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Adobe Illustrator Text & Typography

This week we cover: Text and Logos, text options, drop shadows, outlines,type areas and masks, warping text, text on patterns and shapes, sizes, color choices, wrapping a path around an object for that type, type-on-a-path, OpenType fonts (Adobe), the Type menu, Character/Paragraph, bold, italicized, larger or smaller, direct selection tool, transforming text, and the text pallette. One good PDF file included.
      You are encouraged to add yours... and share the adventure! Use this handy submission form.

• Working with Type in Illustrator (wellesley.edu)
  This site directly describes the various tools in which to change type from the simple type tool to wrapping a path around an object for that type. It lacks illustrations of where to find these tools, but it is very direct in its message to tell the reader what they might be able to do in Illustrator 10. Posted on Wed Mar 24 13:32:56
• Inside Adobe Illustrator (Washington.edu)
  This website was created as a resource for students at the University of Washington who are enrolled in a class dealing with "Computing in Landscape Architecture." The class, which uses Adobe Illustrator amongst other programs, provides excellent internet links to a wide array of tutorials, but this particular site provides an in-depth introduction to the basic features and functions of Adobe Illustrator, e.g. the difference between vectors and bitmaps, work areas, palettes, tools, etc. Posted on Mon Mar 29 01:34:33
• Illustrator Tutorial #3: Text And Text Manipulation
  This tutorial explains how to use the area type tool, path type tool, vertical type tool, vertical area type tool, and the vertical path type tool. It explains how to resize type and move type around using a single vector path. Make sure your text is always highlighted before preforming a transformation. CTRL-T brings up the type dialog box for further adjustments. Posted on Sun Mar 28 22:33:24
• Warping Illustrator Text
  This site gives information on all of the tools that can warp and create other effects in and around the text you have in Adobe Illustrator. The site demonstrates quick key shortcuts and menu commands as well. Posted on Sun Mar 28 22:49:34
• Creating Text in Illustrator
  This tutorial is simple and very easy to follow, however, it is extremely informative. Not only does Mark Simpson take you through step by step instructions as to how to do simple texts, but he gives you pictures of the tool bar and with each step he shows you what you should be clicking on and where you should go by using different colored arrows pointing to it's co-ordinating icon. It only takes a couple minutes to read, but once you have finished, Mark follows it up with a "now you do it" section so you can check your understanding of his tutorial and make sure you are doing it right. Posted on Sun Mar 28 23:28:07
• Get the most out of OpenType fonts (Adobe)
  This tutorial focuses on open type fonts which give you even more flexibility in choosing variations of characters for the type. It shows one how to do fractions easily. You can also use the swash button for more cool effects. One can add decorations or ligatures with symbols from the glyph palette. Some fonts don't have ornaments, however. (Adobe) Posted on Mon Mar 29 01:04:06
• Ilustrator: Creating Spectacular F/X
  This website by Jaquelin Vanderwood is an excellent resource for anyone who seeks to further his or her limited competancy in using the Adobe Illustrator program. This particular website provides detailed instructions and large diagrams that demonstrate how strokes can be manipulated to achieve a variety of desireable effects. The site also explains the need for using other tools such as the selection tool, and how different combinations can enhance one's artistic endeavors. Posted on Mon Mar 29 01:49:50
• Illustrator Tutorial # 3: Text and Text Manipulation
  This website, which is owned and maintained by a company called "Go 2 Graphics", is one of the most thorough tutorials out there. The website is just one of many tutorial links owned by the company but every site is cared for with the same attention to detail. The site not only provides in-depth instruction for operating all aspects of Adobe Illustrator's text tool, it also provides detailed diagrams and includes shortcut keys where ever they are applicable to the focus of the tutorial. Posted on Mon Mar 29 02:29:17
• Text in Illustrator
  When working in Illustrator, text can be formatted before you even begin to type. In order to do this, go to the Type menu and chose the appropriate typeface and size of font that you would like to use. In addition to selecting in it the Type menu, you can select Character/Paragraph which will bring up a palette that you can use throughout the process of your project. Once you have chosen the type you want to use for your project, click anywhere on your image and begin to type. This tutorial instructs the artist to type a specific word. After you have typed whatever it is you wanted to type, you have the option to make the text bold, italicized, larger or smaller. This can be done, by selecting the text which lets Illustrator know that it is the layer being worked on. Now an artist can use the move tool (hollow or solid) to move and change the shape of the selected text to improve your work. Posted on Mon Mar 29 02:56:09
• Text treatments - illustrator tutorial
  Tiem design is a very comprehensive site, where multitudes of tutorials are compiled and submitted by various sources, then sorted and arranged in a very easily understood format, the only problem is trying to sort through them once you isolate the software youre looking for tutorials on... a better menu system would be greatly appreciated. Posted on Mon Mar 29 04:14:42
• Working with Type in Illustrator
  This is one of the best tutorials I have come across. It doesn't have all the visuals or all the shortcut keyboard commands but it thoroughly explains everything in a clear, logical way. Things are easily highlighted and then explained. This site covered everything about type including: using the text block and altering it, making shapes with the pen tool and wrapping text around it, making a path for type to follow, the importance of the direct selection tool, transforming text, and it explains every part of the text pallette. Posted on
• Adobe Illustrator Tutorial: LARC440
  This tutorial is very basic but covers a lot of really good material. The section on type goes through the very basics of what you would need to start using type in illustrator. It talks about text on paths, creating text boxes and various other methods of using text in art. Posted on Mon Mar 29 05:25:20
• (Macworld) Adobe Illustrator CS
  Illustrator has had a type-on-a-path tool in several versions, but it has been greatly improved with the latest release. Using the new Path Text Options dialog boxes, you can control your path's text alignment, as well as the orientation of individual characters as they traverse your path. Posted on Sun Mar 28 20:47:39
• (About.com) Illustrator Tutorials - Text and Logos
  This site itself isn't a tutorial, but it has many links which are all on text options. It deals with drop shadows, outlines,type areas and masks, warping text, text on patterns and shapes, sizes, color choices, and so on. Posted on Tue Mar 23 21:18:29

DOWNLOAD PDF

• Formatting Text in Adobe Illustrator (PDF)
  This PDF file is a hand out which explains the basics of text in Illustrator. To make a text box you simply click on the type tool then click on your poster and start typing. you can export text from Microsoft Word by saving the text as a .txt file then selecting File, Place, on your poster. To format an entire text box, click on the selectiong tool (solid arrow). Once the text area is surrounded with a blue outline, you can use the type menu to adjust the style, font, size, etc. of the selected text. If you only want to format part of the text, highlight the desired part and then choose from your options in the file menu. (PDF File - drag and drop if you don't want to initiate Acrobat) Posted on Sun Mar 28 23:57:32

 

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