Tag: greenbee.blog

Define circle segment angles in Illustrator

by Irish Bees Don't Do Mondays, posted in Illustrator

Sometimes you need to be able to define the angle of a circle segment. Trouble is, in Illustrator, circles are not true circles; they are ellipses shaped into circles with bezier curves.

I have written a tutorial detailing the two methods I use to define the angle of a circle segment. Download the tutorial here:

circle-segment-anglesDownload

A long time ago I wrote up a tutorial to do the same using Inkscape:

segment-angles-inkscapeDownload

It might be out of date, I haven’t checked, but it’s here just in case it’s still useful. 🙂

Colourful Words: Illustrator and PSD

by Irish Bees Don't Do Mondays, posted in Illustrator, Photoshop

Today ‘s tutorials are quick and easy techniques for filling in Illustrator and Photoshop text with background images.

Illustrator

  • Create your text. I’m using Cooper Black.
  • Place, Copy or Import the image you want to fill your text with.
  • Embed imported or placed graphics.
  • Send the image to the back of the text (both are on the same layer): Object>Arrange>Send to Back.
  • Select the text and image then go to Object>Clipping Mask>Make.
  • Go to the Properties menu and give the text a stroke to define it clearly as the action of creating a clipping mask will have removed the text fill and stroke.

Photoshop

  • Type your text. This time I’m using Elephant. The bears are just for fun and not part of the technique 🙂
  • On a separate layer, create, place or import the pattern / image to fill the text with.

This screen shot below shows the layer order: Graphics layer above the text layer. The bears are on a separate layer.

  • Alt-Click between the two layers, ie, on the dividing line between them.
  • Double-click on the text layer, select Stroke>colour and size to apply to the outline of the text to define it.

🙂

Create a Leaded Window Effect in Illustrator

by Irish Bees Don't Do Mondays, posted in Illustrator

The individually coloured panels are what we’ll be creating in today’s tutorial. It’s a versatile effect that can be used for lots of different applications. I used it for the leafy design below.

🙂

Here’s the tutorial for you:

leaded-window-effect-tutorialDownload

xoxoxo 🙂

Create a Concentric Spiral Text Path in Illustrator

by Irish Bees Don't Do Mondays, posted in Illustrator

The Spiral Tool in Illustrator decays into an ever tighter and smaller turn and doesn’t work as a text path. It makes text increasingly illegible or clunky as it follows the spiral. This tutorial shows you how to make a concentric spiral text path.

An infographic I’m working on.

I’ve used concentric circles to create the framework for the infographic above so you can see an example of how the principles can be put to practical use.

*There are other ways to create concentric paths; you could create a circle then go to Offset Path to create perfect concentric circles without a spiral.*

Download the tutorial here:

concentric-spiral-text-path-tutorialDownload

xoxoxo