Creating Text Frames and Text Blocks Typing Text Importing Text Selecting and Editing Text

Creating Text Frames and Text Blocks

Most body text is entered into text frames. Text blocks are used for limited amounts of text. Unlike text frames, text blocks do not have defined right or bottom edges. When you resize a text frame or table, its text reflows; when you resize a text block, the text in it scales to match the new text block size.

How to create text column frames

1. Choose Create Text Frames from the Layout menu.

The Create Text Frames dialog box will appear.

Enter the column margins, the space between them, and the pages on which to create the frames. Click Link Frames to flow text between pages.

2. Click Create.

If you create more than one column per page, the columns will be within one frame. The number of columns can be changed later with Text Frame Options from the Object menu's Frame submenu, or with the Edit palette.

How to draw a text column frame

  
1. Select the 1, 2 or 3 column tool.

The mouse pointer will change to a drawing crosshair.

Drawing Crosshair Pointer

2. Drag the mouse to start the frame.

Position the mouse crosshair over the start point of the frame. Drag the mouse in any direction while holding down the mouse button.

3. Release the mouse button to end the frame.

Or

1. Select the Text tool.

The mouse pointer will change to the text cursor.

Text Cursor

2. Drag the mouse to start the frame.

Position the mouse crosshair over the start point of the frame outside any existing text frame, frameless text object, or table cell. Drag the mouse in any direction while holding down the mouse button. The mouse pointer will change to the drawing crosshair.Drawing Crosshair Pointer while dragging the mouse.

3. Release the mouse button to end the frame.

How to create a text block

1. Choose the Text tool.

The mouse pointer will change to the text cursor.

Text Cursor

2. Click on a blank area of the page and begin typing.

Because text blocks do not have defined right edges, you need to press Return at the end of each line.

Typing Text

You must start a text block or position the insertion point in a text frame before you can type. The insertion point is a flashing vertical line that indicates where text you enter will be inserted.

How to type text

1. Choose the Text tool.

The mouse pointer will change to the text cursor.

Text Cursor

Click with the text cursor to position the insertion point. If you click on a blank area of the page, you will create a text block. If you click in a text frame, the insertion point will be placed in it.

2. Type text.

Press the Return key at the end of each line in a text block. Press the Return key only at the end of each paragraph in a text frame.

Importing Text

You can import ASCII text files in PageStream. If you wish to import text attributes, paragraph attributes and style tags, you may also import text files saved in the RTF (Rich Text Format) format. The vast majority of word processors can save in the RTF format. Check your word processor's documentation to learn about how to export text in the standard RTF text format.

How to import text

1. Choose the Text tool.

Choose the Text tool and place the insertion point to specify where you want to insert text.

2. Choose Insert Text from the File menu.

Select a file in the Insert Text file selector. Click Open.

3. Choose the import options.

The Insert Text dialog box will appear. Click Insert to import the text.

4. Deselect the text.

Click in the text to deselect it. The imported text will be selected if Select Text on Paste in the Files panel in Preferences is selected.

If more text is imported than will fit in the column(s), overset text will occur. To automatically create enough text frames for imported text, choose Automatic Text Frames in the Files panel in Preferences.

Selecting and Editing Text

The Text tool can be used to select, change or delete text.

Selecting text

To select a range of text: Drag the text cursor over the text to select, or extended or contract the selected range of text using the cursor keys will holding down a Shift key.

To select a word or paragraph: Double or triple click, respectively, on the text.

To select all of the text in an article: Choose Select All from the Edit menu or quadruple click on the text.

To deselect text: Click in the text. This will reposition the insertion point.

Editing text

You can edit text in PageStream using PageStream's word processing features, or you can edit text in another program. PageStream offers the standard mouse and keyboard text editing features of MacOS, AmigaOS and Windows.

Amiga users can use PageLiner, the companion article editor included with PageStream for Amiga. To edit text in PageLiner instead of PageStream, place the insertion point in the text and choose Send to Editor from the Edit menu. When you have finished editing, choose Save and Close in PageLiner.

Cutting and pasting text

Once text is selected for editing in PageStream or PageLiner, you can cut or copy it to the clipboard. After text has been copied, it can be pasted elsewhere in the article or document.

Choose Copy from the Edit menu to copy selected text to the clipboard. Choose Cut from the Edit menu to copy selected text to the clipboard and to remove it from the article.

To paste copied text into an article, position the insertion point and choose Paste from the Edit menu.

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