Using artistic text
Artistic text is standalone text you type directly onto a page. Especially useful for headlines, pull quotes, and other special-purpose text, it’s easily formatted with the standard text tools.
Here are some similarities between frame text and artistic text. Both text types let you:
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vary character and paragraph properties, apply named text styles, edit text in WritePlus and even import text.
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apply different line styles, fills (including gradient and bitmap fills), and transparency.
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access text via the Text Manager.
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track font usage with the Resource Manager.
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embed inline images.
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use proofing options such as AutoSpell/Spell Checker, Proof Reader, and Thesaurus.
And some differences…
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You can initially “draw” artistic text at a desired point size, and drag it to adjust the size later. Frame text reflows in its frame upon frame resize (but doesn’t alter its text size).
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Artistic text can be applied to a path but frame text cannot.
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Artistic text won’t automatically line wrap like frame text.
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Artistic text doesn’t flow or link the way frame text does; the Frame context toolbar’s text-fitting functions aren’t applicable to artistic text.
To create artistic text:
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Choose the Artistic Text Tool from the Artistic Text flyout on the Tools toolbar.
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Set initial text properties (font, style, etc.) as needed before typing, using the Text context toolbar, Format menu, or right-click (and choose Text Format>).
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Click on the page for an insertion point using a default point size, or drag the cross-hair cursor across the page to specify a particular size, e.g.
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Type directly on the page to create the artistic text.
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You can convert artistic text to editable lines and nodes using Convert to Curves on the Tools menu. The converted object is grouped, but once ungrouped, any selected character—now a collection of line segments—can be edited. After conversion, you can’t change the font of text that’s been converted to curves.
Once you’ve created an artistic text object, you can select, move, resize, delete, and copy it just as you would with a text frame. Solid colors, gradient/bitmap fills, and transparency can all be applied.
To resize or reproportion an artistic text object:
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To resize while maintaining the object’s proportions, drag the resize handles.
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To resize freely, hold down the Shift key while dragging.
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Either method alters the point size value of the text.
To edit artistic text:
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Drag to select a range of text, creating a blue selection.
You can also double-click to select a word, or triple-click to select all text.
Now you can type new text, apply character and paragraph formatting, edit the text in WritePlus, apply proofing options, and so on.