Rich text

Rich text is a text block for longer writing with mixed formatting: headings, lists, links, tables, images, and code. For a short label, a plain Text shape is quicker.

• Formatting: each paragraph, word, or letter can have its own style, set from the Actions panel while you edit.
• Box: the text sits in a box with its own fill and stroke, and wraps to the box's width. Text longer than the box scrolls inside it.

Creating a rich text block

Both ways leave the block in editing mode, with the selection tool active again when you finish.

Creating a block at the default size

A block placed with one click, at the standard size.

• Operation:
  1. Pick Rich text block in the Tools panel.
  2. Click where the block should go.
  3. Type the text, then click on empty board to finish.
• Result: a block of the default size, in editing mode.
• Tip: an empty block stays on the board, so delete it if you do not need it.

Creating a block at a custom size

A block sized by hand from the start.

• Operation:
  1. Pick Rich text block in the Tools panel.
  2. Drag to draw the box the block will occupy.
  3. Type the text, then click on empty board to finish.
• Result: a block of the size you dragged, in editing mode. Text that does not fit scrolls inside the box.
• Tip: the size can be changed later with the handles. See Sizing.

Editing

Changes the text and its formatting with the commands in the Actions panel.

• Operation:
  1. Start editing. How depends on whether the block is already selected:
     • If the block is selected, click it again, or click Enter edit mode in the Actions panel.
     • If the block is not selected, double-click it.
  2. Type and format. The Actions panel shows formatting commands while you edit.
  3. Click on empty board to finish.
• Result: the Actions panel shows the commands for where you are: the current line, the selected text, or the table the caret is in.

Pasting keeps what the source had: formatted text from a web page keeps its headings, lists, and links, Markdown is converted, and an image on the clipboard is placed in the text.

While you type, some characters turn into typographic symbols: ... into …, -> and <- into → and ←, (c) into ©, 1/2 into ½, ^2 into ², 2*3 into 2×3, != into ≠, and straight quotes into curly quotes.

Line commands

With the caret on a line and nothing selected, in panel order:

Block style

Alignment

Code blocks

Lists

Indentation

Inserting a table

Importing an image

Selected text commands

With some text selected, in panel order:

Deleting text and clearing styles

Text formatting

Superscript and subscript

Links

Table commands

With the caret inside a table and nothing selected, in panel order:

Table deletion and headers

Columns

Rows

Splitting a cell

Selected cells

Evaluating math expressions

While editing, type an expression, then = and a space, to write its result after it: 12*3 = 36. Expressions are not solved inside a code block. See Math expressions for how the expression is found and what you can write.

Writing formulas

Rich text shows LaTeX formulas as typeset math, on the board and in the Player. Formulas only display; to calculate a result, use math expressions.

• Inline formula: write the LaTeX between double dollar signs inside a line, such as $$\pi r^2$$.
• Formula on its own line: a paragraph that holds only the formula between triple dollar signs, such as $$$\int_0^1 x^2\,dx$$$, shows centered.
• Editing a formula: while the caret is on its line, the formula shows its LaTeX so you can change it. Move to another line to see the result.

For what you can write, see the list of supported LaTeX functions on the KaTeX website.

Sizing

The handles around a selected block resize the box, never the text.

• Any handle changes the width and height of the box.
  • The text reflows to the new width.
  • The box keeps its size as you type. Text that doesn't fit scrolls inside it.
  • The text keeps its size. It is set in Content styles.
• A double-click on the bottom handle sets the box's height to fit its text. The width stays the same and the text no longer scrolls.
  • Very long text stops at 4000 units tall and still scrolls.

Scrolling inside the box

• Text that does not fit stays inside the box.
  • While editing, scroll with the wheel or the trackpad to reach it.
  • The block keeps that scroll position, so it shows on the board the part you scrolled to.
  • Outside edit mode, the wheel moves the board, not the text.

Attributes

A selected rich text block shows these sections of the Attributes panel.

