Applying Text Distortions

InDesign also lets you apply horizontal or vertical scaling to text. This distorts the text to increase its height or width . This changes the type from the original design of the characters. Typographic purists (such as this author) disdain distorting text.

The effects of applying either vertical scaling or horizontal scaling to text.

To apply horizontal scaling:

1.	Select the text that you want to distort.
2.	Use the horizontal scale field controls in the Character palette to change the width of the text . Use the horizontal scale controls in the Character palette to distort the width of text.

To apply vertical scaling:

1.	Select the text that you want to distort.
2.	Use the vertical scale field controls in the Character palette . The vertical scale controls in the Character palette let you distort text height.

Skewing allows you to slant or tilt text . This is also called false italic because it resembles the slant of italic text.

You can apply negative and positive skew to text to create a special effect.

To skew text:

1.	Select the text that you want to skew.
2.	Enter an angle in the skew field in the Character palette to specify how much the text should be slanted . The skew controls in the Character palette let you create fake oblique and slanted text. Tip Positive numbers to 180 degrees tilt the text to the left. Negative numbers to 180 degrees tilt the text to the right.