Chapter Eight: Text

EXPRESS provides you with over 90 outline, 1,000 TrueType and 1,000 PostScript typefaces that you can size, manipulate and color. Not only can text be rotated, slanted, and stretched, it can also be extruded using EXPRESS’ Extrude feature. Additionally, text point editing allows you to change the attributes of any portion of a text object.

EXPRESS also contains a collection of useful phrases, colored and ready for use, accessible through the Clip-Art Manager.

Placing a New Text Object

To compose and display a new text object:

1. Choose Text from the Draw menu or click on the Text tool in the toolbox.

EXPRESS displays the Enter/Edit Text dialog box:

2. Type your text in the text box.

If you type all the way to the right boundary, the type scrolls to the left so you can continue the line. Note that line breaks must be manually inserted in the displayed text block.

The text box can contain up to 5,000 characters. When you reach the bottom of the text box, the text scrolls upward one line each time you begin a new line.

As you type, you can do the following.

• Press Enter to begin a new line of text.

• Edit what you type.

• Enter special characters not directly available on your keyboard. (See next topic.) These special characters will appear only as a black rectangle in the Enter/Edit Text dialog box, but they will display and print correctly.

• Click on the Undo button to erase the new text you have typed. To restore the insertion point and start again, move the Pointer inside the text box and click the mouse.

3. If you want to convert the text you typed to all upper or lower case, choose the All Upper or All Lower option button.

4. Click on the Add button.

The Enter/Edit Text dialog box disappears. The Pointer changes to an Hourglass for a moment during processing. Then the Hourglass changes to the Add Object cursor.

If desired, you can change the styles for the object before you place it in the document by clicking on the Type Styles button. Move the Add Object cursor outside of the work area and it changes to the Arrow cursor. You can then choose commands and change the current styles. Move the cursor back into the document work area and it changes back to the Add Object cursor.

5. Position the Add Object cursor where you want the text to appear.

If you click the mouse button, the text appears on the screen at its default size.

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If you hold the mouse button, you can drag the cursor to size a proportional bounding box for the text. When the bounding box is the desired size, release the mouse button and the text appears.

If you hold the Control key and the mouse button, you can drag the cursor to size a non-proportional bounding box for the object. When the bounding box is the desired size, release the mouse button and the text appears.

Note: You can move the bounding box during the sizing process. With the primary mouse button held down, press and hold the Content Menu button. Drag the cursor to move the bounding box. Release the Content Menu button and you can continue sizing.

EXPRESS displays the text using the current settings for interior color and pattern, line color and type, and text styles (typeface, size, letter spacing, word spacing, leading, kerning, condense/extend value, alignment, and style). The text object is automatically selected (surrounded by handles).

Importing a Text Object

You can import ACSII or ANSI standard text files of up to 5,000 characters into EXPRESS. Each imported text file becomes a text object, and can be edited and manipulated as such.

To import a text file into EXPRESS:

1. Choose Import from the File menu.

The Import dialog box appears.

2. Pull down the List Files of Type list and select Text Only. All files in the current directory with the extension TXT or DOC will be listed.

3. Highlight the desired name in the list box.

or

Change to the appropriate directory and highlight the desired file.

or

Type the path and filename in the filename text box.

4. Click on OK. The Pointer changes to an Hourglass while EXPRESS reads the file. Then the Hourglass changes to the Add Object cursor.

5. Position the Add Object cursor where you want the text to appear.

If you click the mouse button, the text appears on the screen.

If you hold down the mouse button, you can drag the cursor to size a proportional bounding box for the text. When the bounding box is the desired size, release the mouse button and the text appears.

If you hold the Control key and the mouse button, you can drag the cursor to size a non-proportional bounding box for the object. When the bounding box is the desired size, release the mouse button and the text appears.

EXPRESS displays the text using the current settings for line color and type, interior color and pattern, and text styles (typeface, size, letter spacing, word spacing, leading, kerning, condense/extend value, alignment, and style). The text object is automatically selected (surrounded by handles).

