Rich Text Editor and Font Style issues

[EricC]

I created a business card template and published it on my printOne site.

 

The business card has the following features:

- A Multi-Line text box with Rich Text Editor enabled

- A drop-down which allows the user to change the Font

 

Here's what happens:

- User enters text into the Rich Text Editor.

- While still inside the Rich Text Editor, the user highlights some text and makes it Bold

- The user might also highlight some other text and make it Italics

- User click OK to exit the Rich Text Editor

- Now, back on the Business Card form, the user changes the font from 'Helvetica' to 'Trajan' (for example)

 

Well, since there is no 'Italics' version of Trajan, the text renders all screwy.

 

Someone familiar with Page Layout could probably figure out that the Italic version of Trajan is not available, and go back and change it.

 

But I know my users won't know this.

Plus it's a pain to go back and forth.

I've even noticed that sometimes, if you go BACK into the RTE, the text either 'magically' changes justification, or extra hard returns appear (especially after the last paragraph)

 

So all in all I'm not a fan of the RTE.

 

A few questions:

 

1. I know the alternative to using RTE but still allowing the user to make text appear in Bold or Italics is to manually create Styles in the Printable Manager Template Editor, but that is very tedious.

 

2. Has anyone come up with a 'basic' list of fonts for which there is a Normal, Bold, Italic and Bold Italic version of each?

 

3. Any plans for printable to embed the RTE into the form, so the user does not have to click the 'Add Text' button to use the Editor? ... OR ... why can't the user select/change Font, Font Size and Font Color WHILE STILL INSIDE of the RTE???

 

4. If I opt not to use the RTE but instead just display a simple multi-line text box, is there any way to control the size (width AND height) of the text box?

 

Thank you!