Adding and formatting text

Here we show you how to:

Finally, we also give you a taste of two power tools for working with text at the board.

Add text

ActivInspire has several useful tools for adding text, either at the board, or at your computer.

You can also copy and paste, or drag and drop, text from existing documents, for example from a Word file, into your flipchart.

 

Text Tool

The Text Tool in the Main Toolbox is a quick way to add text from your computer:

  1. Click on the Text icon. The Format Toolbar opens and the cursor changes to a little bar with some letters. The Format Toolbar is aligned either at the top or bottom of the ActivInspire window, depending on your preferences at startup. You can use it to format your text. We show you how in the next section.

  1. Move the cursor to where you want to create text and click. A text box with two handles opens. These allow you to freely move or extend   the text box.

  2. At your computer keyboard, type in the text. The text appears in the text box in the default font, colour and size.
    We show you how to change these in Format text.

To correct a mistake:

  1. With the Text Tool selected, position the cursor where you want to begin in the text and click.

  1. Keep the mouse button pressed and drag the cursor over the letters you want to change.

  2. When they are highlighted, begin typing to replace the selected text, or press the Backspace key to delete it.

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Format text

The Format Toolbar opens when you select the Text Tool. It contains standard tools for text formatting and the On-Screen Keyboard icon. Use the Format Toolbar to change text properties and alignment. For example, to change the colour, size, font, text box outline and fill characteristics of the selected text.

The picture below shows the Format Toolbar for ActivInspire Studio.

In ActivInspire Primary, the layout and look of the Format Toolbar is slightly different, but the tools are the same.

The picture below shows the Format Toolbar for ActivInspire Primary. The table names the numbered components for both Format Toolbars.

Typeface and size of the selected text

Type style (bold, italic, underline, superscript, subscript)

Text colour (defaults to black) and also the text background colour (defaults to transparent)

Alignment, line spacing and bullets

Utilities:

  • On-screen Keyboard

  • Select all

  • Symbols

 

Change all the text in a text box

  1. With the Text Tool selected and a text box open, click in the text box.

  2. In the Format Toolbar, click on Select All

  1. To finish editing, click on another tool.

Change part of the text

  1. With the Text Tool selected and a text box open, click in the text box.

  2. Keep the mouse button pressed and drag the cursor over the words you want to change. When they are highlighted, click on the appropriate buttons or drop-down menus.

  3. To finish editing, click on another tool.

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Spellcheck

You can quickly check and correct the spelling in all or part of your flipchart, with Spellcheck  

Spellcheck is in:

Spellcheck flipchart

To check the entire flipchart:

  1. From Tools > More Tools, select Spellcheck Flipchart. Checking starts on the first page of the flipchart, and continues to the last page, unless you interrupt the process. ActivInspire displays the page that is currently being checked.

  1. You can accept or reject spelling suggestions, apply them to the current, or to all instances of the word, or select text in the Dialog Box and type in your own changes.

  2. Make choices until the confirmation Dialog Box indicates that spell checking is complete, or click on Done to stop spell checking.

Spellcheck Text

To check a Text object:

  1. Click in the text box.

  2. From the Object Edit Menu, select Spellcheck Text, then proceed as described in 'Spellcheck flipchart'.

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Power tools

ActivInspire also offers two power tools for working with text.

Use this tool...

To...

On-Screen Keyboard

Add text at the board, when you don't want to use the Pen. You simply tap on the letters and symbols on the On-Screen Keyboard to form words and sentences.

For details, see Using the On-Screen Keyboard.

Handwriting Recognition

Write on the board and let ActivInspire turn your writing into typed text.

For details, see Using Handwriting Recognition.

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