Note: It is recommended that you set the text attributes for the text you are importing before you place it. The default typeface and size is Classic Medium, point size 24; if you are importing paragraphs of text, this default setting will make the text block appear at a huge size.

Editing an Existing Text Object

To edit an existing text object:

1. Select the text object you want to edit.

2. Choose Text from the Draw menu, click on the Text tool in the toolbox, or click with the Content menu button (which selects the default “Text” from the Content menu).

The text in the Enter/Edit Text dialog box is highlighted (reversed against a black background).

3. Move the Pointer inside the text box and click the mouse or click on Undo. This removes the highlight so you can edit the text.

If you skip this step, the highlighted text is erased with your first keystroke.

4. Edit the text as desired.

To cancel any changes, click on the Undo button. The original text reappears in the text box. To restore the insertion point, position the I-shaped cursor in the text box at the point you want to resume editing and click the mouse.

5. Click on Replace.

See Text Point Editing

Binding Text to a Shape

EXPRESS can automatically bind text to the shape of any freeform object.

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If you want to bind text to a symbol object, use the Cvt to Freeform command to convert the symbol object into a freeform object, then bind the text to it.

The Shapes flyout in the Toolbox offers an arc shape (in the lower right). Use it to add an arc to which text can be bound. (It must first be converted to freeform.)

To bind text to a shape:

1. Use Shift+click or Block Select to select the text object and the freeform object.

2. Choose Bind to Shape from the Effects menu. The Bind to Shape dialog box appears.

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3. Choose a placement option for the text.

4. Choose an orientation for the text.

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5. To hide the freeform shape, turn off the Show Shape option by clicking on the box next to Show Shape. To show the shape, click on the Show Shape box so that a check mark is displayed.

6. Click on Apply. The text is bound to the freeform object, starting at the object’s start/end point and moving in the direction the object was drawn.

To change the start/end point and/or the drawing direction of the object:

1. To change the start/end point, select the object (closed shape only) and choose Set Start/End Point from the Draw menu.

A start/end point is automatically selected. Use the question mark cursor to click on a different point to make it the start/end point. (Note that you can add a point by pressing F5 in order to start anywhere on the object.)

2. To change the drawing direction, select the object and choose the Bind to Shape command from the Effects menu. Click on Reverse order of points at the bottom of the dialog box, then click on Apply.

Editing Bound Text and Shapes

Once text is bound to a shape, you can edit either the text or the shape.

To edit text that is bound to a shape:

1. Select the text/shape.

2. Choose Text from the Draw menu or toolbox.

3. Edit the text as desired.

4. Click on Replace. The edited text is fitted to the shape.

You can also choose the Color, Line, Interior, and Styles commands from the Styles menu to change the styles of text and shapes that are bound together.

To change the styles of text that is bound to a shape:

1. Select the text/shape.

2. Choose Type from the Styles menu. Choose Custom to see all of the possibilities for type adjustment, or choose any of the other more specific commands.

3. Change the styles as desired. Note that the Left, Right, Centered, and Justified settings justify the text on the shape accordingly.

4. Click on Apply.

To edit a freeform shape with text bound to it:

1. Select the text/shape.

2. Choose Edit Freeform from the Draw menu, toolbox or the Content menu that appears when you depress and hold the Content menu button.

3. Edit the shape as desired.

4. Choose Edit Freeform or click the Content Menu button. The text is redrawn to fit the edited shape.

See also Editing Freeform Drawings.

Unbinding Text

To unbind text that has been bound to a shape:

1. Select the text shape.

2. Choose Break Apart from the Effects menu or just press G while holding down the Shift key. The text and shape are broken apart into separate objects.

Converting Text to Freeform Objects

Text objects can be converted to freeform objects which you can then edit as described under Edit Freeform Objects. Symbol objects can also be converted to freeform objects as described under Convert Freeform Objects.

