UNDERSTANDING THE TYPE TOOLS

Illustrator's Type tools enable you to create text in a variety of ways. Choose the proper tool to create either standard, straight-line text, text inside a closed path, or type on a path (see Figure 14.8):

• Type tool: Click to start typing, or click and drag to draw a type container of a specific size. When the Type tool is selected, your cursor becomes an I-beam, which enables you to select text by dragging over it.

• Area Type tool: Click with this tool inside a closed path to change the shape to a type container.

• Type on a Path tool: Click on a path and start typing to create text that adheres to the path.

• Vertical Type tool: Click to start typing vertically, or click and drag to draw a type container that contains vertical type. When the Vertical Type tool is selected, your cursor becomes a vertical I-beam, which enables you to select vertical text by dragging over it.

• Vertical Area Type tool: Click with this tool inside a closed path to change the shape to a vertical type container.

• Vertical Type on a Path tool: Click on a path and start typing to create vertical text that adheres to the path.

Figure 14.8. The various Type tools give you a great deal of control over how type is displayed and created.