Illustrator Help

[pollux]

I just downloaded Inkscape and I need to know where I could watch a tutorial or if someone could give some pointers that would be great Thnx.

http://www.patrickcummings.net/tutorials/

Pat's tutorial is for Illustrator...

But Google is your friend!

[chestnutz]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

Some examples (credit to AAO)...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

[gingerbreadmann]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

Some examples (credit to AAO)...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

I use Inkscape, but couldn't you just make a path of where you want the gradient thing to end and then intersect it with the letters?

[fiasco!]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

The best (in my opinion) way to do what I think you're talking about is to use the Offset Path function. Select the path you want to emulate, go to Object -> Path -> Offset Path and play around with the settings to get it to where you like it. Generally, you'll offset with a negative value to get the effect you are describing, but I also use Offset Path for strokes and shadows (with a positive value). You'll most likely have to edit the points with the direct selection (white arrow) tool, and add or subtract points with the Bezier Pen after you offset, and it may seem tedious, but the results will be much better. It may take awhile to get used to it, but once you do, you're golden.

[rmered]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

Some examples (credit to AAO)...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

I don't see a gradient on either logo.

Do you mean how the White in Anglers changes to Green?

If so, I would do that with a Clipping mask

You make the Letters a Compound Path, pick an angle you want the colour you want to see and then place the clipping Mask over the Compound Path.

type and convert first to Path, then Compound Path. Then Ctrl C, CtrlF to copy a version of it in front of itself

Decide on the angle you want to Mask

Create Clipping Mask, selecting the top two items.

As for the Timberwolves logo, it appears the Green on that is either done individually on each letter.

[tBBP]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

Some examples (credit to AAO)...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

I don't see a gradient on either logo.

Do you mean how the White in Anglers changes to Green?

If so, I would do that with a Clipping mask

You make the Letters a Compound Path, pick an angle you want the colour you want to see and then place the clipping Mask over the Compound Path.

type and convert first to Path, then Compound Path. Then Ctrl C, CtrlF to copy a version of it in front of itself

Decide on the angle you want to Mask

Create Clipping Mask, selecting the top two items.

As for the Timberwolves logo, it appears the Green on that is either done individually on each letter.

I found an easier way to do what you're talking about with the example you just provided...albeit with Illustrator CS2 (don't know squat about version 10), using the Pathfinder palette.

Essentially...you could type out a word, convert it to outlines (I know the shortcut--can't remember which menu it's under - Shift+Ctrl+O or shift+open apple+O on Mac), and then draw a shape over the word in the style you'd like the shape to appear in the letters--like rmered did with the triangle thing. Select both the word and the shape on top of the word, and copy and paste them. Then, select them both using the Pathfinder palette, find what I believe is called the Shape Intersect tool (it's two overlapping boxes that look like a Venn diagram--the colors are darker where the boxes overlap), click on that shape intersect tool--and what happens is the top shape now looks like cutouts in the shape of the letters. One more piece...in the "Object" menu, select "Expand Appearance". BAM--shapes. then you can simply take that group of cutout shapes and place them back over the original word.

I hope this isn't too confusing, as I ain't got a clue how to use the "print screen" feature on either platform and as such am unable to provide on-screen references.

(Shortcut to the last step of that: hold down Ctrl on PC or the open apple key on Mac and click on that shape intersect button and it will automatically expand instantly.)

[rmered]

Hey just got illustrator 10, not the best one I know but it's still good. I want to know how to make solid gradient type of things with colors in wordmarks that can be seen on a lot of concepts here.

Some examples (credit to AAO)...

Is there some tool I can use to make it easier or do I have to use the pen tool and do each letter individually?

I don't see a gradient on either logo.

Do you mean how the White in Anglers changes to Green?

If so, I would do that with a Clipping mask

You make the Letters a Compound Path, pick an angle you want the colour you want to see and then place the clipping Mask over the Compound Path.

type and convert first to Path, then Compound Path. Then Ctrl C, CtrlF to copy a version of it in front of itself

Decide on the angle you want to Mask

Create Clipping Mask, selecting the top two items.

As for the Timberwolves logo, it appears the Green on that is either done individually on each letter.

I found an easier way to do what you're talking about with the example you just provided...albeit with Illustrator CS2 (don't know squat about version 10), using the Pathfinder palette.

