Chapter 10: type, Creating and importing type, Entering text – Adobe Illustrator CS3 User Manual
Page 295
289
Chapter 10: Type
Among the most powerful aspects of Adobe Illustrator are its type features. You can add a single line of type to your
artwork, create columns and rows of text, flow text into a shape or along a path, and work with letterforms as graphic
objects. The fonts you choose and the settings you select in Illustrator for leading, kerning, and spacing before and
after paragraphs are examples of decisions you can make about the appearance of the text in your artwork.
Creating and importing type
Entering text
You can create type by using one of three methods: at a point, inside an area, and along a path.
•
Point type is a horizontal or vertical line of text that begins where you click and expands as you enter characters.
Each line of text is independent—the line expands or shrinks as you edit it, but doesn’t wrap to the next line.
Entering text this way is useful for adding a few words to your artwork.
•
Area type (also called paragraph type) uses the boundaries of an object to control the flow of characters, either
horizontally or vertically. When the text reaches a boundary, it automatically wraps to fit inside the defined area.
Entering text this way is useful when you want to create one or more paragraphs, such as for a brochure.
•
Type on a path flows along the edge of an open or a closed path. When you enter text horizontally, the characters
are parallel to the baseline. When you enter text vertically, the characters that are perpendicular to the baseline. In
either case, the text flows in the direction in which points were added to the path.
If you enter more text than can fit within an area or along a path, a small box containing a plus symbol (+) appears
near the bottom of the bounding area.
Example of overflow text
You can resize the text area or extend the path in order to display the overflow text. You can also thread the text into
another object.
For a video on creating point and area type, see
. For a video on creating type on a path,
see
or more information about working with type in Illustrator, see the Working with
Type white paper at