TextFrameItem

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index]

Description

The basic art item for displaying text. From the user interface, this is text created with the Text tool. There are three types of text art in Illustrator: point text, path text, and area text. The type is indicated by the text frame’s kind property.

When you create a text frame, you also create a Story object. However, threading text frames combines the frames into a single story object. To thread frames, use the nextFrame or previousFrame property.

Properties

TextFrameItem.anchor

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].anchor

Description

The position of the anchor point, the start of the base line for point text.

Type

Array of 2 numbers

TextFrameItem.antialias

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].antialias

Description

The type of anti-aliasing to use in the text.

Type

TextAntialias

TextFrameItem.characters

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].characters

Description

All the characters in this text frame.

Type

Characters; read-only.

TextFrameItem.columnCount

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].columnCount

Description

The column count in the text frame (area text only).

Type

Number (long)

TextFrameItem.columnGutter

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].columnGutter

Description

The column gutter in the text frame (area text only).

Type

Number (double)

TextFrameItem.contents

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].contents

Description

The text string.

Type

String

TextFrameItem.contentVariable

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].contentVariable

Description

The content variable bound to this text frame item.

Type

Variable

TextFrameItem.endTValue

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].endTValue

Description

The end position of text along a path, as a value relative to the path’s segments (path text only).

Type

Number (double)

TextFrameItem.flowLinksHorizontally

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].flowLinksHorizontally

Description

If true, flow text between linked frames horizontally first (area text only).

Type

Boolean

TextFrameItem.insertionPoints

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].insertionPoints

Description

All the insertion points in this text range.

Type

InsertionPoints; read-only.

TextFrameItem.kind

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].kind

Description

The type of a text frame item (area, path or point).

Type

TextType; read-only.

TextFrameItem.lines

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].lines

Description

All the lines in this text frame.

Type

Lines; read-only.

TextFrameItem.matrix

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].matrix

Description

The transformation matrix for this text frame.

Type

Matrix; read-only.

TextFrameItem.nextFrame

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].nextFrame

Description

The linked text frame following this one.

Type

TextFrameItem

TextFrameItem.opticalAlignment

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].opticalAlignment

Description

If true, the optical alignment feature is active.

Type

Boolean

TextFrameItem.orientation

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].orientation

Description

The orientation of the text.

Type

TextOrientation

TextFrameItem.paragraphs

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].paragraphs

Description

All the paragraphs in this text frame.

Type

Paragraphs; read-only.

TextFrameItem.parent

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].parent

Description

The parent of this object.

Type

Layer or GroupItem; read-only.

TextFrameItem.previousFrame

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].previousFrame

Description

The linked text frame preceding this one.

Type

TextFrameItem

TextFrameItem.rowCount

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].rowCount

Description

The row count in the text frame (area text only).

Type

Number (long)

TextFrameItem.rowGutter

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].rowGutter

Description

The row gutter in the text frame (area text only).

Type

Number (double)

TextFrameItem.spacing

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].spacing

Description

The amount of spacing.

Type

Number (double)

TextFrameItem.startTValue

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].startTValue

Description

The start position of text along a path, as a value relative to the path’s segments (path text only).

Type

Number (double)

TextFrameItem.story

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].story

Description

The story to which the text frame belongs.

Type

Story; read-only.

TextFrameItem.textPath

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].textPath

Description

The path item associated with the text frame. Note: Valid only when kind is area or path.

Type

TextPath

TextFrameItem.textRange

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].textRange

Description

The text range of the text frame.

Type

TextRange; read-only.

TextFrameItem.textRanges

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].textRanges

Description

All the text in this text frame.

Type

TextRanges; read-only.

TextFrameItem.textSelection

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].textSelection

Description

The selected text range(s) in the text frame.

Type

Array of TextRange; read-only.

TextFrameItem.typename

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].typename

Description

The class name of the referenced object.

Type

String; read-only.

TextFrameItem.words

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].words

Description

All the words in this text frame.

Type

Words; read-only.

Methods

TextFrameItem.convertAreaObjectToPointObject()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].convertAreaObjectToPointObject()

Description

Converts the area-type text frame to a point-type text frame.

Returns

TextFrameItem

TextFrameItem.convertPointObjectToAreaObject()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].convertPointObjectToAreaObject()

Description

Converts the point-type text frame to an area-type text frame.

Returns

TextFrameItem

TextFrameItem.createOutline()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].createOutline()

Description

Converts the text in the text frame to outlines.

