Text Block

Text Block

A text block contains text you type, paste, or import. You can’t see the borders of a text block until you select it with the pointer tool.

You create text blocks in two ways:

1. Click or drag the text tool on the page or pasteboard, and then type.

2. Click a loaded text icon in an empty column or page.

1. Creating a Text Block with the Text tool

To create a text block with the text tool:

1. Select the text tool (T) from the toolbox. The pointer turns into an I-beam.

2. On an empty area of the page or pasteboard, do one of the following:

Click the I-beam where you want to insert text. This creates a text block the width of the column or page. By default, the insertion point jumps to the left side of the text block.

3. Type the text you want.

Unlike with a text frame, you do not see the borders of a text block until you click the text with the pointer tool.

2. Moving a Text Block

To move a block without changing its shape, place the cursor anywhere inside the block, and click and drag it to the required position.

3. Resizing a Text Block

When you select a text block with the Pointer tool, the block’s boundaries become visible. Two handles are seen above and below the text block. These handles are called Windowshades. There is a dark square on both ends of the handle. These are used to change the size of the text block.

To resize a Text block

1. Click on the Pointer tool.

2. Click either the left or right corner handle on the bottom of the text block and drag.

When you release the mouse button, the text in the text block will reflow to fit the new size of the text block.

3. A red triangle in the bottom windowshade means there is more text in the text block than visible on the page. Drag the windowshade handle down to show more text.

4. Splitting a Text Block into two

To split a text block into two

1. Place the cursor on    the bottom handle, click and dragupwards.

When you release the bottom handle will contain a red triangle.

2. Click once on this, and the cursor changes to a loaded text icon.

3. Position this where the second part of the text is to be, and click.

5. Rejoining split blocks

To rejoin the two text blocks

1. Place the cursor on the bottom handle of the second text block, click and drag the bottom handle up to the top.

2. Then place the cursor on the bottom handle of the first text block, and click and drag the bottom handle down if necessary.

6. Placing (Importing) Text

You can insert text from other software program like MS-Word in the PageMaker document.

1. Choose File > Place in the menu bar. The Place dialog box will appear.

2. Locate the document that contains the text you want to place and select it.

3. Click on Open in the Place dialog box. The pointer changes to the loaded text icon ( ).

4. Make a text block to place the text. (Or) Click in the page to place the text. The text will be placed in the page.

If the text to be placed is too big to fit on one page, PageMaker allows you to place it on several pages. This can be done manually or automatically.

Manual text flow

·         Position the loaded text icon at a corner of the area where you want to place text, hold down the mouse button, and drag to define the text block. Release the mouse button.

·         Text flows into the defined area. If there is more text than fits in the text block you defined, a red triangle appears in the bottom windowshade handle.

·         Click once on this and the loaded text icon reappears. Now generate a new text block and click. Repeat this process until there is no more text to place.

Similarly if you want to place the text in a page, position the loaded text icon at the top of the page and click. Text flows into the page. If there is more text than fits in the page, a red triangle appears in the bottom windowshade handle.

Click once on this and the loaded text icon reappears. Now generate a new page (or pages) by selecting Layout > Insert Pages in the menu bar. Place the loaded text icon at the top of the next page and click. Repeat this process until there is no more text to place.

Automatic text flow

Before importing the text, first select Layout > Autoflow in the menu bar. Then you should import the text. Now the loaded text icon looks different - it contains a squiggly arrow().

Place the loaded text icon at the top of the page and click. But now the text will automatically flow on to the succeeding pages, creating new ones, if necessary.