decorative banner

Choosing a slice type and setting slice options


    A slice's type and options determine how the content of the slice will look and function on the Web.

To choose a slice type:

  1. Select a slice. (See Selecting and modifying slices.)
  2. Choose Object > Slice > Slice Options. For information on setting slice options in the Save for Web dialog box, see Working with slices during optimization.
  3. Choose a content type from the Slice Type pop-up menu.
    • Image if you want the artwork defined by the slice to become a linked image file on the resulting Web page.
    • No Image if you want the slice area to contain text or a solid color on the resulting Web page. You enter text and HTML formatting tags for No Image content slices in the Slice Options dialog box. You cannot view No Image content in Illustrator; you must use a Web browser to preview it.
    • HTML Text if you want to capture text and basic formatting characteristics from the text object in Illustrator. To edit the text for HTML Text content slices, you must update the text in your artwork.

    Important: To create a slice with HTML Text content, select a text object, and then choose the Object > Slice > Make command. The HTML Text content type is not available if a slice was created using another method. (See Creating slices.)

To set options for Image content slices:

    In the Slice Options dialog box, do the following, and click OK:

    • Specify the slice name in the Name text box. By default, the slice name is used as the file name when you save the Web page. (See Setting file saving options.)
    • Specify a URL to make the slice area a hotspot in the resulting Web page. You can enter a relative URL, enter a full URL (including http://), or choose a previously created URL from the pop-up menu.
    • If you specified a URL, specify the frame you want the link to target in the Target text box. You can enter the name of a target frame, or choose a standard option from the pop-up menu.
    • Specify text in the Message text box that will appear in the browser's status area when the mouse is positioned over an image.
    • Specify text in the Alt text box that will appear in place of image data in nongraphical browser (and will be used by voice-recognition software).
    • Choose a color that will appear in the slice area of the resulting Web page from the Background pop-up menu. Keep in mind that the selected color will not be displayed in Illustrator.

To set options for No Image content slices

    In the Slice Options dialog box, do the following, and click OK:

    • Specify text that will appear in the slice area of the resulting Web page in the Text Displayed in Cell text box. You can format the text using standard HTML tags.

    TipBe careful not to enter more text than can be displayed in the slice area. If you enter too much text, it will extend into neighboring slices and affect the layout of your Web page. However, because you cannot view the text on the artboard, this will not be apparent until you view the Web page in a Web browser.

    • Choose options from the Horiz and Vert pop-up menus to specify the horizontal and vertical alignment of the text.
    • Choose a color that will appear in the slice area of the resulting Web page from the Background pop-up menu. Keep in mind that the selected color will not be displayed in Illustrator.

To set options for HTML Text content slices:

    In the Slice Options dialog box, do the following, and click OK:

    • Choose options from the Horiz and Vert pop-up menus to specify the horizontal and vertical alignment of the text.
    • Choose a color that will appear in the slice area of the resulting Web page from the Background pop-up menu. Keep in mind that the selected color will not be displayed in Illustrator.

    TipThe text for HTML Text slices is displayed in the Slice Options dialog box; however, you cannot edit it. You can make HTML text editable in the Slice Options dialog box by changing the slice type to No Image. This breaks the link with the text object on the artboard. To ignore text formatting, enter <unformatted> as the first word in the text object.