This exercise is excerpted from Noble Desktop’s Figma training materials and is compatible with Figma updates through 2023. To learn current skills in Figma with hands-on training, check out Noble Desktop's Figma Bootcamp, web design classes, and graphic design classes in-person or live online.
Note: These materials are provided to give prospective students a sense of how we structure our class exercises and supplementary materials. During the course, you will get access to the accompanying class files, live instructor demonstrations, and hands-on instruction.
Topics covered in this Figma tutorial:
Opening Sketch files in Figma, Handling missing fonts, Creating, editing, & organizing text styles
Exercise Preview
Exercise Overview
In this exercise, you’ll learn about creating and editing text styles.
Opening Sketch Files & Handling Missing Fonts
In Figma, if you’re not on the homescreen (file browser), do the following:
- In the Desktop app: Click the
Home tab (Mac users can also choose File > Open File Browser).
- In the Web app: Click the Main menu button
and choose Back to files.
- In the Desktop app: Click the
- To open a local file, click
Import file (may be an icon near the top right).
Navigate into Desktop > Class Files > Figma Class and double–click on iTastify Design Done.sketch to choose it.
Once the file has uploaded, click Done and double–click on the file to open it.
NOTE: Notice that this is a Sketch file, and Figma can open it! The conversion may not be perfect, so be sure to inspect your files closely if you’re converting them.
If you get a message about missing fonts, choose the replacements as shown below (and then click Replace fonts):
NOTE: If you close this dialog and need to get back to it, at the top right corner of the window click the Missing fonts button
.
Creating Text Styles
- Zoom in on the iTastify Helps You Remember section (below the hand holding an iPhone).
- There are 3 features, each with an icon and 2 lines of text. Try clicking on any of them to see the whole section is grouped.
- Ctrl–click (Mac) or Right–click (Windows) on any of them and choose Ungroup.
- Click in an empty area to deselect the text.
- Select the Tag Companions heading of the first feature.
- In the Design panel, to the right of Text click the Style button
- In the Text Styles panel that opens, click the Plus(+) button at the top right.
- Name the text style feature title and click Create style.
Applying Text Styles
- Click on the 2nd heading Add Photos.
- Hold Shift and click on the 3rd heading Take Notes so both headings are selected.
- In the Design panel, to the right of Text click the Style button
- In the Text Styles panel that opens, just below the Search field click the feature title style you just created.
Editing Text Styles
- Click in an empty area so nothing is selected.
- In the Design panel, notice there’s a list of Text Styles.
- Hover over the feature title style and click the Edit Style button
that appears to the right.
In the Edit style panels that opens:
- Change Bold to Regular.
- Click on the font size number (it’s currently 21 and to the right of the font name).
- Hit the Up Arrow key 2 times to make the text bigger, noticing the text in the file changing as you do this!
NOTE: Text color is not part of text styles, but color styles can be created and applied separately (as you see in a previous exercise).
Close the Edit text style panel.
Managing Text Styles (Using prefixes to create groups)
We can use what Figma calls “prefixes” to organize styles into groups.
- Make sure nothing is selected.
- Below the Tag Companions heading, select You’ll never mix up company again.
- In the Design panel, to the right of Text click the Style button
- In the Text Styles panel that opens, click the Plus(+) button at the top right.
Name the text style feature/description and click Create style.
- Click in an empty area so nothing is selected.
- In the Design panel, under Text Styles notice there’s now a feature group.
- Drag the feature title style into the feature group.
- Hover over the feature title style and click the Edit Style button
that appears to the right.
- Change the name from feature title to simply title.
Close the panel.