Essentially...you could type out a word, convert it to outlines (I know the shortcut--can't remember which menu it's under - Shift+Ctrl+O or shift+open apple+O on Mac), and then draw a shape over the word in the style you'd like the shape to appear in the letters--like rmered did with the triangle thing. Select both the word and the shape on top of the word, and copy and paste them. Then, select them both using the Pathfinder palette, find what I believe is called the Shape Intersect tool (it's two overlapping boxes that look like a Venn diagram--the colors are darker where the boxes overlap), click on that shape intersect tool--and what happens is the top shape now looks like cutouts in the shape of the letters. One more piece...in the "Object" menu, select "Expand Appearance". BAM--shapes. then you can simply take that group of cutout shapes and place them back over the original word.

I hope this isn't too confusing, as I ain't got a clue how to use the "print screen" feature on either platform and as such am unable to provide on-screen references.

(Shortcut to the last step of that: hold down Ctrl on PC or the open apple key on Mac and click on that shape intersect button and it will automatically expand instantly.)

Nice tip brandon, that works in AI10 too.

[pollux]

Is there a way to print a slice only? I have created a house plan and several slices, but I want to print one slice at a time to have bigger plans of each room.

[blueclad]

I'm working on an anniversary graphic for my student newspaper, and I've been stumped by what I'm sure is a simple question: how do you make vertically arched text in Illustrator?

Yeah, I'm daft.

[tBBP]

I'm working on an anniversary graphic for my student newspaper, and I've been stumped by what I'm sure is a simple question: how do you make vertically arched text in Illustrator?

Yeah, I'm daft.

Simple solution? Type out the word. Then in the Menu go Effect > Warp > Arch...

...from there, select the "Horizontal" radio button, and then start playing with the slider to get the arch that you want. (Move the "Warp Options" window out of the way of the word so you can see what you're doing.) Check the "Preview" box to see what it'll look like. Once it gets to where you want it, hit "OK". BAM!

*NOTE: All "warp" options can be done without having to convert text to outlines first--very helpful tip for those who wish to create templates and such without having to type/redraw numbers every time--unless, like me, you keep coming up with unique fonts and such.

[blueclad]

That worked! Thank you very much!

[chestnutz]

What's the best way to double outline something?

[gordie_delini]

offset the path once, then do it again.

[chestnutz]

Is there a way I can delete part of a logo/shape, or make it invisible, something like that.

Say I wanted to put a logo on a uniform shoulder like so, is there a way I could delete the part that isn't on the jersey or do I have to manually delete the points?

Another question

How do I make two objects share the same stroke, or merge them together? Say I had 2 letters, an A and a B, on top of each other, and I wanted to make the stroke go all the way around the two shapes as if they were one.

[oddball]

I'll answer the second one because it's easier. Click Shift+F9 and it'll bring up the pathfinder pallette. Click both objects that you want to combine and then play with Shape Mode or Pathfinders until you get what you want. As far as how to delete part of a logo on a shoulder, there is an easy way. With the black arrow, click on the outline of your jersey, then duplicate it (ctrl+c) and hit ctrl+f to paste it in front. Now go to your layers and click both copies of the jersey and hit ctrl+7 and it'll put them in a group. Open that group up and you'll see clipping path and path. I usually have my clipping path with the outline and the path whatever color. Why? Because everything below the clipping path gets clipped, so if you have a 1 pt stroke it becomes a 0.5 pt stroke. Now I'd take the logo and place it below the clipping path and you have the logo looks like it's on the jersey but it's clipped where you can't see it. It also works great when you place your shadows and highlights under a clipping path too.

[Cola]

chestnutz, you need to use a clipping mask to get rid of the logo...but there are also other options. if you have a solid background, you could just make a shape to go over that area and hide the part of the logo you don't want.

[chestnutz]

Thanks oddball, I'll try that out.

Cola, that's what I do when I have a solid background anyways. But it's when it's a gradient I need to know how.

[Cola]

But it's when it's a gradient I need to know how.

That is where my first suggestion comes in- use a clipping mask.

[gordie_delini]

clipping masks are great, but if you truly want to delete the portion not on the shirt (you may want to do that for aligning purposes - the align tools will align to the shape like it's not masked, not to the mask) you'll want to use the add-to-shape-area and delete-from-shape-area tools in the pathfinder palette.

[oddball]

Thanks for that advice gord. I'm always looking for better ways to do things. There are so many tools that sometimes you don't know what tools do what in what program and until someone explains them to you, you are clueless. Thanks, I'll go and try that.