Converting Text into Graphics

If you want to use the shape of a letter, or the combined shapes of several letters , as a frame for text or a picture, you could test your skill with the Pen tool and create the letter shape(s) yourself. But getting hand-drawn characters to look just the way you want them can take lots of time. A quicker solution is to use the Create Outlines command (Type ‚ Create Outlines, or Shift+ z +O or Ctrl+Shift+O) to convert text characters into editable outlines. The Create Outlines command is particularly useful if you want to hand-tweak the shapes of characters, particularly at display font sizes, or place text or a picture within character shapes.

You can create outlines from TrueType, OpenType, and PostScript (Type 1) format fonts. When you create outlines of highlighted characters, any hinting information in the font is removed. (Hinting information is used to adjust the space between characters, especially at small font sizes.) Therefore, you should adjust the appearance of any characters before you choose Create Outlines.

Note ‚  

The character shape information required to create outlines is not available in all fonts. If such information is not available when you choose Create Outlines, InDesign will alert you to this fact.

Tip ‚  

If all you need to do is apply a stroke or fill to characters within text, you don't have to convert the characters into outlines. Instead, simply highlight the characters and use the Stroke pane (Window ‚ Stroke, or F10) and Swatches pane (Window ‚ Swatches, or F5) to change their appearance. This way you'll still be able to edit the text.

When you use the Create Outlines command, you have the choice of creating an inline compound path that replaces the original text or an independent compound path that's placed directly on top of the original letters. If you want the text outlines to flow with the surrounding text, create an inline compound path. If you want to use the outlines elsewhere, create an independent compound path.

To convert text into outlines:

1. Use the Type tool to highlight the characters you want to convert into outlines.

   Generally, this feature works best with large font sizes.

2. Choose Type ‚ Create Outlines or press Shift+ z +O or Ctrl+Shft+O.

   If you hold down the Option or Alt key when you choose Create Outlines, or if you press Shift+Option+ z +O or Ctrl+Alt+Shift+O, a compound path is created and placed in front of the text. In this case, you can use either of the selection tools to move the resulting compound path. If you don't hold down Option or Alt when you choose Create Outlines, an inline compound path is created. This object replaces the original text and flows with the surrounding text.

   Tip ‚  

   If you hold the Option or Alt keys when creating text outlines, the text in the resulting inline compound path will be editable.

Figure 28-6 shows text outlines created with the Create Outlines command, then modified using the Control palette.

Figure 28-6: Top: Designer John Cruise converted the highlighted characters into an independent compound path by holding down Option or Alt when applying the Make (Compound Path) command. Bottom: After moving the compound path with a selection tool, he placed the angled-line image in the path and added a 2-point stroke.

After you create text outlines, you can modify the paths the same as you can modify hand-drawn paths ‚ by selecting them with the Direct Selection tool and then adding, deleting, or moving anchor points; dragging direction handles; and converting smooth points to corner points and vice versa. You can also use the transformation tools, the Control palette (Window ‚ Control), and the Transform pane (Window ‚ Transform, or F9) to change the appearance of text outlines. You cannot, however, edit text after converting it to outlines. (See Chapters 11 and 24 for more information about InDesign's transformation features.)

Additionally, you can use the Place command (File ‚ Place, or z +D or Ctrl+D) to import text or a picture into text outlines. Figure 28-7 shows character outlines used as text and graphics frames .

Figure 28-7: Both character shapes were created with the Create Outlines command. Designer John Cruise placed text into the shape on the left, and he placed a picture with a clipping path into the shape on the right and then filled the path with a tint.

Tip ‚  

When you create outlines out of a range of highlighted characters, a compound path is created; and each of the characters becomes a subpath. You can use the Release (Compound Path) command (Object ‚ Compound Path ‚ Release, or Option+ z +8 or Ctrl+Alt+8) to turn each of the subpaths into independent paths.

Cross-Reference ‚  

Chapter 27 covers editing paths and subpaths in more detail.