Creating an Outline on TOP of a Mask

[CaroleMac]

HI there - hopefully someone can help with my dilemma.
I have created a page with consists mainly of a block and text(simplified), merged together into a clipping mask, then Cntrl +G'd a photo on top - no problems there - here's the issue.
the clipping masked text (is that a real term) portion is in water waves (ie white water) therefore you can't really see or read the word with the white background... yes i could change the background colour however it is needs to remain white...
what i would prefer to do is simply 'stoke outline' the text in a light to med blue - but the text and block are merged together and under the photo??
oh gosh i hope this makes sense - anyone have any ideas.
fyi - Using PSE6

thx CaroleMac

[Cassie Jones (1gr8muggle)]

Is the text on it's own layer and simply clipped to the block? Or are they literally merged to the point where it's no longer an editable text layer?

[CaroleMac]

totally together as one big piece... sadly

[dugarner]

CaroleMac (and Cassie),

If you knew what size the text was (say, 12 pt) and you didn't change it when you merged it, you can create a new text block, type only the words you need to outline, and move the text layer until it's lined up over the old merged block of text, then simplify it and outline it. I've done that a hundred times!

If you did change the size of the text, you could try typing it anyway, simplifying the layer, and dragging the corners of the bounding box to make it bigger/smaller until it matched the text underneath. I usually lower the opacity of the top layer to be sure it's lined up exactly.

If you have trouble getting the size to match, you can make the text bigger than the original text, and then outline the text. Click select: modify: expand, expand a pixel or two, create a new layer, target the new layer, and paint that new layer (put it under your text) the blue color. Does that make sense?

I'm sorry if I'm offering a solution that just won't work.

Sarah

[CaroleMac]

no no i think that might work - now here's my concern - i dont want the text 'colour' to show thru as i want you to be able to see the waves... can i lower the opacity colour to almost transparent and leave the outline is full colour - is that an option??
i am thinking NO... but thought i would love it out there.
C

[Cassie Jones (1gr8muggle)]

You can create a new layer and target it before you go to Edit > Stroke. Then the stroke will be on it's own layer entirely.

[CaroleMac]

again, you are brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!! off to do it now then complete the book. i always assumed the outline had to be on the text layer - yippee
thxoxoxoxox