Flash Training Course - The Text Tool

Using the Text Tool you can add text to Flash movies. If you have worked with a word processor before, most of the modifiers of this tool would be familiar to you.

The first modifier is a drop down menu through which you can select the font. The second is a drop down menu plus a text field and lets you specify the font size. You can either select the size from the menu or type one in the text field.
Color for the text can be set using the color button.
The Bold B and Italic I buttons are toggle controls that let you change normal text to bold or italic, or vice versa.

The Alignment modifier sets the text alignment to Left, Right, Center or Justify.
On clicking the Paragraph modifier a Paragraph Properties window is displayed though which you can specify values for line spacing, indentation and margins.

The last modifier is a text field creator. Text placed in this field is editable and can be modified by the user. It is generally used to make text fields in forms that gather visitor input such as name, password etc.

Text in Flash

Text in Flash can be divided into three categories depending on how it has been created.

• Label text: This is the simplest type of text. It is generated whenever you click on the stage with the text tool. Label text keeps extending as you type and may continue beyond the movie boundaries. You have to explicitly press the 'ENTER' key to start a new line. The Label Text field is recognized by a small circle at the top-right corner.
• Text Box: A text box is created by left-clicking once on the stage, keeping the button pressed and dragging out an area with the mouse. It is recognized by a small square at the top-right corner. As you type text in a text box, Flash automatically wraps it.
• Editable text: discussed above, carry a small square at the botton-right corner.