>>how to edit the text so i keep the effect? <<

You may have figured this out by now but the reason you lose the effect on the "drop split" by deleting the first letter is that the effect cascades off the first letter. In other words the same effect is applied in sequence to all the other letters in the text. If you delete the first letter you delete the effect all the way down the line. The Title assumes you want to drop the effect by deleting that first letter UNLESS you edit that letter from a position to the right of the first letter. Start your edit cursor anywhere to the right of the first letter. If you delete the first letter, replace it with something else or you will lose the effect as well. --- The key to understanding all this is to understand how cascading works. Look up cascading in the ProType Help Index.That's the ? mark in the upper right of the ProType Window.