Task 3 How to Create Typographic Style Sheets

The standard tool presets described in Part 2, Task 3, "How to Create Custom Tool Presets," are especially effective in creating text-based style sheets that help manage type treatments in image and web design. Style sheets provide full control over all type parameters, including font, font color, alignment, and spacing options. Now you can easily select a specific type tool for headlines and another for captions, body text, or any other format present in the project.

1. Select the Type Tool

Select either the Horizontal Type or Vertical Type tool from the toolbox.

2. Select the Font Parameters

Use the Options bar to set the basic font settings including type orientation, font, size, and sharpness.

3. Set Line and Character Spacing

Select Window, Character to launch the Character palette. Set the leading, tracking, baseline shift, and vertical or horizontal shift as desired.

4. Set Alignment

Select Window, Paragraph to open the Paragraph palette. Set the alignment, justification, and indent settings as desired.

5. Select a Font Color

If you want to include a text color in the preset, click the font color swatch in the Options bar or in the Character palette. When the Color Picker opens, select the desired color for the text and click OK.

6. Save the Preset

Select Window, Tool Presets to open the Tool Presets palette. Select New Tool Preset from the palette menu, name the preset in the dialog box that appears, and click OK to save. Now you can access this text preset to load these precise text parameters whenever you need them.

How-To Hints

Don't Forget Warped Text

You can include warped text settings as part of a text preset. Select the Warp Text option as explained in Task 5, "How to Warp Text," before saving the text preset.