chapter creating text and - cengage · illustrator can track and kern type down to 1/ 1000 of a...

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CREATING TEXT AND GRADIENTS2chapter

1. Create and format text

2. Flow text into an object

3. Position text on a path

4. Create colors and gradients

5. Apply colors and gradients to text

6. Adjust a gradient and create a drop shadow

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Working with TextWhen it comes to creating compelling anddramatic display text, no other softwarepackage offers the graphic sophisticationthat you’ll find with Adobe Illustrator. Youcan quickly change fonts, font size, lead-ing, and other text attributes in theCharacter panel. You can make trackingand kerning measurements with a level ofprecision that would satisfy even the mostmeticulous typographer. For the designer,Illustrator is the preeminent choice fortypography. Powerful type tools offer theability to fill objects with text, position texton lines—curved or straight—and set typevertically, one letter on top of the next.Once the text is positioned, the CreateOutlines command changes the fonts tovector graphics that you can manipulateas you would any other object. For

example, you can apply a gradient fill toletter outlines for stunning effects.

Creating and ApplyingGradient FillsA gradient is a graduated blend betweentwo or more colors used to fill an objector multiple objects. Illustrator’s sophisti-cation for creating gradients and its easeof use for applying them to objects are adream come true for today’s designers.You can create linear or radial gradientsbetween multiple colors, then control theway they fill an object. Moreover, a singlegradient can be used to fill multipleobjects simultaneously! The unique gra-dient fills that you create can be savedwith descriptive names, then importedinto other Illustrator documents to beused again.

2-2

CREATING TEXT ANDGRADIENTS

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2-3

Tools You’ll Use

Type tools

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L E S S O N 1

Creating TypeYou can create text anywhere on the art-board simply by selecting the Type Toolthen clicking the artboard to start typing.You can enter text horizontally or verti-cally. The ability to type vertically is ratherunusual; most text-based applicationsdon’t offer this option.

Text generated by the Type Tool is posi-tioned on a path called the baseline. Youcan select text simply by clicking any-where on the text. This feature is a prefer-ence that you can turn on or off: Click Editon the menu bar, point to Preferences,click Type, then remove the check mark inthe Type Object Selection by Path Onlycheck box, if necessary. When this featureis checked, you must click the baseline toselect text.

Formatting TextThe Character and Paragraph panelsneatly contain all of the classic commandsfor formatting text. Use the Character

panel to modify text attributes such as fontand type size, tracking, and kerning. Youcan adjust the leading, which is the verti-cal space between baselines, or apply ahorizontal or vertical scale, which com-presses or expands selected type. TheParagraph panel applies itself to moreglobal concerns, such as text alignment,paragraph indents, and vertical spacesbetween paragraphs. Figure 1 showsexamples of formatting that you can applyto text.

Tracking and kerning are essential (andoften overlooked) typographic operations.Tracking inserts uniform spaces betweencharacters to affect the width of selectedwords or entire blocks of text. Kerning isused to affect the space between any twocharacters; it is particularly useful forimproving the appearance of headlines andother display text. Positive tracking orkerning values move characters fartherapart; negative values move them closertogether.

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will use the Type Toolto create the word BERRY as displaytext. You will use the Character panelto format the text and perfect its appear-ance. You will also create a verticalversion of the text.

▼

ILLUSTRATOR 2-4 Creating Text and Gradients

CREATE ANDFORMAT TEXT

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Illustrator can track and kern type down to1/1000 of a standard em space. The width ofan em space is dependent on the currenttype size. In a 1-point font, the em space is1 point. In a 10-point font, the em space is10 points. With kerning units that are 1/1000of an em, Illustrator can manipulate a 10-point font at increments of 1/1000 of1 point! Figure 2 shows examples of kerningand tracking values.

Hiding ObjectsTwo factors contribute to difficulty inselecting text and other objects: the num-ber of objects in the document and proxim-ity of objects. Multiple objects positionedclosely together can make selections diffi-cult and impede productivity.

Hiding an object is one simple solution.Hidden objects are safe; they won’t bedeleted from the document when you quit.

Also, they won’t print. Just don’t forgetthat they’re there!

The Hide Selection command is under theObject menu, as is Show All, whichreveals all hidden objects. When hiddenobjects are revealed, they are all selected;you can use this to your advantage.Simply press [Shift] as you click to dese-lect the object you want to see, then hidethe remaining objects.

Lesson 1 Create and Format Text ILLUSTRATOR 2-5

FIGURE 1Examples of text formatting

FIGURE 2Examples of kerning and tracking

Leading

50%horizontalscale

50%verticalscale BaselineBaseline

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Create text

1. Open AI 2-1.ai, then save it as BerrySymposium.

2. Click View on the menu bar, then click HideBounding Box, if necessary.

3. Click the Type Tool , then click anywhereon the artboard.

4. Type BERRY using all capital letters.

TIP By default, new text is generated witha black fill and no stroke.

5. Click the Selection Tool , then drag thetext to the center of the artboard.

TIP Hide Smart Guides, if necessary.

6. Click Window on the menu bar, point toType, then click Character to show theCharacter panel.

7. Click the Character panel list arrow, thenclick Show Options to view the entire panelas shown in Figure 3.

You used the Type Tool to create the word BERRY,showed the Character panel then expanded theview of the Character panel.

FIGURE 3Character panel

Character panellist arrow

DESIGNTIP Tracking and kerningTypography, the art of designing letterforms, has a long and rich history that

extends back to the Middle Ages. With the advent of desktop publishing in the mid-1980s, many conventional typographers and typesetters declared “the death of typog-raphy.” Cooler minds have since prevailed. The personal computer and software suchas Adobe Illustrator have made vast libraries of typefaces available as never before.Imagine the days when the typewriter ruled—its single typeface and two point sizesthe standard for literally millions of documents—and you get a sense of the typo-graphic revolution that has occurred in the last 20 years.

Many designers are so eager to tackle the “artwork” that they often overlook the typedesign in an illustration. Tracking and kerning—the manipulation of space between wordsand letters—are essential elements to good type design and are often woefully ignored.

