Convert Illustrator Point/Path Text to Area Text
Point text in Illustrator is a text field that is generated by a click of the text tool. Area text is generated by dragging a rectangle with the text tool. You can scale a area text to make room for more text or to control where the lines end. When you try to scale point text, however, the text itself grows or shrinks to fill the rectangular area. If you inherit a file with lots of point text, it can be difficult to edit.
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. It does not take into account stories (linked text fields), so use with caution in those cases.
Download
(Compatibility: Illustrator CS – CS5.5)
Convert to Text Area.js
[right-click (ctrl-click on Mac) and choose Save Link As...]
Installation Instructions
Place the Convert to Text Area.js file into the Scripts directory within your Illustrator application directory:
Windows > C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator {version}\Presets\Scripts
Mac OS X > Applications/Adobe Illustrator {version}/Presets/Scripts
Note: In CS4, the directory path will include a region directory (e.g., Adobe Illustrator CS4/Presets/en_US/Scripts).
Usage
Select text field(s), choose File > Scripts > Convert to Text Area.
Thanks Justin! The script works great!
I am running across some text which is editable by double-clicking with the Direct Selection tool but isn’t recognized as text objects for the “merge” command. This was text generated by “placing” a pdf page into the AI document. I am not sure what is going on there. I am thinking that may not be the best way to import the text from those documents.
The good news is that both scripts work very well on text that I have created and some of the imported text.
Comment by JD — March 9, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Hi JD,
Glad it’s working!
The text that you have to double-click on may be in a group or a clipping mask. Try ungrouping or removing any clipping masks. Both options are available via right-click (ctl-click on Mac) on the text object (before you double-click on it).
Comment by Justin — March 9, 2009 @ 7:59 pm
Hi Justin. The Merge Text and Convert To Text Area scripts are working great for me. Thanks very much for these! I should be punching my monitor and my own face much less frequently now when I have to import a pdf into Illustrator.
Comment by Zack — March 31, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
Great to hear it, Zack! Less punching is good!
Comment by Justin — March 31, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Great scripts. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by clipping path services — April 2, 2009 @ 10:45 am
Sir, YOU ARE AMAZING!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Cheers!!=)
Comment by Jorge — July 3, 2009 @ 10:50 am
Much appreciated, Jorge!
Comment by Justin — July 4, 2009 @ 1:52 am
Hi Justin,
Thank you so much for charing this script and solution! I have search for this solution in the Adobe help website with no result. Thank for sharing it with so detail instruction!
Thank you for your time,
Kerstine
Comment by Kerstine — December 12, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
Thank You for this script. Combining it with the MergeText script creates a more powerful and productive Illustrator. Much appreciated!
Comment by Chris — August 24, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
Glad to hear it. Thanks for your comment, Chris!
Comment by Justin — August 24, 2010 @ 7:37 pm
You’re great! Thank you for this script. It works fantastic!
Comment by Jack Photomorgana — November 5, 2010 @ 11:11 am
Thanks, Jack! Always nice to hear!
Comment by Justin — November 5, 2010 @ 3:02 pm
A FIENDISHLY useful script! I used it today after encountering this problem just last week, until I read this (almost completely at random) I had no idea what was causing it and it drove me spare for a good hour or so until I ragequit Illustrator.
Thanks for making such a valuable little scriptlet available to the general community!
Comment by Christopher Woods — November 8, 2010 @ 2:41 pm
Glad you found us, Christopher! Thanks for the kind words.
Comment by Justin — November 8, 2010 @ 5:08 pm
Thnx for the script., Can you suggest any script to fix the decimal point font for example ’12.3′ to ’12′ or ’12.6′ to ’13′ like that. Please do the needful.
Comment by Sudhir — March 21, 2011 @ 2:45 pm
Hi Sudhir, are you referring to the font size, like changing 12.3 pt to 12 pt? I don’t know of a script like this, but if there’s a lot of demand for it, I could probably write one.
If anyone else is interested in a script like this, please post a comment.
Comment by Justin — March 22, 2011 @ 2:45 am
Brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing this, and for continuing to offer it here. I just disccovered it today, and I’m using it now… gratefully!
Comment by mapsy — April 6, 2011 @ 4:39 pm
Great! Glad to hear it, Mapsy!
Comment by Justin — April 6, 2011 @ 4:45 pm
This is great, thanks!
Comment by Larosse — April 7, 2011 @ 12:24 pm
Glad to hear it, Larosse! Thanks for your comment.
Comment by Justin — April 7, 2011 @ 3:04 pm
You are AWESOME – thanks so much for sharing this
Comment by Jannah — November 10, 2011 @ 10:27 pm
You’re welcome, Jannah. Thanks for your comment!
Comment by Justin — November 10, 2011 @ 10:31 pm
Do you have a script that will do the opposite? Convert area type to point type?
I downloaded another one, but it rotates my text 90 degrees.
Comment by Zombie — December 1, 2011 @ 4:03 pm
Hi Zombie,
I threw a Convert to Point Text script for you. Enjoy!
[right-click (ctrl-click on Mac) and choose Save Link As...]
Comment by Justin — December 1, 2011 @ 5:42 pm
Great, the script worked just fine with CS5 (Illu). Thank you sooo much
Comment by Chris — December 6, 2011 @ 7:02 pm
Convert to text area didnt work for me.
Comment by Fran Davies — March 7, 2012 @ 12:13 pm
Hi Fran,
Could you provide info on your setup? OS, AI version, what did, if you received error messages, etc…
Comment by Justin — March 7, 2012 @ 5:16 pm
Hi Justin, and thank you for coming back so soon..
OS 10.6.8
Illustrator CS4
No error message. Thanks once again.
Comment by Fran Davies — March 7, 2012 @ 5:41 pm
Hi Fran,
I was able to test that exact configuration and it worked as expected. If you’d like to post a file somewhere, I’d be happy to test it.
Comment by Justin — March 7, 2012 @ 9:48 pm
it must be me then, I’ll post one tomorrow
Thanks Justin
Comment by Fran — March 7, 2012 @ 11:19 pm
You never know…it’s difficult to test every scenario…I’ve missed things before.
Comment by Justin — March 7, 2012 @ 11:23 pm
Hi Justin
do you have an email address I can send the file to please?
Thanks for all your help. Donation on way
Comment by Fran Davies — March 8, 2012 @ 11:08 am
Very cool. SO MANY TIMES!!!! “Why can’t I make this Area Text!?!?” Problem solved.
Comment by Bryan — March 26, 2012 @ 7:33 am
Awesome, Bryan! Glad to hear it.
Comment by Justin — March 26, 2012 @ 3:12 pm