Adding Text

Adding Text

Adding Text

Canvas X Draw has a full range of text and typography features that let you integrate text with illustrations and images. You can enter, format, edit, and arrange text in Canvas X Draw. You can also import text files and use Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to place text in documents. To help you edit and proof text, Canvas X Draw provides spell-checking and text-searching tools.

Text Tools

The Text tool palette contains the tools you use to create text objects and edit text.

Text: Use the Text tool to create text objects and edit text.

Text Object: Use the Text Object tool to draw fixed text objects for page layouts.

Text Link: Use the Text Link tool to link text objects to create text flows.

Text Unlink: Use the Text Unlink tool to break text object links.

Link Info: Use the Link Info tool to check text flows in a document. The tool displays arrows showing the flow of text among linked text objects.

Text Path: Use the Path Text tool to type text along a vector path.

Text Form Field: Use the Text Form Field tool to create form text boxes.

Text Section: Use the Text Section tool to create sections and columns in the text.

Text Format Brush: Use the Text Format Brush tool to copy a text format and apply it to other text.

Vertical Text: Use the Vertical Text tool to create text objects and edit text when you are using a double-byte language.

Vertical Text Object: Use the Vertical Text Object tool to draw fixed text objects for page layouts when you are using a double-byte language.

Table: Use the Table tool to quickly create tables. Use the Text tool to type in each cell individually.

The Vertical Text and Vertical Text Object tools are only designed for languages that use vertical text, such as Japanese. These two tools are only available if you select the Enable two-byte script checkbox on the Type page of the Text manager in the Configuration Center. If you change this setting in the Configuration Center, you must close Canvas X Draw and restart it before the setting is applied.

Typing Text

The simplest way to add text to a document is to use the Text tool.

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Formatting Text

Canvas X Draw provides three ways to format text: the Properties bar, the Text menu, and the Type palette. Using the Properties bar or the Text menu, you can quickly apply formatting to particular characters or an entire paragraph. The Type palette gives you additional options such as the ability to create and save character and paragraph styles, which you can use to consistently format text throughout a document.

To Apply Formatting from the Properties Bar:

  1. Select the Text tool from the Toolbox.
  2. Select the text you want to format.
  3. In the Properties bar, select one or more text format options.

Properties Bar Text Format Options

Font

Select one from the menu. The font applies to selected text objects, highlighted text, or the next text you type.

Size

Select a size or enter one and press Enter. The size applies to selected text objects, highlighted text, or the next text you type. To increase the font size, you can also click the +A. To decrease the font size, you can click -A.

Horizontal alignment

Select left, center, right, or justify.

Text attributes

Use the pop-up palettes to apply a text fill ink, text pen ink, background ink, and text frame ink. For the text stroke and frame stroke, you can also assign a pen width.

Leading

Select an option or enter a value and press Enter.

Scaling

Specify percentages (horizontal & vertical) by which you want to scale the current type size.

Space

Insert spacing before or after a paragraph by entering values in the fields.

Vertical alignment

Select top, bottom, center, or justify.

Text styles

Click buttons to assign standard text styles.

Tab

Select left, right, center, decimal, or comma from the menu and then click in the ruler to set the tab.

Kerning

Select an option from the menu or enter a value and press Enter.

To Apply Formatting from the Text Menu:

  1. Select the Text tool from the Toolbox.
  2. Select the text you want to format.
  3. Choose Text | Font (or any of the other formatting options).
  4. Choose one of the options from the sub-menus.

To Apply Formatting from the Type Palette:

  1. Select the Text tool from the Toolbox.
  2. Select the text you want to format.
  3. Choose Text | Type.
  4. In the Type palette, select one or more text format options, and then click Apply.

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