Returns

GroupItem

TextFrameItem.duplicate()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].duplicate([relativeObject] [,insertionLocation])

Description

Creates a duplicate of the selected object.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`relativeObject`	Object, optional	Object to duplicate to
`insertionLocation`	ElementPlacement, optional	Location to insert element

Returns

TextRange

TextFrameItem.move()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].move(relativeObject, insertionLocation)

Description

Moves the object.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`relativeObject`	Object	Object to move element within
`insertionLocation`	ElementPlacement, optional	Location to move element to

Returns

TextRange

TextFrameItem.remove()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].remove()

Description

Deletes this object.

Returns

Nothing.

TextFrameItem.resize()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].resize(
    scaleX,
    scaleY
    [,changePositions]
    [,changeFillPatterns]
    [,changeFillGradients]
    [,changeStrokePattern]
    [,changeLineWidths]
    [,scaleAbout]
)

Description

Scales the art item where scaleX is the horizontal scaling factor and scaleY is the vertical scaling factor. 100.0 = 100%.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`scaleX`	Number (double)	Horizontal scaling factor
`scaleY`	Number (double)	Vertical scaling factor
`changePositions`	Boolean, optional	Whether to effect art object positions and orientations
`changeFillPatterns`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform fill patterns
`changeFillGradients`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform fill gradients
`changeStrokePattern`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform stroke patterns
`changeLineWidths`	Number (double), optional	The amount to scale line widths
`scaleAbout`	Transformation, optional	The point to use as anchor, to transform about

Returns

Nothing.

TextFrameItem.rotate()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].rotate(
    angle
    [,changePositions]
    [,changeFillPatterns]
    [,changeFillGradients]
    [,changeStrokePattern]
    [,rotateAbout]
)

Description

Rotates the art item relative to the current rotation. The object is rotated counter-clockwise if the angle value is positive, clockwise if the value is negative.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`angle`	Number (double)	The angle amount to rotate the element
`changePositions`	Boolean, optional	Whether to effect art object positions and orientations
`changeFillPatterns`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform fill patterns
`changeFillGradients`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform fill gradients
`changeStrokePattern`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform stroke patterns
`rotateAbout`	Transformation, optional	The point to use as anchor, to transform about

Returns

Nothing.

TextFrameItem.transform()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].transform(
    transformationMatrix
    [, changePositions]
    [, changeFillPatterns]
    [, changeFillGradients]
    [, changeStrokePattern]
    [, changeLineWidths]
    [, transformAbout]
)

Description

Transforms the art item by applying a transformation matrix.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`transformationMatrix`	Matrix	Transformation matrix to apply
`changePositions`	Boolean, optional	Whether to change Positions
`changeFillPatterns`	Boolean, optional	Whether to change Fill Patterns
`changeFillGradients`	Boolean, optional	Whether to change Fill Gradients
`changeStrokePattern`	Boolean, optional	Whether to change Stroke Pattern
`changeLineWidths`	Number (double), optional	The amount to scale line widths
`transformAbout`	Transformation, optional	The point to use as anchor, to transform about

Returns

Nothing.

TextFrameItem.translate()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].translate(
    [deltaX]
    [, deltaY]
    [, transformObjects]
    [, transformFillPatterns]
    [, transformFillGradients]
    [, transformStrokePatterns]
)

Description

Repositions the art item relative to the current position, where deltaX is the horizontal offset and deltaY is the vertical offset.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`deltaX`	Number (double), optional	Horizontal offset
`deltaY`	Number (double), optional	Vertical offset
`transformObjects`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform Objects
`transformFillPatterns`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform Fill Patterns
`transformFillGradients`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform Fill Gradients
`transformStrokePatterns`	Boolean, optional	Whether to transform Stroke Patterns

Returns

Nothing.

TextFrameItem.zOrder()

app.activeDocument.textFrames[index].zOrder(zOrderCmd)

Description

Arranges the art item’s position in the stacking order of the group or layer (parent) of this object.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`zOrderCmd`	ZOrderMethod	Stacking order arrangement method

Returns

Nothing.

Example

Rotate a text art item

// Duplicates and rotates the selected text art item 5 times
if ( app.documents.length > 0 ) {
    selectedItems = app.activeDocument.selection;

    // make sure something is selected.
    if ( selectedItems.length > 0 ) {

        // The selection must be a text art item
        if ( selectedItems[0].typename == "TextFrame" ) {

            // Get the parent of the text art so new text art items
            // can be inserted in the same group or layer
            dupSrc = selectedItems[0];
            textContainer = dupSrc.parent;

            // Create 5 new versions of the text art each rotated a bit
            for ( i = 1; i <= 5; i++ ) {
                dupText = dupSrc.duplicate( textContainer, ElementPlacement.PLACEATEND );
                dupText.rotate(180 * i/6);
            }
        }
    }
}