UNIT 4 > MODULE 3

Lesson 2: Working With Text

Overview

In this lesson, you will add text to your button and experiment with setting different fonts and font sizes. You will also be shown how to manipulate the spacing of characters by the kerning and horizontal scale of text.

Learner Outcomes

At the completion of this exercise, you will be able to:

• add text to a graphic
• change the font, size, and color of text objects
• adjust the spacing of characters using kerning and horizontal scale

Activities

1. The instructor will demonstrate how to add simple text in the graphics software and how to switch fonts, adjust font size, and change the color of the text. You will add descriptive text to your button by typing the word "Home" and then experiment by applying different fonts, font sizes and text colors. Remember to make sure that the text is readable. This means a font that is not overly difficult to read and color combinations that have a sufficient level of contrast. Below is the example button with text added:



 

2. The instructor will demonstrate how to achieve a finer control over character spacing by adjusting the kerning and horizontal/vertical scale of the text. Kerning allows you to increase or decrease the space between characters. The horizontal and vertical scale properties allow you to adjust the actual height and width of the font characters. You should experiment by adjusting both of these and then observing the effect it has on the text. The example below on the left shows the sample button with the horizontal scale of the text adjusted to 150%. The example below on the right shows the sample button with kerning increased to a value of 30.
   
   
3. Now you try. Add text to the button you created in the previous lesson.

All done?

Show your instructor your work. Be sure to save your button with the text added. You will use this again to complete the next lesson.

Copyright © 2006 by University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged. This product was funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education (grant #H133D010306). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume their endorsement.