Filling text with images or shape the text

Question

Level 1

13 points

Filling text with images or shape the text

Does anyone know how to fill text with images or backgrounds? Also, how to shape the text into different patterns like wave, or half circle or a circle etc. We can format text so easy in Word Mac 2011. All of these options, for the most part carry over to Excel/Powerpoint. We can fill the text with images or backgrounds and in Word Art - can alter the shape of the text in about 15 or more different ways and a million more when you stretch or rotate the text. We can also do all sorts of patterned text and change the colors for the foreground and background along with shadows, reflections, glow, rotations, etc. I like being able in Word to reformat pictures, eliminate backgrounds, crop, change color, etc. The things you need when do flyers, brochures, etc. along with borders and frames. I can do these in Word - but ever since Word started charging monthly to use their software - I've been trying to use Apple more but the choices of what you can do are very dumbed down or I am - one of the other. I don't want my work to look like everybody else's documents and I don't want to have to buy other software to do such simple functions.

I'm hoping the experts out there know the secret of how to do these functions within Apple's Pages, Keynote, Numbers - it would be a big help. Maybe there is a book for expert graphic secrets like this somewhere. Please help.

If we can't do it - Apple - please add the above items and other graphic design stuff that we shouldn't have to learn to use Adobe CC to do these kinds of things. One of the staff told me iMovie was somewhat easier to use for adding in text to slideshows but I gave up completely because it wasn't able to do what I wanted.

iMac, macOS Sierra (10.12.3)

Posted on Mar 20, 2017 12:21 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 20, 2017 12:28 AM in response to Pjipad

Use Art Text.

Pages does a lot of things other software does not, but this is not one of them. In the case of Pages 5 and 6 120+ less things than Pages '09 does.

Peter

PS When you ask a question, state what versions of the Software and OSX you are using to get specific answers.

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Answer 2

Pjipad Author

Level 1

13 points

Mar 21, 2017 10:25 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter, thanks. I thought I did indicate iMac, Sierra latest update, Pages. What else would you need. Thiugh I have used Apple products since early 80s, along with Microsoft products (on PC and now on iMac), I'm new to communities.

Thanks for the recommendation of Art Text; I would say 90% of it's features I can do in Word (Mac or Windows). However, that was the point (if these functions aren't in Pages, Keynote, etc) - I didn't want to have to buy more software. If Microsoft Office 2011 Word can do this now, why can't Apple add this in to their software. In today's world, where companies are starting to charge monthly to use their software like Adobe, now Microsoft, and many small companies - it is important that Apple have as full featured software as possible especially since Apple is a high end price point. If we have to buy add ons instead to do these basic features plus a number of others - what's the point of buying Apple. The difference between them just isn't that big anymore and in some cases it has gone the other way. Currently, there are hundreds of things I can accomplish with Word, I can't do with Pages (or Keynote or Numbers). Many of the features Apple comes out with - I have to wonder what were they thinking. I just want to be a loyal customer without feeling the need to keep going back to Word etc. and being frustrated at every upgrade for desktop or mobile.

ALso, when we use these communities, are the replies from Apple staff or other Apple users or a combination? In the past, I didn't feel a need to use these but more and more Apple is less and less intuitive. The Apple staff is great but I find they aren't the real experts as I have had times that even I knew things they didn't but that was only because I used that function and the particular individual didn't or they are senior staff but are having same issue customers do trying to unearth changes.

SO, if you aren't with Apple and can't pass this on, how do we get suggestions for features to them? Thank you.

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Answer 3

Mar 21, 2017 10:53 AM in response to Pjipad

Sorry I missed your tags. Mostly because I rarely believe what they say. 🙂

Menu > Pages > Provide Pages Feedback

...and don't hold your breath.

Pages 6.05 is a severely cut back shadow of Pages '09 and whilst you obviously want Art Text, there is still a solution available and my priorities would be for more core and essential features. Apple stripped out over a 100 of those and I'd like to see them back.

Unfortunately Apple has decided to make many of their Apps cut down freeware and set the bar as low as their iOS hardware can manage.

We all wonder what Apple is thinking, or if indeed they are at all or just making work for themselves and all their users to satisfy some internal whim. That is a never ending problem now. I do UI design and all the time I just keep smacking my forehead at yet another random or dumb thing that Apple has done again. I so remember back in the old Mac Classic OS I used to do that at sheer amazement at how far sighted the apple of those days was in their engineering and design.

But those days are long gone, now Apple and Microsoft duke it out to see who can screw up UI more. Oddly as Apple gets worse, Microsoft has actually dramatically improved. Windows 10 is a huge leap forward and addresses a new way of working far better than anything Apple has done in over a decade. Apple's response is to twist itself into knots NOT doing the obvious, e.g. a Touchscreen Mac. The Touchbar is the most useless non-solution to a non- problem ever. Make iOS and OSX both work on desktops! bleedin' obvious!

