Comments on: The Art of Type: Fractional Improvements http://layersmagazine.com/the-art-of-type-fractional-improvements.html The How-to Magazine for Everything Adobe Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:03:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tonea Morrow http://layersmagazine.com/the-art-of-type-fractional-improvements.html/comment-page-1#comment-3353 Tonea Morrow Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:18:28 +0000 http://www.layersmagazine.com/the-art-of-type-fractional-improvements.html#comment-3353 Your instructions are for built-up fractions. Case fractions use a horizontal fraction bar. These can also be typeset in InDesign or any program that supports paragraph styles and nested text boxes. The case fractions are best when variables or operators will appear within the numerator or denominator. In InDesign, create a text box style called fractions. (This will make your fractions findable from the Find command's Object tab.) In the first line of the "Fractions" box, type in zero and highlight it. Create the paragraph style "numerator". InDesign uses paragraph rules to apply a line below the numerator paragraph style. Turn this on. The weight should be the same thickness as either the hyphen or the em-dash, depending on your preference. Choose a weight. The zero is highlighted, so where the rule appears it is reversed to be white. With preview mode on, offset the rule until only the top half of it is within the highlighted area. You can modify this later, if needed, but this is a good start. The line should be the width of the column. The paragraph alignment should be set to center. Space Before and after are zero. The next line in the "fractions" box is the denominator. Type a zero and highlight it. You'll see the division bar crosses the zero. Create a "denominator" paragraph style. No paragraph rules for this style. Alignment is center. Space before the paragraph is added until the top of the zero just touches the bar. Look at the amount of space added and double it. This will cause the numerator and denominator to appear to be the same distance from the division bar. Go back to the numerator style and specify that the denominator style follows the numerator style. This allows you to type a numerator, press return, then type the denominator without having to select the denominator style. The numerator and denominated can have equations, variables, roots, or anything that will fit on one line. Character styles can be applied to variables, such as italicizing them. Select the box holding the fraction. Use the "Fit Frame to Content" command. That will suck up the bottom of the box. Use the width control to narrow the box until the fraction text is snug without disappearing. This box can be placed in a line of text and lowered the same any character is lowered. However, it is often better to lower it using the anchored object options. Lower until the horizontal bar is aligned with a minus sign in the line of text. The minus sign can be deleted afterward. Your instructions are for built-up fractions. Case fractions use a horizontal fraction bar. These can also be typeset in InDesign or any program that supports paragraph styles and nested text boxes. The case fractions are best when variables or operators will appear within the numerator or denominator.

In InDesign, create a text box style called fractions. (This will make your fractions findable from the Find command’s Object tab.)

In the first line of the “Fractions” box, type in zero and highlight it. Create the paragraph style “numerator”. InDesign uses paragraph rules to apply a line below the numerator paragraph style. Turn this on. The weight should be the same thickness as either the hyphen or the em-dash, depending on your preference. Choose a weight. The zero is highlighted, so where the rule appears it is reversed to be white. With preview mode on, offset the rule until only the top half of it is within the highlighted area. You can modify this later, if needed, but this is a good start. The line should be the width of the column. The paragraph alignment should be set to center. Space Before and after are zero.

The next line in the “fractions” box is the denominator. Type a zero and highlight it. You’ll see the division bar crosses the zero. Create a “denominator” paragraph style. No paragraph rules for this style. Alignment is center. Space before the paragraph is added until the top of the zero just touches the bar. Look at the amount of space added and double it. This will cause the numerator and denominator to appear to be the same distance from the division bar.

Go back to the numerator style and specify that the denominator style follows the numerator style. This allows you to type a numerator, press return, then type the denominator without having to select the denominator style.

The numerator and denominated can have equations, variables, roots, or anything that will fit on one line. Character styles can be applied to variables, such as italicizing them.

Select the box holding the fraction. Use the “Fit Frame to Content” command. That will suck up the bottom of the box.

Use the width control to narrow the box until the fraction text is snug without disappearing.
This box can be placed in a line of text and lowered the same any character is lowered. However, it is often better to lower it using the anchored object options. Lower until the horizontal bar is aligned with a minus sign in the line of text. The minus sign can be deleted afterward.

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