Using Type & Printing
The following Tools will be used:
- Selection
- Direct Selection
- Pen
- Type
• Type on a Path - Rectangle
• Ellipse
• Star
• Polygon - Stroke/Fill
The following Panels will be used:
- Layers
- Swatches
- Align
The following Commands will be used:
- Object
• Create Outlines
• Expand - Text
• Offset Path
Creating a Logo
We are going to create a logo using circles and text.
Let’s start out by creating our new document set to letter size, and CMYK – CMYK will become important later on:
Let’s also rename layer 1 to Circles since we will be drawing two of them:
Let’s now draw our first circle – I’ve made mine 6 in x 6 in:
Now let’s talk color for a second – while your circle is selected, click on the stroke color on your tool palette. If your stroke color is black, go ahead and find the color black in your swatch palette and double click. Let’s change the Swatch Name to Spot Black, the Color Type to Spot Color and the Color Mode to Grayscale – notice the icon in the Swatches Palette:
This will be important when we print out our color separations for our business card.
Now we need to draw another circle for our logo – I’ve made a new circle 4 in. x 4 in. and used the Align Palette to center both circles horizontally and vertically. I’ve also selected both circles and made the Stroke Weight 6 pt.:
Lets also create the second Spot Color for our logo – select the inner circle of your logo then select the fill color in your tool palette and select the color of your choice from the Swatches Palette and double click. Change the Swatch Name to Spot _____, and change the Color Type to Spot Color:
Let’s now get rid of the unused swatches out of our Swatch Palette – make sure that both of your circles are deselected, then go to your Swatches Palette and click on the options button and choose Select All Unused. Once they are selected click the options button again and choose Delete Swatch. This will clear the unused swatches from your palette:
Let’s make a new layer and name it Text:Even though we have created a new layer named Text, the next thing we are going to create is another circle – I’ve made this new circle 4.5 in x 4.5 in and again I have aligned it horizontally and vertically with the other two:
Let’s now “tear-off” our Type Tool from our tool palette and choose the Type on a Path Tool – then we can click on our newly drawn circle:
Now Type out your name and title (or a word that describes you) in your logo – I have also opened my Type Palette and change the Font and Size of my text:
With the Rotate Tool and by reworking my Type Size and Tracking I have settled on how I want my text on my path to look:
Now, with the Star Tool, I am going to make two stars that I will then rotate, size and place on my logo. I will also use the Spot Green color I made earlier:
Next, let’s make an initial for ourselves by creating a new layer, locking the others and using the (regular) Text Tool – I’ve used the font Brody to type out a white M2:
With my initial selected (via the Selection Tool) I am going to turn my text into art by choosing from the top menu Type > Create Outlines or Right-Click > Create Outlines– I can then size it appropriately using the selection or size tool(s):
I am now going to choose Object > Path > Offset Path to create another path outside of the white letterform – I will turn this one black so the letter appears to have a black outline without distorting the letterform. Select Preview to see extent of offset and adjust as desired before confirming OK:
I have chosen not to give the letter a traditional black stroke as to preserve the appearance of the letterform.
I think our initial needs a black drop shadow, so let’s start by duplicating the layer Initial and Renaming it to Initial White and let’s name the copy Initial Black:Once I have done this I can hide the layer Initial White where I can then change the color of the letter on the layer Initial Black and nudge the letter down and over a bit:
Let’s turn our layer Initial White on again to see the results and Save our document:
Now we are just about done – let’s unlock all of our layers, and from the top menu Select > Select All and convert all of our text to outlines:
Also to ensure that the Stroke on our objects stays in proportion Select All, choose and from the top menu (or context menu) Object > Expand or Expand Appearance. Now our strokes have been converted to objects which will scale properly:
Let’s also Save As an Encapsulated Post Script (.eps) file – this way we will have one version of our file that we can go back and edit the text and the other will be purely art:
Congratulations on your new logo!!
…
Creating a Business Cards
Let’s now get started on your business card by creating another new document:Let’s also keep the logo file open.
We are going to start off by drawing a business card sized rectangle – 3.5 in x 2 in:Next, let’s copy the rectangle to our clipboard, then let’s make this rectangle into guides by choosing in main menu View > Guides > Make Guides – this will allow us to see the bounding box of our business card:
Let’s now past the rectangle from our clipboard, move it over the guide and make crop marks by choosing in main menu Effects > Crop Marks.
Now make the Stroke and Fill of the rectangle None, and name layer Crops:
Let’s go get our logo from our logo file – we can simply open up our logo file, Select All, Copy and then Paste it into our business card file on a new layer called Logo:
Let’s make sure that we group our logo by Object > Group and then we can resize it:
Let’s zoom in via the Zoom Tool and get ready to create some Text on its own layer – make sure that when you create your text you use one of the Spot Colors you created in you logo… they should be in your Swatches Palette:
Go ahead and modify your Text via the Character Palette:
Remember to convert the contact information text to outlines – from the top menu Type > Create Outlines or Right-Click > Create Outlines.
–For Your Own Reference – Not Required for Assignment–
We’re ready to print out our new business card by choosing File > Print – once there you may be able to select Setup and select Crop Artwork to Crop Area. Next, select Marks & Bleed and under Marks select All Printer’s Marks:OPTION: Lastly, select Output and under Mode choose Separations then choose the Inks you would like to print via Document Ink Options – see your Spot Colors… PRINT!: