Adobe Illustrator, a popular software for graphic designers, offers a variety of text editing features including the option to create outlines of text. This function can be particularly useful for preparing designs for print or transforming text into a shape. This article will provide a detailed tutorial on how to efficiently outline text with Adobe Illustrator.
Step 1: Launch Adobe Illustrator and Open your Document
First, you need to launch Adobe Illustrator and open the document which contains the text you want to outline. You can do this by clicking on the “File” tab and selecting “Open”.
Step 2: Select the Text
Next, you need to select the text that you want to outline. You can do this with the “Selection Tool” which is located in the toolbar. Click on the text you want to outline to select it.
Step 3: Create Outlines
The next step is to create an outline. With the text still selected, go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click on the “Type” dropdown menu. From there, select “Create Outlines”.
//Here's an illustrator script equivalent of the Create Outlines command:
#target illustrator
function test(){
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var text = doc.textFrames[0];
text.createOutline();
}
test();
Alternately, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+O (for Windows) or Cmd+Shift+O (for Mac).
Step 4: Adjusting the Outlined Text
Once you’ve outlined the text, you can treat it like any other shape in Illustrator. You can resize, rotate, and color it as you wish. You can also apply stroke to the outline to make it thicker or thinner.
Remember, once text has been outlined, it cannot be edited like regular text. So make sure to save a copy of your original text before outlining.
Conclusion
Outlining text in Adobe Illustrator is a simple process that can give your designs a more professional look. Whether you’re designing a logo, a banner, or a print layout, mastering this technique can greatly enhance your graphic design skills. So try it out, and start creating more dynamic and versatile designs.