Script for Adobe Illustrator

✦ Available exclusively on Patreon for Pro supporters.

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Description

Text Highlighter is an Adobe Illustrator script that automatically creates customizable highlight rectangles behind or in front of selected text frames. Perfect for eye-catching presentations, social media graphics, editorial layouts, and any project that calls for emphasis through colored text backgrounds.

The script offers four highlighting modes – by line, word, random words, or specific text – along with live preview, per-rectangle color randomization, and extensive controls for fine-tuning scale, offset, opacity, rounded corners, and placement.

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Features

• Four Highlight Modes — Lines, Words, Random (% of words), or Specific words/phrases
• Live Preview — See changes in real-time as you adjust settings
• Flexible Scaling — Adjust width and height independently (0–200%)
• Custom Colors — Choose any color via hex code or the color picker
• Opacity Control — Set transparency from 0–100%
• Offset Controls — Fine-tune horizontal and vertical positioning (±100pt)
• Rounded Corners — Add a corner radius for softer highlights (0–20pt)
• Height Reference — Choose between Cap Height or x-height as the sizing baseline
• Placement — Place highlights behind or in front of the text
• Randomize Color — Slightly vary the hue and lightness of each rectangle for an organic look
• Zoom to Fit — Instantly frame the selection in the Illustrator window
• Batch Processing — Apply highlights to multiple text frames at once
• Settings Memory — Last-used settings are saved and restored on next run

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Installation

1. Download the Text Highlighter.jsx script file.

2. Place the script in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts

3. Restart Adobe Illustrator if it's already running

4. Access the script via File > Scripts > Text Highlighter

5. Alternatively, run it directly via File > Scripts > Other Script... and browse to the file location

Tip: You can also drag and drop the .jsx file directly onto the Illustrator workspace to run the script instantly – no installation needed.

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Using the Script

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Basic Usage

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1. Open a Document:

• Launch Adobe Illustrator and open a document containing text
• If no document is open, the script will prompt you to open one

2. Select Text:

• Use the Selection Tool (V) to select one or more text frames
• You can select multiple text frames or groups containing text
• Empty text frames are skipped with an optional warning

3. Run the Script

• Go to File > Scripts > Text Highlighter
• Or drag and drop the .jsx file onto the Illustrator window
• The Text Highlighter dialog will open:

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➊ Highlight Mode

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Choose how the script targets text for highlighting. The mode panel appears at the top of the dialog with four radio buttons:

• Lines – One rectangle per line of text
• Words – One rectangle per individual word
• Random – A random percentage of words, chosen at run-time
• Specific Words – Only the exact words, characters, or phrases you specify

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Random mode reveals a Highlight % slider (1–100%) and a ✚ re-roll button that picks a new random set of words at the current percentage without changing the slider value.

Specific Words mode reveals a Find text field and a Search button. Type one or more comma-separated terms and press Search to update the preview. If nothing matches, an alert will inform you.

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➋ Scale Settings

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Width Scale (0–200%)

• Adjusts the horizontal size of the highlight rectangle relative to the text bounds
• 100% = exact text width; values above 100% extend beyond text edges

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Height Scale (0–200%)

• Adjusts the vertical size relative to the chosen height reference
• 100% = full reference height; values above 100% extend above and below the text

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Tip: Use arrow keys in any input field for precise adjustments:

• Up/Down arrows: ±1
• Shift + Up/Down: ±10
• Option/Alt + Up/Down: ±0.1

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➌ Offset Controls

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Horizontal Offset (−100pt to 100pt)

• Shifts the highlight left (negative) or right (positive)

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Vertical Offset (−100pt to 100pt)

• Shifts the highlight up (positive) or down (negative)

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➍ Highlight Color

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Color Swatch

• Click the colored swatch to open the color picker (Illustrator's native picker or a system fallback)

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Hex Input

• Type a hex code directly (e.g., #FFEB00) to set the color without opening the picker
• The swatch updates live as you type

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Randomize Checkbox

• When enabled, each highlight rectangle receives a slightly varied hue and lightness based on the chosen color
• Creates an organic, hand-marked appearance across multiple highlights
• Takes effect immediately in the live preview

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Opacity (0–100%)

• Controls the transparency of every highlight rectangle
• 100% = fully opaque; 0% = fully transparent

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Corners (0–20pt)

• Rounds the corners of the highlight rectangles
• 0pt = sharp corners; higher values = more pill-shaped

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➎ Height Reference

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Choose which character height is used as the sizing baseline:

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Cap Height (X)

• Matches the height of capital letters
• Best for all-caps text or mixed-case content

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x-height (x)

• Matches the height of lowercase letters (excluding ascenders and descenders)
• Best for body text or lowercase-dominant content

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➏ Placement

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Behind Text

• Places highlight rectangles behind the text layer
• Text remains fully visible and selectable

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In Front of Text

• Places highlight rectangles in front of the text
• Reduce opacity to keep text readable

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➐ Using the Preview

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1. Preview Checkbox

• Displays live highlight rectangles on the canvas as you change settings
• Uncheck to hide the preview and improve performance on large documents

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2. Hide Edges

• Hides the selection bounding box while previewing
• Makes it easier to evaluate the final look without the blue selection outlines

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3. Adjust Settings

• Move any slider or type a value into an input field to see instant results
• Right-click a slider to reset it to its default value
• Click the ✖ button beside an input to reset that individual setting to its default
• Click a section label (e.g., "Width Scale:") to instantly reset that control

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4. Zoom to Fit (✚ button)

• Fits the selected text frames into the Illustrator view window
• Useful for inspecting fine details while the dialog is open

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➑ Finalizing

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Apply (OK)

• Click OK to commit the highlights
• Live preview rectangles become the permanent result
• Multiple highlights from the same text frame are automatically grouped

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Cancel

• Click Cancel to close the dialog without making any changes
• All preview rectangles are removed

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That's all there is to it — select, tweak, and hit OK. Whether you're building a bold editorial spread or just need a single word to pop, Text Highlighter gets you there in seconds. Play with the modes, lean into the color randomization, and let the live preview do the heavy lifting.

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