Illustrator’s precise tracking and kerning abilities are of no use if they are ignored.One good way of maintaining awareness of your tracking and kerning duties is totake note of others’ oversights. Make it a point to notice tracking and kerning—orlack thereof—when you look at magazines, or posters, or especially billboards. You’llbe amazed at what you’ll see.

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Format text

1. Click the Font family (Win) or Font menu(Mac) list arrow, then click Times New RomanPS MT, or a similar font, as shown in Figure 4.

TIP Figure 4 shows the full name of eachsetting in the Character panel. The steps inthis chapter refer to the shorter name pro-vided in parentheses.

2. Click the Font size text box, type 150, thenpress [Enter] (Win) or [return] (Mac).

3. Click the Horizontal Scale text box, type 90,then press [Enter] (Win) or [return] (Mac).

4. Deselect all.

5. Compare your text to Figure 5.

You used the Character panel to modify the font,the font size, and the horizontal scaling of theword BERRY.

FIGURE 5Formatted text

Set the font sizelist arrow(Font size)

Set the leading list arrow (Leading)

Set the tracking for the selectedcharacters list arrow (Tracking)

Vertical Scale text box

Character Rotation text box

Set the baselineshift list arrow(Baseline)

Underlinebutton Strikethrough

button

Set the kerningbetween twocharacters listarrow (Kerning)

HorizontalScale text box

FIGURE 4Character panel

Set the font style list arrow (Font style)

Set the font family list arrow (Font family)

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Track and kern text

1. Select the text, if necessary.

2. Using the Character panel, click the Trackingtext box, then type -30.

TIP Click the Character panel list arrow,then click Show Options, if necessary.

3. Click the Type Tool , then click the cur-sor between the B and the E.

4. Using the Character panel, click the up anddown arrows in the Kerning text box toexperiment with higher and lower kerningvalues, then change the kerning value to -40.

5. Using Figure 6 as a guide, change the kern-ing to -20, 0, and -120 between the nextthree letter pairs.

6. Click the Selection Tool , click theParagraph panel name tab, then clickthe Align center button , as shown inFigure 7.

When text is center-aligned, its anchor pointdoubles as its center point, which is handyfor aligning it with other objects.

TIP If you do not see the Paragraphpanel, click Window on the menu bar, pointto Type, then click Paragraph.

7. Click Object on the menu bar, point to Hide,then click Selection.

You used the Character panel to change the track-ing of the word BERRY, then you entered differentkerning values to affect the spacing between thefour letter pairs. You center-aligned the text, thenhid the text.

FIGURE 7Paragraph panel

Justify alllines

Justify withlast linealigned right

Right indenttext box

Space afterparagraphtext box

Left indenttext box

Align center button

Align rightbutton

Align left button

Justify withlast linealigned leftbutton

Justify withlast linealigned center button

Space beforeparagraphtext box

First-line leftindent text box

FIGURE 6Kerning and tracking applied to text

-30 pt. tracking

-40 pt. kern -20 pt. kern 0 pt. kern -120 pt. kern

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Create vertical type

1. Click the Vertical Type Tool , then clickanywhere on the artboard.

TIP The Vertical Type Tool is hiddenbeneath the Type Tool.

2. Type the word BERRY using all capital letters.

TIP The type tools retain the formattingattributes that were previously chosen.

3. Click the Selection Tool , select the text,then move it to the center of the artboard.

TIP When any tool other than theSelection Tool is selected in the Tools panelyou can press [Ctrl] (Win) or (Mac) toswitch to the Selection Tool. When yourelease [Ctrl] (Win) or (Mac), the lastchosen tool will be active again.

4. Using the Character panel, change the fontsize to 84 pt.

5. Change the tracking value to -160.

6. Set both the horizontal and vertical scales to100%, then deselect the text.

Your screen should resemble Figure 8.

7. Delete the vertical text, then save your work.

You used the Vertical Type Tool to create a verticalalternative to the first word you typed. Youadjusted the tracking and kerning to better suit avertical orientation, and then deleted the text.

FIGURE 8Vertical text

Using the Glyphs panelThe Glyphs panel contains various type characters that aren’t necessarily available onyour keyboard. Examples of these characters include trademarks, copyright marks,accented letters, and numbers expressed as fractions. Click Window on the menu bar,point to Type, then click Glyphs to display the Glyphs panel. To access a glyph, clickthe Type Tool, click the artboard as you would to type any character, then double-click the glyph in the Glyph panel that you wish to use.

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L E S S O N 2

Filling an Object with TextUsing the Area Type Tool and the VerticalArea Type Tool, you can flow text into anyshape you can create, from circles to birdsto bumblebees! Text in an object can beformatted as usual. You can change fonts,font size, alignment, etc., and the text willbe reflowed in the object as you format it.

When text is flowed into an object, you canmanipulate the object as you would anyother object. Apply fills and strokes andtransformations; use the Rotate Tool, or

the Scale or Reflect Tools. You can evenuse the Direct Selection Tool to distort theshape. Best of all, you can apply thoseoperations to the text or to the text objectindependently! Figure 9 shows an exampleof an object, in this case a star, filled withtext.

QUICKTIP

You can underline text and strike through text using theUnderline and Strikethrough buttons on the Characterpanel.

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will use the Area TypeTool to flow text into an object.

▼


FLOW TEXT INTOAN OBJECT

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Locking ObjectsWorking in tandem with the Hide com-mand, the Lock Selection command onthe Object menu allows you to exempt anobject from selections and affix its position on the artboard. The LockSelection command is useful simply as adevice to protect objects from accidentalmodifications.

Locked objects can be selected only afterthey are unlocked by choosing the UnlockAll command on the Object menu. TheUnlock All command unlocks every lockedobject on the artboard. When lockedobjects are unlocked, they are all selected.Simply press [Shift] while you click to des-elect the object you want to work with, andrelock the remaining objects.

