To Break Apart or Not to Break Apart, That is the Question

Text in Flash can be quite robust as it is using the fonts installed on the producers system. Once the Flash file is published, the fonts are flattened into the file (much like a JPG) and are not needed on a users system to see the lovely fonts chosen by the producer of the Flash file. Flash is popular with designers and font lovers for this reason.

But, what to do about passing around the FLA?

The FLA (.fla), the Flash work file (not the published file that goes out to the public), is not flat. It is still editable. For this reason, one must have the same fonts used in the Flash file as the producer had on their computer to make changes.

So when passing the file on to another person or even to yourself at another computer station, you will need to take the fonts off that computer and bring them with you.

Some people cannot get to the Fonts on the computer they are using or do not know how to get them, so an option, not the best option, is to BREAK APART the fonts.

All grouped objects, Fonts, and Symbols can be broken apart which means that they become what's called "shapes". They have no bounding box (usually blue). They are filled up with little dots visible on screen in Flash when they are selected.

When you break apart a font it is no longer a font, it is a shape and needs no fonts included with the file in the system of any computer. But, you can no longer edit your text EVER. This is usually a terrible idea. Also, repeating characters will take up less file size as fonts, typically, then broken apart shapes. This is only if characters are reused.

Situations where you could break apart text:

Situation1: If only using text once in movie and will never need to edit the text and are not sure if other people working with the work file will have the font.

Situation2: To fill text with a gradient or bitmap

So, break apart if you will, but the best option is always to find, buy, archive, etc. the font and always keep it with the flash file as a backup in a resource area. Wait until that client/director/producer/friend calls and needs to make some text changes with that font and you have it saved with the final project (FLA) file, you will thank me.