Applying text formats
Canvas provides three ways to format text: the Text menu, the Text
Ruler, and the floating Type palette. The Text menu and Text Ruler
provide basic formatting options, while the Type palette provides
advanced controls and features. You might find that the Type palette
and Text Ruler are easier to use because you can keep them open as
you edit a document. However, using menu commands can help to
familiarize you with the hotkey shortcuts and make text formatting
quicker.
When you use menu commands or the Text Ruler to apply format-
ting, the settings you choose affect the document immediately. How-
ever, when you use the Type palette, the settings take effect when
you click Apply. You do not have to click Apply before switching to
another tab within the Type palette; Canvas remembers all changes
and applies them simultaneously with one click.
Depending on the text selection you make, the format settings you
choose can be applied to existing text, stored as the preset for new
text objects, or applied to text you are about to type.
To format existing text
You can change the formatting of existing text by selecting a text
object or a portion of text within the object.
To apply character formatting to existing text: Select the
characters you want to change. Using Text menu commands, the
Type palette, or the Text Ruler, choose the formatting you want to
apply.
To apply paragraph formatting to existing text: Select text in
the paragraph you want to change, or place the insertion point any-
where in the paragraph. Using Text menu commands, the Type pal-
ette, or the Text Ruler, choose the formatting you want to apply.
To establish formatting for new text objects
When you create a new text object, Canvas applies a preset format to
text you type. You can define the preset format for new text objects.
To establish or modify the preset, follow these steps:
1
Be sure you have not selected any text or text objects, and no
text objects are in edit mode. To deselect all objects, press Enter
(Mac) or Esc (Windows) twice.
Tip
You must apply or save the
new settings before clicking
the pointer anywhere outside
the Type palette. If you dont,
the settings will be lost.