Using Rulers, Guides, and the GridIllustrator has two built-in rulers that runalong the top and left side of the docu-ment window. You can create ruler guidesand place them on the artboard by posi-tioning the mouse pointer in the top orleft ruler, then dragging the mousepointer onto the artboard. As you drag,you’ll see a guide emerge and when yourelease the mouse pointer, the guide willbe positioned at that point. To view rulers,click View on the menu bar, then clickShow Rulers. You can lock guides andhide guides temporarily as you work inIllustrator. Click View on the menu bar,

point to Guides and you will see all of theGuide menu commands.

Another tool for aligning objects on theartboard is to use the grid. Grid settings aredefined in the Guides & Grid section of thePreferences dialog box. You can choose acolor and style for the grid, choose the dis-tance between gridlines and how manysubdivisions between gridlines. To hide andshow the grid, click View on the menu bar,then click Hide Grid or Show Grid.

Making GuidesGuides are one of Illustrator’s many fea-tures that help you to work with precision.You can select any object and make it into aguide with the Make Guides command onthe View menu. You can also create guidesby clicking and dragging the mouse pointerfrom each ruler to the artboard.

Lesson 2 Flow Text into an Object ILLUSTRATOR 2-11

FIGURE 9An object filled with text

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FIGURE 10Applying the Area Type Tool

Click the edge ofthe object with theArea Type Tool

The Area TypeTool converts anobject into acontainer for text


Fill an object with text

1. Open AI 2-2.ai, then save it asDiamond Text.

2. Select the yellow square, double-click theRotate Tool , type 45 in the Angle textbox, then click OK.

3. Click the Area Type Tool , then click theblock of text.

TIP The Area Type Tool is hidden beneaththe current type tool.

4. Click Select on the menu bar, then click All.

TIP When you click a type tool cursor ontext and apply the Select All command, allthe text is selected—not the object that con-tains the text, and not any other text orobjects on the page.

5. Copy the text.

6. Click the Selection Tool , select the yel-low square, then change the font size to 12using the Character panel.

TIP When you are working with a TypeTool, you can press [Ctrl] (Win) or (Mac) to access the Selection Tooltemporarily and remain in Area Type Toolmode.

7. Click the Area Type Tool , if necessary,then click the edge of the yellow square.

A flashing cursor appears, and the squareloses its fill color, as shown in Figure 10.

8. Paste the copied text into the square.

Your work should resemble Figure 11.

You rotated the yellow square, then filled it withtext by first copying text from another object, thenclicking the edge of the square with the Area TypeTool before you pasted the text into the square.

FIGURE 11Text pasted into an object

Indicatesoverflow text

Objects loses itsfill color

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Format text in an object

1. Select all of the text in the rotated square.

2. Click the Align center button in theParagraph panel.

TIP When filling an object other than asquare or a rectangle with text, centering thetext is often the best solution.

3. Click the Character panel name tab next tothe Paragraph panel name tab, then changethe font size to 9 pt.

4. Click the Leading text box, type 11, click theartboard to deselect the text, then compareyour work to Figure 12.

It’s OK if the line breaks in your documentdiffer from the text in the figure.

5. Click the Selection Tool , then click thediamond-shaped text.

Both the text and the object that contains thetext are selected.

6. Copy the text object.

Both the text and the object are copied.

7. Click Window on the menu bar, then clickBerry Symposium at the bottom of the menu.

TIP All open Illustrator documents arelisted at the bottom of the Window menu

8. Paste the text object into the BerrySymposium document.

You used the Paragraph and Character panels toformat text in the object. You used the SelectionTool to select the text object, and then you copiedand pasted it into the Berry Symposium document.

FIGURE 12Centered text in an object

Using Character and Paragraph StylesA style is a group of formatting attributes, such as font, font size, color, and tracking,that is applied to text. You use the Character Styles panel to create and apply stylesfor individual words or characters, such as a footnote. You use the Paragraph Stylespanel to apply a style to a paragraph. Paragraph styles include formatting optionssuch as indents and drop caps. Using styles saves you time, and it keeps your workconsistent. If you create styles for an Illustrator document, the styles are saved withthe document and are available to be loaded for use in other documents.

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Make guides and use theLock command

1. Click View on the menu bar, then clickShow Rulers, if necessary.

2. Using Figure 13 as a reference, position yourpointer in the top horizontal ruler, click anddrag the pointer straight down to the 5" markon the vertical ruler, then release the mouseto create a guide.

TIP You may need to move the Tools panelout of the way to see the vertical ruler.

3. Position a vertical guide at the 5" mark onthe horizontal ruler.

TIP To change the color or style ofguides, click Edit (Win) or Illustrator (Mac)on the menu bar, point to Preferences, thenclick Guides & Grid. The Guides & GridPreferences dialog box is shown in Figure 14.

4. Click View on the menu bar, point to Guides,then verify that Lock Guides is checked.

5. Click the Selection Tool , if necessary.

(continued)

FIGURE 13Making guides

Use opposite rulerto position guide

Start by positioningpointer in the ruler area

Click and drag pointerto create guide

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6. Select the text object, then align the centerpoint of the text object with the intersectionof the guides.

TIP Use the arrow keys on your keypad tonudge the selection right, left, up, or down.

7. Click Object on the menu bar, point to Lock,then click Selection.

TIP Locking objects is standard practice.You can also lock a selection by first select-ing an object, then pressing [Ctrl][2] (Win)or [2] (Mac). Make it a point to remem-ber the quick key.

8. Save your work.

You created a horizontal and a vertical guide thatintersect at the center of the artboard. You thenaligned the center of the diamond text objectwith the intersection of the guides, and locked thediamond text object.

FIGURE 14Guides & Grid Preferences settings

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L E S S O N 3

Using the Path Type ToolsUsing the Type on a Path Tool or theVertical Type on a Path Tool, you can typealong a straight or curved path. This is themost compelling of Illustrator’s texteffects, and it opens up a world of possibil-ities for the designer and typographer.

