Resize Text Bounding Box

As per the two most recent replies above:

In case anyone finds this thread and is still looking for the solution, there is a difference between clicking once on the page with the text tool selected and clicking and dragging a text box with the same tool.

(1) Clicking once on the page and then typing creates a block that scales the text when you move a point on the bounding box. You cannot change the size of this block later on without it affecting the scale of the text.

(2) Clicking and dragging to make a rectangular text block gives you a text box that you can resize without scaling the text – resulting in reflowed text. You cannot scale the text contained in this block later on using the bounding box handles though – you will have to perform scaling numerically and / or using the scale tool. Remember to position the anchor point in the top left when scale while maintaining position or else the text will scale from the centre outwards.

The answer to the original question is therefore: Click and drag a text block if you want to be able to change the size and shape of the block using the bounding box later on.

I found this super confusing as well. Probably because I am so used to the intuitive interface of Fireworks.

The behavior you get when you manipulate the bounding box (scale vs re-flow) is based on how you created the text in the first place.

If you created the text by clicking-and-dragging with the text tool, you have "Area Text" and you can re-flow it as expected when you manipulate the bounding box.

If you created the text by clicking (and not dragging) you have "Point Text" that will get distorted when you manipulate the bounding box.

You can convert back and forth between to two types of type via the "Type" menu commands, "Convert to Area Type" or "Convert to Point Type"

I hope that helps, I'm glad this thread is here so that I didn't have to feel alone in my frustration.

This has been very frustrating for me as well. As a Macromedia Freehand user (before Adobe Illustrator bought Freehand and stopped supporting Freehand), That option in my Illustration program (now Adobe Illustrator) has disappeared. In Freehand I could double click in a small box in the bottom right of the bounding box and the bounding box would snap to fit the size of the text. No more oversized text boxes to clutter up my workspace. Being as Adobe has taken over Freehand I would like to see them incorporate this capability into Illustrator. They own the coding from Freehand now. I think it should be incorporated into the next version of Adobe Illustrator. Any other thoughts?

Using Type > Area Type Options works for me. I can turn on the preview mode and adjust the width without changing the type size.

Sorry Steve,

Not sure what settings you have set in your illustrator prefs, but i'm rockin cs5.1 and for me showing the bounding box enables me to grab the corner handles of the text box with the selection tool (black arrow). and... this does NOT scale the type, it just opends the box up so you can see the rest of the words you are typing.

Here are some screens showing bounding box ON. and the 2nd showing the selection tool resizing the text box without scaling.

Brian,

If you didn't figure it out yet... go to View and click Show bounding box.

The bounding box shows the editable outline of the text object trying to enlarge or scale.

its a simple case of not having the right view option turned on.

now you can use the selection tool (black arrow) to drag any corner point of your text bounding box.

easier than inputting numbers all day long.

Brian,

You may consider this option:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3604219#3604219

You can read the rest of the thread for further considerations.

Turn off bounding boxes when working with text.

Use Direct Selection tool to drag text box edges.

Or Direct Select text box ony with Option held down (to select the whole box), then use Scale tool.

Just be careful to select the text box only, not the type. Turning off the preview can make this easier.

Which version of Illustrator are you using? What's your current method?