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Create text designs with blend objects

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Illustrator

Illustrator

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  1. Illustrator User Guide
  2. Get to know Illustrator
    1. Introduction to Illustrator
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    2. Workspace
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        1. Type
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      1. Generate scenes, subjects, and icons using text prompts
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    5. Create and combine shapes on the web
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    1. Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
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      1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
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    4. Select and arrange objects
      1. Create repeat objects
      2. Blend objects
    5. Drawing
      1. Draw and edit paths
      2. Draw and edit shapes
    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
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      1. Vectorize raster images
    8. Color
      1. Apply colors and gradients
  5. Cloud documents
    1. Basics
      1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
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      4. Upgrade cloud storage for Adobe Illustrator
      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
      2. Troubleshoot Illustrator cloud documents issues
  6. Add and edit content
    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
      3. Draw pixel-perfect art
      4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
      5. Draw simple lines and shapes
      6. Draw rectangular and polar grids
      7. Draw and edit flares
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      10. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
      11. Adjust path segments
      12. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
      13. Create and edit a perspective grid
      14. Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
      15. Use objects as symbols for repeat use
      16. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
    2. Measurement
      1. Measure and plot dimensions
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      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
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      1. About color
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      1. About painting
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    6. Select and arrange objects
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      1. Crop images
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      13. Edit clipping masks
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      15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
      16. Global editing
    8. Type
      1. Add text and work with type objects
      2. Reflow Viewer
      3. Create bulleted and numbered lists
      4. Manage text area
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      12. Create type on a path
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      17. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
      18. Creative typography designs
      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
      21. Hyphenation and line breaks
      22. Spelling and language dictionaries
      23. Format Asian characters
      24. Composers for Asian scripts
      25. Create text designs with blend objects
      26. Create a text poster using Image Trace
    9. Create special effects
      1. Work with effects
      2. Graphic styles
      3. Appearance attributes
      4. Create sketches and mosaics
      5. Drop shadows, glows, and feathering
      6. Summary of effects
    10. Web graphics
      1. Best practices for creating web graphics
      2. Graphs
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      4. Slices and image maps
  7. Import, export, and save
    1. Import
      1. Place multiple files
      2. Manage linked and embedded files
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      5. Import artwork from Photoshop
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      7. Import Adobe PDF files
      8. Import EPS, DCS, and AutoCAD files
    2. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator 
      1. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
    3. Save and export
      1. Save artwork
      2. Export artwork
      3. Create Adobe PDF files
      4. Adobe PDF options
      5. Use Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
      6. Collect assets and export in batches
      7. Package files
      8. Extract CSS | Illustrator CC
      9. Document info panel
  8. Printing
    1. Prepare for printing
      1. Set up documents for printing
      2. Change the page size and orientation
      3. Specify crop marks for trimming or aligning
      4. Get started with large canvas
    2. Printing
      1. Overprint
      2. Print with color management
      3. PostScript printing
      4. Print presets
      5. Printer's marks and bleeds
      6. Print and save transparent artwork
      7. Trapping
      8. Print color separations
      9. Print gradients, meshes, and color blends
      10. White Overprint
  9. Automate tasks
    1. Data merge using the Variables panel
    2. Automation with scripts
    3. Automation with actions
  10. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash issues
    4. Recover files after crash
    5. Safe mode
    6. File issues
    7. Supported file formats
    8. GPU device driver issues
    9. Wacom device issues
    10. DLL file issues
    11. Memory issues
    12. Preferences file issues
    13. Font issues
    14. Printer issues
    15. Share crash report with Adobe
    16. Improve Illustrator performance

Looking for ideas to create custom type designs or font effects using a blend object? You're in the right place!

You can use the Blend tool to combine shapes and colors between two or more objects to create a new object. Using this fundamental feature of Illustrator, we'll show you how to create a unique text design. 

Creative Typography

Get Illustrator

To know the basics of Illustrator, see Essential components of an artwork.

Got questions about fonts? check out Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips.

Create stunning text designs in Illustrator for advertisements, street art, book cover, or a logo. Let's get started:

Step 1: Create your text

a.) Type your text using the Type tool and apply a font of your choice on the text.

Add the text

b.) Select the text and assign no fill color. Add the outline color on the text. 

Assign no fill

c.) Use Pen tool to draw an object to be used as a spine for the typography. Spine is an outline shape that defines the central area of the text body.

Add central spine

Step 2: Create a blend object

In this step, we'll learn how you can combine the shapes and colors between two or more objects to create a blend object.

a.) Create rectangles using the Rectangle tool, fill them with different colors and then group them.

Draw colored rectangles

b.) Create a circle in the middle of the rectangles using the Ellipse tool.

Make a circle in the center

c.) Select the circle and the rectangle group. Use Clipping Mask to clip the rectangle group inside the circle using Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Clipping mask

d.) Use the Pathfinder (Windows > Pathfinder) to trim the clipped shape.

Trim the shape

Create blend

Blend options

In the Blend Options, select Spacing as Specified Steps and specify the count as 400.

Step 3: Replace spine on text with the blend

Use this blend to replace spine that was created for the text in step #1 (Object > Blend > Replace Spine). For more details, see Change the spine of a blended object.

 Ensure you create a copy of the blended shape when you assign it to a particular spine.

Replace spine

Repeat this step and complete your typography. Group all letters in the word and then save the design. To open this design in other CC apps for further use, export it to Creative Cloud. 

The final artwork

Use Photoshop to add noise

Now, you can use this text on your poster, brochure, flyer, or any other artwork. 

Try it yourself

Here is the sample file that you can download to try out the design workflow:

Get file
Sample files for practice

Have a question or an idea?

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If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe Illustrator Community. We'd love to hear from you!

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