To convert a text object to freeform objects:

1. Select the text object you want to convert.

2. Choose Cvt to Freeform from the Draw menu. The text is converted to a group of individual lines and curves.

3. Click on an individual line or curve to select it.

4. Choose Edit Freeform from the Draw menu or click on the Freeform tool in the toolbox to edit a selected line or curve.

Note that if you select Edit Freeform before converting the text to a freeform object, you will see Text point controls, rather than freeform points.

Use the freeform editing capabilities to create stylized text, logos, and other special effects.

Once a text object has been converted to freeform objects, it cannot be converted back to the original text object. To manipulate the freeform objects as a group, select the objects and use the Group command to group them together. You can save the grouped freeform objects as a custom symbol.

See also Text Point Editing.

Special Text Characters and Bullets

EXPRESS includes a set of special text characters and bullets you can use with any of the Arts & Letters typefaces. These characters are the standard extended ANSI character set.

To enter special text characters in the Enter/Edit Text%!JI(`useguide.mvb>second',`TextDB') dialog box, press and hold the Alt key, then type the numeric code for the character desired. (Some characters may appear as small rectangles in the Enter/Edit Text dialog box, but will appear on screen when you “add” the text.)

To add the currency symbol for the British pound, for example, hold the Alt key and type the number 0163, then release the Alt key. Click on the Add button to add the text to the drawing area.

You must use the number keys in the numeric keypad.

Hint: When entering multiple lines of text for a “bulleted” item, hold down the Alt key and type 0127 at the beginning of the second line to offset the text by the width of the bullet. The “placeholder” character ensures that the text will be flush left following the bullet as shown below.

• To ensure that the second line is flush left with the first line, type a
? placeholder character (Alt + 0127) at the beginning of the second line.

Table of Special Text Characters and Bullets:

�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0192	0224	0193	0225	0194	0226	0195	0227	0196	0228
�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0197	0229	0170	0198	0230	0199	0231	0200	0232	0201
�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0233	0202	0234	0203	0235	0204	0236	0205	0237	0206
�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0238	0207	0239	0209	0241	0210	0242	0211	0243	0212
�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0244	0213	0245	0214	0246	0186	0216	0248	0217	0249
�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0218	0250	0219	0251	0220	0252	0255	0223	0191	0161
						�	�	�	�
0145	0146	0147	0148	0150	0151	0162	0163	0164	0165
�	�	™	�	�	�	�	�	�	�
0167	0169	0153	0176	0185	0178	0179	0188	0189	0190
							t	�	�
0128	0129	0130	0131	0132	0133	0134	0135	0136	0137

Type Styles

When you size text interactively (by dragging an object handle on a selected text object), the size of the text object is displayed in the Numeric bar using the current unit of measure (inches, centimeters, or picas). You can also size text by entering a size in the Type Styles dialog box. This size is specified in points.

There are many terms and concepts unique to typography that are useful to know. Below is a list that presents some of them.

• Typeface: The family name for a particular style of character. The style is consistent for the full range of characters, or alphabet. Typefaces can be divided into three categories:

• Font: Printer-resident or downloadable information used to draw a text object. Since fonts are created in two places, the monitor and the printer, the two basic kinds of fonts are screen fonts and printer fonts, which ideally match. Although “font” technically indicates a typeface at a particular point size, the term is often used interchangeably with “typeface.” Some popular fonts include Bitstream, ITC, and PostScript. (Note: Adobe Type Manager, or ATM, is a font-handling program that uses PostScript outline technology to produce a smoother printed font.)

• A point is a typesetting unit of measure approximately equal to 1/72”; that is 72 points equal approximately one inch. Some typographic systems, such as PageMaker and Arts & Letters, round slightly to make one point equal exactly 1/72”. Therefore, you would specify 72 points for a type size of one inch, 36 points for a type size of 0.5 inch, etc. Books, magazines, typewritten documents, and other printed materials often use type with a point size of 9 or 10, with titles of 12 to 18 points.

