Adding Padding to Text Boxes

You can add padding (i.e., extra space) between a text box's border and the text within it. This can be done through styles or by using local formatting. Using styles is usually recommended because the setting is automatically applied to any content using that style throughout the project, whereas local formatting affects only the particular content that you are working on.

How to Use a Style to Add Padding to a Text Box

1. From the Content Explorer, open the stylesheet that you want to modify.

Complete one of the following sets of steps, depending on whether you want to use the Simplified view or Advanced view in the Stylesheet Editor.

• Simplified The Simplified view displays styles in a grid view and is often best for brand new users.

  This view provides an easy way to apply properties to styles, with format options available from a toolbar and dialogs (similar to the way one would use an interface such as Microsoft Word). In some cases, only the most common property options are available in the Simplified view (e.g., font, letter/word spacing, paragraph alignment/indentation, autonumbering format, borders, background). One advantage of the Simplified view is that you can apply a property to multiple styles at the same time. You can also click a check box to hide the properties in the editor, allowing you to see only the styles.

• Advanced The Advanced view displays styles in a tree structure, and despite the name, is user friendly for authors of all levels.

  For the properties, you can toggle between a grouped display and an alphabetical display. The Advanced view of the Stylesheet Editor lets you edit more settings than are available in the Simplified view. In addition, the Advanced view lets you see and apply settings to multiple mediums and media queries at the same time.

Warning Mediums can be used if you want to use one group of settings for online output types and another group of settings for print-based output types. For example, you might use the default medium for your online outputs and the print medium for your print outputs.  From the Medium drop-down in the Stylesheet Editor, make sure the proper medium is selected before you begin. In the Advanced view, you can open multiple mediums at once; you just need to look at the title at the top of the medium pane and make sure you are working in the correct one. If you are not using stylesheet mediums for your different outputs or if you want all mediums to have the same settings, just leave the medium set to default and continue. Please note that Flare remembers the last medium that you used when working in the stylesheet, so it may or may not be the one that you want to use the next time around. See Mediums and Media Queries.

If Using Simplified View

1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays (which means that the Simplified view is currently shown in the editor). If the button displays instead, then click it.
2. In the upper-left corner of the Stylesheet Editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
3. Select the appropriate div style. If you use the default style when inserting the text boxes, then select div. Otherwise, if you have used a class of that style that you created previously, then select it instead.
4. In the local toolbar of the editor, click . The Properties dialog opens.
5. Select the Borders tab.

6. Set the options in the Padding section. Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the padding. This adds extra space between a text box's border and the text within it. In the left side of the field, enter a number for the amount of padding. In the right side of the field, select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter) for the number you entered. See Units of Measurement.

   If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the padding fields. When you click that down arrow, a small popup displays.

7. In the Properties dialog, click OK.

If Using Advanced View

1. In the local toolbar, make sure the first button displays . If the button displays instead, then click it.
2. In the upper-left corner of the Stylesheet Editor, click in the drop-down field and select .
3. Select the appropriate div style. If you use the default style when inserting the text boxes, then select div. Otherwise, if you have used a class of that style that you created previously, then select it instead.
4. From the Show drop-down list on the upper-right side of the editor, select .
5. (Optional) You can use the toggle button in the local toolbar to show properties below in a group view or an alphabetical view .
6. If you are using the group view, expand the Box group.
7. Locate and select the padding property that you want to change. Each side (bottom, left, right, top) has separate properties that you can set (e.g., padding-top). If you plan to have the same settings for all four sides, you can simply use the padding property.
8. The area to the right of the property is used for selecting and entering values. If you know how to enter the information correctly, you can click in the value field and type it directly. Otherwise, click the ellipsis button to the right of the property. Depending on the type of property, the appropriate controls and options display, allowing you to choose or enter values (e.g., select from a drop-down list, click a button, complete fields in a dialog or popup). If you completed values in a popup, click OK at the bottom of the box.
3. Click to save your work.

How to Use Local Formatting to Add Padding to a Text Box

1. Open the content file.
2. Right-click inside the text box and from the menu, select Text Box. The Text Box Properties dialog opens.

3. Select the Borders & Margins tab.

4. Set the options in the Padding section. Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the padding. This adds extra space between a text box's border and the text within it. In the left side of the field, enter a number for the amount of padding. In the right side of the field, select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter) for the number you entered. See Units of Measurement.

   If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the padding fields. When you click that down arrow, a small popup displays.

5. Click OK.
6. Click to save your work.

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