Using Type > Converting text to paths

 

Converting text to paths

You can edit text as objects by converting the text to paths. Once the text is converted, you can edit the shape of individual characters, use text as a clipping path, apply complicated strokes and fills to the shape of a group of characters, and apply FreeHand and third-party Xtras that create special effects. However, you can no longer edit text converted to paths as text—for example, you can't change the spelling, type, or paragraph attributes.

Any PostScript Type 1, PostScript Type 3 font created with Fontographer, or TrueType font installed on your computer can be converted to paths. Text in linked text blocks cannot be converted to paths unless you unlink the blocks.

Converting text to paths may affect the onscreen appearance of text characters, because the characters are no longer handled as type outlines by your system's type-handling utility.

Printing text converted to paths does not require that fonts be installed, but it may result in poor-quality output, especially at 12-point sizes and smaller.

You cannot convert paths back to text after you manipulate the paths. However, you can choose Edit > Undo to reverse the conversion if you have not yet manipulated the paths or saved the file.

To convert text to paths:

1

Select the text block you wish to convert with the Pointer tool.

2

Choose Text > Convert to Paths or click the Convert to Paths button in the Text toolbar.

The following conversions occur:

Text aligned to a path remains in place, but the path disappears.

The text block converts to a group of objects; to manipulate individual characters, you must ungroup the objects.

Letters with more than one component, such as the letter i, convert to composite paths. For more information on composite paths, see Combining paths.

Letters with enclosed areas, such as B and O, convert to composite paths with transparent holes.

All other letters, such as L and Z, convert to a single path.

3

To ungroup the converted text into individual, editable characters, choose Modify > Ungroup.

4

To edit a selected word or phrase as a single object, select the characters that make up the word or phrase and choose Modify > Join.