• Type size is measured from the top of the typeface’s ascenders to the bottom of its descenders. (An example of an ascender would be the vertical stroke of this letter: b. An example of a descender would be the vertical stroke of this letter: p.) Therefore, specifying a type size of 10 points does not mean that each letter will be 10 points high; rather, it means that the total vertical space allotted for the text is 10 points.

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• Leading, letter spacing, and word spacing are also measured in points. You can set these spacing options manually or choose “auto.” If you choose auto, Arts & Letters will automatically calculate spacing for text objects.

• Leading should normally be greater than the type size unless the type is in all capitals. If you specify a leading value less than the type size, the descenders of one line of text can overlap the ascenders of the following line.

• Letterspacing can be designated as fixed or proportional. Fixed letter spacing places each letter in an invisible “character cell” of the same width (equal to a capital M in that typeface). Proportional spacing gives each letter a character cell based on the actual width of the letter.

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• Fixed spacing is useful when creating columns of numbers and for certain special effects. You can specify a negative value for letter spacing if you want letters to overlap. You can specify a negative value for word spacing if you want words in a text object to overlap.

• Kerning is the adjustment of spaces between pairs of letters, specified as a percentage from 0 (no kerning) to 100 (full kerning). The shapes of some letters cause them to have extra space between them, for example the pair “Te”, which typically needs to be drawn closer together.

• Word Spacing: The amount of space, measured in points, between words in a text object.

• Aspect: The width-to-height ratio of text, expressed as a percentage. It is the same thing as condense or expand percentage.

• Text Alignment: The alignment of lines of text within a text object (flush left, flush right, centered, or fully justified left and right).

• Type Style: The style of text — normal, italic, bold, or underlined.

See Text Point Editing.

Default Type Styles

The default type styles used by EXPRESS are as follows:

Typeface	Classic Medium (Typeface 14)
Type Size	24 points
Letter Spacing	Auto, Proportional
Word Spacing	Auto
Leading	Auto
Kerning	0%
Aspect	100%
Alignment	Left
Type Style	Normal

If desired, you can change the default styles.

See also Save and Recall Styles.

Changing Type Style

You can change type style settings at any time by using commands in the Type Styles dialog box .%!JI(`useguide.mvb>second',`TypeAttsDB') The program redraws selected text objects and draws all new text objects using the new settings.

Type style settings affect only text objects.

Choosing Arts & Letters Typefaces

EXPRESS comes with over 90 outline typefaces. Text created using outline type is treated as an object and can be sized, stretched, rotated, etc.

In addition to Arts & Letters typefaces, you can use printer and downloadable fonts.

To choose an Arts & Letters outline typeface:

1. Select the desired text object.

2. Choose Type from the Styles menu, then Custom; or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button.

The Type Styles dialog box appears.

The list box at the upper left shows the available Arts & Letters typefaces, each with an assigned number. The current typeface is highlighted.

3. The Type Styles dialog box displays a sample of the currently-selected typeface in the lower preview window.

You can change the sample text in the preview window by double-clicking on the window itself. The Sample Text dialog box will appear, into which you can enter your own text.

4. Choose the new typeface.

Scroll the list box until the typeface name is visible. Click on the typeface name.

or

Type the number of the typeface in the Number field.

5. Click on Apply.

The selected text object is redisplayed in the new typeface.

Choosing Printer Fonts

In addition to Arts & Letters typefaces, you can specify any hardware or software font supported by Windows and your printer.

For example, if your computer is connected to an Apple LaserWriter, and you choose to use printer fonts, the typeface list displays a table of LaserWriter fonts.

Before hardware and software fonts can be used with Windows applications, they must first be installed. See your Windows User’s Guide, your printer user’s guide, and your software font installation guide for information on installing fonts for use with Windows applications.

To choose a printer font:

1. Select the desired text object.

2. Choose Type from the Styles menu, then Custom; or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button. The Type Styles dialog box appears.

