First, I like to make most of my word art left-aligned just because I find we write and read left to right but then I also indent the second line, like you can see in this word art (from my new release today!)
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/MC_Steampunk_ladies_gents.jpg)
Credits: Steampunk Word Art Clusters
You can see in this one as well as other word art I do, I don't particularly like to make the words line up right under each other. Then of course, the ampersand is not really aligned with either but I do that for some visual interest and to add that contrast!
Included in alignment I think is letter spacing. Do you know how to change the space between letters? Here is an example of a word I have typed out and then decided I want the letters to be closer together. Hi-light your text, and then find the alpha toolbox. Then, you will see a drop down menu next to a symbol with AZ and an arrow underneath it where you can space the letters out further or move them closer together. Some fonts I have found place the letters really close together and I use this to give them some room. I don't however, recommend this for script fonts as the curves won't flow into each other when spaced out.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/alignmentsettings.jpg)
Here are the settings I used on this word. I used -25 to move them closer together. You can always type in a different value than the menu gives you an option for.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/alignmentsettings2.jpg)
I especially use this trick when I make a text path on a shape. Here I have made a circle text path and want to write "Beautiful Baby" three times. Sometimes changing the font size doesn't fix the spacing issue or the text is just the size I want but too close together. This alpha tool is perfect for that.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/beautifulbaby.jpg)
I hi-lighted the words and then spaced them out, using my own value after playing around with the presets.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/beautifulbabyspaced.jpg)
One other thing I wanted to show you was that text paths don't only have to be on the outside of shapes. You can move them to the inside using the Direct selection tool.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/changingdirectionofwords.jpg)
Click on the text and hold the button down as you drag the cursor inside the circle.
![](https://d2q0qd5iz04n9u.cloudfront.net/_ssl/proxy.php/http/gallery.mailchimp.com/a5802674200ba38eda47a69b4/images/changingdirectionofwords3.jpg)
And there you go! You now have text inside the circle.
Play around with these alignment tools and I'll see you next week for the Proximity design principle!
1 comment:
Your the beest
Post a Comment