Making a font look a certain way with ILLY

[crny1]

Hey all,
I am trying to recreate a font effect that someone did and I am having trouble with it when I warp it. The font looks to be done with just offset paths. Problem is with the gradient for the font color. Once I create the look and then warp it the gradient changes and the center section (highest) looses alot of the colors in the gradient. The gradient doesnt warp with it. How can I over come this? I am sure its easier in PS but I am not profiecent with PS yet.

 

[Breezy85]

Are you using Illustrator?
I came across issues as well applying effects, but then I found going to menu Object>Expand Appearance would implement the warp so the effects stay with the warp.

 

[crny1]

expand appearance doesnt do it for me. Still changes the gradient effect. And yes Illustrator/

 

[Breezy85]

That's weird. Should have done it. Did you convert the text to outline? That could be the issue. Convert to outline, apply the warp, then your gradient and expand appearance.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

show us some samples so we can better understand the issue

 

[crny1]

I got it too work. I had to use just expand and not expand appearance.
I knew it had to be something simple.

 

[Breezy85]

Glad you got it working.

 

[Sandman]

Here's some free advice for you Illustrator users. You are crazy if you don't buy Old Stock Actions and/or Old Stock Actions II from Borges Lettering. It's a plug in for Illustrator that will really step up your game. Fast (and true) 3D blocks, split shades, gradient shades, a bunch of different drop shadow options, various fills, in lines and outlines, and most effects except for the gradients are easy to separate to use for cut vinyl. Best $35 I ever spent. Now he just came out with a second version which has some other new effects, one of which is super cool because the shadow on a color is a shadow of THAT color. Hard to explain, easier to see in his instructional videos.