you thats all I wanted to know
-Larz