Designer Question: Trouble with selecting new Text layer in multi-layer design

[William Cartwright]

First, I'm absolutely loving Designer. I've been a pretty advanced pixel editor using PS for decades (and now a fan of AP), but—aside from a few typographic elements—I always felt incompetent with Illustrator. In contrast, I use Designer all the time and love it.

 

One (newbie) problem I had recently occurred when designing a T-shirt for the youth Lacrosse team I coach to commemorate their (improbable, but well-earned) undefeated season. 

 

I had a lot of layers in the design and found that when I created a new "Text layer" that as soon as I tried to type in the new layer the selected layer would change to a different layer.  

 

I used different workarounds, including turning off overlapping layers and even composing new text layers in a seperate document a pasting them in, but I assume there is a better way to force text onto a new text layer rather than having the selected layer switch to a different (overlapping) layer?

 

Appreciate the help.

 

Bill

[Callum]

Hi William Cartwright,

 

I'm not sure if I understand your issue exactly. Do you have the Text Tool selected when you try and type in your text boxes?

 

C

[William Cartwright]

Hi William Cartwright,

 

I'm not sure if I understand your issue exactly. Do you have the Text Tool selected when you try and type in your text boxes?

 

C

 

Yes, I have the text tool selected. However if there is (for example) a large design element under where I hope to add new text, once I click on the document the layer switches to an "underneath" layer.

 

I hope that's clear. 

[gdenby]

Are you perhaps clicking on a portion of the underlying design, and not within the text frame?

 

In Preferences/User Interface, is "Show Selection in Layers Panel" checked? That way, you will know if the text panel layer and not something else has been clicked.

[William Cartwright]

Are you perhaps clicking on a portion of the underlying design, and not within the text frame?

 

In Preferences/User Interface, is "Show Selection in Layers Panel" checked? That way, you will know if the text panel layer and not something else has been clicked.

 

I did not have the "Show Selection in Layers" preference selected, but the change has not addressed my issue.

 

If I have a bunch of underlying layers, then I create a new layer (that I intend to add type to), after I click on the type tool and then onto the document the "selected layer" shifts from the "new layer" to one of the previously built underlying layers.

 

If there is a portion of the document that has no underlying layer, them I'm OK. But with a busy composition with lots of layers, I can't seem to easily keep the selection on the "new layer" instead on an underlying one.

 

Bill

[gdenby]

 

 

If I have a bunch of underlying layers, then I create a new layer (that I intend to add type to), after I click on the type tool and then onto the document the "selected layer" shifts from the "new layer" to one of the previously built underlying layers.

 

Bill

You don't need to add a new layer to add a text layer. Just select frame text, and draw the box. It creates a text layer on top of everything else. For whatever reason, when I try to add a text box after making a blank layer, sometimes it goes in a previous layer, or sometime the new one. If the blank layer is highlighted in the layers panel, the text box layer goes in there.

[William Cartwright]

You don't need to add a new layer to add a text layer. Just select frame text, and draw the box. It creates a text layer on top of everything else. For whatever reason, when I try to add a text box after making a blank layer, sometimes it goes in a previous layer, or sometime the new one. If the blank layer is highlighted in the layers panel, the text box layer goes in there.

 

I just tried not making a new layer to add a text layer, but—again—if there is a text layer in the area of the document I click on with the text tool selected the layer selection shifts to that older layer.

 

It is exactly the same behavior as with trying to create a new layer first. Either way, the text tool switches the active layer to a previous layer. Turning off competing layers seems to work, but it isn't a pleasant workaround.

 

Bill

[R C-R]

I just tried not making a new layer to add a text layer, but—again—if there is a text layer in the area of the document I click on with the text tool selected the layer selection shifts to that older layer.

Using either of the text tools, if you hover the pointer anywhere over an existing text layer, the pointer should change to the text insertion cursor (also known as the caret or I-beam cursor). This is by design. It is a visual prompt to let you know that if you click there, you will enter text entry mode on that text layer instead of creating a new one. This provides a quick & easy way to edit an existing text layer's text. Placing one text layer over another one is usually avoided for legibility reasons, but if for some reason that is what you want to do, as a workaround you can lock the existing text layer before clicking over it with a text tool.

 

If you are using the Text Frame tool & click once over or very near an existing curve or shape layer, that layer will be selected. If you move the pointer anywhere within that shape, it will change from a square frame shape to a pentagonal shape. The pentagonal pointer shape is a visual prompt to let you know you that if you click again you will convert the shape to a text frame. If that is not what you want to do, do not click. Instead, move the pointer to some place where it reverts to the square shape, tap the escape key, or choose another tool.

 

To avoid this, instead of clicking once over a curve or shape layer, simply click & drag to draw out a text frame in the normal way.