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| If you've found an error in this tutorial (or elsewhere on the site) or you feel that something's not quite right with it, I'd like to know so I can address it. Send me the details. When writing, please include the tutorial name and where you believe the error lies. Thanks. |
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| In Print |
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| Illustrator CS Most Wanted Techniques And Effects |
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| The Swanky Text FX tutorial, along with many others, are featured in the new book from Friends of Ed "Illustrator CS Most Wanted: Techniques and Effects". Written by Matt Kloskowski and technical edited by Michael Hamm of ergodraw.com, you'll find a ton of useful tips, information and techniques to bring your work in Illustrator to the next level. |
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04 | Subtract / Minus Front
Select both the red and white inset paths (CMD/CTRL + A). Make sure ONLY the HIGHLIGHTS layer is unlocked before doing this.
Open the Pathfinder palette (Window > Pathfinder). Hold down the Alt/Option key as you click on the Subtract from shape area command. This command uses the red path to cut away from the white path below it resulting in white highlights.
With the highlights selected, open the Transparency palette (Window > Transparency) and set the opacity to 80%. Also, change the Blending Mode to Overlay. Note that the highlights now have a bluish tint. With this blending mode, the highlights will now blend with almost any color chosen for the object on the BASE layer. If you fill it with green, the highlights will be a light green and so on and so forth.
Some colors on the BASE object may "wash out" the highlights. To resolve this, change the blending mode for the highlights to Screen or Normal.
If the highlights don't look similar to the image shown above, you may have forgotten to apply the Compound Path > Make command from Step 2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + Z to undo, heed these words of advice and try again. You can do it! We all believe in you!!
Before we all move on to the next step, lock the HIGHLIGHTS layer, unlock and select the BASE layer.
05 | Duplicate and Carve
As in Step 2, duplicate the BASE layer by choosing Duplicate "BASE" from the palette's option menu. Rename the new layer OPACITY. This new layer should be above BASE but below HIGHLIGHTS. Lock the BASE layer.
Select the type object on the new layer and fill it with an ice blue color (R:204 G:255 B:255). Use the Knife Tool to cut a slightly wavy path across the object. See image below for an example
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Note: To select the Knife Tool in the toolbox, click and hold on the Scissors Tool until you see the Knife Tool in the flyout menu. |
Before you deselect the type object, choose Object > Ungroup from the menu bar. This releases the upper and lower portions of the object from each other.
06 | Create & Apply Opacity Mask
Select the lower portion of the object and delete it so you see part of the medium blue BASE type object on the layer below.
Select the Rectangle Tool and draw a rectangle large enough so that it encompasses at least the bottom and sides of the remaining portion of the ice blue object.
Fill the rectangle with a black-to-white linear gradient. See the image below for settings as well as a current reference image. Note that the highlights created earlier are visible since they appear on the OPACITY layer above.
Select both the gradient rectangle and the ice blue object (Cmd/Ctrl + A) and choose Make Opacity Mask from the Transparency palette option menu. Voila! Opacity Mask Glossiness! Set the opacity level of the mask to 65%, lock the OPACITY layer and let's move on.
Continued... | Next Page » |
