How to Make Text an Object in Illustrator
Making text an object in Illustrator is a valuable skill that allows you to manipulate and transform your text in unique ways. In this article, I’ll guide you through the process of turning your text into an object using Illustrator’s powerful tools.
To begin, open Adobe Illustrator and create a new document or open an existing one. Select the Text tool from the toolbar on the left-hand side. Click anywhere on the canvas and start typing your desired text. You can choose a font, size, and color for your text using the options at the top of the screen.
Once you have entered your text, it’s time to convert it into an object. To do this, select the Selection tool from the toolbar or press “V” on your keyboard. Then click on your text to select it. With the text selected, go to Object in the top menu and choose “Expand” from the dropdown list. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm what aspects of your text you want to expand; make sure “Object” is checked and hit OK.
Creating a new document in Illustrator
To begin the process of making text an object in Illustrator, you’ll need to create a new document. Launch Adobe Illustrator and click on “File” from the menu bar. Select “New” to open the New Document dialog box. Here, you can specify the dimensions and settings for your project.
Consider the size and resolution of your final design when setting up your document. If you’re designing for print, it’s essential to choose appropriate measurements and color modes. For web or digital projects, RGB color mode is typically used.
Importing or Typing the Text
Once you have set up your document, it’s time to add or type the text that you want to transform into an object. There are two main ways to do this: importing existing text or typing directly within Illustrator.
If you already have the text content created in another program such as Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign, you can import it into Illustrator by selecting “File” > “Place.” This will allow you to navigate to the file location and insert it into your document.
Alternatively, if you prefer typing directly within Illustrator, select the Type tool from the toolbar (shortcut: T) and click anywhere on your artboard where you want to place the text. A cursor will appear, indicating that you can start typing.
Adjusting the Font and Formatting
After adding or importing your text, it’s crucial to adjust its font and formatting according to your design requirements. With the Type tool selected, highlight/select all or part of your text by dragging over it with your mouse pointer.
In the Character panel (Window > Type > Character), located at the right side of your workspace by default, you’ll find various options for modifying font properties such as font family/typeface, size, style (bold/italic), leading (line spacing), tracking (letter spacing), and more.
Converting Text to Outlines in Illustrator
In this section, I’ll guide you through the process of converting text into outlines using Adobe Illustrator. By transforming your text into a vector shape, you can freely manipulate it as an object and apply various effects.
To convert text to outlines, follow these simple steps:
- Select the text: Choose the text element that you want to transform into an object by clicking on it with the Selection Tool (V).
- Convert to outlines: Go to Type in the top menu and select “Create Outlines” or simply press Ctrl+Shift+O (Cmd+Shift+O on Mac). This action converts your selected text into individual vector paths.
- Edit the outlines: Now that your text has been converted, you can edit each letter individually as a vector shape using the Direct Selection Tool (A). Adjust anchor points, modify curves, or even reshape letters completely according to your design needs.
- Apply effects and styles: With your text now being treated as an object, you have access to a wide range of creative possibilities. Experiment with different fill colors, strokes, gradients, shadows, and other effects from the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) to enhance your design further.
- Remember! Save a copy of editable text: Before converting your entire document’s texts into outlines, always keep a backup copy with editable text layers separately. This ensures flexibility for future edits or revisions without having to recreate all the content from scratch.
Converting text to outlines is particularly useful when working with custom fonts or sharing files across different computers where font availability might be limited. It also allows for more precise control over letter shapes and enables advanced graphic treatments that go beyond standard typography options.
Keep in mind that once you’ve converted your text into outlines, it will no longer be editable as regular type. Therefore, make sure you’re satisfied with its appearance before proceeding.
By following these steps, you can easily transform your text into versatile vector objects in Adobe Illustrator. Unlock the full potential of typography and unleash your creativity with this powerful feature.
