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);
            }
        }
    }
}