Formatting Text

The Format Text command modifies multiple text attributes from a single dialog box. Individual attributes also can be changed with various commands on the Text menu, including font, size, font style, alignment, spacing, and capitalization (lower case, UPPER CASE, and Title Caps). All attributes are available from the Object Info palette, as well. Some objects have the ability to select the font formatting while setting the object attributes.

Formatting can be applied to an entire text block or to selected characters and words. If no text is selected, the settings become the defaults for the Text tool.

To quickly apply the same set of text attributes to several objects, set up a text style. You can apply the text style to objects directly, or you can assign the text style to a specific class. See Using Text Styles for details.

To format text:

  1. To select the text to change, do one of the following:

  2.     To format the entire text box, select the text object with the Selection tool.

        To format a word, double-click the text object to activate the editing mode; then double-click anywhere within the word to highlight it.

        To format a line, double-click the text object to activate the editing mode; then triple-click anywhere within the line to highlight it.

        To format a section of the text, double-click the text object to activate the editing mode; then highlight the desired text by dragging over it.

    To exit the text editing mode when text is highlighted, press the Esc key.

  3. Once the text is selected, do one of the following:

    From the Text menu, select the text option to change.

    Select the option to change from the Object Info palette.

    Select Text > Format Text. Alternatively, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) the text, and select Format Text from the context menu. The Format Text dialog box opens.

Recent Font List

Recently used fonts are stored for quick access. When you select Text > Font, the eight most recently used fonts display at the top of the font list (with the most recent font listed first), followed by an alphabetical list of all available fonts. In addition, when the Object Info palette contains a Font field, the top of the drop-down list is populated with the eight most recently used fonts, followed by an alphabetical list of the available fonts. Fonts changes made within the Format Text dialog box or Object Info palette also update the recent font list.

Transferring Formats with the Eyedropper Tool

Use the Eyedropper tool to quickly copy text formats from one text object and apply them to another object. See Transferring Attributes.

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Changing Other Text Features

Converting Text to Polylines

Creating Text Along a Path

Checking Spelling

Finding and Replacing Text

Using Text Styles

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