Modifying letterforms as graphic objects

The Create Outlines command (and the same command as an effect--Outline Object) lets you turn type into a set of compound paths that you can edit and manipulate as you would any other graphic object. Create Outlines and Outline Object are useful for changing the look of large display type, but they are rarely useful for body text or other type at small sizes.

These commands get font outline information from the actual font files installed on your system. When you create outlines from type, characters are converted in their current positions; they retain all graphics formatting such as their stroke and fill.



Modifying a letterform A. Original type object B. Type converted to outlines, ungrouped, and modified

Note: You can't convert bitmap fonts or outline-protected fonts to outlines.

When you convert type to outlines, the type loses its hints--instructions built into outline fonts to adjust their shape so that your system displays or prints them optimally at a wide range of sizes. Therefore, if you plan to scale the type, do so by adjusting its point size before converting it to outlines.

You must convert all the type in a selection to outlines; you cannot convert a single letter within a string of type. To convert a single letter into an outline, create a separate piece of type containing only that letter.

To convert type to path outlines:

1. Select the type object. (See Selecting type objects.)
2. Do one of the following:
• Choose Type > Create Outlines.
• Choose Effect > Path > Outline Object. The effect appears as an attribute of the type object in the Appearance palette. For more information, see Working with appearance attributes.

Once you convert type to outlines, you can use the letters as a clipping mask. To do this, select the letters you want to use, choose Object > Compound Paths > Make, and create the mask. (See Using clipping masks to change the shape of objects.)