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M
Monia24022448us22
Participant
May 10, 2022
Answered

Automatically resizing overset text in a text frame

  • May 10, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 1650 views

Hello,

During the data merge some on some of pages the title text frame has overset text (some titles are long). Is there any method (probably script) that would go through only those frames and resize the text (by setting font size/type)? Making frame auto size is not possible in this case

Best

Moni

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer brian_p_dts

Scripting is the more elegant solution. Rudimentarily: 

 

var d = app.activeDocument;
var allTfs = d.textFrames;
for (var i = 0; i < allTfs.length; i++) { 
    while(allTfs[i].overflows) { 
        allTfs[i].parentStory.pointSize -= .1; 
        d.recompose();
    } 
}

 

Of course, you may want to implement a min point size threshhold, and this would shrink all text frames that contain overset text. This would also not find text frames grouped or otherwise imbedded in other frames; you'd use allPageItems for that. 

3 replies

brian_p_dts
Community Expert
brian_p_dtsCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 10, 2022

Scripting is the more elegant solution. Rudimentarily: 

 

var d = app.activeDocument;
var allTfs = d.textFrames;
for (var i = 0; i < allTfs.length; i++) { 
    while(allTfs[i].overflows) { 
        allTfs[i].parentStory.pointSize -= .1; 
        d.recompose();
    } 
}

 

Of course, you may want to implement a min point size threshhold, and this would shrink all text frames that contain overset text. This would also not find text frames grouped or otherwise imbedded in other frames; you'd use allPageItems for that. 

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 10, 2022

    Hi Moni,

    without writing a script:

    Apply a GREP Style to the paragraph style that is applied to the text of that titles.

    The GREP pattern will "count" the number of characters and applies a character style with a smaller point size to the text if a certain threshold or number of characters in the paragraph is detected:

     

    GREP Style pattern suggestion for a case with 24 characters or more:

    (?=.{24,}$)^.+

    Apply a character style that is set to a smaller point size with auto leading.

    You could also do a cascade of GREP Styles like the one above for other amounts of characters. See my screenshot below. In all four text frames the same paragraph style is applied. Depending on the number of characters in the paragraph a different character style with a different text size is effective:

     

     

    Note: In the solution above I assume that your headlines consist of one paragraph only.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

     

      M
      Monia24022448us22Author
      Participant
      May 10, 2022

      Good method, thank you!

      jctremblay
      Community Expert
      jctremblayCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 10, 2022

      Use GREP style in your paragraph styles to change the size of the text.

      M
      Monia24022448us22Author
      Participant
      May 10, 2022

      But how? In GREP there is no property denoting that text is overset?

      jctremblay
      Community Expert
      jctremblayCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 10, 2022

      You need to figure out approximately how many characters fit in your text box width/length and create GREP style that reduce the text starting at this number. It might be enough for you. But without seen the complexity of your file it a guess on my part.

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