Documentation/How Tos/Making Text Wrap Inside an Object

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Assume you want to make some shapes with text in it. Some of the text might wrap within the box. That would be nice. But when you draw a shape you get no wrapping.

And when you right-click the shape and choose Text and go to the Text tab, the option for wrapping is grayed out. But you do not want to hit the Return key every time. You need a break in the line.

Documentation note.png There are two kinds of rectangles, of course, but the regular ones do not have the wrapping powers and the others do. Do not make rectangles with the far left tool; make them with the indicated tool.
Rectangles Tools

So now when you draw a rectangle (or other shape) from the palette of Basic Shapes, it starts off the same. But now the option for wrapping is enabled. So, right-click and choose Text and go back to the Text tab, and check the option Word wrap text in shape. And when you type more, it wraps beautifully.

Though if you keep typing and typing it pops out the top and bottom. Which might be what you want. But if you want the box to expand vertically to hold the text, as with say a big paragraph, then also check Resize shape to fit text and the box will expand.

And if you just want a text box and not a colored-fill box? I know that the text box used to have the option to wrap, but I am a little mystified because it does not now. The hack is to create one of those shapes from the palette, type in it first, then take out the fill and make the border invisible.


This How To comes from Solveig Haugland's Blog

Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).
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