Text Wrapping - Distances to Text (v1.4)

[gdhp]

Sorry if this has been discussed before - I am struggling with text wrapping / text flow around an image.

If you wrap text around a frame it hugs the frame really close with no space. According to the Documentation in version 1.3 under the shape tab in the properties tab there was an option to create space between the object and the text wrapping around it. You could increate the buffer between the two with a simple couple of clicks.

However in version 1.4 this option seems to have gone. All tutorials I have seen seem to suggest manually adjusting the Contour lines of the frame. However having to click and drag the individual contour points is a) time consuming and b) very inaccurate (it's hard to get a straight line yet alone guarantee getting the same distance on all sides of the box and elsehwere in the document.

Is there another way of using text wrap in version 1.4 because it's driving me up the wall.

[GarryP]

There are a few things you could try.

First: You can make the frame around the image bigger than the image and use "Use Frame Shape" as the text flow option. This requires that you first scale your image to the frame (or have it smaller anyway) then set it to free scaling. Then you can drag the frame sides out to create a "buffer" around the image. This option requires that the image is smaller than the frame so it isn't great for most purposes. I wouldn't really recommend this option but it might come in handy in some simple circumstances.

Second: You can use the "enlarge by %/amount" icons in the "Nodes" dialog (after selecting "Edit Contour Line"). This is a quick way of putting padding round your image and is very useful for general purposes. This is what I use most of the time and it's only a few clicks. I suspect this is what you were after in your posting though I might have misunderstood.

Third: You can create the exact shape you need using the various shape/path editing functions, then use "Convert to... -> Image Frame", and then use the second option above. You can also create all sorts of effects this way and it's worth experimenting with.

I agree that it can be frustrating when dragging contour line control points that you don't have fine control or even a way of keeping things aligned to the page (e.g. shift/ctrl-dragging to keep to 90-degree angles as you can do elsewhere). You can set the exact position of each point manually using the positional boxes but that's a drag - pun intended!

However, sometimes I've noticed that a contour that isn't exactly square makes the text flow a bit more pleasantly, especially around non-rectangular images. A little kink or slope can allow the text to fill in a space that would otherwise be empty and the whole thing looks nicer.

It's all a matter of aesthetics vs. speed I guess. You can go for a quick effect and just go along with what you're given or take the time to have a play around and see what you can achieve. It's up to you in the end.

I hope at least one of these techniques has been of some use to you.

Garry.

[utnik]

Second: You can use the "enlarge by %/amount" icons in the "Nodes" dialog (after selecting "Edit Contour Line"). This is a quick way of putting padding round your image and is very useful for general purposes. This is what I use most of the time and it's only a few clicks. I suspect this is what you were after in your posting though I might have misunderstood.

i usually expand the contour line by a fixed amount (in mm) – with this you can keep the same value for all your images...

utnik