Help please

[maxie1986]

Hi all, have a quick question.

Im drawing up some files in illustrator, but I need to make the thickness of the text 6mm all round. See photo attached is this do-able at all. Advice on how to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Maxie

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Are you wanting them to be a consistent 6mm everywhere? Since none of the letters are the same width you really need to redraw them from scratch. I would do this by drawing every stroke as 6mm using the stroke tool and once you are happy with the results you can then convert to a shape

 

[The Vector Doctor]

like this

 

[maxie1986]

Are you wanting them to be a consistent 6mm everywhere? Since none of the letters are done that way you really need to redraw them from scratch. I would do this by drawing every stroke as 6mm using the stroke tool and once you are happy with the results you can then convert to a shape

Hi yes I require it to be a 6mm consistent everywhere as to act like a chanel. Could you point me to any guides or videos for your method please.

Maxie

 

[Boudica]

Or... change the stroke units to mm, add an stroke of 6mm set to the outside of the object, and then expand it so it's not a stroke anymore then unite so it's all the same object.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

redraw the letters using a 6mm stroke. Use your original as a watermarked template in the background. That is all i did. Once you are done convert the stroke line into a shape. Not sure of the function name in corel

Object>path>outline stroke is the function in Illustrator

 

[gnubler]

Hey, that's the sign I have on my front door!

 

[maxie1986]

redraw the letters using a 6mm stroke. Use your original as a watermarked template in the background. That is all i did. Once you are done convert the stroke line into a shape. Not sure of the function name in corel

Object>path>outline stroke is the function in Illustrator

Do you mean draw with the pen or brush tool ? I'm worried my lines will be all over the place

 

[The Vector Doctor]

pen

 

[maxie1986]

pen

Am I right in saying its a long process doing this way..

 

[Boudica]

Am I right in saying its a long process doing this way..

yes, that's why I suggested adding a 6mm stroke to the graphic (assuming it's already vector), and expanding it. Well, depending on your illustrating and drawing skills The Doctor could probably do it in about 3 minutes

 

[Boudica]

Is the goal to make the letters thicker?

Edit - or just 6mm thick period? if this is the Case - then what The Vector Dr. suggested.
...when I first read the OP, I thought you wanted them thicker than what they currently are.

 

[Signstein]

I second Boudica - just send it over to the Doctor and be done with it. You'll get exactly what you need and won't have to spend all day messing with the pen tool.

 

[maxie1986]

Is the goal to make the letters thicker?

my aim is to get an even 6mm Chanel all round the letters, ill insert neon flex light. I don't have a router so I'm using my laser machine. But yes I think I'll speak with the doctor about prices going forward. Thanks all for your time its been much appreciated and lessons learned ;-)

 

[The Vector Doctor]

now it sounds like you want to add 6 mm around the whole existing lettering?? In that case you just use the offset command of 6mm away from the existing vector shapes

object>path>offset path

 

[ProSignTN]

Don't know if Illustrator will do it, but in Coral you can auto center trace and then contour 3mm outside. That'll five you 6mm stroke.

 

[jimbug72]

I'm on the confused team with vector doctor. The way the op was worded, it sounded like you needed the body of the letters to be a uniform 6mm, i.e. no portion of the letter being wider or narrower than 6mm. Like the W in ops post, the "wing tip" on the left of the is wider than the "wing tip" on the right. In the Vector Dr.'s sample below that the "wing tips" are a uniform width. After a few posts it seems OP might want to simply add a uniform 6mm around the existing lettering as it is.

In either case, the good Doctor is 100% correct in how to proceed.

If his first interpretation is correct, you would want to redraw each letter with a single stroke in the middle at 6mm and round the caps. This will give you the uniform width letter body like my sample on the left

If it was the latter, then his instructions to offset the path would give you results like my example on the right.