DIGITAL GRAPHICS & ANIMATION

Complete LESSON 4

ADDING TEXT TO GRAPHICS

Create a Text Object To enter text in a graphics file, you must use a

tool with a name such as Text or Type to create a text block

Then key the text using your computer keyboard

An insertion point within the block indicates where characters appear when keyed

Create a Fixed – Width Text Box In a fixed-width text block you specify the

block size before you begin keying the text. As you key the text, it wraps within the

block, which means when the text reaches the end of one line, it automatically moves to the beginning of the next line.

Create an Expandable Text Block In an expandable text block, text is entered on a

single line, which increases in width to accommodate as many characters as you enter.

Move and position the insertion point within a text block and to make changes to the text.

When you work with text, the mouse pointer usually looks like an I beam.

It may have a plus sign or arrow attached to it when you are inserting new text.

Edit Text Press the “insert” key to toggle between

inserting and overwriting characters. Use the backspace key to delete the character

to the left of the insertion point.

Check Spelling Even the best spelling checker won’t catch all

spelling errors. If you key the word hole when you mean whole, the

spelling checker will not identify the mistake. The only way to be certain your text is correct is to

proofread it carefully. To format an entire text block, select the block and

then select the formatting options. Alternately, select just the text you want to format,

and then select the formatting options.

Apply Character Formatting A font is the design of a set of characters, including

letters, numbers and symbols. There are two basic types of font: serif fonts and sans

serif fonts. Serif Fonts have short lines and curlicues at the ends of the

lines that make up the character. This is a serif font w Serif fonts are generally easy to read and are often used for

lengthy paragraphs, reports or letters (Times New Roman, Garamond, and Century)

Apply Character Formatting Sans Serif fonts have straight lines without

serifs and are often used for headlines and titles. This is a sans serif font. w

Some common sans serif fonts are Ariel, impact and Tahoma.

Other types of fonts include script fonts, which imitate handwriting, and symbol fonts, which include sets of symbols that you insert as characters into text.

Apply Font Formatting p. 102 Text objects also have a font size that you can

change when formatting text. Font sizes are measured in points according to the

height of an uppercase letter in the font size. There are 72 points in an inch. Font style is the slant and weight of characters in a

font set, such as bold and italic.

Set Kerning & Leading p. 103 Kerning controls the space between pairs of

characters. Usually controlled by the font set, but sometimes

when certain characters such as T and A, or Y and O – are not next to each other, you can clearly see uneven space.

Leading (pronounced to thyme with wedding) is the amount of space between the baseline – bottom- of one line of text and the baseline of the next line.

Leading may be measured in pixels, points, or as percentage.

Set Text Direction p. 105 Direction options include both orientation and

text flow. Orientation controls whether the text is

displayed horizontally across the width of the block or vertically from the top to the bottom of the block.

Text flow determines whether text can be read from left to right or right to left.

Alignment p. 105

Alignment controls the position of text in relation to the edges of the text block.

Horizontally oriented text can be aligned with either the left or the right edge, centered between the left and right edges.

Text can be justified, which means the space between words are adjusted so that the text aligns with both the left and right edges

Vertical alignment can be aligned with the top and bottom edges of the text block, centered between the top and bottom edges or justified between the top and bottom edges.

Apply Fills and Strokes to Text p. 107 Text objects have both a fill and a stroke just like

any other drawing object. By default, a text object’s stroke is transparent.

You can change the color and appearance of text by modifying both fill and stroke options.

Stroke options can usually be applied only to an entire text block, but solid fills, as opposed to textured or gradient fills, can be applied to an entire text block or selected text within a block.

Import p. 109 & Transform a Text Block p. 111 If the text you want to use in a graphics file is

already entered in a different file, you can import it into your graphics program.

In most cases the formatting from the original file will not be imported into the graphics file.

You can transform a text block using the same methods you use to transform other graphics objects.

In most programs that means you can scale, skew, distort, rotate, and flip the entire text block to create interesting effects.

Convert Text to Vector Graphics p. 111 When text is in a text block, you can edit and

format the text, you can transform the entire text block object.

Once the text is converted, you can use all the editing tools in your graphics program to modify the shape itself.

Keep in mind, however, that you can’t edit text that has been converted.

FAST FACTS You can create text block objects in a graphics file to

hold regular text characters. There are two types of text blocks; expandable and

fixed-width. You can enter and edit text using basic word

processing commands. Many graphics programs have spelling checkers that

you can use to locate and correct spelling errors. You can apply font formatting to text in a text block

FAST FACTS

Adjusting kerning and leading settings can make text easier to read and help fir it within a defined space.

Changing text alignment and orientation can help integrate text into a graphic image.

Fill color determines the text color, but you can also apply stroke color and effects to text.

You can import text from another file into graphics file. You can transform text by skewing, distorting, rotating, or

flipping it. You can convert text objects to vector graphics to make

possible other modifications to the object.

Lesson 4Daily Grades

Lesson 4T/F Questions1. Font sizes are measured in points.

2. All text within a text block must be formatted in the same format.

3. A good spelling checker will catch all spelling errors so you don’t have to proofread.

4. Press enter to toggle between inserting and overwriting characters.

5. In an expandable text block, text is entered on a single line.

Lesson 4T/F Questions6. In a fixed-width text block, text wraps to fit within

the size of the block

7. Leading is always measured in pixels.

8. Text flow determines whether text can be read from left to right or right to left.

9. Text color is determined by the current stroke setting.

10. Usually, existing formatting is lost when you import text into a graphics file.

Lesson 4 Witten Questions1. What types of transformations can you

perform on text blocks?2. What is the drawback of converting text to

vector shapes?3. What s the difference between an expandable

text block and a fixed-width text block?4. What are some spelling mistakes that a

spelling checker won’t catch?5. What are different types of alignment?

Lesson 4Fill in the Blank Questions1. _____ controls whether the text is displayed

horizontally across the width of the block or vertically from the top to the bottom of the block.

2. Leading is the amount of space between the ____ of lines of text.

3. The spacing between certain repairs of characters is controlled by _____.

4. Press _____ to remove the character to the left of the insertion point.

5. The mouse pointer usually resembles a(n) _____ when you are entering or editing text.

Lesson 4Fill in the Blank Questions6. If you use a(n) _____ fill, you can apply it to

selected text within a block.

7. _____ controls he position of text in relation to the edges of the text block.

8. There are _____ points in an inch.

9. The font _____is the slant and weight of the characters in a font.

10. A(n) _____ within a text block indicates where characters that you type will be placed.

Lesson 4 Vocabulary Define the following terms1. Baseline

2. Expandable Text Block

3. Fixed-width text block

4. Font

5. Font size

6. Font style

7. Insertion point

8. Justified

9. Kerning

10. Leading

11. Orientation

12. Text Block

13. Text Flow

14. Wrap