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Create text designs with blend objects

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Illustrator

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    4. Select and arrange objects
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    6. Type
      1. Work with type and fonts
      2. Create text designs along a path
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      1. Apply colors and gradients
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      5. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Troubleshooting
      1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
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    1. Drawing
      1. Drawing basics
      2. Edit paths
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      12. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
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      15. Use objects as symbols for repeat use
      16. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
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      1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
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      1. Add text and work with type objects
      2. Reflow Viewer
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      4. Manage text area
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      17. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
      18. Creative typography designs
      19. Scale and rotate type
      20. Line and character spacing
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      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
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    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
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      4. Get started with large canvas
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      1. Overprint
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      5. Printer's marks and bleeds
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      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
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    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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