Photoshop: "Text selection" effect?

[Kahnyl]

I've seen this effect used on a few sites. It's basically a box around the text with the background colors inverted or altered, exactly like you get when you Select All a text layer in PS.

Does anyone know how to do this?

Right now my best idea is to select the text and take a screenshot. Not the best solution.

 

[citizenzen]

I still can't picture what you mean. Can you point to an example?

Is this what you're saying...?


Layer 3 — Text (inverted?)

Layer 2 — Smaller area of background color inverted (to create a box around the text)

Layer 1 — Background color


It can't be that simple. I must be missing something.

 

[citizenzen]

Here's my guess based on your description.

 

[Kahnyl]

Sorry my description sucked. Here's a screenshot of what I mean. In this, I just selected the text but I'd like to achieve the same look in a "proper", exportable way. The resolution is of course limited with screenshots.

 

[citizenzen]

It's the same technique that I used in my previous example with solid colors.

• Top Layer is text.

• Middle Layer is a duplication of the Background Layer, inverted and passed through the small box of the Mask.

• Background Layer is the original image.

Have you had much experience with Layers? Do you understand what a Mask does... how to create one and manipulate it?

 

[UTclassof89]

Work smart, not hard:
Put a white rectangle on top of the text (on its own layer) and put that layer in the Difference blending mode.