3. There are two option buttons under the typeface list: one is marked “Arts & Letters” and the other is marked with the name of the currently-selected printer.

(You can change the currently-selected printer, if desired, using the Printer Setup command in the File menu.)

Click on the printer option button, and the typeface list displays available fonts. Each item in the list will be preceded by an icon which indicates whether the font is a TrueType font or a printer font.

4. The dialog box displays a sample of the currently-selected font. (If the font does not include a screen representation the preview may not match the chosen font, although it may print correctly.)

5. Choose the desired font name from the list.

6. Click on Apply.

Text Point Editing (Ctrl+P)

The Freeform/Text Edit command in the Draw menu and the Freeform Shape/Text Point Edit button in the Toolbox allow you to edit either a selected freeform object or to precisely control the styles of any letter in a text block. If a text object is selected, the face of the Freeform Shape/Text Point Edit button changes to the Edit tool

This alerts you to the option of performing an operation on the individual characters within a text block.

To change the styles of individual characters within a text block:

1. Select the text block and select Freeform/Text Edit from the Draw menu, or depress the Content menu button and select Text Point Edit, or click on the Freeform Shape/Text Point Edit button in the Toolbox, or press Ctrl+P.

Small open squares — character control points — appear at the bottom left of each character, and two triangular spacing controls appear below and to the left and right of the text block.

2. The character control points can be selected individually, by Shift+click, or by the Block Select cursor (Ctrl+B). The selected control points fill, indicating that the characters they control can be given styles apart from the text block in which they appear. You can italicize words or letters, give them different fill and line styles, or change their typeface.

You can use this feature to adjust kerning (character fit) by selecting letters and moving them horizontally (either closer or farther apart). Press the Shift key and the movement of the selected characters will be constrained to either horizontal or vertical.

3. The triangular controls — one pointing vertically, the other horizontally — allow you to drag the text block and change its leading (vertical adjustment) and word and letter spacing (horizontal adjustment). Note that this is different from stretching a text block by dragging a center handle. These horizontal and vertical controls allow you to interactively change spacing, rather than by entering numbers in the Type Spacing dialog box.

Aspect

The Aspect is the ratio of displayed text width to the “normal” text width. It is the same as condense/extend percentage.

The Aspect value of 100% represents the normal text aspect ratio.

You can specify a value of less than 100% to reduce the width of the text without affecting its height. For example, an Aspect value of 50% condenses the text to half of its original width.

Specifying a value greater than 100% extends the width of the text without affecting its height. For example, an Aspect value of 200% extends the text to twice its original width.

Changes to Type Size Settings When Text Is Stretched

Sizing a text object by stretching changes some of the type size styles of that object.

• Proportional sizing (stretching with a corner handle) changes type size, leading, and letter spacing proportionally.

• Nonproportional sizing that affects the width (stretching with a side handle) changes letter spacing and the aspect value.

• Nonproportional sizing that affects the height (stretching with the top or bottom handle) changes type size and leading.

Viewing and Changing Current Type Size Settings

To view the type size settings for a specific text object, select the object and choose Type then Custom from the Styles menu, or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button in the Style bar. The Type Styles dialog box appears, showing the type size.

Click on Spacing to view the Type Spacing Adjustments dialog box. This dialog box allows you to adjust the leading, letter spacing, word spacing, kerning, and condense/extend value.

To change the type size, leading, letter spacing, word spacing, kerning, and condense/extend value of selected objects:

1. Select the desired text object.

2. Choose Type. then Custom from the Styles menu.

EXPRESS displays the Type Styles dialog box.

A text box shows the current type size. To change the type size, enter a new size in the Size box or click on a size in the sizes list.

Click on Spacing to view the leading, letter spacing, word spacing, kerning, and condense/extend value.

3. Change the letter spacing, word spacing, leading, and condense/extend values by typing the new values in the appropriate boxes.

