Text frames contain any text you add to a publication. You can create a new text frame in many different ways. In Adobe InDesign CS6, you can add text to creative shapes you draw, thereby changing them into text frames. Creating and using text frames in a publication is important because you typically use a lot of text.
Text frames are sometimes automatically created when you import text into a publication.
Select the Type tool in the Tools panel and place the tool over the page.
The Type tool cursor is an I-bar. Move the cursor to the spot where you want to place the upper-left corner of the text frame.
Drag diagonally to create a text frame.
When you click, the mouse has a cross-like appearance. When you drag, an outline of the text frame appears, giving you a reference to its dimensions.
Release the mouse button when the frame is the correct size.
The text frame is created and an insertion point is placed in the upper left corner of the frame. You can start typing on the keyboard to enter text or import text from another source.
Choose the Frame tool from the Tools panel and drag diagonally to create a new frame.
A new frame is created on the page.
Select the Type tool and click inside the frame.
The X across the frame disappears, and the frame is now a text frame instead of a graphic frame.
Choose the Selection tool and use it to move the text frame.
You can move the text frame if you click within the frame using the Selection tool and drag it to a new location.
Use the Pen tool, Pencil tool, or a Shape tool to create a shape with a stroke color and no fill. Or, copy and paste artwork from Illustrator.
A shape is created on the page that doesn’t have a solid color for the fill.
The Type tool becomes active.
Click inside the shape you created in Step 1 and enter some text or import text.
This step changes the shape into a text frame. Notice how the text is confined within the shape as you type.