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To create a speech bubble in Photoshop, draw a Talk Bubbles preset with the Custom Shape tool, add the dialogue on a separate type layer, then save the layered file as a PSD. The bubble and its text remain independently editable, so you can change the wording, color, size, or position later.
Choose a preset or make a custom bubble
For a conventional speech bubble, start with Photoshop’s built-in Talk Bubbles shapes. Select the Custom Shape tool from the shape-tool group, then open the Shape picker in the Options bar and choose a bubble. Adobe’s tutorial for Photoshop 2020 places these presets at Window > Shapes > Legacy Shapes and More > All Legacy Default Shapes > Talk Bubbles. That menu path is version-specific; in other versions, look in the current Shape picker or Shapes panel. See Adobe’s guide to drawing custom shapes and its speech-bubble tutorial.
Use a preset when speed and a familiar silhouette matter most. If you need a distinctive outline or tail, draw a path with the Pen or shape tools and choose Edit > Define Custom Shape to save it for reuse. Adobe explains both selecting built-in shapes and creating custom ones in its Custom Shape instructions.
Draw and position the speech bubble
- Select the Custom Shape tool from the shape-tool group.
- In the Options bar, open the Shape picker and select a Talk Bubbles shape. If you do not see it, check the Shapes panel or the legacy-shape location for your Photoshop version.
- Drag across the canvas to draw the bubble. Photoshop creates it on a shape layer.
- Choose a fill color in the Options bar, then select the Move tool and place the bubble where it should appear.
Because the bubble is a vector shape, you can resize or transform it without losing image quality. To reverse the direction of its tail, select the shape and use Edit > Transform Path > Flip horizontal, as shown in Adobe’s bubble tutorial.
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Add editable dialogue
- Select the Horizontal Type tool.
- Click in or over the bubble and type the dialogue.
- Keep the text on its own type layer, separate from the bubble’s shape layer.
- Use the Move tool and type controls to position and format the words. Leave enough space between the text and the bubble’s edges and tail.
A separate type layer lets you revise the wording, font, color, size, and placement without changing the bubble itself. Adobe’s instructions for adding text and shapes cover this editable layer workflow.
You can also put text inside a closed shape or make it follow a path. To place text inside a shape, select the Type tool and click inside it when the cursor indicates text-in-shape mode. For an ordinary speech bubble, however, placing a separate type layer over the shape is often the more straightforward choice. See Adobe’s guide to text along paths and inside shapes. Photoshop’s Dynamic Text feature also includes Dynamic fit, which can resize text to fit a selected shape or path; availability and interface details may vary by version. Adobe’s Dynamic Text guide describes the feature.
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Save an editable file and an image to share
Save your working image as a PSD to preserve the separate shape and type layers for later edits. When you need a shareable copy, export or save another version as a JPEG or PNG. Adobe’s text-and-shapes guide explains the layered workflow and saving options.
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