The Designer‘s Guide to Outlining Text in Adobe InDesign

Outlining text is one of those essential techniques every InDesign user should master. By converting live text to editable vector paths, outlining opens up a world of creative typographic possibilities. But how exactly does it work? And what are the benefits and drawbacks compared to working with standard text?

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into the ins and outs of outlining text in InDesign. Whether you‘re a beginner looking for a quick how-to or a seasoned designer seeking fresh inspiration, you‘ll find everything you need to take your outlined text designs to the next level. Let‘s get started!

Text 101: LiveType vs. Outlines

Before we get into the specifics of outlining, let‘s break down how InDesign handles text under the hood. When you create a new text frame with the Type tool, InDesign uses special text rendering instructions to dynamically generate and display the letter glyphs. This "live" text can be edited and styled on the fly with the Type tool and Character/Paragraph panels.

Converting text to outlines, on the other hand, transforms the live text object into a group of standard vector objects. Instead of font rendering instructions, outlined characters are defined by bezier paths and anchor points, just like any other shape you might draw with the Pen tool.

While outlined text looks virtually identical to live text, it behaves quite differently:

• Outlined text is no longer tied to a specific font file and can‘t be edited with the Type tool
• Each outlined character is now an independent vector shape that can be ungrouped and modified individually
• Attributes like font style, size, kerning, and so on are "baked in" to the vector paths and can‘t be changed globally
• Outlined text is resolution-independent and infinitely scalable without losing quality

Knowing these key differences will help you decide when it makes sense to use outlines and when it‘s better to stick with live text.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Convert Text to Outlines

Ready to get outlining? Follow these simple steps:

1. Create a new text frame with the Type tool (shortcut: T) and enter your text. Adjust font, size, and other settings as desired.

2. Using the Selection tool (V), select the text frame. Make sure you click on the frame edge, not the text itself.

3. Go to Type > Create Outlines (Alt+Shift+O on Windows, Option+Shift+O on Mac). Alternatively, you can right-click the selected frame and choose Create Outlines from the context menu.

4. Your text is now outlined! The characters will be grouped together in a single vector object.

5. To edit the individual character shapes, use the Direct Selection tool (A) to select the group and go to Object > Ungroup (Alt+Shift+G on Windows, Option+Shift+G on Mac).

Quick tip: Convert a copy of your text to outlines so you always have an editable live text version to fall back on. An easy way to do this is to hold down Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) while dragging the text frame to duplicate it, then convert the duplicate to outlines.

Creative Uses for Outlined Text

So why go to the trouble of outlining your lovingly typeset text? Let‘s look at a few scenarios where editable outlines come in handy:

Custom lettering and logos. Need to modify a font beyond its built-in glyph variations? Outlining the text allows you to reshape letters with the Pen tool, giving you complete customization control. You can add stylized swashes, combine multiple glyphs into ligatures, or even design entire custom logotypes from scratch.

3D and perspective effects. Warp live text with the Shear or Free Transform tools and you‘ll end up with some awkward-looking distortion. But those same tools are fair game with outlined text! Add dynamic angles, curves and rotations while preserving stroke width and visual integrity. For extra depth, use the Extrude command under Object > Effects to turn 2D text into a 3D masterpiece.

Image clipping masks. Want to fill your text with photos or patterns? No problem! With the Place command (File > Place), you can drop images right into outlined text. The character shapes will function as a clipping mask, perfectly framing the fill content. Adjust the image position for different masking effects.

Poster and book cover design. When text is the hero design element, outlines are the way to go. Fine-tune every curve, crossbar, and serif with the Direct Selection tool to craft flawless typography. Ultra-customized display type is a hallmark of iconic poster designs and can lend editorial flair to book covers and magazine spreads.

SVG graphics for the web. Outlined text maintains its crisp vector goodness when exported to SVG format. Embed those SVGs on web pages and you have resolution-independent text graphics that scale to any size. Unlike regular web fonts, outlined text in an SVG can include complex effects like gradients and transparency.

With a little creative thinking, the possibilities are endless. That said, always stay mindful of the limitations. Outlined text is static, so it‘s best reserved for headers and short copy that won‘t need frequent editing. When in doubt, keep body text live and save the outlines for accents.

Outlined Text for Print: Common Misconceptions

If you‘ve ever prepped files for a commercial print job, you‘ve likely heard some variation of "You must convert all text to outlines before sending!" What‘s the deal with this persistent print shop mandate?

Back in the early days of digital publishing, font errors were a frequent source of printing headaches. Different computers rendered type inconsistently, and missing or corrupted font files could cause text to drop out entirely. Some printers began requiring outlined text as a blunt safeguard against font-related snafus.

While outlining text does technically sidestep font rendering issues, it‘s not an ideal solution. Here‘s why:

• Outlined text can‘t embed font hinting instructions, so characters may appear slightly heavier or lighter compared to the original live text.

