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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

How to create Typography - Glossy Effect


Do you like to create a typography logo with outstanding but simple effect?





Here's How!


Step 1: Open Adobe Illustrator CS6 Go To File>New (Ctrl + N) and Fill your document with these values: (Width: 900px| Height: 600px). Click Ok.




Step 2: Enter A sample text by using the "Text Tool" on you AI Toolbar (e.g. SAMPLE TEXT)
*(CTRL + '>' - enlarge a text type | CTRL + '<' - make the type text smaller)






Step 3: Create Outlines of the text type "Right Click" on the text Select "Create Outlines" (CTRL + SHIFT + O)





Step 4: Copy the outlined text by pressing 'CTRL + C' and paste in in the front or back of the outlined text by pressing 'CTRL  + F' (Paste in Front) or 'CTRL + B' (Paste to Back).

Right now you should have two(2) outlined text in your artboard.

Here is how to check: Go to Window > Layers (F7). Press the arrow in your Layers Panel to see all the Grouped Objects. So there should be two objects in your Layer since we paste the outlined text at its very location.




Step 5: With the top object selected, go to your pathfinder panel, click the Options* menu, and click "Make Compound Shape".

*it doesn't say "Options" it is just an additional button located at the top right of almost every PANEL in illustrator.

"Make Compund Shape" combines multiple objects into a single object with complex shape. If this doesn't make sense you can CLICK HERE  for more info.



Step 6: Again with the top object selected, Go to Objects > Expand Appearance.




Step 7: Select the top object again (Be sure that this is the one that you have applid "Make Compound Shape" into and put a 2px white stroke(Align Stroke to Inside) weight using the Stroke Panel.


your artboard objects should be similar to this (with visible white stroke)

Step 8: with the "Expanded Appearance" Object Selected, go to your Pathfinder Panel  and click "Minus Front"
This step is very straight forward, it simply subtract the front object/objects (in this case the stroke which is already expanded as an object) to back object (in this case the 'SAMPLE TEXT') leaving what's left of the last object on the stack as the difference.



Step 9: Repeat Step 5.

Step 10: Create a rectangle shape covering the upper part of the object.
Note: The rectangle should be at the top of the text/objects


Step 12: Select the rectangle object and the "Compounded Shape" from Step 9



Now we have 2 possible shine/glossy effect from here so I suggest that you Save your progress from here.

Step 13a: Go to your Pathfinder and click on "Intersect".



This will leave you something like this: so I suggest you create your objects with different colors.

Step 14a: With the "Intersected Object" Selected, Apply Gradient with these values using your Gradient Panel. Then change the transparency to "Screen" on your Transparency Panel.

Color: White to Rich Black ([CMYK] 100%)
you can also try adjusting the opacity of the "Screened" object






VOILA!! YOU JUST CREATED YOUR FIRST TEXT EFFECT!!


You can change the color of the object behind if you want and it will produce same effect (this effect works best using darker shades of colors but also works on lighter ones)

Screen Opacity: 60%


Another Shine effect: (From Step 12)

Step 13b: Go to your Pathfinder and click on "Minus Front".

I just change the color of the difference Object for visual purposes

Step 14b: Change the color (preferably lighter shades)  of the object behind other than black/gray (*Red, *Blue, *Green, etc). Select the "Subtracted Object", go to Gradient and Transparency Panels and fill in these values:

Gradient Color: White to Gray(CMY = 0, K=50%)




CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE TUTORIAL!!
I HOPE YOU HAVE PRODUCED A PRODUCT SIMILAR TO THIS! :D



few more versions by just changing the "Back Object"


Thank you so much for completing the tutorial!! Please leave any comments in my first official post!! 

-Kim


4 comments:

  1. Please leave a comment if this helpful or if I can make improvements of the tutorial.

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