Flash CS3  |  Go to CS4 Help

Create and edit text fields

Text is horizontal by default, however static text can also be aligned vertically.

You can use most common word-processing techniques to edit text in Flash. Use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands to move text in a Flash file as well as between Flash and other applications.

For a sample file about working with text, see the Flash Samples page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Text\TextEnhancements folder to access the sample.

Add text to the Stage

  1. Select the Text tool .
  2. In the Property inspector (Window > Properties > Properties), select a text type from the pop‑up menu to specify the type of text field:
    Dynamic Text
    Creates a field that displays dynamically updating text.

    Input Text
    Creates a field in which users can enter text.

    Static Text
    Creates a field that cannot update dynamically.

  3. For static text only: In the Property inspector, click Change Orientation Of Text  and select a direction for text orientation and flow. (Horizontal is the default setting.)
  4. On the Stage, do one of the following:

    • To create a text field that displays text in a single line, click where you want the text to start.

    • To create a text field with a fixed width (for horizontal text) or fixed height (for vertical text), position the pointer where you want the text to start and drag to the desired width or height.

    Note: If you create a text field that extends past the edge of the Stage as you type, the text isn’t lost. To make the handle accessible again, add line breaks, move the text field, or select View > Pasteboard.
  5. Select text attributes in the Property inspector.

Change the size of a text field

  Drag the text field’s resize handle.

When text is selected, a blue bounding box lets you resize the text field by dragging one of its handles. Static text fields have four handles that let you resize the text field horizontally. Dynamic text fields have eight handles that let you resize the text field vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Switch a text field between fixed-width (or fixed-height) and extending

 Double-click a resize handle.

Select characters in a text field

  1. Select the Text tool .
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Drag to select characters.

    • Double-click to select a word.

    • Click to specify the beginning of the selection, and Shift-click to specify the end of the selection.

    • Press Control+A (Windows) or Command+A (Macintosh) to select all the text in the field.

Select text fields

 Using the Selection tool , click a text field. Shift-click to select multiple text fields.

Set dynamic and input text options

  1. Click in an existing dynamic text field.
  2. In the Property inspector, make sure Dynamic or Input is displayed in the pop‑up menu.
  3. Enter an instance name for the text field.
  4. Specify the height, width, and location of text.
  5. Select the font and style.
  6. In the Line Type box, specify one of the following options:
    Multiline
    Displays the text in multiple lines.

    Single line
    Displays the text as one line.

    Multiline No Wrap
    Displays text in multiple lines that break only if the last character is a breaking character, such as Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).

  7. To enable users to select dynamic text, click Selectable . Deselect this option to prevent users from selecting the dynamic text.
  8. To preserve rich text formatting (such as fonts and hyperlinks) with the appropriate HTML tags, click Render Text As HTML .
  9. To display a black border and white background for the text field, click Show Border .
  10. (Optional) In the Var box, enter the variable name for the text field. (Use this option only when authoring for Macromedia Flash Player 5 from Adobe or earlier.)

    Beginning with Macromedia Flash MX (version 6), you assign the text field an instance name using the Property inspector. Although you can use the variable name method with dynamic text fields for backwards compatibility to Macromedia Flash 5 and earlier versions, Adobe doesn't recommend this, because you can't control other text field properties, or apply style sheet settings.

  11. Click Embed for embedded font outline options:
    Don’t embed
    Specifies that no fonts be embedded.

    Auto fill
    Click Auto Fill to embed all of the characters from the selected text field.

Set preferences for vertical text

  1. Select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Flash > Preferences (Macintosh) and click the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog box.
  2. Under Vertical Text, set any of these options:
    Default Text Orientation
    Automatically gives new text fields vertical orientation.

    Right to Left Text Flow
    Makes lines of vertical text fill the page from right to left.

    No Kerning
    Prevents kerning from being applied to vertical text. (Kerning remains enabled for horizontal text.)



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