And fix this rotten "Spellchucker" that I am constantly fighting with here.

Back on subject, all more pressing than Art Text which is mostly (not always) a pointless spice chucked onto badly cooked dishes to "improve" it.

Peter

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Answer 4

Mar 21, 2017 10:55 AM in response to Pjipad

Pjipad wrote:

ALso, when we use these communities, are the replies from Apple staff or other Apple users or a combination? In the past, I didn't feel a need to use these but more and more Apple is less and less intuitive. The Apple staff is great but I find they aren't the real experts as I have had times that even I knew things they didn't but that was only because I used that function and the particular individual didn't or they are senior staff but are having same issue customers do trying to unearth changes.

These are user-to-user forums. There are some Apple employees, called Community Specialists who are identified by a black apple avatar. They answer questions that have gone unanswered for a period of time but only in certain forums (mostly places like the iPhone forums) and questions that can be answered with a reference to a support article.

The folks here know A LOT. I agree with you that the Apple folks are great but there are people here who are experts in things like Pages in ways that Apple folks don't really have a chance to become.

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,532 points

Mar 21, 2017 1:55 PM in response to Pjipad

Apple purposely designed Pages, Numbers, and Keynote as consumer, not business grade applications. They were never intended to be Microsoft or Adobe clones.

In my opinion, Apple would have to rewrite these applications from scratch (again) to make them compete with existing professional grade business applications from Microsoft or Adobe. It would cost a fortune, divert valuable engineering resources, and take years to achieve. That is not going to happen.

Just use Word, and avoid the anxiety of all the Word features that you will continue to find missing in Pages.

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Answer 6

Pjipad Author

Level 1

13 points

Mar 23, 2017 3:31 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter, thanks. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this way. I so agree on the speller checker - I thought it was me and my past 100 words/minute speed with near perfect spelling was a thing of the past. Apple just seems to spend way to much time going in circles and figuring out ways to tell us they have latest great thing out there but yet they can't do the things they did for years. The newbies just don't seem to care because all they want is games and the phone. I wish Apple could get back to the company they were. When I first started with them, if you were any kinda of graphic arts person - you had an Apple. Not so much anymore. I have bragged and pushed Apple for so long and in the past 3-5 years I'm wondering more and more - so what is so great about them. I'm not ready to give up yet.

I just bought a new iPad pro because my third generation was on it's last legs and it was only 16G. But I decided to get the pencil - I'm ready to send it back. I'm not sure I understand the point of it when it really only works with third party software like Procrete, etc. And it doesn't do anything any different than my $7.99 stylus did - you still have to choose which brush (size, color, etc.) that you want to use so I'm wondering why did I spend $99 for this thing. As a very basic drawing tool it only works in Notes and I can press as hard as I want and there is no change - same everywhere else. I can amuse myself coloring pictures with it but I could already to do that. I have to say it does have a couple of functions like staying in the lines automatically but that's about it. I bought the hype and Apple is richer for it. There is a huge population out there with no loyalty to Apple, when they lose us old timers - who will they have?

But here again is where Apple fails - they make changes to software and relocate/delete/add functions but we have to play a game to figure out where the function is located - the old "pea under the shell" game. Then they create products with no real accessories. I got the 9.7" version - they didn't make a light case (covers the back and front) as they had for previous versions. So I have this wonderfully light device but every case I've tries weights 10-14 ozs and I'm lugging a 2 lb item around. I didn't want the keyboard - I have my iMac if I want to type. However, even their keyboard case (have no idea what it weighs) - they didn't make anywhere to put the pencil. None of their products seem to have a pencil solution and there aren't many 3rd party solutions either. I ended up keeping the STM Dux case which at least had an "inside the case" solution for the pencil even if very heavy. Many cases just have a loop or an outside velcro pocket but I don't want it out where someone can just walk off with it or be exposed to weather. So, I have a case but then next problem comes when charging - what do you do with the tiny little cap? Then when you aren't using the adapter - what do you do with that little piece? I thought I had it solved by purchasing the Apple Pencil Cozy - works great EXCEPT the cap portion when on the pencil now won't allow the case to close!!!!!!!! Apple's ears should have been burning. Didn't they realize these issues were going to come up and isn't there enough smarts there to come up with a solution before releasing the whole setup. How much time would it have taken to make a very lightweight case (since they had been doing them in the past) with an insert for the pencil and somewhere to keep the cap/adapter? Doesn't seem like rocket science but is apparently to Apple.

Thanks for letting me vent. I don't feel so alone. I really think people should start writing to the Board of Directors - maybe if they get enough letters, they will finally wake up and see the issue. Or buy one share of stock and go to the meetings. It was too great a company to let it die the way it is going.

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