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Tip for Lettering Height in Illustrator

Custom_Grafx

New Member
I have just found a work around - which a lot of people my already know about, but thought I would share for those who don't.

I get a lot of regular jobs that specify text height at say 10mm, 15mm etc.

There was discussion about Illustrator not being able to handle this via the transform tool - which is true.... and that having a program like flexi etc is better because you can input the capital height of a letter, instead of the overall font height (from ascent to descent) as illustrator does.

So, this is, like I said a work around - it doesn't fix it for every font, but it still helps if you do one font regularly.

The tool I used is called "Character Styles". (window/type/character styles).

There is also "Paragraph Styles" which you can feel free to explore as it also has its place I think), but for this particular case, Character Styles will do.

So, figure out the height you need - let's say for example, you need 10mm Arial Bold. It works out to be 39.6pt.

So, type some text at 39.6pt, using Arial Bold. You can also set desired kerning and other attributes available in the Characters pallette.

Select the text, then on your Character Styles pallette, on the dropdown, select "new character style", and name it Arial Bold 10mm.

You can then save this by saving the whole document, and re-opening when required. I suggest saving the file as "text by height styles" or something, to one of your core template folders, and use as required.

Simply open it, create your text there, and copy paste it into your job file.

You can also be smart, and maybe just make one character style per font (that you frequently use), all in the same pallette/file - and make them all at 1mm or 10mm height.

That way, if you need a 50mm high Arial bold, you just scale it up 50x or 10x or whatever.

Hope this helps, and if any questions let me know I can expand on the above if required.
 

The Vector Doctor

Chief Bezier Manipulator
If I want a 1 inch tall letter I just create a 1 inch tall box, make it a light color. Then type out some text and place the cap letter on top of the box and adjust the point size until it matches
 

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MikePro

New Member
I use the box method. If u have an ongoing project that requires updatable text just make note of what text pt. size u need.... or learn the math behind it. Points, Picas, whatever u got, has a mm/inch conversion formula
 

phototec

New Member
Quick Tip for Lettering Height in Illustrator

I simply use the RULER (CTL-R) and set two horizontal guide lines at 10mm or 1" apart (whatever), set text cursor (baseline) on the bottom guide with the TYPE TOOL, type "W", highlight the text size, and simply press the UP ARROW KEY or hold it down, the text will enlarge very quickly till the top of the character reaches the top guide (the bottom of the character stays on the lower guide), then stop holding down the the UP ARROW, and now you have any character, any font set to any cap height, ascender or descender the exact height you want in a matter of seconds.

No copying, or saving font files for different sizes, no drawing boxes, etc, the guides can stay for reference, because they don't print.

Quick and fast...

:rock-n-roll:
 

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GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Just do everything in mm or cm.
When someone points out that the letter size is wrong you reply:
"No it's not, it's metric."
Most living in the lower 48 will wander away thinking you have corrected them.

wayne k
guam usa
 

Custom_Grafx

New Member
Good Lord! It's so complex it almost means nothing. French Chinese English metric... they're all different. I'm sticking with feet and inches. At least an inch is an inch. I think.

LOL oh this is too good.

Check out the "metric or decimal inch" section here

Just to uncomplicate things...

Looks like there are around 3 or 4 versions of the inch!!!

:frustrated:
 

WrapperX

New Member
That settles it. I'm going back the TLAR method. (That Looks About Right)

It was a running joke at an old place of employment - "Looks good from here" was how we tested just about everything.

Q: Hows this font look?
A: Looks good from here.

Obviously we didn't base everything off of that, but if someone asked a question like the one posted above, the answer was usually Looks good from here - then of course we would answer the question seriously. I always wanted to use it to answer a customers question but we never did.
 

MikePro

New Member
1 point = 1⁄72 inches = 25.4⁄72 mm = 0.3527 mm

honestly tho', i'd rather just draw guides. I love math and all, but outside of round numbers... its really a PITA.

edited: also to remember, setting your type to 72 does NOT give you a 1 inch tall letter in illustrator but rather a 1inch type that includes the leading.
so i guess that defeats my theory that its "just as easy to set 72pt to get a 1inch letter" :(
 

signmeup

New Member
We beat this topic to death a month or so back. Do a search for the thread by Vector Doctor on everything you ever wanted to know about making little letters a particular size. Great read for the OCD who walk among us.
 

royster13

New Member
signmeup, sorry to say lots of topics are already "beaten to death"...It just amazes me what is in the archives here.....
 

OhioSignShop

New Member
Well, I may be missing something here but it's not that complicated. When I want a typeface say 4" tall i just punch in 400 pts in the type size box at the top of my screen. Bam! 4" type.. For you millimeter folks, You can just go to AI preferences; Units and Display; change: Type to millimeters. Bam! 141.11=4" type or whatever you need.. Works with most typefaces but might need to make slight adjustments.
 

MikePro

New Member
Well, I may be missing something here but it's not that complicated. When I want a typeface say 4" tall i just punch in 400 pts in the type size box at the top of my screen. Bam! 4" type..
depends on your font...
in my illustrator, 400pt type = 3.75" tall "I" for MyriadPro but a 3.975" tall "I" for Arial Extra Bold.
 

The Vector Doctor

Chief Bezier Manipulator
Well, I may be missing something here but it's not that complicated. When I want a typeface say 4" tall i just punch in 400 pts in the type size box at the top of my screen. Bam! 4" type.. For you millimeter folks, You can just go to AI preferences; Units and Display; change: Type to millimeters. Bam! 141.11=4" type or whatever you need.. Works with most typefaces but might need to make slight adjustments.

Not correct. 72 points = 1 inch. But every font is created differently. In Illustrator sometimes a 62 point font is 1 inch and on another a 90 point equals one inch. The only way to be sure is measure with guides or a box like I suggested
 
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