Master Text to Vector Conversion in Adobe Illustrator

Master Text to Vector Conversion in Adobe Illustrator

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why Convert Text to Vector?
3. Converting Text to Outlines
   • Reasons for Converting Text to Outlines
   • Step-by-step Guide to Converting Text to Outlines
4. Converting Raster Text to Vector Text
   • Identifying the Font
     • Using WhatTheFont.com
     • Asking for Expert Help
   • Recreating the Font with Pen Tool
     • Step-by-step Guide to Recreating the Font
5. Conclusion

How to Convert Text to Vector in Adobe Illustrator

Hey guys, Cary Hawkins here with another vectormaid.com tutorial! Today, I'm going to be talking about converting text to vector in Adobe Illustrator. Now, before I begin, I want to clarify a couple of possible meanings behind the term "text to vector." When people search for text to vector, they might be looking for one of two things. The first possibility is that they want to take editable text and convert it to vector outlines. The Second possibility is that they have raster text and they want to convert it to vector text, also known as vectorization. In this article, I will explain both processes and provide step-by-step guides for each.

Why Convert Text to Vector?

Before diving into the conversion methods, let's understand why converting text to vector is important. There are several reasons why You might need to convert text to outlines. Firstly, some printers, plotters, or CNC routers may require text to be converted to outlines for proper production of the artwork. Additionally, if you need the text to be larger than 1296 points in font size, you must convert it to outlines. This is especially crucial for creating large banners or designs that need to be scaled while maintaining the correct text size.

Converting Text to Outlines

Converting text to outlines in Adobe Illustrator is a straightforward process. If you already have text in your Illustrator document that you want to convert, follow these steps:

1. Select the text you wish to convert.
2. Press Control or Command + Shift + O.
3. The selected text will now be converted to outlines, indicated by a loss of the text baseline and a slightly tighter bounding box.
4. If needed, you can adjust the properties using the Character window, but note that once the text is converted to outlines, you will lose all editable text features.
5. It is recommended to Create a copy of your text before converting it to outlines in case you need to make changes or retain the original format.

Converting Raster Text to Vector Text

If you have raster text and need to convert it to vector text, there are a few methods you can use. The first option is to identify the font and Type it out, which will give you the best vector font result. To identify the font, follow these steps:

1. Visit a font identification Website like WhatTheFont.com.
2. Create a clear image (PNG or JPEG) of the text you want to identify and upload it to the website.
3. Review the font identification results provided by the website. If a match is found, you can proceed to obtain the font.
4. If the font identification is unsuccessful, Seek help from the website's community of experts by creating a font identification case.
5. Once you have identified the font, search for it online and download it to use in your design.

If you cannot find the font or if it is not available for free, you can manually recreate the font using the Pen tool. Here's how:

1. Select the Pen tool (shortcut: P) and click on the starting point of your font.
2. Use the Pen tool to create curves and lines that match the Shape of each letter. Hold Shift while clicking and dragging to ensure straight lines.
3. Adjust the anchor points and curves as necessary to achieve the desired shape. Hold Alt to access the anchor point adjustment tool.
4. Repeat the process for each letter until the entire font is recreated.
5. Once the font is fully recreated, you can use the Pathfinder tool to merge the shapes and create a single vector font.
6. Fine-tune the font by using the Direct Selection tool (shortcut: A) to adjust individual anchor points.

By following these steps, you can successfully convert raster text to vector text and achieve clean, scalable designs.

Conclusion

In this article, I have explained the process of converting text to vector in Adobe Illustrator. Whether you need to convert editable text to outlines or transform raster text to vector text, the methods and techniques provided will help you achieve professional results. By following the step-by-step guides and utilizing font identification tools and manual font recreation techniques, you can effectively convert text to vector and enhance your design projects. Experiment with different methods to find the approach that works best for your specific needs and create impressive vectorized text designs.

Highlights:

• Learn how to convert text to vector in Adobe Illustrator
• Understand the importance of converting text to outlines
• Step-by-step guides for converting text to outlines and raster text to vector text
• Font identification tools and font recreation techniques for vectorization
• Achieve professional, scalable designs using Adobe Illustrator