Illustrator CC: text selection not highlighting

[dsharpe]

I have a basic document in Illustrator CC. The document is just text boxes for an organization chart.

When I go to change text in a text box, specifically trying to select text and edit the text - their is no text selection. I cannot go into a text box and double-click to select text, nothing selects and/or their is not selection color.

How do I fix text selection?

[MikeGondek · Accepted solution]

Often you may think you have nothing slected, but just the mode for showoing edges has been toggled.

View >> show edges. 

Command H Mac or CTRL H on PC

If you try to select and indeed nothing gets selected (you can hit dlete key as a test adn then undo) could be a number of issues

1. locked layer
2. locked object
3. mask or other item on top is interferring
4. it is a symbol
5. it is in an opacity mask
6. might be in an envelope

[DeGraye]

Thanks for your help Mike - I would like to add the explanation why this often gets deselected in the first place.

Since Command + H is the system default in OSX for hiding any application most people try to use this with Illustrator as well, not knowing that they in fact "hide edges" instead.

The solution to this is to go to "Edit/Keyboard short cuts" and add Command + H under "Menu commands/Illustrator" and then save.

---

This is just one of the many Illustrator "features" which makes it such a nuisance to use and I hope the Illustrator developers some day will get in line making Illustrator behave like other Adobe software (Indesign, Photoshop etc.).
(Sorry for venting my frustration, but having hoped for this to happen since CS1 was announced ten years ago, I have come to the point where every Illustrator feature like this just sends me through the roof.)

[hristoh42843219]

Hiding the selection in text is great when kerning the letters...

[pattyt83026429]

I've worked on Illustrator since 1.0, and I find it the MOST cludgy app of the suite. Quick keys don't work as expected, I get lost in 45 seconds, and it seems to change everytime the cloud updates it.

I just fell victim to the "command h" scam. I agree. Adobe needs to bring it in line.

[Jeremiahc23]

Thanks Mike, I was hunting for that command for a half hour!

[keithstoddart]

Thanks Mike and Degraye. I can't believe a simple thing like that solves the problem. To be honest this problem shouldn't be there in the first place!! Adobe have still to do a lot with Illustrator and as an ex Freehand user there is a lot they can learn from it too!!!

[christhekid]

Thanks, that was driving me crazy

[rams7315257]

thank you

[srikanth.gubba]

Thank you very much @MikeGondek

[@chapitzulkefli]

Thanks Mike.

[pauloc76911688]

Thanks a lot, it worked. 

[Tristan22734594z6l1]

I just want to say that this answer might be eight years old but I inadvertently ran into this problem today while working on something, googled "Illustrator text not highlighting", and here sat the answer. 

A much-belated thank you.

[asmaf87736977]

god bless you!! It worked

[dmbshaw]

Command/Control + H  worked perfectly for me!  Thanks a bunch!

[Illusiumd11]

You sir are a gentleman and a patriot.

[kingjames1970]

Thanks, had the same problem and a quick Google found this. What a relief, I'd even got to the stage of redoing the text boxes I was trying to select. So annoying that it doesn't just hide the application. Maybe if Adobe spent a little less time on mobile apps that are rarely used and concentrated their efforts on commonly used desktop apps...

[DlerAgha]

Thanks

"View >> show edges." solved my issue.

[Freddparr]

OMG! Thank you for answering. I toggled that on earlier today and completely spaced it. I'm at the very end of the day...almost done and hiccup!

[jynr5te]

Perfect. Thanks for the tip!!!

[Boyralfr51]

thanks, the answer is helpful

[virginias98557798]

THANK YOU!!!

[nishupni]

MikeGondek thanks for the proper guidence....

[cyclopsdx]

Thanks @MikeGondek - that worked for me! Does anybody know why this is even a View option in Illustrator - to Hide/Show Edges? Just seems to be a pointless addition to me.