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How to make a text template?


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I make name files that then get printed onto fabric. Im not sure what to call what I am asking. To make the file you repeat the same name across an artboard. The artboard sizes vary from 20x5inches to 59x37 inches and most are more than one color in an alternating pattern. Is there a way to make a template that I can save that would let me change the name and it change it for all in the same artboard or group? I can make then color changes change all together but I still have to change the text 1 by 1. Or can someone tell what I am asking for is call? I know a template in designer is for artboards but is there a way to make a text template? Attached is a visual of one I did name by name. It would be extremely convenient to just be able to change the name once per color versus every name.  Thanks for any help

72 dpi for question.png

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The biggest problem is that "Sherlyn" is not the same size as "Sam". In Publisher with its Fields and find and replace using Character Styles this would be

"a piece of cake"

"un morceau de gâteau" This will not fit into the space for the English and you'll get overlapping as it repeats. 

In Publisher you can set up Document using the, oh let us choose..., Author and then just change that in the fields panel and the correct spacing is maintained. You'll have to have a huge text frame to handle the overflow but it really is doable quickly in Publisher. You could even specify Global Colours and change things up even more.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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Here is a short video demonstrating in Publisher using Character Styles for the instances of Author fields to give the colour to alternate names.

.

 

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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I initially thought of Symbols in Designer, but I can't see any way of keeping even spacing between different name lengths, or preventing issues with overflow with long names.

So here's my take based on @Old Bruce's ingenious solution in Publisher. It requires a pretty complex layout, but I think it works. Sorry it's not in Designer...

You have to account for very short names (eg 'Jo') and very long names ('Montmorency de Coverley' may be over the top, but you never know...)

In Publisher, I have a row of single-line text frames containing the repeated Author field with repeating global colours. The left-hand sides of the frames are offset  (off the document margin) to give the diagonal striping. They're aligned at the right. The text itself is aligned left in the frames. All the frames are set to Hide Overflow in the Text Frame panel.

To get a full spread of names, I set the Author's name to 'Jo' and fill out to the right-hand end of each frame:

1566715196_Screenshot2020-10-14at18_37_42.thumb.png.d411a11cf9318e3b64ebba7099055325.png

Once you've set this up, which takes quite a while, then you just have to change the Author field once (™ Old Bruce). It may look odd having the lower frames stuck out so far to the left, but it's actually necessary when you get a really long name:

Screenshot_2020-10-14_at_18_39_03.thumb.png.2ff220664cd3079c846a0449ce53fe80.png

(This is where hiding the overflow comes in handy.)

As pointed out, changing colours can be achieved using Global Colours in a Document Palette in the Swatches panel.

Screenshot_2020-10-14_at_18_39_51.thumb.png.e44be770bd7489a7967b20f8dba57566.png

And if you switch to Preview Mode you get a clearer view of the final result:

1403875148_Screenshot2020-10-14at18_41_04.png.eddd1c9f4a35c4e71f509042cb59f6b3.png

.afpub document attached for clarity.

Cheers,

H

 

namespace.afpub

Affinity Photo 2.0.3,  Affinity Designer 2.0.3, Affinity Publisher 2.0.3, Mac OSX 13, 2018 MacBook Pro 15" Intel.

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Further refinement to the excellent work by h_d

Coloured Names.afpub

Instructions included.

4 hours ago, cmvershay said:

To make the file you repeat the same name across an artboard.

We seem to have not answered your question about Designer. Sorry about that. But if you have publisher this will help a lot more.

To get this to work in Designer is far more difficult.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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Hi @cmvershay

Okay, this time in Designer I hacked together a basic file with Global Colour Swatches and Symbols and one hell of a lot of copy and past and using the distribute pop-up/flyout from the toolbar.

You can change the text and the colour and the font but only one colour at a time. So in my example I have four colours and four symbols so you have to change each symbol's text (copy and paste), that is four changes then the colours can be changed easily with the editing the Global Colours in the Document Palette.

One thing to watch for is the alignment on the big working artboard. As I said a lot of copy and paste, align Group Go to next line until you have the number of lines you want in the order you want then copy paste the groups and align the lines. 

test 03.afdesign

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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Attached is a short video (edit - has anyone else some horribly shaky cursor there? it's not my hand I swear ... ) :

- set up your global colours

- create a symbol for the name

- duplicate the symbol so you have one for each colour

- disable sync, add colour overlays using your global colours, re-enable sync

- add more duplicates to generously fill one line, group them, make the group another symbol

- duplicate the line, adjust your offset, group it with the first line, make another symbol

- duplicate to fill your canvas

use alignment > space horizontally to adjust for different name lengths

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On 10/14/2020 at 4:01 PM, catlover said:

That what you do not yet know is more important than what you already know-Jordan Peterson

Ik vind het grappig als een engelsman maar ik moet wat zeggen als je het niet erg vindt.....😀, ik heb geen idee wie "Jordan Peterson" is maar dit is slecht engels.  Het zou moet geschreven worden als:  That WHICH you do not know is more important than THAT WHICH you already know....😊.  Ja Nu, is het MOET of MOETEN hier boven, you can now correct my dutch if yo want.

Microsoft - Like entering your home and opening the stainless steel kitchen door, with a Popup: 'Do you really want to open this door'? Then looking for the dishwasher and finding it stored in the living room where you have to download a water supply from the app store, then you have to buy microsoft compliant soap, remove the carpet only to be told that it is glued to the floor.. Don't forget to make multiple copies of your front door key and post them to all who demand access to all the doors inside your home including the windows and outside shed.

Apple - Like entering your home and opening the oak framed Kitchen door and finding the dishwasher right in front you ready to be switched on, soap supplied, and water that comes through a water softener.  Ah the front door key is yours and it only needs to open the front door.

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