Blocking lines in AI 1

[ScoutII]

How can I block out lines that overprint a complex vector or raster image.

For instance, I have an image that consists of a photo on the bottom layer, lines on the middle layer and text on the top layer. I need to break the lines where the type crosses them so the type remains legible, while not blocking out any portion of the photo. I don't want to cut the lines because if the line isn't square to the type, the end caps will not align with the type. The ideal would be to use a type 'fat' as was used in the old film days, but how do I do that without also blocking out the photo? If I was overprinting a solid background a simple polygon the same color of the background would suffice, but since the background is a photo, that won't work.

I am looking for a solution that is easy to apply, because I would want to do this to many, many files, each one having multiple type/line crashes.

I hope I described my dilemma sufficiently. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

 

[apepp]

...it will help greatly if you can post a web link to a screen shot of your situation to help you better...

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=free+image+hosting&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

andrew

 

[ScoutII]

See if this helps. The object at the far left is just cut type with a non desirable result. The second from left used a polygon to block out the line, which on a complex raster image is also not desirable. The two objects at the right are the desired result. The second from the right being the same line cut as the previous object, but without the over print of the raster image and the item at the far right is an simulation of the effect of a type 'fat' or 'halo'. Either of the latter two are what I'm after.

 

[apepp]

...your only options without physically cutting/expanding the strokes are:

1. using a clipping mask

2. using an opacity mask

...both these options above may work better if the line is only one complete line, angled behind the text, further edited later if need be...

...these options are also the only two "easy" methods available. To achieve them requires a setup process, which means if the text is edited, the masks also need to be edited…

…of the two methods, the opacity mask is probably the best, using live editable, 100% black text (with an offset applied) or a black filled vector shape/compound path as the mask (or a combination of both)...

…here is a very brief quicktime movie i created to show the live text method in action (quicktime player required to view):

http://www.zen63258.zen.co.uk/tek/maskingTEXT.mov

andrew

 

[ScoutII]

Thanks. That's a great vid.