Text outlining

[HanaHou]

Does anyone know if there is a way to transform text into an outline in
Freehand MX? I'm trying to create a certain effect and couldn't figure out how
to achieve this. I just wanted to take an ordinary script font and make it
into an outline...would Photoshop be better for this? (although I'd like to
keep it in MX for consistency)...Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[Judy Arndt]

Text > Convert to paths

Reading Help files highly recommended. :-)

Judy Arndt

HanaHou wrote:

> Does anyone know if there is a way to transform text into an outline in
> Freehand MX? I'm trying to create a certain effect and couldn't figure out
> how
> to achieve this. I just wanted to take an ordinary script font and make it
> into an outline...would Photoshop be better for this? (although I'd like to
> keep it in MX for consistency)...Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
> Thanks!
>

[HanaHou]

Yes, I know how to convert to paths, that's not what I meant. I meant making
an outling of the font where the inside is hollow and the stroke itself is
traced...kinda like a balloon effect. Like if you picture a rectangle where
the rectangle itself is traced or stroked, but not filled in....I want to do
that to a script font.

[Judy Arndt]

HanaHou wrote:

> Yes, I know how to convert to paths, that's not what I meant. I meant making
> an outling of the font where the inside is hollow and the stroke itself is
> traced...kinda like a balloon effect. Like if you picture a rectangle where
> the rectangle itself is traced or stroked, but not filled in....I want to do
> that to a script font.

After converting to paths, Join to create a composite path.
Set to stroke and no fill.
If you wish a 'puffed up' outline you can then use the Inset Path Xtra by a
negative amount, rounded joins.

Judy Arndt

[HanaHou]

Awesome! Thank you so much for your time!

[ballookey]

Just one minor difference of opinion with Judy-

I'd convert to paths, then go Modify>Combine>Union. I've found that certain
script fonts overlap characters a little. Using join with even/odd fill will
create gaps. To avoid that, I do a Union. Union will eliminate the overlaping
areas.