How To Move The Text (Layer( ?

[abrogard]

What am I doing wrong?
I have a pic.
I want to put some text on it.

I import the pic.
I make a duplicate layer.
I hide the original layer.  (this is my attempt to keep my original untouched)
Then I write with the text tool and this automatically creates a 'text layer'  right?
then I try to move the text around or the text layer around or something to get the text where I want it.
But the underneath layer moves instead.  That's the duplicate layer.
I make sure the text layer is selected and it seems it is.
?

[tmanni]

Check the Move Tool options: ensure you have "Move the selected layer" instead of "Pick a layer or guide".

[abrogard]

Thank you for that.

regards,

ab

[zeuspaul]

Using the move tool. If you have "Pick a layer or guide" you can also move the text. Hover the mouse over the text until the curser changes from a hand to a + and then you will be able to move the text layer.

[rich2005]

Just a reminder that to move the on-canvas text tool without leaving the tool is shift-alt

example: https://i.imgur.com/C1DAPos.mp4

edit: Explanation for the Move tool. By default it moves the layer with the first solid pixel under the cursor. Lots of transparency in a text layer, you need to be careful positioning the cursor or as before enable 'move the active layer'.
There is now an option in Edit -> Preferences -> Tool Options to enable 'Set layer or path as active' as the default action.

[zeuspaul]

While I was playing with shift-alt I discovered using just the shift key the method I indicated in my post can be simplified.  Using the shift key while the text layer is active and the move tool is used hovering is unnecessary.

[Ofnuts]

(04-15-2022, 04:50 AM)abrogard Wrote: What am I doing wrong?
I have a pic.
I want to put some text on it.

I import the pic.
I make a duplicate layer.
I hide the original layer.  (this is my attempt to keep my original untouched)
Then I write with the text tool and this automatically creates a 'text layer'  right?
then I try to move the text around or the text layer around or something to get the text where I want it.
But the underneath layer moves instead.  That's the duplicate layer.
I make sure the text layer is selected and it seems it is.
?

To be complete: by default (the Pick or move a layer or guide) the Move tool picks the topmost layer which is opaque where you click to start the drag. So if you click on a character (instead of between characters) the Move tool picks the text layer and there is no need to use the Shift key (or to set the Move current layer option).

In addition, while you are still in the Text tool, you can move the layer with Alt-drag(*) (depressing the Alt key adds a to the pointer to indicate this).

(*) on Windows, on Linux you have to use Alt-Shift-drag or Alt-Ctrl-drag because the plain Alt-drag is captured by the desktop manager and moves the whole window)