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A
Anonymous
March 30, 2010
Answered

Free Transform tool on text

  • March 30, 2010
  • 5 replies
  • 39300 views

Hi all,

I tried to use the Free Transform tool on text and it doesn't work. I was wondering if there is way to do it or is it just not possible at all? I don't want to outline the text obviously... Any ideas?
Thanks!

      Correct answer JETalmage

      It depends on what exactly you want to do to live text with the Free Transform tool. The Free Transform Tool does not apply live Effects. So if you just use its basic scaling features, yes, you can do that to live text. If you want to use its so-called "perspective" tricks, no, because that kind of reshaping is not a live Effect (like an Envelope), it's an actual reshaping when done to paths.

      You can, however, apply the Free Distort Effect to live text.

      JET

      5 replies

      O
      OkeonArtFactory
      Participant
      July 18, 2024

      Im having same issue. Literally just watched a video on youtube of a person doing exactly what i NEED to do which is free transform text, almost like a perspective, and action is there but does not result. Adobe claims it does not apply to live text, which is not necesarily true if i saw it on a video.....

       

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 18, 2024

      What you need to do is first apply Object > Envelope > Make with mesh (1, 1)

      Then use free transform on that.

        P
        Praneeth5CC4
        Participant
        January 14, 2021

        Hi Marie, 

        This is something i used to do in similar scenarios.

        Draw an object near by the text you want to transform. select both the text box and the object and group them. Now you can transfor the group as you want. You can even include different size of text in to the same group to transform together. Hide the object you dont to be in your artwork 😉 . Hope this trick helps !!! 

        Thanks.

        A
        augustr
        Participant
        September 24, 2018

        Many years later, I would like to reply for those who stumble across this post looking for an answer, as I did, and are initially disappointed. I have since discovered that a Perspective Warp of Live Text is in fact possible - at least with Adobe CC (unsure about older versions).

        Using the Envelope Distort (Object-->Envelope Distort-->Make With Mesh) on the Text Object allows you to create a distortion mesh on the object while still maintaining the text's editability below. Now, you can perform all the typical Free Transform Tool functions, such as Perspective Distort and Free Distort. If you want to edit the text at this point, you'll need to double-click on the object to go in and edit just the text properties - and depending on how much you distort it the underlying text object may be in a weird place. But you can do it, and it works beautifully.

          hoverspork
          hoverspork
          Participant
          January 3, 2019

          I appreciate this feedback.  I still have an issue though.  As you'll see in the attached photo, when I use the distort mesh, it makes the letter curved.  I can't seem to use the handles to straighten it out.  All I want is to make the letter B have a perspective effect to fill the box.  Any thoughts?

          Monika Gause
          Community Expert
          Monika GauseCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          January 3, 2019

          hoverspork  schrieb

          I appreciate this feedback.  I still have an issue though.  As you'll see in the attached photo, when I use the distort mesh, it makes the letter curved.  I can't seem to use the handles to straighten it out.  All I want is to make the letter B have a perspective effect to fill the box.  Any thoughts?

          Try the perspective grid.

          Or Effects > 3D > Rotate

          Or the plugin FilterIT

          JETalmage
          JETalmageCorrect answer
          Inspiring
          March 30, 2010

          It depends on what exactly you want to do to live text with the Free Transform tool. The Free Transform Tool does not apply live Effects. So if you just use its basic scaling features, yes, you can do that to live text. If you want to use its so-called "perspective" tricks, no, because that kind of reshaping is not a live Effect (like an Envelope), it's an actual reshaping when done to paths.

          You can, however, apply the Free Distort Effect to live text.

          JET

          A
          Anonymous
          March 30, 2010

          That's what I thought... I wanted to do "perspective" tricks as you call it, but it doesn't work! so I will use Free Distort Effect instead! Thanks for your help!

          Marie

          Jacob Bugge
          Community Expert
          Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          March 30, 2010

          Marie,

          You should be able to apply the Free Transform Tool (and others) to live Type, applying it to the corners/sides of the Bounding Box, which is hopefully set to Show (otherwise View>Show Bounding Box (Ctrl+Shift+B or Cmd+Shift+B)).

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