How to create speech bubbles that look like they came from an iPhone?

April 26, 2013 8:22 PM

So I'm looking for a tool that will allow me to create text bubbles that look like they came from an iPhone. However, I don't want something like Fake iPhone Text, as that creates a picture of the entire phone background plus the text bubbles. I only want the text bubbles, disembodied. Does this exist?

I'm sure if I had Photoshop I could probably create something, but I don't, and I'm not willing to shell out that much cash. Plus, I don't have any experience in image creation (and I'm not digi-artsy), so I'd greatly prefer using a tool that does the hard part for me. That said, I'd be willing to play around with some kind of free or low-cost image creation software if I absolutely had to.

posted by sevensnowflakes to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

It would be trivially easy to do this in GIMP with the product of what you get from Fake iPhone text. Photoshop too certainly, but GIMP is free. Just select the background via "fuzzy select" in GIMP (aka magic wand in Photoshop), delete it, cut and past what's left over into a new file and save as a png. Sorry I don't know of a program to do this for you.
posted by drpynchon at 8:51 PM on April 26, 2013

iPhone Text Generator will do this for you in a heartbeat. Never mind. I see that's not what you're after.
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:54 PM on April 26, 2013

Here's a PSD of some iphone text bubbles. I think they'd open in a free image program like GIMP, but I'm not sure how well that'd work, since Photoshop probably has some layer styles that GIMP doesn't have. But you could give it a try.
posted by katyggls at 8:57 PM on April 26, 2013

I found some more by doing a google image search for "iphone text bubbles". Looks like mostly PSDs, but there might be some other options as well.
posted by katyggls at 9:00 PM on April 26, 2013

Best answer: Here - I made this for you.

I just ripped the HTML from www.fakeiphonetext.com, GIMPed the text box images so they didn't have a background, and added a js form so you can make the text say whatever you want.

I'd imagine you'll want to export them as an image - the dead simple way is to take a screenshot. If you're on a mac, try Command-Control-Shift-4, then click and drag - it'll go in your clipboard.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 9:04 PM on April 26, 2013 [13 favorites]

Microsoft Word actually has those shapes.
posted by raisingsand at 9:10 PM on April 26, 2013