You can move text along a path to positionit where you want. You can “flip” the textto make it run in the opposite direction—on the opposite side of the path. You can

also change the baseline shift to modifythe distance of the text’s baseline in rela-tion to the path. A positive value “floats”the text above the path, and a negativevalue moves the text below the path. Youcan modify text on a path in the same wayyou would modify any other text element.Figure 15 shows an example of text on apath, whereas Figure 16 shows an exampleof text flipped across a path.

rasp straw blue

cran straw tea straw checker cran

blue boysen black tea straw blue boysen checker cran tea rasp

boysen blue black straw tea boysen checker cran rasp boysen blue black rasp straw

blue black straw tea boysen checker cran rasp straw blue tea black rasp straw blue black straw tea

boysen checker cran rasp straw blue black rasp straw blue cran straw tea straw

checker cran straw boysen black tea straw blue

boysen checker cran tea

rasp

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will explore the manyoptions for positioning text on a path.

▼


POSITION TEXTON A PATH

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Lesson 3 Position Text on a Path ILLUSTRATOR 2-17

FIGURE 15Text on a path

FIGURE 16Text flipped across a path

Text flowed alonga sharply curvedpath often presentskerning challenges

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Flow text on a path

1. Click the Ellipse Tool , press [Alt] (Win)or [option] (Mac), then click the center of theartboard.

Pressing [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac) whileyou click a shape tool on the artboardensures that the center of the shape will bedrawn from the point that you clicked.

2. Enter 2.9 in for the width and the height of thecircle in the Ellipse dialog box, then click OK.

3. Click the Type on a Path Tool , then clickanywhere on the edge of the circle.

TIP The Type on a Path Tool may be hiddenbeneath the current type tool.

A flashing cursor appears, and the circleloses its fill color.

4. Type three rivers in lowercase, using TimesNew Roman PS MT for the font.

TIP If you do not have Times New RomanPS MT, substitute a similar font.

5. Click the Selection Tool to select the text byits baseline, then change the font size to 47 pt.

You will see three brackets—one at the begin-ning of the path, one at the end of the path,and one at the midpoint between the twobrackets. These brackets allow you to movetext along a path.

TIP Text flowed on a circle will oftenrequire kerning, especially when it is set at alarge point size.

6. Compare your screen to Figure 17.

You created a 2.9" circle from its center, thentyped along the circle’s path using the Type on aPath Tool. You changed the font and font sizeusing the Character panel.

FIGURE 17Text on a circular path

Start and end brackets(overlapped because acircle path begins andends at the same point)

Center bracket

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Lesson 3 Position Text on a Path ILLUSTRATOR 2-19

Move text along a path

1. Click View on the menu bar, point toGuides, then click Hide Guides.

2. Using the Selection Tool , drag the center bracket until the text is centered atthe top of the circle.

3. Click Edit on the menu bar, click Copy, clickEdit on the menu bar, then click Paste in Front.

4. Drag the center bracket of the copied textclockwise to move the copied text to theposition shown in Figure 18.

5. Drag the center bracket of the copied textstraight up to flip the text across the path, asshown in Figure 19.

TIP Enlarge your view of the artboard if youhave trouble dragging the bracket.

6. Click the Baseline text box in the Characterpanel, type -21, as shown in Figure 20, thenpress [Enter] (Win) or [return] (Mac).

7. Click the Type Tool , highlight threerivers at the bottom of the circle, then typesymposium.

8. Click the Selection Tool , then drag the center bracket to center the text at the bot-tom of the circle, if necessary.

9. Lock the two text objects, save your work,then compare your image to Figure 21.

You moved and copied text along a path, flippedits direction, changed the baseline shift, thenlocked both text objects.

FIGURE 18Moving text on a path

FIGURE 19Flipping text across a path

FIGURE 21Flipped text positioned below the path

Copied text, repositioned

Center bracketof copied text

Center bracket of copied text

Baseline shift

FIGURE 20Modifying a baseline shift

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L E S S O N 4

Using the Gradient PanelA gradient is a graduated blend betweencolors. The Gradient panel is the com-mand center for creating and adjustinggradients. In the panel you will see a sliderthat represents the gradient you are creat-ing or working with. The slider has at leasttwo colors. The leftmost color is the start-ing color, and the rightmost color is theending color.

The colors used in a gradient are repre-sented in the Gradient panel by smallhouse-shaped icons called stops. TheGradient panel shown in Figure 22 showsa two-color gradient.

The point at which two colors meet inequal measure is called the midpoint ofthe gradient. The midpoint is representedby the diamond above the slider, which iscalled the Gradient Slider. The midpointdoes not necessarily need to be positionedevenly between the starting and endingcolors. You can change the look of a gradi-ent by moving the Gradient Slider tochange the location of the midpoint.

The Swatches panel contains standard gradi-ents that come with the software. To createyour own original gradients, start by clickingan object filled with an existing gradient.You can then modify that existing gradientin the Gradient panel. You can change eitheror both the beginning and ending colors.You can change the location of the midpoint.You can also add additional colors into thegradient, or remove existing colors.

QUICKTIP

As you work to perfect a gradient, you can see how yourchanges will affect the gradient automatically, by filling anobject with the gradient that you are working on. As youmake changes in the Gradient panel, the changes will bereflected in the object.

You can define a gradient as linear orradial. A linear gradient can be positionedleft to right, up and down, or on any angle.You can change the angle of the gradientby entering a new value in the Angle textbox in the Gradient panel.

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will use the Color panel,the Gradient panel, and the Swatchespanel to create, name, and save colorsand gradients.

▼


CREATE COLORS ANDGRADIENTS

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Think of a radial gradient as a series of con-centric circles. With a radial gradient, thestarting color appears at the center of thegradient. The blend radiates out to the end-ing color. By definition, a radial gradienthas no angle ascribed to it.

Using the Color PanelThe Color panel, as shown in Figure 23, iswhere you move sliders to mix new colorsfor fills, strokes, and gradients. You can alsouse the panel to adjust the color in a filledobject. The panel has five color modes:CMYK, RGB, Grayscale, HSB, and Web SafeRGB. The panel will default to CMYK orRGB, depending on the color mode youchoose when creating a new document.Grayscale mode allows you to create shades

of gray in percentages of black. If you selecta filled object and choose the HSB mode,you can adjust its basic color (hue), theintensity of the color (saturation), and therange of the color from light to dark (bright-ness). If you are designing illustrations forthe Internet, you might consider using WebSafe RGB mode to create colors that are inaccordance with colors defined in HTML.