Change the kerning value by dragging the scroll box or by clicking on the arrows at the ends of the scroll bars.

4. Click on Apply.

The selected text objects will be redrawn with the new settings, and any new text objects created will use the new settings.

See Freeform Text Editing

Changing Text Alignment

There are four alignments within a text block:

To change the text alignment:

1. Select the desired text object.

2. Choose Type, then Alignment from the Styles menu, or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button in the Style bar.

3. Check Left, Right, Centered, or Justified.

Note: When aligning text blocks, as opposed to aligning lines of text within a text block, choose the Align command from the Arrange menu.

Changing Type Style

The normal type style is the most commonly used of the five type styles. When you want to emphasize text, use one of the four special type styles.

Normal: April 27.	Bold: April 27 .
Italicize: April 27 .	Underline: April 27 .

To create strikeout or underline text using Arts & Letters typefaces, simply draw a line through or under the text. To create bold text for a text with no unique boldface, increase the line weight of the text using the Line command in the Styles menu, or choose a bolder version of the same typeface. You can combine styles as desired.

To choose a different type style:

1. Select the desired text object.

2. Choose Type, then Type Styles... from the Styles menu, or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button in the Style bar.

The Type Styles dialog box appears.

The active type style (Normal, Italic, Bold, Strikeout, or Underline) is marked.

3. Click on Normal, Bold, Italic, or Underline, and click on Apply.

4. If you choose Italic, a field appears with the current or default value.

Type a positive number to italicize the text to the right; type a negative number to italicize to the left. (The value must be between -60 and +60 degrees.)

Naming Text Styles

Once you’ve assigned typeface, size, style, and spacing styles to a text object, you can assign a name to those styles. You can then assign that group of styles to other text objects by simply clicking on the name.

To name a group of text styles:

1. In the Custom Type Styles dialog box, set the styles desired: Typeface, Size, Alignment, etc. Use the Spacing and Styles dialog boxes to set spacing and style styles.

2. Click on Name. The Name Attributes dialog box appears.

3. Enter a name for the combination of styles and click on Name. The name is added to the list of named Type Styles.

To assign Named text styles to an object:

1. Select a text object.

2. Choose Type, then Type Palette... from the Styles menu. The Type Palette dialog box appears.

3. Click on the style name desired. The style is applied to the selected object.

To rename Named text styles:

1. Choose Type, then Custom from the Styles menu, or click with the Content Menu button on the Type Styles button in the Style bar. The Custom Type Styles dialog box appears.

2. Click on the style name you want to rename.

3. Click on Name. The Name Attributes dialog box appears.

4. Enter a new name and click on Rename. The new name replaces the old name in the list box.

To delete Named text styles:

1. Choose Type, then Custom from the Styles menu. The Custom Type Styles dialog box appears.

2. Click on the style name you want to delete.

3. Click on Name. The Name Styles dialog box appears.

4. Click on Delete. The name is deleted from the list box.

Save and Recall Styles (Text)

To assign the styles of one text object to another text object, without repeating the many settings that control the appearance of the text, choose the Save and Recall commands from the Styles menu, or use the Eyedropper.

For example, to standardize the text in an organization chart, select the text object having the greatest number of characters in a line and/or the greatest number of lines.

Assuming all of the boxes are the same size, copying the styles of the largest text object ensures that all text will be the same size and will fit in the other boxes on the chart.

To save and recall styles:

1. Select the text object with the graphic and text styles you want to copy to another object.

2. Choose Save from the Styles menu,

or

click on the Eyedropper button with the primary mouse button

or

just press R while holding down the Ctrl key.

EXPRESS sets the current graphic and text styles to those of the selected object.

3. Select the text object to be assigned the current graphic and text styles.

4. Choose Recall from the Styles menu,

or

click on the Eyedropper button with the Content menu mouse button,

or

just press R while holding down the Shift key.

The selected text objects are redrawn using the current graphic and text styles.