The only way to get the advanced text to work was to type alternate text into the available box in the object properties. Is this correct?
http://esmansgreenhouse.com/
Text on the left advanced selected no alternate text.
Text on the right advanced selected alternate text added.

Hi Eric,

No, that is not the only way. If you select advanced text for a text but you do not do any other action over it, it will still appear as text. In case you select advanced text and you rotate the text or apply to it any effect, then the text will be converted as image. If you type something in the alternate text field, the text will be converted into an image as well because that option can not be applied to standard texts.