Saturday, May 22, 2010

3D Printable Bubble Letters Text In Illustrator

Finished Product:

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Step 1: Type it up

Select the Text Tool from the tool bar (or hit the letter T) and click on your canvas. I am using the font “Apple Casual” but the very common font ” Comic Sans” will also work just fine. Type the word Bubble or whatever you would like. Your canvas should look like this:

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Step 2: Outline your text

With your text selected go to: Type > Create Outlines

create outlines

Step 3: Give it some wiggle

Select each letter individually and rotate it slightly left or right to give the text a more organic look. Also make sure if possible to have each letter overlap just a bit with the letters on either side of it. You text should now look something like this:

Picture 8

Step 4: Merge Letter Shapes
With all of your letter shapes still selected got to go Object > Ungroup. Next go to Window > Pathfinder to open the pathfinder palette. Click on the button highlighted below to combine the letters into one solid shape then click the expand button to the right.

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Step 5: Make it colorful
Next, with your shape still selected apply a gradient that you find pleasant. I think the effect works best with the light part on the top as if the light was coming from above. Also apply a 2 pixel white stroke to the shape. Your letters should now look something like this:

Picture 9

Step 6: Make it 3D
With your shape selected copy it by pressing Command+C then paste a copy directly behind the original by pressing Command+B. Next go to to the layers palette and turn off the top letters layer. Next select the still visible layer and make it a solid darker version of the colors you are working with. I have made mine a sold deep purple. Once you have the fill how you like it remove the white stroke.

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Next, once again copy the letters by pressing Command+C and paste it behind using Command+B. Your new layer will be selected and using you arrow keys slide it to the left and bottom of the deep purple shape. Once in position adjust the colors to a lighter solid color then the one in front. It should look something like this:

Picture 13

Step 6: Get your blend on
With both words selected go to Object > Blend > Blend Options

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When the blend options window pops up select smooth color and click ok.

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Now that you have set the setting go ahead and make the blend by going to Object > Blend > Make

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Your blend should look like this:

Picture 17

Step 7: Stroke it real good
Next select your blend with the black arrow and copy it (Command+C) and paste copy directly in front of it by pressing (Command+F). Now with that new copy still selected go to Object > Blend > Expand.

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With it still selected all of those layers of the blend by going to object > ungroup. Now press the combine shapes button in your pathfinder palette and click expand. Remove the the fill color and add a stroke of 4 pixels using the stroke palette. Using the button on the right align the path to the outside.

Picture 22

Step 9: Putting it all together
Now, in your layers palette make the original letter shapes visible and you are done! It should look like this.

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If it turn out for you check back to make sure you didn’t skip a step. If you feel I skipped a step please let me know in the comments area below and I will be happy to help. Thanks!


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