Option
Last updated on
Dec 28, 2022 06:41:01 PM GMT
Learn how to snap and draw objects precisely around the boundary of live glyph.
The Snap to Glyph feature lets you snap your artwork components precisely with the text, without the need to create outlines or reference guides. Simply choose a snapping option, the glyph guides will appear on the live text when you draw, scale, rotate, or move objects. Follow these guides to snap precisely with the live text.
To learn about how to view and use the snapping options for Japanese glyphs and fonts, see Snap to Japanese glyphs.
Before you proceed
To use this feature, ensure that Glyph Snapping (View > Snap to Glyph) and Smart Guides (View > Smart Guides) are enabled.
This feature will not work if View > Snap to Grid is enabled, Preference > Smart Guides > Alignment Guides are disabled & Snapping Tolerance is 0.
Snap with glyph guides
To view glyph guides options go to Character panel > More Options and enable Show Snap to Glyph Options.
What are glyph guides?
Let's see what all glyph guides are available on a glyph when the Snap to Glyph option is enabled.
A. Upper glyph bound B. x-Height C. Baseline D. Lower glyph bound
A. Proximity guide B. x-Height C. Baseline D. Proximity guide
Do the following to set the glyph guides in the Snap to Glyph section in the Character panel:
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(Baseline): Snaps to the base of glyph. |
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(x-height): Snaps to the height of lowercase glyph. |
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(Glyph Bounds): Snaps to top, bottom, left, and right bounds of glyph. |
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(Proximity Guides): Snaps to the guides generated near baseline, x-height, and glyph bound.
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(Angular Guides): Snaps to the angular guides that appear when you select a glyph with angular segments or on rotating the text frame. |
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(Anchor Points): Draw and snap to the anchor points of glyphs. |
Glyph guides do not consider stroke, pattern fill, effects, appearance applied on the live text. Glyph guides are generated based on the original glyph shape.
Snap to an individual glyph after selection
To snap objects to an individual glyph in the text,
- Right-click the glyph and choose Snap to Glyph <glyph-name>.
The chosen glyph will be highlighted, and you’ll see the glyph guides on the live glyph around its bounds, center, linear, and angular segments (based on the geometry of the glyph).
Note the following:
- Glyph is not highlighted upon selection if stroke, pattern fill, effects, appearance are applied on the live text.
- Glyph guides are generated only on straight segments (linear & angular) & not on curves of the glyph.
Release glyph selection
To release the individual glyph selection and snapping,
- Right-click the glyph and choose Release Snap to Glyph <glyph-name>.
- Click Release Glyph button in the Control panel.
- Choose another glyph to release the snapping on the previous glyph.
Any other action, such as text editing, will release the glyph automatically.
Snap with angular guides
The Snap to Glyph > Angular Guides option lets you snap objects set at a particular angle with the glyph while you move, scale, or rotate them and draw them using the Pen tool. Angular guides will appear only:
- When a single glyph with angular segments is selected for snapping.
- When the text frame or a particular glyph is rotated at an angle.
Currently, objects set at an angle will snap to their bounding box and object center.
Draw and snap to anchor points on glyph
Use the Snap to Glyph > Anchor Points option in the Character panel to draw and snap a shape on a glyph.
The anchor point snapping works only with the Pen tool or when the object is moved closer to the anchor point on the glyph.
Do the following:
- Select the Pen tool and hover on the glyph to see the anchor points.
- Draw the shape using the Pen tool. The drawn shape will be snapped with the anchor points on the text.
Snap to area text
The Snap to glyph feature works for both point text and area text. If you have only one line of text, all guides and anchors are shown for that line. If you have a paragraph, only glyph bounds are shown to simplify the experience. To precisely snap to a glyph in the paragraph, select the glyph and then use the glyph guides for further snapping.
Change the glyph guide color
By default, the glyph guides are shown in green. To change the glyph guide color, go to Preferences > Smart Guides > Glyph Guides and choose a color from the drop-down.
More resources
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