Selection info

The attributes that affect the shape as a whole.

• X: the horizontal position of the shape's pivot. Inside a frame, it's measured from the frame.
• Y: the vertical position of the pivot, also measured from the frame inside one. Which way it grows depends on the Y axis direction in the UI settings.
• W: the width of the shape.
• H: the height of the shape.
• Rotation: the angle around the pivot.
• Opacity: the transparency of the whole shape, stroke and fill included.
• Corners radius: rounds the corners of the shape.
• Info: opens a block with figures about the text.
  • Total characters: how many characters the text has, spaces included.
  • Word count: how many words it has.
  • Read time: an estimate of how long it takes to read, at the text read speed of the board.
  • Max line length (approx chars): roughly how many characters fit on one line at the current width.

Stroke

The stroke of the box around the text.

• Stroke style: the kind of line. The style decides which of the controls below appear.
  • No stroke: no line at all. Arrows don't offer it.
  • Solid stroke: a continuous line.
  • Dashed stroke: a line made of dashes.
• Stroke color: the color of the line.
• Stroke opacity: the transparency of the line alone.
• Stroke width: the thickness of the line.
• Stroke gap: the space between dashes.
• Stroke dash length: the length of each dash.

Fill

The fill of the box behind the text.

• Fill style: the kind of fill. The style decides which of the controls below appear.
  • No fill: the inside stays empty.
  • Solid fill: one flat color.

Fill color

• Fill color: the color of the fill.

Fill opacity

• Fill opacity: the transparency of the fill alone.

Content styles

The styles of the whole block, or of the selected text while editing.

With no selection, the section sets the styles of the whole block:

• Content opacity: the transparency of all the text.
• Regular Text, a group with the settings of body text:
  • Font style: the family of typefaces.
  • Font family: the typeface.
  • Font variant: the weight or slant.
  • Line height: the space between lines.
  • Font color: the color of body text.
  • Font size: the size of body text.
  • Heading 1 color: the color of level 1 headings.
  • Heading 1 font size scale: their size relative to body text.
  • Heading 2 color: the color of level 2 headings.
  • Heading 2 font size scale: their size relative to body text.
  • Heading 3 color: the color of level 3 headings.
  • Heading 3 font size scale: their size relative to body text.
  • Highlight color: the background color of highlighted text.
• Code Text, a group with the settings of code blocks:
  • Font style: the family of typefaces.
  • Font family: the typeface.
  • Font variant: the weight or slant.
  • Line height: the space between lines.
  • Font size: the size of code text.
  • Code block background color: the background behind code blocks.
  • Block language: the language of the code block the cursor is in. Shown while the cursor is in one.

With text selected in the editor, the section is called Selection styles and changes only that text:

• Text color: the color of the selected text.
• Highlight color: the background color behind the selected text. Shown when that text is highlighted.
• Font style: the font style of the selected text.

Filter

A chain of SVG filter primitives applied to how the shape is drawn. See Filters.

Mask

A rich text block can be masked. To use text as a mask, use a Text shape. See Masks.

Actions

Besides the actions every shape has, covered in What every shape shares, a rich text block offers this in the Actions panel.

To turn the words into paths or freehand shapes, copy them into a Text shape and convert that.

Convert to Image

Replaces the block with an image that looks the same but draws faster, to keep a board with many shapes light. The block can no longer be edited.

• Operation: click Convert to Image. If the block has a Text Animation, a dialog warns that it will be lost, and you confirm with Convert.
• Result: an SVG image in place of the block that looks the same, box and formatting included, and stays sharp at any zoom. The text can no longer be edited. Move, rotate, scale, resize, and fade animations move to the image, and the text animation is removed.
• Tip: use it to lock a finished block.

Player interaction

Links in the text open in a new tab when clicked, on the board and in the Player. On the board, a click on a link of an unselected block opens the link without selecting the block.

Animating rich text

Text Animation reveals the text as if typed.