• Outlining small text can severely impact legibility and readability, especially with serif fonts at body copy sizes (12 pt and below).

• A flattened text graphic won‘t scale up or down gracefully due to pixelation. Forget about last-minute layout changes.

• Outlined text increases your file size and processing time by generating many additional vector points.

Fortunately, today‘s workflows make outlining text mostly unnecessary. The rise of PDF/X print standards and CC font licensing mean that most font issues can be resolved by properly embedding fonts and preflighting your InDesign file before export.

Adobe‘s EULA even prohibits print providers from requiring outlined text, as Senior Director of Engineering for InDesign (2008-2019) Aman Naimat confirms:

"Adobe strongly discourages users from sending files with text converted to outlines to a print service provider (PSP). […] There is no benefit for reliable printing or viewing. In fact it can cause problems with print quality. […] PSPs should not request users to send files with text converted to outlines."

The bottom line? Outlining everything is overkill. If your printer insists, work with them to identify and fix the actual font problems instead. In most cases, a PDF/X-4 file with live text will give you the best possible print outcome.

Real-World Outline Text Stats

Curious how your outlining habits stack up against other designers? In a 2019 survey of 17,000+ CreativePro community members:

• 67% of respondents said they sometimes or frequently convert text to outlines before sending files to print
• 24% never convert text to outlines
• 9% weren‘t sure what "converting text to outlines" meant

Anecdotally, many print production experts advise that designers overuse outlining by a wide margin. It‘s often done out of tradition or an abundance of caution rather than real output necessity. The CreativePro data suggests there‘s still plenty of room for education!

Outlining Text FAQ

Help! I converted text to outlines and need to make a text edit. What can I do?

Unfortunately, there‘s no way to convert outlines directly back to live text in InDesign. But all is not lost! If it‘s just a small typo, your best bet is to create a new text frame with the corrected copy and outline that, then swap it in for the old outlines. For major text changes, bite the bullet and recreate the original text frames so you can make the necessary edits.

What happened to my fonts? My outlined text looks wonky!

Converting text to outlines can cause subtle changes to the typeface appearance, particularly at small sizes. Thin strokes and serifs may appear slightly thicker, and the edges of characters may look more "jaggy" due to how InDesign draws the vector paths. For the most accurate previews, view outlines at 100% or higher magnification.

Do outlined fonts take up more space than live text?

Yes. When you convert text to outlines, each character becomes an individual vector object with its own points and paths. The resulting file size increase depends on the length and complexity of the text, but it‘s not uncommon for outlined documents to balloon to 5x the size of the original. Keep this in mind if you‘re creating an outlined file to send via email.

Can I apply paragraph styles to outlined text?

No. Outlining strips out the underlying text structure, so you can no longer apply character- or paragraph-level formatting. Any existing text styling will be "burned in" to the vectors and must be changed manually with the Appearance and Pathfinder panels.

Alternatives to Outlining Text

If your goal is adding visual pizazz to live text, you have options that don‘t involve the Create Outlines command. Depending on your desired look, try these techniques:

• Use InDesign‘s built-in Stroke, Drop Shadow, or Outer/Inner Glow effects (Window > Effects) to layer color and dimension onto plain text.

• Create a separate copy of the text frame and offset it slightly for a quick 3D or "echo" look. This method also works great for trendy neon glow effects.

• For web-bound graphics, try the SplitText JavaScript library to get the live text benefits of HTML while still splitting your text into animatable elements. More info at: https://greensock.com/SplitText/

With a little ingenuity, you can achieve many of the same eye-catching text treatments without sacrificing editability. When in doubt, experiment!

Resources for Further Learning

Ready to really dig in on InDesign text and typography? Here are some top-notch resources to level up your skills:

• InDesign Secrets: Outlining Fonts – Best Practices (https://indesignsecrets.com/outlining-fonts-best-practices.php)
• Adobe InDesign Tutorials: Typography (https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/tutorials.html#Typography)
• Lynda.com course: InDesign Typography (https://www.lynda.com/InDesign-tutorials/InDesign-Typography/612211-2.html)
• The Complete Manual of Typography: A Guide to Setting Perfect Type by James Felici (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Manual-Typography-Guide-Setting/dp/0321773268)

Conclusion

We‘ve covered the what, why, when, and how of converting text to outlines in Adobe InDesign. While it‘s a simple technique, text outlining has major consequences for the appearance, editability, and reproducibility of your designs.

Knowing the ins and outs will help you make an informed choice between live and outlined text for every project. Like most things in design, it all comes down to using the right tool for the job and getting creative within the constraints.

At the end of the day, there‘s no substitute for typographic craft. Attention to detail is what separates good design from great, and taking control of your text – outlined or not – is a key piece of the puzzle. So get in there and make something awesome. Happy outlining!