Rather than use the sliders, you can alsotype values directly into the text boxes. Forexample, in CMYK mode, a standard redcolor is composed of 100% Magenta and100% Yellow. The notation for this calloutwould be 100M/100Y. Note that you don’t listthe zero values for Cyan (C) and Black (K). InRGB mode (0-255), a standard orange colorwould be noted as 255R/128G.

Adding Colors and Gradients tothe Swatches PanelOnce you have defined a color or a gradientto your liking, it’s a smart idea to save it bydragging it into the Swatches panel. Once acolor or gradient is moved into theSwatches panel, you can name it by double-clicking it, then typing a name in theSwatch Options dialog box. You can’t, how-ever, modify it. For example, if you click asaved gradient and adjust it in the Gradientpanel, you can apply the new gradient to anobject, but the original gradient in theSwatches panel remains unaffected. Youcan save the new gradient to the Swatchespanel for future use.

Lesson 4 Create Colors and Gradients ILLUSTRATOR 2-21

FIGURE 22Gradient panel

FIGURE 23Color panel

Type listarrow

GradientFill box

Angletext box

Stops

Gradient Slider

Locationtext box CMYK color

values

CMYK SpectrumSlidersNone

Current filland strokecolors

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Create a gradient and a color

1. Show the guides.

2. Create a 4" circle at the center of the art-board, then apply a yellow fill to the circle.

The most recently drawn object is automaticallyplaced above the other objects on the artboard.

3. Hide the guides, click Window on the menu bar,then click Gradient to select it, if necessary.

4. Click Window on the menu bar, thenclick Color to select it, if necessary.

5. Click the Blended Rainbow swatch in theSwatches panel.

The yellow fill changes to the BlendedRainbow fill.

6. Click the Gradient panel list arrow, thenclick Show Options, if necessary.

7. Click the yellow stop on the Gradient Slider, anddrag it straight down off the panel to delete it.

8. Delete all the stops except for the first andlast stops.

TIP The changes you make to the GradientSlider are reflected in the circle.

9. Click the bottom edge of the Gradient Slider toadd a new color stop, then drag the stop alongthe slider until you see 50% in the Location textbox in the Gradient panel as shown in Figure 24.

10. Drag each Gradient Slider to the 50% markin the Location text box.

11. Verify that the new stop is selected, pressand hold [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac), clickSquash in the Swatches panel, then com-pare your circle to Figure 25.

(continued)

FIGURE 24Adding and deleting stops

FIGURE 25The color Squash is added to the gradient

Location text box

GradientSliders

Click bottomedge of slider toadd a new stop

Drag stop along theslider to position itat a new location

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You must select a stop in order to changeits color.

TIP If you don’t press [Alt] (Win) or[option] (Mac), as you choose a swatchfor your gradient, you will change theselected object’s fill to a solid color.

11. Click the first stop on the Gradient Slider,press [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac), thenclick Black on the Swatches panel.

12. Repeat Step 11 to apply Black to the thirdstop, then compare your circle to Figure 26.

13. Click the Squash stop to select it, then drageach slider in the Color panel until the newCMYK values are 5C/95M/95Y/3K.

TIP Expand the view of the Color panel,if necessary.

14. Click the Type list arrow in the Gradientpanel, then click Radial.

15. Click the diamond at the top of the GradientSlider between the first two stops, thendrag it to the 87% location on the slider.

16. Compare your circle to Figure 27.

You applied the Blended Rainbow gradient to theyellow circle. You created a new gradient by delet-ing the four intermediary stops and adding a newstop to the gradient. You changed the gradientfrom linear to radial, then adjusted the midpoint ofthe blend between the starting color and the redintermediate color.

FIGURE 26Black starting and ending colors

FIGURE 27Changing the location of the midpoint of two colors

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Add gradients and colors tothe Swatches panel

1. Double-click the Scale Tool , type 65 inthe Scale text box, then click Copy.

2. Keeping the smaller circle selected, deletethe red stop on the Gradient Slider in theGradient panel.

3. Change the first stop starting color to Whiteand the ending stop to OC/40M/50Y/OK.

TIP Press [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac).

When a stop is selected on the GradientSlider, the color of that stop appears in theGradient Stop Color box in the Color panel.

4. Position the midpoint on the Gradient Sliderat 65%.

Your screen should resemble Figure 28.

5. Drag the Gradient Fill box from the Gradientpanel to the Swatches panel, as shown inFigure 29.

6. Double-click New Gradient Swatch 1 (the gra-dient you just added) in the Swatches panel toopen the Swatch Options dialog box.

7. Type Pinky in the Swatch Name text box,then click OK.

8. Click the last color stop on theGradient Slider.

(continued)

FIGURE 28A radial gradient with white as the starting color

FIGURE 29Adding a gradient to the Swatches panel

Gradient Fill box

Drag Gradient Fill boxto Swatches panel

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9. Drag the Gradient Stop Color box from theColor panel to the Swatches panel to addthis color to the Swatches panel, as shownin Figure 30.

10.Click the Selection Tool .

11.Click the artboard to deselect the smaller circle.

12.Name the new color swatch Pinky Ending,then click OK.

13.Click the large circle, drag the Gradient Fillbox in the Gradient panel to the Swatchespanel, then name the new gradient CrimsonGradient.

14.Save your work.

You used the Gradient panel to create a new gradi-ent. You added the gradient fills from the two cir-cles to the Swatches panel and gave themdescriptive names. You added a color named PinkyEnding to the Swatches panel then created a newgradient called Crimson Gradient.

FIGURE 30Adding a gradient to the Swatches panel

Drag Gradient StopColor box toSwatches panel

When a stop is selected,the color appears in theGradient Stop Color boxin the Color panel

Gradient StopColor box

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L E S S O N 5

Applying Fills and Strokesto TextRegardless of the fill and stroke colorsshown in the Tools panel new text is gen-erated by default with a black fill and nostroke. To change the color of text, youmust either select the text by highlightingit with a type tool, or switch to a selectiontool. When you switch to a selection tool,the text is selected as a single object (ablue baseline and anchor point arerevealed). Any color changes you makewill affect the text globally. If you want to

change the fill or the stroke of an individ-ual character, you must select that charac-ter with a type tool.

