Section
Map:
1. Introduction/
2. Adding the words
/ 3. Adding the balloons
/ 4. Finishing up |
Computer
lettering: part
Four
by
Patrick Simmons |
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| Now
that you have a completely lettered page, you will
want to combine it with the artwork in another program
such Quark X-Press or Photoshop. To make this easier
I like to draw a rectangle around all of
the word balloons, which is the exact same size
as the comic page. Make sure there is no stroke
or fill in the rectangle so it does not show
up in the final piece. Doing this makes lining up
the word balloons and artwork a snap! You can simply
select all <ctrl-A> than copy <ctrl-C>and
paste <ctrl-V> the word balloons on
top of the artwork in the other program. Make sure
you do not select the background image of the comic
page you have been working over!
When
transferring you word balloons to another program
or sending them to the printer it is advisable
to create outlines of the text. In the menu text>create
outlines or <cntrl+shift+O>.
Creating outlines of the text eliminates the need
for fonts. No Fonts are necessary for anyone to
output the files. Outlined files are also generally
easier for printers to handle, preventing output
problems such as PostScript errors and "flushed"
fonts. When un-outlined lettering is imported
into Photoshop to be merged with the artwork,
(which isn't the easiest or cleanest method, but
people without Quark or Pagemaker may still use
it) Photoshop's inability to deal with kerning
pairs properly can result in letters being chopped
off at the sides. Be sure to always make a backup
copy of your file before creating outlines, once
the text is outlined you can no longer edit it
with the text tool.
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| You
are not limited to creating balloons made of only
simple ellipses. Using the Pen tool, you
can create any shape balloon you can imagine! To
the right there are several examples of different
balloon shapes. These were all created using the
same basic technique explained in this tutorial.
Some of the balloons at the right are from Blambot. |
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| After
all of this you might be wondering about pre-made
word balloons, such as the ones at Blambot.
Unfortunately, I find they do not work very well.
They require far too much tweaking in order to look
good, and the tail is never in the right place.
The technique I have explained is complicated, but
the results are worth it! |
| You
can even create color word balloons with Illustrator
using the Gradient or Merge command.
When using color balloons you need to be aware of
the need for color traps. Color trapping is complicated;
I barely understand it myself. Depending on what
size font you use, you will need a stroke of .75
- 1.5 pts and that stroke must be set to Overprint.
If you plan to print in color, please consult your
printer about their requirements for trapping. You
can learn more about trapping here. |
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| To
the right you see examples of Kerning, which
is the space between letters. With small lettering
such as what is in the average word balloon, kerning
is not that important. It becomes much more noticeable
in larger print. Notice how in the bad example the
R and N are overlapping, and how the G is too far
away from the rest of the word. These examples are
exaggerated for effect, but it is something you
need to be aware of when lettering. Illustrator
has an auto-kern feature, which is on by
default, but it is not fool proof. You should also
be aware that some of the free fonts available for
download are not well made, and the auto-kern will
not work well. |
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| You
also need to be careful how you place the text in
the balloons. To the right are two examples of bad
placement with in the balloon. You need to avoid
having too much, or too little space around the
text. Its little details like this that separate
good lettering from bad lettering. |
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The
following links feature some other
tips and tricks for computer lettering.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Computer lettering
seems to be the way of the future. While nothing can
beat the charm of a hand lettered page, computer lettering
offer those of us with sloppy hand writing a professional
looking alternative to hiring a letter. Using a computer
does not automatically make you a great letter; the
craft is still there, placing the balloons, fitting
the text within the balloons, and so forth. Using the
computer does lesson the tension and frustration of
hand lettering; give you a consistent letter, and the
confidence of not ruining the page. Lastly, remember
to save often!
Please feel free to send any comments, suggestions,
or questions me at Patrick75@ce.mediaone.net.
If
I get enough questions, or I can think of anything
else, I will update this tutorial.
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