Masking a custom text box? Is it possible?

[Sarita28174536r11h]

Seeking advice for masking in InDesign. I have a custom text box that I'd like to be masked by a shape (created in Illustrator). I can't seem to figure out how to get this to work in InDesign (setup in Photoshop was fine for me, but I am trying to keep the text crisp when printed, so opting for InDesign instead). Below are screenshots of what I have. The goal is to have the text appear only inside the shape, and not past its edges. The shape will not be black, it will just be paper tone with printed text that fits within its borders. (First image is from InDesign, 2nd image is the PSD mock-up, what it should look like with proper masking/framing).

       

[Peter Spier]

You should be able to just copy the path in Illustrator and paste into InDesign, then click inside it with the texrt tool to make it a text frame...

[Sarita28174536r11h]

Yes, that would work, but in this case I want the text box to actually go beyond the shape from Illustrator, so that parts of words/type are cropped by the shape, like in the 2nd image. Is there a way to do that? 

[Peter Spier]

Sure.

Set your type in any  size/shape frame that suits you, then cut the frame to the clipboard. Select the pasted path from Illustrator and Paste Into.

For waht it's worth, that path shhould be just as easy to create directly in InDesign...

[Sarita28174536r11h]

Thanks, are you saying I would paste the path from Illustrator into the custom text box? I think I'm getting lost on the exact sequence of things and whether things need to be grouped/layered a certain way. 

The path (exclamation point image) is based on a hand-drawn image that I scanned and did a live trace in Illustrator to turn it into a vector to use in InDesign. Can you describe how I could've done it directly in InDesign? 

[John Mensinger]

Thanks, are you saying I would paste the path from Illustrator into the custom text box? I think I'm getting lost on the exact sequence of things and whether things need to be grouped/layered a certain way. 

Peter's suggestion was, in this order:

1. Paste your exclamation-point path from Illustrator on your InDesign page.
2. Drag out a new, ordinary, rectangular InDesign text frame and type your text into it (or, use a pre-existing one that already has text in it).
3. With that text frame selected, choose Edit > Cut
4. Select the exclamation-point path and choose Edit > Paste Into

[Sarita28174536r11h]

Thank you for the sequence, that's helpful to see. I will try, but wouldn't that result in the text only going to the edges of the shape, and not being "cut off" the way I need it to be (as in the 2nd image)? I don't actually want the Illustrator path to be the exact shape of the text box; the path needs to reveal the text underneath and the rest of the text (beyond the path) should not be visible. 

[Peter Spier]

>> I don't actually want the Illustrator path to be the exact shape of the text box; the path needs to reveal the text underneath and the rest of the text (beyond the path) should not be visible. 

That's exactly what will happen with Paste Into. The shape you paste the text frame into becomes a mask.

[John Mensinger]

I will try, but wouldn't that result in the text only going to the edges of the shape, and not being "cut off" the way I need it to be (as in the 2nd image)?

No, in step 3, you cut the text frame.

In step 4, you Paste that frame Into the shape and the shape effectively becomes a mask.

It will produce the exact effect depicted in your 2nd image. Try it.

[Peter Spier]

>> Thanks, are you saying I would paste the path from Illustrator into the custom text box?

Other way around. Paste the text frame into the exclamation point (It will need to be a compound path, I think).

As in Illustrator, there are a number of ways to produce a custom shape in InDesign. If you are comfortable using the pen tool it works the same as in Illustrator and you can draw the top of the exclamation point inb a few seconds using 4 points, or drag an ellipse using the ellipse tool and use the Convert Anchor Point tool (from the Pen tool flyout) to make the sharp oint at the bottom, then use the direct select tool to move the top point to get the curve you want. Use the Ellipse tool again, holding Shift to draw a circle (holding Alt/Opt will draw from the center, so you can do both at once if you like for easy alignment). Select both, then Object > Paths > Make Compound Path (Ctrl/Cmd + 8).

You can draw this shape in probably less than 30 seconds.

[Willi Adelberger]

Make the form, selct the text frame, copy or cut it into the clipboard, select the form (maybe it is needed to create a combined path) Edit > Paste into.

[Sarita28174536r11h]

Thamks, all! this discussion was super helpful and it worked! One final thing that tripped me up, was that even after "pasting into" the shape, I needed to change the "fill" of what became the "graphic frame" to be no fill, rather than black. 

[Peter Spier]

You can havwe a colored fill for a frame you paste into, but you would need to think about the contrast between thaat background color and the pasted content. For example, pasting in a colored image would hide the background color, but a grayscale would allow it to show in the the light areas, and type will allow it to show all around the type in transparent areas. If you were using a light color for your text you might actaully want a dark color background fill in the frame to make it stand out.

[John Mensinger]

Before or after pasting into, you should be able to just select the frame and set its fill to None.