Converting Text to OutlinesAbout the only thing you can’t do toIllustrator text is fill it with a gradient. Tocreate the effect, you first need to convertthe text into objects. You can do this byselecting the text, then using the CreateOutlines command on the Type menu. Theletterforms, or outlines, become standardIllustrator objects with anchor points and

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will apply colors to text,convert text into objects, and fill theobjects with a gradient.

▼


Working with the stacking orderThe stacking order defines how objects will be displayed when they overlap.Illustrator stacks each object. Beginning with the first object, each successive objectyou create overlaps the previously drawn objects. You can change the stacking orderby moving objects forward and backward through the stack, one object at a time. Youcan also move an object to the very top or the very bottom of the stack with one com-mand. Grouped objects are stacked together behind the top object in the group. Ifyou group two objects that are separated in the stack, the objects in between will bepositioned behind the new group.

APPLY COLORS ANDGRADIENTS TO TEXT

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Lesson 5 Apply Colors and Gradients to Text ILLUSTRATOR 2-27

paths able to be modified like any otherobject—and able to be filled with a gradi-ent. Figure 31 shows an example of textconverted to outlines.

Create Outlines is a powerful feature. Beyondallowing you to fill text with a gradient, itmakes it possible to create a document with

text and without fonts. This can save youtime in document management when send-ing files to your printer, and will circumventpotential problems with missing fonts orfont conflicts.

Once text is converted to outlines, you canno longer change the typeface. Also, the

type loses its font information, includingsizing “hints” that optimize letter shape atdifferent sizes. Therefore, if you plan toscale type, change its font size in theCharacter panel before converting to out-lines.

FIGURE 31Text converted to outlines

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FIGURE 32Text with a new fill color


Apply color to text

1. Select the two circles, click Object on themenu bar, point to Arrange, then click Sendto Back.

The two circles move behind the lockedtext objects.

2. Click Object on the menu bar, then clickUnlock All.

The three text objects you created andlocked are now unlocked and selected.

3. Apply the Pinky Ending color as a fill for thethree unlocked text objects.

4. Deselect all, then lock the diamondtext object.


You unlocked the three text objects, filled themwith the Pinky Ending color, then locked thediamond text object.

Importing a swatch librarySwatches and gradients that you create are saved with the document they were cre-ated in. You can, however, import swatches from one document into another. ClickWindow on the menu bar, point to Swatch Libraries, then click Other Library. A dia-log box opens allowing you to choose the document whose swatches you want toimport. Click Open, and that document’s Swatches panel will appear in your currentdocument. When you import a Swatches panel, the panel automatically appears withthe name of the document from which it came. The imported Swatches panel is noteditable—you cannot add new swatches to it or delete existing ones from it.

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Lesson 5 Apply Colors and Gradients to Text ILLUSTRATOR 2-29

Create outlines and apply agradient fill

1. Show the guides.

2. Click Object on the menu bar, then clickShow All.

3. Select the BERRY text, click Object on themenu bar, point to Arrange, then click Bringto Front.

4. Click Type on the menu bar, then clickCreate Outlines.

5. Apply the Steel gradient in the Swatchespanel to fill the text outlines, then deselectthe outlines.

6. Using Figure 33 as a guide, position theBERRY text outlines so that they are cen-tered within the entire illustration, then hidethe guides.

7. Save your work.

You showed the BERRY text, moved it to the front,converted it to outlines, then filled the outlineswith a gradient.

FIGURE 33Outlines filled with a gradient

Each outline is filledwith the gradient

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L E S S O N 6

Using the Gradient ToolThe Gradient Tool is used to manipulategradient fills that are already applied toobjects; it affects only the way a gradientfills an object. To use the tool, you firstselect an object with a gradient fill. Youthen drag the Gradient Tool over theobject. For both linear and radial gradi-ents, where you begin dragging and whereyou end dragging determine the length ofthe blend from starting to ending color.For linear gradients, the angle that youdrag in determines the angle at which the

blend fills the object. If you apply the samegradient to multiple objects, you canselect all the objects and use the GradientTool to extend a single gradient across allof them.

If you select and fill multiple objects witha gradient, each object is filled with theentire length of the gradient, from begin-ning color to ending color.

When you convert text to outlines andapply a gradient fill, the gradient automat-ically fills each letter independently. In

What You’ll Do

In this lesson, you will use the GradientTool to modify how the gradient fills theoutlines. You will then explore the effec-tiveness of a simple drop shadow as adesign element.

▼


ADJUST A GRADIENT ANDCREATE A DROP SHADOW

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other words, if you fill a five-letter wordwith a rainbow gradient, each of the fiveletters will contain the entire spectrum ofcolors in the gradient. To extend the gradi-ent across all the letters, drag the GradientTool from the left edge of the word to theright edge. Figure 34 shows examples ofdifferent angles and lengths of a gradientfill created with the Gradient Tool.

Adding a Drop ShadowApplying a shadow behind text is an effec-tive design tool to distinguish the textfrom other objects and add dimension tothe illustration. To apply a drop shadow totext, copy the text, then paste the copybehind it. Fill the copy with a darker color,then use the keyboard arrows to move it sothat it is offset from the original text. SeeFigure 35.

QUICKTIP

When adding subtle design effects to objects, youmay want to work without seeing the anchorpoints and paths on selected items. You can hidethem by using the Hide Edges command on theView menu. Hiding edges allows you to work onan object without the distraction of the pointsand paths.

FIGURE 34Using the Gradient Tool

Lesson 6 Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow ILLUSTRATOR 2-31

FIGURE 35Drop shadow created using the Paste in Back command

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FIGURE 37A highlight behind the text

Red stop in aradial gradient


Use the Gradient Tool

1. Select the BERRY text outlines, if necessary.

2. Click the Gradient Tool , then positionthe pointer at the top of the B.

3. Drag straight down to the bottom of the B,then release the mouse.


TIP Pressing and holding [Shift] whileyou drag the Gradient Tool pointer allowsyou to drag in a perfectly straight line.

