(see also: Text Overview)
The Text Menu located in the Main Menu at the top of flexi has additional settings and options that can apply to all text tools. This article will quickly go over each of these and link to more technical articles.
Font
Changes the Font of the selected text. If no text is selected, it will set it as the default font. If the font has a family of font styles with it, an additional submenu will appear allowing you to select those.
Modify
This allows you to control which fonts Flexi will load from Windows. If you Remove a font, it does not remove it from your computer, it simply causes Flexi not to load that font from Windows. This is useful if you have a very large library of fonts to work with and it slows down flexi to load them all. The Sample String gives you a preview of that font, and you can edit the text of the sample string by clicking Edit Sample... Flexi will remember which fonts you have selected when you close it.
Others
This is an extension of the fonts list since the menu would run off the screen if Flexi tried to load all of your fonts in one menu. It maintains alphabetical order.
Find and Replace
This allows you to locate a specific string of text and replace it with a different string. The Format... button allows you to specify format settings if you are looking for text with a certain format. You can click the Format... below that to replace text with a new format asl well.
Check Spelling
Provides a tool for checking spelling. It covers multiple languages and provide a list of suggestions for the misspelled word. If you have words you will be using a lot that are not commonly found in a dictionary and know it's spelled right, you can click Edit List... to add them to the spell check dictionary. Ignore and Ignore All only ignore it once.
Case
Case will allow you to change the casing of some selected Text. The options are also previews for how the case will change. The options will be grayed out if no text is selected.
Kerning
Kerning will give you some quick, default options for spacing the characters in some selected text. The options will be grayed out if no text is selected.
Define Kerning
This will allow you define the Kerning for all text. This is useful if you have a lot of text with the same kerning. The Store Kerning option will allow you to set this kerning:
- as a program wide default
- as a default for this default only
- for the currently selected text.
Note: As an industry standard, kerning is defined in Em units. An em space is equal to the width of the letter M in the selected font.
Define Character
See Article: Define Character
Break Apart and Join Together
In a block of text, Break Apart will break text into individual characters.
It can also break apart lines of text into individual blocks.
Join Together will join individual characters into a single block of text. Any text out of alignment will be aligned and kerned. Note that it will use the approximate order of the text to determine each character's placement. It won't spell words for you.
It can also join lines of text into the same block of text. It will automatically align any text not already aligned.
Text Spacing
Distributes the spacing of selected text over a given area. This option is grayed out if no text is selected.
Adjust word spacing only will only adjust the space between words. The kerning for each word will remain the same.
Proportional maintains the ratio between the height and width of the selected text as you adjust the spacing.
Insert Symbols
Allows you insert special characters that are usually not available on your keyboard. This option is only available while typing text.
- Point your text cursor to the desired place for the special character.
- Open the Insert Symbols in Text > Insert Symbols...
- Click the desired symbol to insert the special character.
If your font supports special characters, they will be used here. Otherwise, a default selection will be used.
You can't type with this window open, so the Space and Enter buttons will apply a space or a return if you need one before closing.
Braille
See Article: Braille
Barcode
See Article: Barcodes from Text
QR Code
See Article: QR Code
Data Matrix
See Article: Data Matrix
Text Styles
See Article: Text Styles
Text Orientation
Changes the orientation of the text vertically or horizontally.
Horizontal: Vertical: