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Bflat Blues
Participant
September 13, 2009
Answered

Creating a frame around a text box?

  • September 13, 2009
  • 2 replies
  • 39874 views

I'm new to Illustrator (I'm running CS4 on a Mac) and I'm creating what is essentially an organization chart. (It's actually something more of a decision tree, but that's not important.)

I've searched some other forums and I discovered the Area Type Options. I'm using that to create 6 pixels of inset spacing between my text and the outside of the text box. Now, I'd like to have a 1 or 2 point frame drawn automatically around the text box. One place told me to go to Object > Text Frame. However, when I highlight the text box and go to Object there is not Text Frame option (either available or grayed out).

It doesn't seem that I should have to manually go through the work of drawing a rectangle around every text frame.

Can someone point me in the right direction to have Illustrator make the blue (electronic) frame into a real visible one?

Thank you in advance,

Bflat Blues

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer JETalmage

    Select the text object.

    Use the Appearance Palette to add a new fill or add a new stroke.

    Select the added fill or stroke in the Appearance list.

    Drag it to below the Contents listing. Leave it selected.

    Effect>ConvertToShape. Make the desired settings in the resulting dialog.

    JET

    2 replies

    Roger Breton
    Roger Breton
    Legend
    September 19, 2023

    The exact order ot this operation can be less intuitive.

    I was struggling with adding a white background underneath some black text.

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience here.

      JETalmage
      JETalmageCorrect answer
      Inspiring
      September 14, 2009

      Select the text object.

      Use the Appearance Palette to add a new fill or add a new stroke.

      Select the added fill or stroke in the Appearance list.

      Drag it to below the Contents listing. Leave it selected.

      Effect>ConvertToShape. Make the desired settings in the resulting dialog.

      JET

        B
        Bflat BluesAuthor
        Participant
        September 14, 2009

        Thank you so much. That did the trick.

        However, I'm surprised how arcane this simple technique seems to be. I wanted to draw a straightforward org chart and Illustrator didn't appear to make it straightforward at all.

        It's probably me. From what I can see, a new Illustrator user trying to use it for something this simple is like using dynamite to kill a fly.

        I just need to play with it more as I'm working through exercises.

        Once again, thank you.

        J
        jonathancharles
        Participant
        March 13, 2021

        More than ten years on and this is still miles from "straightforward" Quite confusing dynamite needed to kill this fly.

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