Format converted Frame Text?

[f0ff886f]

Question for Designer

OK, lets say I make a shape:

Now I want to convert it to a frame text with the T key and click on the grey square:

Now I type in some text:

And press escape:

Now, how do I adjust the stroke and fill of the original shape?

Is there a better way to create boxes with text in them that allows me to align the text in the middle, but resize the box easily, and still maintain control over the visual appearance of the box?

Edited July 8, 2019 by f0ff886f

[Hilltop]

Go to View/Studio/Text Frame and give the frame a stroke.

[f0ff886f]

It turns out in Publisher you can format frame text (there is a button to do it), in Designer there is not.... (!):

Which gives:

[f0ff886f]

Just now, Hilltop said:

Go to View/Studio/Text Frame and give the frame a stroke.

That doesn't exist in Designer. Only Publisher

[Hilltop]

Seems like another reason to own the whole suite but even then I find it frustrating sometimes where to find the right tool for a job. It will take some time, I guess. :-)

[f0ff886f]

Yeah... I paid the cost of Publisher just to get this text frame tool oh well. The prices are fair enough that it isn't the worst ever, just surprising.

[Hilltop]

As time goes by you might discover other goodies that come in handy. 

[Dazzler]

You can sort of achieve this in Designer with a workaround.
 

1. Create your text frame, add text etc.
2. Set it to the jusification you require (mine was centred both vertically and horizontally).
3. Group that layer using CTRL+G / CMD + G and then add a stroke on the parent group layer.
4. Select your nested text frame and go to the constraints panel and set those so the two resize arrows in the middle square are showing but the arrows around the outer edges aren't.
5. You should be able to resize the outer parent box and the text frame will expand with it. However, it fails with regards to adding text - the text frame won't resize automatically when you add more text, but you can always pull the parent box open more.
    

Hope that helps.

[Dazzler]

With regards my above solution, it also makes sense to not convert a text frame in the first place, but to use a rectangle object and paste that inside the group also constrained in the same way. That way you can colour at will and apply features such as rounded corners (using the corner tool), and these will also resize in a nice way with the outer parent rather than being stretched etc. It also allows you to choose the amount of margin you want inside the outer frame by simply resizing the text frame to suit, then when you resize the outer group the text frame will maintain that gap.
In this way you are sort of constructing little text 'widgets' that can be duplicated and resized to suit - great for speech bubbles for example.

[MEB]

Hi f0ff886f,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Affinity Designer is a bit more limited regarding text frames than Publisher. For Designer, create a rectangle and a text frame and group them: use the rectangle to set the background colour and stroke, and the text frame to enter the text/control text alignment. When you need to resize the text boxe and background simultaneously, select the group layer (with the Move Tool) and drag the regular bounding box handles (not the detached handle on the lower right corner) as you would do for any other shape.