Cross D., Kloskowski M. Illustrator(r) CS2 Killer Tips / Align On

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Illustrator(r) CS2 Killer Tips
Authors: Cross D., Kloskowski M.
Published year: 2006
Pages: 347-352/473

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Align On

This tip is, we'll admit, a little out there, but there are some interesting uses for this concept. When you add a decimal-aligned tab stop to the Tab Ruler in the Tabs palette (Window>Type>Tabs), by default Illustrator assumes that you want the text to align using the decimal point (a fair assumption). You don't have to be satisfied with aligning to the decimal point, but instead you can align your text to a character by entering any character in the Align On field at the top of the palette. In our first example, all the tabbed text is aligning to the semi-colons, so the workout times all line up. The second example is a little more unusual, with all the words aligning on the letter "a" in each word.

Angled Tabs

With a bit of effort, you can create what amounts to graphical tabs. Create a text frame with the Type tool (T) and fill it with text information, separating the text with tab stops by using the Tabs palette (or by simply pressing the Tab key as you type information). Then get the Pen (P) or Line (\) tool from the Toolbox and draw paths that will replace the tab stops. You can give your paths a stroke color, such as black, but you should avoid a fill color so you can see the effect you're about to create. Select the paths and the text frame with the Selection tool (V), and from the Object menu choose Text Wrap>Make. Click OK if you get a warning dialog; this is just letting you know that text will be altered . The tabbed text will line up with the paths. To change the text offset or invert the wrap, go to Object>Text Wrap and choose Text Wrap Options. You also may need to use the Direct Selection tool (A) and perform some tweaking to get the ideal result, as we did in our example here.

Scroll the View with Text

With most tools, pressing the Spacebar temporarily gives you the Hand tool so you can navigate in the document. Try that while you're typing and, of course, you get spaces. So how do you do that temporary Hand tool thing when you're typing? Press Command-Spacebar (PC: Alt-Spacebar), the shortcut for the Zoom tool. Once the cursor has changed to the Zoom tool, let go of the Command key (PC: Control key), and you'll have the Hand tool, ready to navigate. Let go and you're right back to typing again.

Quick Edit

Here's a quick way to switch between the Selection tool and the Type tool, allowing you to start editing some text. Using the Selection tool (V) or the Direct Selection tool (A), double-click on some type. The Type tool will be activated and the text insertion point will appear in the location where you clicked.

Hanging Indents

To create hanging indents easily, select your text with the Type tool (T), go to the Window menu, select Paragraph, and use this formula in the Paragraph palette: Enter a positive value in the Left Indent field, and in the First-Line Left Indent field (right below the Left Indent field), enter the same value with a minus sign in front to make it a negative value. Once you get it to work just right, create a paragraph style by choosing Type>Paragraph Style from the Window menu. In the palette that appears, choose New Paragraph Style from the flyout menu. Now you can select your style in the Paragraph Styles palette, and you don't have to go through all that formatting again.

Reset All Settings

Illustrator has a long memory when it comes to text settings, so if you have changed indents, baseline shift, etc., you have in effect, changed the default settings. To make sure you don't get unexpected results, you probably want to deselect the text and then either manually change the settings back to "normal," or use the type palette's flyout menu and choose Reset Palette. You'll need to do this for both the Character and Paragraph palettes.