Illustrator CS4: Type on a path

A quick video to show you how to put type on a path in Adobe Illustrator

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• illustrator
• CS4
• design
• path
• type

[joshpurple]

Thank You for the Type on Path video tut :) !

How do you keep the stroke on the same path that the Type on Path has been applied to? (hopefully creating a path that has both Type on it and the stroke on it. Not just the stroke on the path disappearing). Thanks!

[lenashoredotcom]

@joshpurple To my knowledge there is no way to do this. Illustrator converts the visible path to an invisible Type Path. I wish this was a feature of Illustrator. I usually just copy the path before I add text to it and paste it separately. If I find out how, I'll let you know.

[joshpurple]

@werckie just posted a reply to you in this thread (YouTube was not letting me reply directly... probably the links, etc.

[joshpurple]

@werckie  I completely agree with you, -I've been getting the same results...

I replied to you at your flickr page;

w w w (dot)flickr(dot)com(slash)phot­os(slash)35883820(at)N00(slash­)6850642241(slash)in(slash)pho­tostream

and I posted about this on the Adobe Illustrator forum;

( h _ t _ t_ p )forums(dot)adobe(dot)com(slas­h)message(slash)4148550

Pretty amazing how difficult it is to find an answer / solution to this... !

I'll be sure to let you know if find anything out,

Thanks!

[werckie]

@joshpurple See my reply below. I also created an image, maybe that helps – I hope youtube lets me post a link here! Thanks again for your reply! [go to flickr dot com] /photos/35883820@N00/685064224­1/in/photostream

[werckie]

@joshpurple Hey Josh, many thanks for your quick reply! What you describe is working, but the problem is that in this way the stroke of the type is in front of the letters, basically taking off thickness and making them look thin and horrible. The idea of using the appearance panel is to be able to keep the stroke below the fill, this only adding to the actual thickness of the letter. I tried your solution and then change the order of stroke+fill, but it won't let me. Any suggestions?

[joshpurple]

@werckie, Cont. again :)

3. Unselect > use the direct Direct Selection Tool > select the path holding down the Alt/Option key, select just the Path. Looking in the Appearance Panel, make sure at the top of the Appearance Panel it says only, " Path ." You may have to unselect, and select the path again, -avoid " Type " in the Appearance Panel for this.

You should now be able to adjust the path stroke & fill, and be able to go back to the Type Toolbar, and adjust your Text path and stroke.

[joshpurple]

@werckie No idea why YouTube will not let my post a reply and continue.. hope you see this post here, continuing from my reply to you;

2. (cont.) type characters > use the Character / Type toolbar (long tool bar, not the Appearance dia. box <--seems to create a conflict, make order, arrangement, etc.?) optional; adjust the stroke and fill settings in the toolbar to make sure your type is getting a stroke and fill on it.

[joshpurple]

@werckie Thanks for the comment / question, glad to get a bump on this thread. Yup, that makes sense, & I was working on pretty much the same deal. It is tricky (and I don't know why that is), but it seems that the order and the toolbars / dia. boxes used makes a difference. This worked for me;

1. create path (I think by default the path should have a stroke on it).

2. Use the Type on Path Tool > select the path > type characters > (cont. on next Relpy)

[werckie]

@joshpurple: This is almost working but missing one key step. It appears that with the technique you are describing you can either apply a stroke to the path or the text. I would like to apply strokes to both. Basically, I'm drawing a map in the GoogleMaps style. If you look at the small streets you notice that the text has a fill and a stroke applied to it, since it overlaps the smaller path. Does this make sense? I know your post is already a year old, but cannot find a solution anywhere else.

[lenashoredotcom]

@joshpurple Oh wow! Yay you! I will definitely give that a try!

[joshpurple]

@joshpurple (continuing) hold down the Alt / Option key at the same time, in the Appearance Tab / Window, -you should get the option of adding the stroke or fill back to the path. Notes: This worked in CS4. The Text on Path / path needed to be unselected & then re-selected with the Direct Selection Tool (white arrow) first (after Text on Path has been applied). I hope that helps, works for you. Feel free to let me know what results you get, & I'll be glad to help if needed.