Illustrator Text

[GB2]

I was wondering how any Illustrator users manage their text. Do you have your preferences set to measure text in points or inches? How do you handle creating a specific size text?

I ask because the way that Illustrator works with text doesn't make sense to me. A point equals .0139 inches but if you apply that formula to choosing point sizes to equal a specific text size, it doesn't work. Also, if you have your preferences set to display text in inches and you choose a specific size, it doesn't work. I imagine it's because there is more to it that I'm just not familiar with, and I really should get the book out first, but I just thought I'd take the easy route and ask.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I rarely use text at a given size, just visually pleasing size for the layout...

 

[Rev Designs]

create outlines with text then set to specific height is how i do it.

 

[mikey-Oh]

really depends on what i'm making. more often than not artboard gets set to inches. though with small stuff like decals and business cards i'll work in points. probably just my background in offset.

 

[Bill Modzel]

I have my working space in inches and my type in points. Frankly, there is so much variation in the actual size of one font to the next it's pretty irrelevant.

If you have to make something accurate like a 3" DOT number, just pull down a couple of
guides and fit in between them.

 

[pure_media]

Yeah, setting the guides to the rulers works, that way you can change font if needed. If you have the font choice and the spelling correct, turn the text into outlines and change the height and width to desired size.

It's easier to set a specific size of text in Flexi, but I usually do most design work in Illustrator.

 

[ratchet]

I'm on the 'outline and stretch' train as well.

 

[GB2]

Well, all those methods will give you a generally satisfactory result but not exact and perfectly consistent, especially if you are working with descenders and/or punctuation. It seems like such common sense that you should be able to automatically and easily create specific inch size text but perhaps not.

What I also do, if the sizing is not absolutely critical, is use 100 Illustrator points subtract 20 points = 1". In other words, if I wanted a 3" text size, I would use 300 point text subtract 20 points = 280 points = appx. 3" letter. That usually results in an approximately correct size correlation, due to the allowance for descending letters in Illustrator or some other mystery spacing. At least I can be consistent that way.

 

[mikey-Oh]

too much math for me(specially when i can specify inches instead of points, is that a sold points to inches formula?

 

[GB2]

I assume you meant to say "Is that a solid points to inches formula?" ....well, no it isn't, it's just a formula that I use that seems to work approximately but consistently. That's the point actually, there doesn't seem to be any solid method of accurately and consistently sizing text in Illustrator.

 

[Malkin]

I think it's because 100 pts = 1 inch including all ascenders & descenders included in the whole font. The means that the cap height for 1 font may not match another at the same point size.

It is irritating, but not too frequently.

 

[MikePro]

i work in illustrator with CAD tools installed... I format my text in a general size, usually 14pt, but then save a version of my file before creating outlines in case i need it later, and then I make another file to scale with outlines for production.