If you want to adjust the spacing between individual characters or lines, or if you want to align text vertically within a text box, shape, or table cell, you must use the Text Inspector, described below. The Text Inspector is also useful if you must frequently change text alignment and spacing because you can keep it open on your screen as you work.
Using the Text Inspector
In the Text pane of the Text Inspector, you can change the text color and alignment. You can also adjust the spacing between individual text characters and lines.
Drag to adjust the amount of space between text and the inside borders of text boxes, table cells, and shapes. Click to change the color of selected text.
The Text Inspector button.
Horizontal alignment buttons: Click to align selected text left, right, center, or to the left and right.
Vertical alignment buttons: Click to align text to the top, center, or bottom of a fixed text box, shape, or table cell.
Character and line spacing: Drag to adjust character, line, and paragraph spacing for selected text.
To open the Text pane of the Text Inspector:
1 Choose View > Show Inspector (or click Inspector in the toolbar). 2 Click the Text Inspector button, and then click Text.
To align text left, center, right, or justified:
1 Place the cursor in the paragraph you want to change, or select several paragraphs. 2 Click the horizontal alignment buttons at the top of the Text Inspector.
You can align text in a fixed text box to the left, right, center, or justified (aligned to both the right and left edges). Text in a fixed text box, table cell, or shape can also “grow” from the top, center, or bottom of the text area.
To grow text from the top, center, or bottom of a text box, table cell, or shape: 1 Select the text box, table cell, or shape you want to change.
2 Click the vertical alignment buttons at the top of the Text Inspector. To adjust the spacing between lines of text in a paragraph:
1 Place the cursor in the paragraph you want to change, or select several paragraphs. 2 In the Text Inspector, drag the Line slider to adjust the line spacing.
Dragging the slider to the left brings the selected lines closer together; dragging it to the right moves them farther apart. You can also choose Single, Double, or Multiple from the Line Spacing pop-up menu. Choosing Multiple lets you set line spacing values between single and double, or greater than double.
To set precise point values for spacing between the lines of text in a paragraph: 1 Place the cursor in the paragraph you want to change, or select multiple paragraphs. 2 In the Text Inspector, choose a standard line spacing (Single, Double, Multiple), or At
Least or Between from the Line Spacing pop-up menu (beneath the Line field).
Click the text beneath the Line Spacing field and choose a line spacing option.
ÂStandard line spacing: The space between lines is proportional to font size. Use this when the relative distance between ascenders (parts of letters that extend to the top of the line) and descenders (parts of letters that extend below the line) should remain fixed.
ÂAt Least: The distance from one line to the next will never be less than the value you set, but it may be larger for larger fonts in order to prevent overlapping text lines. Use this when the distance between lines should remain fixed, but overlap is not desired if the text should get large.
ÂBetween: The value you set is added to (or subtracted from) the font size. As font size changes, the distance between lines changes, too. Use this to set a specific distance between ascenders and descenders, regardless of font size.
3 Type a point value in the Line field, or click the up or down arrows next to the field. To adjust the amount of space before or after a paragraph:
1 Place the cursor in the paragraph you want to change, or select several paragraphs. 2 In the Text Inspector, drag the Before Paragraph or After Paragraph slider. You can also
type a specific amount (5 points, for example) in the text box.
Note: Spacing before a paragraph does not appear if the paragraph is the first one following a layout break, or if it’s the first paragraph in a text box, shape, or table cell. Spacing after a paragraph does not appear if it’s the last paragraph before a layout break. To set spacing around text in boxes, shapes, and table cells, use the Inset Margin control, described in “Formatting a Text Box or Shape” on page 69. To adjust the amount of space between characters:
1 Place the cursor in the word you want to change, or select a block of text. 2 In the Text Inspector, drag the Character slider.
Dragging the slider to the left brings the letters closer together; dragging it to the right moves them farther apart.
Setting Text Color in the Text Inspector
You can also use the Text pane of the Text Inspector to change text color. Changes made to text color in the Text Inspector will override text color changes made in the Font panel, and vice versa. (To read about the Font panel, see “Using the Font Panel to Format Text” on page 48.)
To change text color:
1 Select the word or words you want to change. 2 In the Text Inspector, click the color well. 3 In the Colors window, select a color.
To read about using the Colors window, see “Using Color and Image Fills” on page 127