What package are you using for your texting? If you're usuing photoshop here's what I do: 1. Put all text in a seperate layer. 2. Envelope all text with the oval selector as needed. 3. Using the line selector, draw the little pointer tabs to the characters and connect them to each ellipse. 4. Copy the contents of the ellipses to the clipboard. 5. use the edit, fill command and fill the selection area with black. 6. Use the selection, modify, contract command anc contract the area by a few pixels (at least 2). 7. use the edit, fill and fill with white. 8. Paste the text back into the balloons. If you do this all as an overlay layer on you artwork the cut and paste work great. Plus you can change the text all you like and not mess up your artwork.