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26

Illustrator CC: text selection not highlighting

Explorer ,
Oct 30, 2013 Oct 30, 2013

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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?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Oct 30, 2013 Oct 30, 2013

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

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Community Expert ,
Oct 30, 2013 Oct 30, 2013

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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

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Explorer ,
Jan 06, 2014 Jan 06, 2014

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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.)

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New Here ,
Aug 02, 2016 Aug 02, 2016

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

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New Here ,
Sep 06, 2017 Sep 06, 2017

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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.

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New Here ,
Jul 21, 2014 Jul 21, 2014

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

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New Here ,
Jul 22, 2014 Jul 22, 2014

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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!!!

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New Here ,
Oct 21, 2014 Oct 21, 2014

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Thanks, that was driving me crazy

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New Here ,
Sep 13, 2017 Sep 13, 2017

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thank you

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New Here ,
Oct 22, 2018 Oct 22, 2018

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Thank you very much @MikeGondek

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New Here ,
Feb 21, 2021 Feb 21, 2021

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Thanks Mike.

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New Here ,
Mar 04, 2021 Mar 04, 2021

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Thanks a lot, it worked. 

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New Here ,
Jan 19, 2022 Jan 19, 2022

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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.

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New Here ,
Mar 08, 2023 Mar 08, 2023

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god bless you!! It worked

 

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New Here ,
Oct 10, 2014 Oct 10, 2014

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

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 08, 2015 Jun 08, 2015

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You sir are a gentleman and a patriot.

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Explorer ,
Jul 30, 2015 Jul 30, 2015

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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...

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New Here ,
Sep 13, 2015 Sep 13, 2015

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Thanks

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

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New Here ,
Jun 28, 2016 Jun 28, 2016

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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!

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New Here ,
Jun 30, 2016 Jun 30, 2016

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Perfect. Thanks for the tip!!!

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New Here ,
Apr 03, 2017 Apr 03, 2017

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thanks, the answer is helpful

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New Here ,
Aug 13, 2018 Aug 13, 2018

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THANK YOU!!!

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New Here ,
Sep 23, 2019 Sep 23, 2019

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MikeGondek thanks for the proper guidence....

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Engaged ,
Dec 23, 2021 Dec 23, 2021

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Thanks @Mike_Gondek - 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.

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Engaged ,
Nov 05, 2023 Nov 05, 2023

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I seem to encounter this issue every time I update the app. And every time I need to refer to this thread, because I can never remember why it doesn't highlight. I don't find hiding edges useful in the slightest, even when kerning. Is there a reason why this is a useful option in the programme?

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