Text Flow and Linked Text Blocks

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By default, a single click of the Text tool starts a fixed-size text block, and enables you to type a line of text as wide as you want to go — until you click Return. If you've drawn a text block, you can type to the boundaries of the block, and text automatically flows to the next line. When the copy gets to the end of the text block, you won't see the new copy that you input, and a square with a circle inside appears at the bottom-right corner of the text block. That icon indicates a text overflow. To see your new text, resize the text block by dragging one of the corner control handles on the text block. On the other hand, maybe you want to continue the text somewhere else in the document. In FreeHand, you can link text from one text block to another, to be set inside any object, or you can attach it to a path. To link text blocks, click and drag a new text block. Click the overflow icon, and drag the cursor over the new text block. You know it's working correctly if you see a pigtail path from the overflow icon to the cursor. When you release the mouse over the new text block, the copy automatically flows into the new area (see Figure 9-3). Treat this new text block as you would any other, and if you shrink or stretch the first block in the text chain (or change the size or leading of the text), the text in the second block grows or shrinks to fit.

click to expand
Figure 9-3: Linked text blocks display a double-arrow icon and connecting path to the next block.

The overflow situation is good and bad. It's great for creating simple newsletters, brochures, or manuals, and not bad for larger, multipage books. I hesitate to use this feature over many pages (8–10) because performance can suffer, and a greater chance of problems exists with the file. You're better off cutting the thread along the way and starting a new thread. Another reason to cut the thread is to convert the text into paths. You might want to convert text to paths for many reasons. For example, you may want to export the file into Illustrator, or Adobe Acrobat, or just make the file easier to transfer to someone. By converting text to paths, you have no fonts to worry about, and people on the other end of your production chain cannot edit the text either (another good/bad situation, depending on circumstances). You cannot convert linked text blocks into paths.

To unlink text blocks (or cut the thread), you must basically break the large body of copy into smaller chunks.

  1. Decide where you want to break the link.

  2. Select all the text after that link and cut it to the Pasteboard.

  3. Click the overflow icon at the bottom-right of the previous text block, and drag the cursor to an empty spot on the document. This kills the link.

  4. Double-click the Pointer tool inside the first text block of your new section (to return to the Text tool and place an insertion point) and paste the text. The copy automatically flows forward to any other linked text blocks, objects, or paths.



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Macromedia Studio MX Bible
Macromedia Studio MX Bible
ISBN: 0764525239
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 491

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