4. Switch to the Selection Tool , then clickthe large circle filled with the CrimsonGradient fill behind the text.

5. In the Gradient panel, reposition the redcenter color stop so that the value in theLocation text box reads 82%.

The red stop in the blend is now positionedbehind the three rivers and symposium text,as shown in Figure 37.

You used the Gradient Tool to flow the gradientfrom top to bottom in the word BERRY. Youadjusted the red stop in the Gradient panel tomove the red highlight behind the three rivers andsymposium text.

FIGURE 36Gradient Tool applied top to bottom

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FIGURE 40The finished illustration

Lesson 6 Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow ILLUSTRATOR 2-33

Add a drop shadow to text

1. Select the word BERRY.

2. Apply a 1 pt Black stroke to the outlines.

3. Copy the word, then paste in back.

4. Change the fill of the copied object to Black.

TIP Even though you can't see the copyof the text in back, it is still selected.

5. Press � three times and � three times tomove the copied text 3 pts down and 3 pts tothe left, as shown in Figure 38.

6. Copy the word symposium, then paste in back.

7. Change the fill of the copied text to Black.

TIP Since the copy is still selected, you onlyneed to click Black in the Swatches panel.

8. Using the arrow keys, move the copied text 2 ptsdown and 2 pts to the left, as shown in Figure 39.

9. Apply the same drop shadow to the threerivers text.

TIP You might find it easier to select thethree rivers text if you first lock the sympo-sium text and the symposium shadow text.

10.Unlock all, select everything on the artboard,then rotate the illustration 15°.

11.Click the Selection Tool , then click theartboard to deselect all.


12.Save your work, then close and save eachdocument.

You applied a black stroke to the display text and thenpasted a copy behind. You filled the copy with black,then offset the copy to create a drop shadow effect.You then applied a drop shadow to symposium andthree rivers. Finally, you rotated the entire illustration.

FIGURE 38Drop shadow with a 3 pt offset

FIGURE 39Drop shadows add dimension

Drop shadow addedto symposium

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S K I L L S R E V I E W

Create and format text.

1. Open AI 2-3.ai, then save it as RestaurantLogo.

2. Using a bold font, type NOW OPEN on twolines, using all capital letters. (Hint : The fontused in Figure 41 is Impact.)

3. Change the font size to 29 pt and the leadingto 25 pt.

4. Change the baseline shift to 0.5. Change the alignment to center and the

horizontal scale to 75%.6. Position the text in the center of the

white circle.7. Hide the text.8. Save your work.

Flow text into an object.

1. Copy the beige circle.2. Paste the copy in front of it.3. Click the Type Tool, then select all of the

green text at the bottom of the artboard,with the Type Tool.

4. Copy the green text.5. Click the Selection Tool, then click the top

beige circle.6. Click the Area Type Tool, click the edge of

the top beige circle, then paste.7. Center-align the text in the circle.8. Change the baseline shift to -4 pts.9. Fill the selected text with the same fill color

as the beige circle (50% Orange).10. In the Color panel, drag the Magenta slider

to 40% to darken the text.11. Hide the text.12. Save your work.

Position text on a path.

1. Select the dark gray circle.2. Click the Type on a Path Tool, then click the

top of the circle.3. Using a bold font, type THE HOLE-IN-ONE in

all capital letters across the top of the circle.(Hint : The font in Figure 41 is TechnoRegular. If your type appears at the bottomof the circle, drag the start or end bracket toposition the type at the top of the circle.Zoom in so that you can clearly see thebrackets. If you move the circle instead ofthe type, undo your last step and try again.)

4. Change the font size to 34 pt and the fillcolor to white. (Hint : You may need to use asmaller font size, depending on the font youchoose.)

5. Click the Selection Tool, click Edit on themenu bar, click Copy, click Edit on the menubar, click Paste in Front, then move the cen-ter bracket clockwise to position the copiedtext across the bottom of the circle.

6. Highlight the copied text, then typeRESTAURANT & BAR with the Type Tool.

7. Drag the RESTAURANT & BAR text acrossthe path to flip its direction.

8. Apply a negative baseline shift to move thetext below the path. (Hint : The baseline shiftused in Figure 41 is -27 pts.)

9. Copy both text objects, then paste themin back.

10. Fill the back copies of the text withblack, then move them 2 pts up and 2 ptsto the right.

11. Save your work.

Create and apply gradient to objects.

1. Apply the White, Black Radial gradient to thesmall white circle.

2. Change the ending color stop on theGradient panel to Smoke. (Hint: Press [Alt](Win) or [option] (Mac) while you selectSmoke from the Swatches panel.)

3. Save the new gradient in the Swatchespanel.

4. Name it Golf Ball.5. Fill the large green circle with the Golf Ball

gradient.6. Change the starting color stop to Pure Yellow.7. Change the ending color stop to Little

Sprout Green.

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8. Move the midpoint of the two colors to the80% location on the Gradient Slider.

9. Save the new gradient as The Rough.10. Save your work.

Adjust a gradient and create a dropshadow.

1. Click Object on the menu bar, then clickShow All.

2. Deselect all by clicking the artboard.3. Select NOW OPEN and convert the text to

outlines. (Hint : Use the Type menu.)4. Fill the text with the White, Black gradient.5. Change the starting color stop to black.6. Create an intermediary white color stop at

the 50% mark on the Gradient Slider.7. Drag the Gradient Tool starting at the top

of the word NOW to the bottom of theword OPEN.

8. Change the middle color stop of the gradientto Latte.

9. Save the new gradient as Flash.10. Deselect the text.11. Delete the green text from the bottom of the

artboard.12. Convert the remaining text objects into

outlines.13. Select all, then lock all objects.14. Save your work, compare your illustration to

Figure 41, then close Restaurant Logo.

