MACROMEDIA FREEHAND MX 11, Use Manual

Page: 278 / 412

Chapter 8 278
Applying text effects
In FreeHand, you can create many effects with text. You can attach and align text to a path, wrap
text around graphics, create inline graphics, and apply built-in special text effects such as shadows
and underlines.
Attaching text to paths
You can align text to a path that is open or closed, with curve or corner points. The text can be
linked to other paths or text blocks. Type specifications of text attached to a path remain intact.
You can apply transformations to text attached to a path as you would any other object.
You can flow two lines of text on a closed path. The characters up to the first carriage return flow
along the top of the path, and the characters from there to the second carriage return flow along
the bottom of the path. On an open path, only characters up to the first carriage return or tab
appear. An indicator dot appears in the text’s link box if the text overflows the path. Left-aligned
text on a curved path is respaced automatically to avoid overlapping letters.
You can also make text flow inside a path; see “Flowing text inside a path” on page 280.
To attach text to a path:
1
Using the Pointer tool, Shift-click to select a text block and a path.
2
Select Text > Attach to Path, or click the Attach to Path button on the Text toolbar.
You can edit text directly on the path or use the Text Editor; see “Using the Text Editor” on
page 241.
To place text on the top and bottom of an ellipse:
1
Position the Text tool in a text block at the point where the text should split between the top
and bottom of the ellipse, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to insert a
carriage return.
2
Using the Pointer tool, Shift-click to select the text block and an ellipse.
3
Select Text > Attach to Path.
4
If necessary, do one of the following:
•
If the text disappears, review the selected options in the Top and Bottom alignment pop-up
menus in the Object panel. If None is selected for both, text will not be visible on the path.
•
If the text flows in the wrong direction, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the
path to select it. (It’s easiest to select the path in this manner when Keyline mode is active or if
the Show Path option is selected in the Object panel.) Then select Modify > Alter
Path > Reverse Direction.
Aligning text on a path
You can adjust the alignment and orientation of text on a path by using the Object panel.
Text flows in the direction of the path, from left to right (clockwise) or from right to left
(counterclockwise). To reverse the direction of the text, you reverse the direction of the path. For
more information, see “Attaching text to paths” on page 278.