Selecting text in a layer

Scott Harvey · **Joined:** Jul 28, 2016 **Posts:** 3

GIMP Version: 2.8.16
Operating System: Mac OS
OS Version: 10.7.5
GIMP Experience: New User

Completely new at using Gimp….. I have a layer with text that is already typed into it. I would like to select/edit that text so I can change 1 word. After selecting the text tool, it will only allow me to put new text in (not edit the existing text of the layer). I am working with an xcf file…. Thanks very much for direction, this is driving me crazy!

Wallace · **Posted:** Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:21 pm **(#2)**

Scott Harvey wrote:

GIMP Version: 2.8.16
Operating System: Mac OS
OS Version: 10.7.5
GIMP Experience: New User

Completely new at using Gimp….. I have a layer with text that is already typed into it. I would like to select/edit that text so I can change 1 word. After selecting the text tool, it will only allow me to put new text in (not edit the existing text of the layer). I am working with an xcf file…. Thanks very much for direction, this is driving me crazy!

For a text layer to be edited using the Text Tool :text

.
It must still have it's text information intact,
as seen in the screenshot below.

If the text information was discarded.
It will not be able to be edited using the Text tool.

If the text layer still has it's text information available.
This can be shown,
by double-clicking on the text layer within the layers dialog.
Once you double-click the text layer.
It should show any available text information,
as seen in the first screenshot above.

Scott Harvey · **Joined:** Jul 28, 2016 **Posts:** 3

Thank you very much Wallace, that seems to be the answer. It appears I have lost the text information some how. Is there a way to get this back, or do I need to rebuild this graphic?

Wallace · **Posted:** Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:13 pm **(#4)**

Scott Harvey wrote:

Thank you very much Wallace,
that seems to be the answer.
It appears I have lost the text information some how.
Is there a way to get this back,
or do I need to rebuild this graphic?

Once the text information has been discarded and the image saved as an xcf file.
The text information is no longer retrievable.
Unfortunately,
you will need to create the text information again,
in order to be able to do any editing of text using the text tool.
Without text information,
the text tool will have nothing to work with or edit.

Scott Harvey · **Joined:** Jul 28, 2016 **Posts:** 3

Thanks again, Wallace. I thought I was losing my mind....

Wallace · **Posted:** Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:35 pm **(#6)**

Scott Harvey wrote:

Thanks again, Wallace.
I thought I was losing my mind....

Okay.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

ofnuts · **Joined:** Oct 25, 2010 **Posts:** 4735

Try my tex-info script. Sometimes the text information lingers on and you can retrieve useful information (such as font name and size) or the text(*). But no promises

(*) which is not as stupid as it seems, sometimes it could be hard to re-enter the text (ideograms, etc...).

	Similar Topics	Replies
	script to load text file and create text layer	6
	manipulate a portion of text inside a text layer using python-fu	2
	Cannot edit text in a layer from a PSD file	1
	Selecting outline of image	2
	Creating text (layer?) presets/profile?	15