How is this done?

[nyjet88]

Obviously used in Illustrator and I am assuming the Pathfinder tool.

How is this done, where there is a solid color in the background that "fits" around the text and any images that are there?

Examples...

[oddball]

Uh, you draw a path the shape you want it is the way I've done it. I don't know if there's a "magic" tool that does that.

[nyjet88]

Uh, you draw a path the shape you want it is the way I've done it. I don't know if there's a "magic" tool that does that.

Uh, ok. I wasn't expecting a "magic" tool.

I was looking for techniques that might be used. I have done that in the past too, just drawn it out.

[Nick 1733]

Well... here's how I do it...

Select the major portions, then go offset path. Select just the offset paths, send them all to the back, make them the same color, then merge them together... After that, you'll probably have to clean it up some, but that helps immensely.

[nyjet88]

Well... here's how I do it...

Select the major portions, then go offset path. Select just the offset paths, send them all to the back, make them the same color, then merge them together... After that, you'll probably have to clean it up some, but that helps immensely.

Very cool! Thank you very much. I will give that a shot!

[Waffles]

The lazy way to do it (which, by definition, would be how I do it) is copy the object by dragging the name of the object you want outlined in the Layers window to the "Create New Layer" button, selecting the lower copy of the object, and adding a stroke to it to your delight.

If you wanna fine-tune it, go to Object>Path>Outline Stroke and tweak it until you get it how you like. Also play around with the stroke options to give yourself rounded or sharp edges.

[andrewharrington]

You can use a stroke, but that's for beginners. An offset path is the easiest way to get a fixed-width outline around your text, but Illustrator creates an offset path using mathematics. You get the best results drawing it by hand, because in order for it to look right, or for it to be a custom shape like that Bengals one above the city name, you have to eyeball some things; mathematics just won't cut it. It will be right, but it won't look right, and we're concerned with what looks right.

[Davidson]

:censored:en hell you guys make it sound complicated. ive been trying out all these different ways. i was never really taught ai so i just do it

the way i find works best for these kind of things.

ah is right in a sense, you cannot solely rely on the computer to to sort you out.

i normally. copy the stuff i want to outline. merge it. outline it. then expand the stroke.

then you have to start tidying it up.

you get lots of problems with acute angles in text etc causing bits of your stroke to jut out in unnatural ways.

so i redraw those bits with tapered curves.

then, especially with text, ai tends to place lots of points along a curve which can make any subsequent lines built from

it jagged. so cut out any unecessary points.

then, i often offset the whole outline to compose whatevr is being outlined better. it should sit in the frame of the outline

a little higher than centre to draw your eye up as you would frame a picture. a little extra boarder at the bottom.

[oddball]

Can I just say Bloody Hell davidson? You just made a copy and paste in back and adjust until it looks right sound complicated!

[Davidson]

Can I just say Bloody Hell davidson? You just made a copy and paste in back and adjust until it looks right sound complicated!

yeah, but i was describing the adjustment process.

the number of people who just plonk an outline on stuff then another and another

until its ruined is out of control.

"i normally. copy the stuff i want to outline. merge it. outline it. then expand the stroke."

thats the outline process, the rest is the design process.