How to Make Flaming Text on Illustrator

Add the stylized look of fire to text with Adobe Illustrator effects.

You don't need matches to set text on fire if you generate your flames in Adobe Illustrator. You can make live type look like it's burning and retain the ability to edit your text without losing the effect you've applied. The secret to attaining the fiery appearance you want lies in Adobe Illustrator's live effects, which can distort your type without turning it into vector outlines. You can use this technique on text set in any typeface and style.

Instructions

1. Choose "Character" from the Window menu to open the Character panel if it isn't already visible. Return to the Window menu and choose "Color" if the Color panel isn't open.

2. Select the Type tool from the Adobe Illustrator toolbox. Set the Character panel to the typeface, style and size you want to use for your text. Make sure the Fill color swatch is active in the toolbox, then set the "Color" panel to 100 percent black to establish the color of your base text.

3. Click once on your artboard to create a point type object. Type your text, then click on the Selection tool in the Adobe Illustrator toolbox and select your entire text object.

4. Choose "Copy" from the Edit menu to copy your text object to the clipboard. Choose "Paste in Back" from the Edit menu to paste a duplicate of your text behind the original type object and at exactly the same coordinates.

5. Select "CMYK" from the fly-out menu at the upper right corner of the Color panel to set the panel readouts to CMYK color mode. Change the color of your duplicate text object to 0 percent cyan, 100 percent magenta, 100 percent yellow and 0 percent black. You can type the color-channel values into the entry fields at the right of the color sliders or move the sliders using your pointing device.

6. Choose the "Distort & Transform" fly-out from the Effect menu, then select the "Tweak" option. Turn on the "Preview" check box in the Tweak dialog box so you can view your effect as you create it. Set the "Horizontal" amount slider to 0 percent or enter "0" in the entry field. Set the "Vertical" amount to 45 percent. You can leave the "Modify" check boxes -- Anchor Points, "In" Control Points and "Out" Control Points -- active or experiment with the look you can achieve using only one or two of these options. Click on the "OK" button to apply your effect.

7. Choose "Paste in Back" from the Edit menu to place another copy of your text behind the first two. Change the Color panel settings for this duplicate to 0 percent cyan, 0 percent magenta, 100 percent yellow and 0 percent black. Select "Apply Tweak" from the Effect menu to apply the same Tweak settings to your new duplicate text object as you used on the first copy.

8. Choose "Paste in Back" from the Edit menu to place a fourth copy of your text behind the first three. Set the color of this new copy to 0 percent cyan, 50 percent magenta, 100 percent yellow and 0 percent black. Select "Apply Tweak" from the Effect menu to apply the same Tweak settings to your new duplicate text object as you used on the other copies.

9. Choose the Rectangle tool from the Adobe Illustrator toolbox. Click and drag on your artboard to draw a box that's wider than and at least as tall as the combination of all the characters in your text.

10. Switch to the Selection tool. Drag your rectangle until it encloses all your text from the baseline to the tops of the tallest letters. The baseline is defined by the flat bottoms of letters such as lower-case "w" and "l." Release your pointing device when the rectangle reaches the proper position.

11. Choose "Zoom In" from the View menu until you reach a zoom level at which you can see your text and rectangle clearly. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to nudge your rectangle, refining its position until its bottom edge aligns precisely with baseline of your text.

12. Choose "Fit in Window" from the View menu to zoom back out. Select your original black type. Choose the "Lock" fly-out from the Object menu, then select the "Selection" option. This immobilizes your primary text object so your subsequent actions won't disrupt it.

13. Choose "All" from the Select menu to select your rectangle and all the copies of your text to which you applied the Tweak effect. Select the "Clipping Mask" fly-out from the Object menu, then choose the "Make" option. Your rectangle becomes a mask that obscures the portion of your effected text that extends below the baseline.

Tips & Warnings

• Adobe Illustrator applies Tweak randomly, so each time you use it, you will see a different version of the effect, even on duplicate text.

• You can apply the Tweak effect more than once to the same type object, stacking up distortions until you achieve the amount you want.

• Paste in additional copies of your text and make them different shades of red, orange or yellow to give your flames greater definition.

• You can apply this technique to type that's been converted to outlines if you're certain you won't need to edit your text again.

• If you share your work with a colleague, make sure she can access the same typeface you used or send her a copy of your text that's been converted to outlines.

References

• Adobe Systems: Using Adobe Illustrator CS5

Resources

• "The Adobe Illustrator CS5 Wow! Book"; Sharon Steuer; 2010
• "Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium All-in-One for Dummies"; Jennifer Smith, et al.; 2010
• "Illustrator CS5 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide"; Elaine Weinmann, et al.; 2011
• "Adobe Illustrator CS5 Bible"; Ted Alspach; 2010
• "Real World Adobe Illustrator CS5: Industrial-Strength Production Techniques"; Mordy Golding; 2011