Kapitel 9. Text Management
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## Kapitel 9. Text Management

## 1. Text Management

Text is managed with the Text tool. This tool creates a new layer containing the text, above the current layer in the layer dialog, with the size of the text box. Its name is the beginning of the text.

Figur 9.1. Exempel på ett textobjekt

Exempel på ett textobjekt, som visar avgränsningen på textlagret (typsnitt: Utopia Fetstil)

The layer dialog, with the text layer above the layer which was current.

The Text tool is progressively improved. With GIMP-2.8, you can now edit text directly on canvas. A text tool box has been added which overlays the canvas above the text box.

As soon as you click on the canvas with the Text tool, you get a closed text box and a semi-transparent tool box just above.

Text tool options are described in Avsnitt 6.6, ”Text”.

The default box mode is ”Dynamic”, and you can start typing text at once. The text box will enlarge gradually. Press Enter to add a new line.

You can also enlarge the text box by click-and-dragging, as you do with selections. Note that box mode turns to "Fixed". You also have to press Enter to add a new line.

To edit text, you must, first, select the part you want to edit by click-and-drag, or Shift+arrow key and then use the options of the Avsnitt 2, ”Text Tool Box”.

Instead of using the on-canvas text editing, you can use the text editor dialog described in Avsnitt 6.6.4, ”Textredigerare”.

You can move the text on the image using the Move tool: you must click on a character, not on the background.

You can get Unicode characters with Ctrl+Shift+U plus hexadecimal Unicode code of the desired char. Please see Avsnitt 6.6.4, ”Textredigerare”.

You can edit the text later, if the text layer still exists and has not been modified by another tool (see below): make the text layer active in theLayer dialog, select the Text tool and click on the text in the image window.

Managing Text Layer

  You can operate on a text layer in the same ways as any other layer, but doing so often means giving up the ability to edit the text without losing the results of your work.

  För att förstå egenheterna med att handskas med text, kanske det är till hjälp för dig att förstå att ett textlager inner mer information än det pixeldata som du ser: Det innehåller och presentation av texten i ett textredigeringsformat. Det ser i det textredigeringsfönster som dyker upp när du använder textverktyget. Varje gång du ändrar texten, ritas bildlagret om för att återge dina ändringar.

  Om vi antar att skapar ett textlager och jobbar med det på ett som där inte textverktyget ingår; exempelvis att du roterar det. Anta att du går tillbaka försöker redigera det genom att använda textverktyget. Så fort du redigerar texten, kommer textverktyget att rita om lagret och radera resultatet som du genomförde innan.

  Because this danger is not obvious, the Text tool tries to protect you from it. If you operate on a text layer, and then later try to edit the text, a message pops up, warning you that your alterations will be undone, and giving you three options:

  - edit the text anyway;

  - cancel;

  - create a new text layer with the same text as the existing layer, leaving the existing layer unchanged.

  Figur 9.2. Varning tappar ändringar

Text Editing Context Menu

  Figur 9.3. Text Editing Context Menu

  You get this menu by right-clicking on text. It is somewhat different from that of the Text Editor dialog.

  - Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete: these options concern a selected text. They remain grayed out as long as no text is selected. ”Paste” is activated if the clipboard is full of text.

  - Open text file: this command opens a file browser where you can find the wanted text file.

  - Clear: this command deletes all the text, selected or not.

  - Path from text: this command creates a path from the outlines of the current text. The result is not evident. You have to open the Path dialog and make path visible. Then select the Path tool and click on the text. Every letter is now surrounded with a path component. So you can modify the shape of letters by moving path control points.

    This command is similar to Layer → Text to Path.

  - Text along path:

    This option is enabled only if a path exists. When your text is created, then create or import a path and make it active. If you create your path before the text, the path becomes invisible and you have to make it visible in the Path Dialog.

    This command is also available from the ”Layer” menu:

    Figur 9.4. The Text along Path command among text commands in the Layer menu

    This group of options appears only if a text layer exists.

    Click on the Text along Path button. The text is bent along the path. Letters are represented with their outline. Each of them is a component of the new path that appears in the Path dialog. All path options should apply to this new path.

    Figur 9.5. ”Text along Path” example

  - From Left to Right / From Right to Left: fix the writing direction of your language.

  - Input Methods: methods are available for some languages. For example, selecting ”Inuktitut” transforms your keyboard into an Inuktitut keyboard, temporarily.

4. Layer Groups |  | 2. Text Tool Box

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