: Convert text to paragraph text in Illustrator Is there any quick way to convert text created at point (automatically resizable boundaries) to a area (paragraph) text (with fixed boundaries) in

@Debbie163

Just adding some clarification for users who don't know how to create the text frame already in Adobe Illustrator...



If you don't know how to create a text box (frame) in Illustrator for paragraphs or blocks of texts, you simply need to select the text tool (T) and draw a square or rectangle on your artboard with it.

Then you can simply copy and paste your other text into it and resize this new text box as you want.



You can also link many boxes together if you want. All you need to do is to click on that little square on the bottom right of your text box, and click on another empty text box that you want to text to flow into OR on your artboard if you want the same box size.

If you need to remove the "link", simply right-click on the same square and select "undo link threaded text".

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@Nimeshi706

Adobe Illustrator CC, or newer, can convert between point text and area text by choosing "Convert to Area Type" or "Convert to Point Type" from the Type menu or by using the little type widget -- the small ---[] box that appears outside of the text frame. Double-click it to convert the text.

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@Carla748

You can use the script from AjarProductions : Convert Illustrator Point/Path Text to Area Text


This script will convert point text and text on a path into area text.
You select multiple text fields and the script will convert them all.


Works fine for me on Illustrator CS5.

Code of the script copied below, in case the page goes missing:

//Convert to Text Area
//Justin Putney
//http://ajarproductions.com
//v1.0.2

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var sel = doc.selection;
for (var i=0; i < sel.length; i++){
if(sel[i].typename == "TextFrame") {
if(sel[i].kind == TextType.POINTTEXT || sel[i].kind == TextType.PATHTEXT){
var cLayer = sel[i].layer;
var rect = cLayer.pathItems.rectangle(sel[i].top, sel[i].left, sel[i].width, sel[i].height);
var tFrame = cLayer.textFrames.areaText(rect);
//retain layer order, if possible
//tFrame.layer.move(cLayer, ElementPlacement.PLACEAFTER)
sel[i].textRange.move(tFrame, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND);
sel[i].remove();
sel[i] = tFrame;
}
}
}
//reset selection
doc.selection = sel;

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@BetL875

Point text and area text are such different objects under the hood that there's no instant way to convert from one to the other. Many typographic functions tied to paragraphs, such as the Single Line and Paragraph Composers, justification, text wrap and hyphenation are inapplicable to point type.

As DA01 says, the simplest way to do this is to select the text, then cut or copy and paste into a new text frame. Select the Text tool and drag out the new frame, then paste. (Your text cursor has to be active inside the frame for this to work.) You'll then have to check for forced line breaks in the point text that will still be present in the new area type.

So to answer your question, no, there isn't an easier way to do this in CS3 (or CS5.1, for that matter).

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