S K I L L S R E V I E W ( C O N T I N U E D )

Creating Text and Gradients ILLUSTRATOR 2-35

FIGURE 41Completed Skills Review

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P R O J E C T B U I L D E R 1

An eccentric California real-estatemogul hires your design firm to “createan identity” for La Mirage, his develop-ment of high-tech executive condomini-ums in Palm Springs. Since he’s curiousabout what you’ll come up with on yourown, the only creative direction he’llgive you is to tell you that the concept is“a desert oasis.”

1. Create a new 6" × 6" CMYK Color document,then save it as Desert Oasis.

2. Using a bold font and 80 pt for a font size,type LA MIRAGE in all capitals. (Hint : Thefont shown in Figure 42 is Impact.)

3. Change the horizontal scale to 80%.4. Change the baseline shift to 0. 5. Apply a -100 kerning value between the

two words. 6. Convert the text to outlines, then click the

Linear Gradient 1 gradient in the Swatchespanel.

7. Using the Color panel, change the first colorstop to 66M/100Y/10K (Hint : Press and hold[Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac) when creatingthe new color.)

8. Create an intermediary color stop that is25M/100Y.

9. Position the intermediary color stop at 70%on the slider.

10. Save the gradient in the Swatches panel,and name it Desert Sun.

11. Drag the Gradient Tool from the exact top tothe exact bottom of the text.

12. Create a rectangle around the text and fill itwith the Desert Sun gradient.

13. Drag the Gradient Tool from the bottom tothe top of the rectangle.

14. Send the rectangle to the back of the stack.

15. Apply a 1-point black stroke to LA MIRAGE.16. Type the tagline: a desert oasis in 14 pt

lowercase letters.17. Apply a tracking value of 500 or more to the

tagline, then convert it to outlines.18. Save your work, then close Desert Oasis.


FIGURE 42Completed Project Builder 1

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P R O J E C T B U I L D E R 2

Your friend owns Loon’s Balloons. Shestops by your studio with a display ad thatshe’s put together for a local magazineand asks if you can make all the elementswork together better. Her only directionis that the balloon must remain pink, thesame color as her logo.

1. Open AI 2-4.ai, then save it as Balloons.2. Save the pink fill on the balloon to the

Swatches panel, and name it Hot Pink.3. Fill the balloon shape with the White,

Black Radial gradient from the Swatchespanel.

4. Change the black stop on the Gradient Sliderto Hot Pink.

5. Using the Gradient Tool, change the high-light point on the balloon shape so that it isno longer centered in the balloon shape.

6. Copy the balloon, then paste it in front.7. Click the Selection Tool on the block of text

that says “specializing in etc.”, then cutthe text.

8. Click the top balloon with the Selection Tool,then switch to the Area Type Tool.

9. Click the top edge of the top balloon, thenpaste.

10. Center the text and apply a -4 baseline shift.11. Adjust the layout of the text as necessary.

(Hint : You can force a line of text to the nextline by clicking before the first word in theline you want to move, then pressing[Shift][Enter] (Win) or [Shift][return] (Mac).)

12. Move the headline LOON’S BALLOONS sothat each word is on a different side of theballoon string.

13. Apply a 320 kerning value between thetwo words.

14. Save your work, compare your screen toFigure 43, then close Balloons.


FIGURE 43Completed Project Builder 2

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D E S I G N P R O J E C T

You work in the marketing department ofa major movie studio, where you designmovie posters and newspaper campaigns.You are respected for your proficiencywith typography. Your boss asks you tocome up with a “teaser” campaign for themovie Vanishing Point, a spy thriller. Thecampaign will run on billboards in 10 majorcities and will feature only the movie title,nothing else.

1. Create a new 6" × 6" CMYK Color document,then save it as Vanish.

2. Type VANISHING POINT, using 100 ptand a bold font. (Hint : The font used inFigure 44 is Impact.)

3. Change the horizontal scale to 55%.4. Convert the text to outlines.5. In the Swatches panel, click the Linear

Gradient 1 gradient. 6. Drag the Gradient Tool from the exact bot-

tom to the exact top of the letters.7. Copy the letters, then paste them in front. 8. Fill the copied letters in front with white.9. Using your arrow keys, move the white let-

ters 2 pts to the left and 8 pts up.10. Save your work, then compare your text

with Figure 44. 11. Close Vanish.


FIGURE 44Completed Design Project

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Firehouse Chili Pepper Company, a localspecialty food manufacturer, has hiredyour team to design a label for its newline of hot sauces. Since this is a newproduct line, they have no existing mate-rials for your team to start from.

1. Create a new 6" × 6" CMYK Color document,then save it as Firehouse Chili.

2. Assign two team members to search theInternet to get design ideas. They shoulduse keywords such as chili, pepper, hotsauce, barbecue, and salsa. What have otherdesigners created to convey these con-cepts? Is there a broad range of ideas, orare they all pretty much different versions ofthe same idea? If so, can your group thinkof something original that works?

3. Assign two other members to go to the gro-cery store and return with some samples ofother products in this niche. Be sure theypurchase both products that you’ve heard ofbefore and products you’ve never heard ofbefore. Are the known products’ design con-cepts better than the unknown products’?Have the group discuss any correlationbetween the successful products and betterdesign, if it is evident.

4. Two other team members should be incharge of typographic research and shouldwork closely with the design team. Again,have the group discuss whether it sees avariety of typefaces used in relation with this

concept, or whether they are all pretty muchthe same.

5. While everyone else is researching, thedesign team should begin brainstormingand sketching out ideas. Although there areno existing materials, the product line’sname is very evocative. The team shouldcreate design ideas that spring from theconcepts of “firehouse” and “chili pepper,”as well as from more broad-based conceptssuch as salsa, Mexico, and fire.

6. Use the skills that you learned in this chap-ter to create the label. (Hint : Fill text out-lines with a gradient that conveys “hot.”Use reds, oranges, and blacks. Use a boldfont for the text so that the gradient will beclearly visible. Position the stops on theslider so that the “hot” colors are promi-nent in the letterforms.)

7. Save your work, then compare your resultswith Figure 45.

8. Close Firehouse Chili.

G R O U P P R O J E C T


FIGURE 45Completed Group Project

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