Flash CS3 Documentation

Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash > Working with Text and Strings > Using fonts

Using fonts

Fonts are sets of characters with a similar font face, style, and size. No matter what you create using Flash, you will probably use text with at least one or two fonts in your Flash applications. If you build animations, and you are not sure if your end users will have a specific font installed on their systems, you need to understand the basics about embedding fonts.

The following sections show you how to embed characters, entire fonts, shared fonts, and other techniques for working with fonts in Flash.

For more information on fonts, see the following sections:

• Embedding characters
• Embedding fonts
• Creating custom character sets
• Using TextField methods with embedded fonts
• About sharing fonts

The following example shows you how to add and remove embedded characters and character sets in a Flash document.

To add and remove embedded characters and character sets:

1. Create a new Flash document and save it as embedding.fla.
2. Create a dynamic text field on the Stage by using the Text tool.
3. Click Embed to launch the Character Embedding dialog box.
4. Select a specific character set to embed by clicking it with your mouse pointer.

   To select multiple character sets, you can use the Shift or Control key while selecting items with your mouse pointer. To select a block of character sets, select a character set with your mouse pointer, press and hold Shift, and click a new character set. Using Shift selects every character set between the two selected character sets. To select multiple non-sequential character sets, press and hold the Control key while you select character sets. You can also quickly select multiple character sets by selecting a character set with your mouse, and with the mouse button still held down, drag your mouse over multiple character sets.

5. To remove a specific character set that you added earlier, press and hold the Control key and deselect the character set by clicking it with your mouse pointer.
6. To remove every selected character set and any specified characters in the Include these characters text input field, click Don't Embed.

   Don't Embed clears any previously specified individual characters or character sets.

   CAUTION

   Clicking Don't Embed in the Character Embedding dialog box removes any specified embedded characters and character sets that were previously chosen without asking you to confirm.

Flash CS3