can't manipulate text in illustrator

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
May 3, 2020
3 replies
1281 views

I am a newbie so the answer is hopefully obvious. I used to be able to edit text, not well but I could do the basics with a simple font. I did the tutorials, Ive watched youtube videos, but lately i cant even grab the text.

1. I write some text

2. i create an outline of the text so it has a path i can grab.

3. i use the direct selection tool like everyone else but it doesnt do anything, ive grabbed onto the line itself, a point, an anchor but it either just grabs the whole word, just the letter or part of the letter. i want to be able stretch the letter down and around town.

ive watched all the videos and no one is doing anything different, i zoom in and be precise and nothing.

thanks

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Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

You are welcome, corngubbles.

I hope you will share your findings.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

corngubbles,

From another (possible) interpretation of the word editable, if you mean changing the shape/appearance of one or more letters:

You ought to be able to Alt/OptionClickDrag over part(s) of the letter(s) you wish to select in full with the Direct Selection Tool.

Or, unless you have Object Selection by Path Only in your General Preferences, you ought to be able to Direct Select a letter by Clicking its Fill with the Direct Selection Tool (ShiftClick following ones to select multiple letters)

But if you have hidden Edges (accidentally), you are unable to see when you select a letter, apart from in the Layers palette, but you can stil edit (just try).

Ctrl/Cmd+H toggles Hide/Show Edges; and it is probably the most frequent keyboard mishit, completely surrounded by other keyboard shorcuts, closing in on all sides.

Normally it occurs as a keyboard mishit for a nearby keystroke shortcut that seemingly failed to work, and your failing to realize that something else may have happened, then just trying again (what you thought you did) and getting it right and forgetting about it.