It’s easy to convert selected text to outlines in QuarkXPress. Depending on your version of QuarkXPress, choose either:
Item> Convert Text to Box
Item> Text to Box
Style> Text to Box
A copy of the text, as Merged picture boxes, will appear just below the original text.
This lets you fill all of them with one picture — the entire string of text will act as a mask for the one picture.
If you want to put a different picture in each letter, separate them by choosing Item> Split> Outside Paths or Item> Split> All Paths. Splitting “outside paths” will maintain the counters (holes) in the letters, to see through them to whatever is behind. Splitting “all paths” will un-merge the holes from their surrounding letters, causing them to be shapes on top of the letters.
You can apply a slight drop shadow and frame to the shapes to add interest.
Tip #2: If you hold down the Option/Alt key when you choose Item> Text to Box, the text will be replaced by picture boxes that are automatically anchored in the flow of text. In QuarkXPress 9, this is easier — it’s an option in the submenu attached to the Item> Convert Text to Box menu item.
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26. June 2008 at 9:23 am
Good news! While previous versions of QuarkXPress were limited to converting a line of text at a time, QuarkXPress 8 will let you convert any amount of text to outlines, all at once. Even entire linked chains of text boxes.
AND, the outlines will retain the appearance of the original text — color, transparency, drop shadow, etc.
10. August 2011 at 9:15 am
Brilliant. I always say that if you find someone who knows all about Quark – they’re lying!
9. September 2011 at 8:30 am
and how exactly do you do this? my quark 8 doesn’t have a “text to box” option!
9. September 2011 at 10:51 am
Hey bas: good catch! In later versions of QuarkXPress, you’ll find “Convert Text to Boxes” under the Item menu. Sorry for not including that clarification!
9. September 2011 at 11:17 am
Story Update: I’ve changed the text in the story to accommodate both Old and Current versions of QuarkXPress. Thanks again for pointing this out, bas!
2. May 2012 at 11:37 am
This is one of those features that doesn’t get enough attention. Sometimes you don’t want to import an image of text, you just want text you can treat like a box. Thanks!
7. June 2012 at 11:13 am
My conversion to outline of the letters works as you described….but the plaid photos I put behind the text shows through between the letters as well as through the letters…any suggestions?
7. June 2012 at 11:15 am
Forgot to mention that my Quark version is 9.2.1
7. June 2012 at 11:44 am
Wellfleet: the text has become picture boxes. You’ll want to copy or cut your picture (using the Content tool) and then paste it into the group of picture boxes that was formerly your text.
In other words, treat this new thing (your text that is now boxes) as one big picture box.
Does that help?
(Also: you won’t want to “ungroup” your group of picture boxes unless you want to paste a picture into each letter individually. By having them grouped, they behave as one big picture box.)
24. June 2012 at 10:14 am
Ok, how do you UNDO this if you now need to make a change in the text? Help!
24. June 2012 at 6:21 pm
Lee: see the first paragraph: “A copy of the text, as Merged picture boxes, will appear just below the original text.” So… you should have a copy of the text, as text, ready for editing. However, the picture boxes you created from the text will remain the same shape as they are now. (If you change the text, you’ll need to re-do all the steps.)
11. July 2012 at 10:59 am
Hi Jay,
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. There is no copy of the text just below original text. I am sure I am doing something really stupid, just don’t know what.
11. July 2012 at 11:34 am
Lee: I just tried it in QXP 9, and it worked as described — except Quark renamed the menu item to “Convert Text to Boxes” and there are wonderful options for it in a sub-menu: Anchored, Unanchored, and Convert Entire Box.
I’ll update the tip to include this information.
Which version of QuarkXPress are you using?
26. July 2012 at 3:27 pm
I have a very old version of QXP 4.0. I accidently hit “text to box” and now I can’t seem to get rid of it. How do I delete it and start over typing text in the box?
27. July 2012 at 5:51 pm
Cathy: when you convert “text to box”, it converts the outlines of the letters into picture boxes. You’ll want to delete those picture boxes. Then you can either go back into your text box and edit the text, or create a new text box. I hope this helps!
1. March 2013 at 8:00 am
I am on QXP 9 and when I convert text to boxes it converts all the text, as one box. How do I get anchor points around each of the letters??? thanks!
5. March 2013 at 10:13 am
Kerry: to get the individual anchor points, just “ungroup” the converted text box. When Quark first converts the text, it assumes you may want to import a picture into it — so, it keeps the text grouped so that the letters remain linked as a word and “holes” in the letters remain see-thru. When you ungroup the boxes, the letters become separate items that can hold separate pictures. When you ungroup a letter, the hole becomes a separate shape (and not a hole).