Dependent text with different appearance

[sPretzel]

Hi,

I would like to have text with two different appearance sets. Type with each attribute is part of the same text and should therefore reflow. For example, if the two parts of the text are:

"attribute1attribute2" with attribute1 and attribute2 having different appearances.

If the text is modified like this by adding the characters "more":

"moreattribute1attribute2", text moreattribute1 should push text attribute2 (since they are part of the same text) but moreattribute1 and attribute2 would continue to have different appearances.

I can do that with two distinct text objects (back to back type point objects for instance) but if I do that, moreattribute1 would not push attribute2, it would just run into it.

Is there any way to achieve this in Illustrator? This is for CS4.

Thanks.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

What have you already tried?

The first text a point text with a wrap around and then the second text an area text? That's what I would try.

[sPretzel]

Hi Monika. I was expecting you! 😄

I tried two point type areas aligned back to back. Didn't work. Grouped them. Still didn't work. The second text would stay where it was and the first text would run into it if I added characters.

Your idea: brilliant! I had not thought of wrap at all. I tried it and it kind of does what I am looking for. An issue is that for aligning the baseline of the two text areas, it would be easier to have both as point type. So I also tried your idea by setting the first point type to wrap around the second point type but that doesn't work.

I was also adding FX in appearance and I am having trouble with adding those in the area type (as opposed to point type) since they apply to the area and do not resize with type. I will play with it more to see if I can add FX the way I want with the area type.

If you have any other suggestion, let me know. Thanks.

[Silly-V]

You can also use text threading. Thread two text frames, they can have individual graphic styles. When text is too large for the first text frame, it will spill over into the next one that is threaded. With hyphenation and justification controls you can somewhat manipulate the way this happens. A technique with multiple styles could be made whereby empty spaces are used to create the next-lines and push a non-whitespace text to the 2nd or 3rd text frame. For this to work though, you have to know in advanced about how long the typical text character count is.

[sPretzel]

Hi Silly-V. That's a good suggestion but not applicable to this case for the reason you bring up at the end. And applying FX to area type to replicate how it would apply to point type is doable but difficult. It would require too much tweaking, especially if the text changes.