Straying from the Lounge for photoshop help!!

[CanuckAmok]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=5318896&mesg_id=5318896

[NV Whino]

1. You would be better off to use illustrator to do the task you want

However, if you do not have illustrator, use the layers feature in PhotoShop.
1. create a file 4" x 15" at 300 dpi
2. use the marque tool and select 2" x 15"
3. fill with one background color
4. create a duplicate layer
5. fill with alternate color (chosen by clicking on the "color" box in lower left of tool box)
6. use arrow tool to move new color-filled box below the other one (fine tune placement with arrow keys)
7. click on type tool and position it in one box (type tool will create its own layer and you can move that layer where ever you need it.
8. click on type tool again and move type above other box (choose color of type before you start typing)
9. then flatten file when you are finished.

Those are reeeealy basic instructions. Hope that helps you.

[CanuckAmok]

2. the problem is that when I select a colour...

...in one of the pair of background/foreground boxes, as soon as I click on the little paintcan or airbrush or pauntbrush, the box in the toolbar switches back to white.

[NV Whino]

3. Click on the box

a color selector will pop up. Then click on your paint bucket.

On edit: make sure you are in RGB or CMYK mode, not grey scale. It's in the top menu. I forget the menu label, it's about midway.