Working with Text Blocks

Working with Text Blocks

All text in FreeHand starts inside a text block. There are two types of text blocks. Standard text blocks have a fixed height and width.

To create a standard text block:

Select the Text tool from the Tools panel

Figure 1. The Text tool in the Tools panel.

Drag across the page. How far you drag determines the size of the text block.

Release the mouse button to see the text block and the text ruler

Figure 2. A text block with a text ruler.

Start typing. The text automatically wraps within the text block.

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If you do not see the text ruler, choose View > Text Rulers.

Auto-expanding text blocks shrink or expand depending on the amount of text.

To create an auto-expanding text block:

Click with the Text tool. A blinking insertion point and a text ruler appear.

Start typing. The text block is set to horizontal auto-expandsion. (See the sidebar on this page for a description of the auto-expansion settings.)

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If your text does wrap within the box, check your Preferences settings for autoexpansion of text blocks (see page 392).

If you deselect the text block before typing in it, you leave an empty text block on the page. These empty blocks contain font information that may confuse your print shop.

To delete empty text blocks:

Choose Xtras > Delete >Empty Text Blocks. All text blocks with no characters in them are automatically deleted.

To change the auto-expansion settings:

Select the text block selected.

In the Object inspector, click to change the expansion icons as follows

Figure 3. The Auto-expansion icons control the behavior of the text block.

o        If the icon is light (the up state), the field is not set for auto-expansion.

o        If the icon is dark (the down state), the field is set for auto-expansion as new text is entered.

Change the handles on the right and bottom as follows:

o        Double-click a black handle to turn it white. This indicates that autoexpansion is turned on.

o        Double-click a white handle to turn it black. This indicates that autoexpandsion is turned off.

To change the size of a standard text block:

Use the Selection tool and drag one of the corner points of the text block

Figure 4. To manually change the size of a text block, drag one of the corner points of the block.

or

With the text block selected, open the Object inspector. Under Dimensions, change the measurements in the w (width) or h (height) fields

Figure 5. The Dimensions fields let you move a text block to a specific position.

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(Mac) Hold the Control key as you drag horizontally to create a fixed-width text block.

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(Mac) Hold the Control key as you drag vertically to create a fixed-height text block.

To position a text block numerically:

Select the text block.

In the Object inspector set the Dimensions fields as follows:

o        l controls the position of the left edge of the text block.

o        t controls the position of the top edge of the text block.

Press Return or Enter.

The little square at the bottom of the text block is called the Link box. The different states for the Link box convey important information about the text.

To recognize the status of the Link box:

If the Link box is white, then all the text in the block is visible

Figure 6. An open link box indicates that all the text is visible in the text block.

A black circle inside the Link box means there is more text than can fit inside the text block . This is called an overflow.

Figure 7. A circle in the link box indicates an overflow.

Small arrows inside the Link box mean the text block has been linked to another object (see page 239)

Figure 8. Two arrows in the link box show that the text is continued in another text block.

Another way to resize a text block is to shrink the block to fit the size of the text.

To automatically shrink a text block:

Select a text block that has extra space not filled by text.

Using the Selection tool, double-click the Link box of the block . The text block automatically shrinks to fit the text.

Figure 9. Double-click the Link box (circled) to shrink a text box with extra space to the actual size of the text.

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If there is no text in a text block, double-clicking the Link box deletes the text block.

Just as in a page layout program, FreeHand lets you stroke or frame the outside border of a text block.

To apply a border to a text block:

Select the text block that needs a border.

In the Object inspector, click the Display border box 10. This allows you to see the border, but it does not create the stroke.

Figure 10. Check Display border to see a stroke applied to a text block.

To apply a stroke, choose the Stroke Inspector.

Apply a stroke using any of the stroke styles. The border appears around the text block

Figure 11. The Stroke inspector applies a border to a text block. Here a dashed line was applied.

Once you have given a text block a border, you will probably want to inset the text to add some white space between the text and the border.

To inset text:

Select the text block.

In the Object inspector set the Inset fields as follows

Figure 12. The Inset fields set text away from the edges of a text block.

o        l controls inset for the left edge.

o        t controls the inset for the top edge.

o        r controls the inset for the right edge.

o        b controls the inset for the bottom edge.

Press Return/Enter to set the amounts

Figure 13. This text is set away from the border by 6 points to make the text more legible.

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Negative values extend the text outside the borders of the block.