How to put graphics "into" font/text?

I have some large text and i want to replace the centre of the text with an image spanning all the letters - so that the picture is "inside" and just the text outlines are left.

thanks for any help!

open the image. type your word(s) above the imgae. rasterize the text layer. select the text then contract the selection by 1 or 2 pixels. add a layer mask to the image layer using the text selection.That should be all.

If it's not clear enough, just say so. I'll go into it into more detail if needed.

thanks for the reply, I got lost at the following:

select the text then contract the selection by 1 or 2 pixels. add a layer mask to the image layer using the text selection.That should be all.

After I rasterize the text layer - how do i select it? The text can't be individually selected so I select that whole layer, but cant get any further.....

thanks

CTRL + click the thumbnail of the text layer

what exactly does a layer mask do?

I uderstand that rastorizing pixelates the layer, what effect does the mask have?

okay i'm just stuck on the last bit:

add a layer mask to the image layer using the text selection

when I click on the image layer and then go to layer -> add layer mask , all I get are these options:

Reveal All
Hide All
---------
Reveal Selection
Hide Selection

Which one am I supposed to choose? How do I get the "text selection" bit that you mention?

You also mention reducing the selection by 1 or 2 pixels - where can I do this?

sorry for the n00b approach, but thanks for your patience and help satanclaus!

you don't need to rasterize it, just type your text as wanted... then control click the layer (text layer) and then select you imgae layer and go to layer>>add layer mask>>reveal selection

select you imgae layer and go to layer>>add layer mask>>reveal selection

Okay I select it - got to add layer mask and then reveal selection - but all that happens is the image disappears. The individual letters are all selected, so I dont understand what the problem is. When I then zoom into the text - I notice like on the outer pixels - there is faint coulouring - that of the image below it (now disappeared)

I have the font in white - and after doing all this - the "white" part of the font remains, while the image disappears. Should the font be some other colour?

Help please!!

You could try making the text black so that black (instead of white) is seen as the border. Either that or contract the selection (selection>modify>contract...), by more pixels. Or...you could double click on the text thumbnail to get the blending options. Click stroke and make it black, maybe about 3 pixels. Play around with the "inside" "outside" "center" options to make it look good.

And if you're confused about the layer mask - don't do it. It isnt strictly neccesary. Just make the selection (ctrl-click the layer thumbnail), contract it, then click on the background layer (the image you want over the text to edit it. Ctrl-C (for copy) and then go to the text layer to paste it over your text. Little bit simpler perhaps.

tom

You can also just select the text, copy the image layer, and paste it onto a new layer.