how can i break apart text to manipulate individual characters 1

[bookouri]

I have some text that i want to break apart so i can move each individual letter.

I found some references that say to ctrl-b to break apart text, but it doesnt work for me. Im using Illustrator CS.

can somebody point me in the right direction.

thanks

 

[rhyno2k]

Probably the easiest way to do this is to select the text, then Object > Expand... This breaks apart each letter as its own path, which can be moved around or modified as you wish. Note that by doing this, however, the text is no longer editable. So make sure the copy in question is final.

 

[itchybug]

Book:

The method Rhyno suggests will work, but if you want to do it by the book the method you should use is Type>Create Outlines. The result is the same, it's just a purist's perspective.

Bert

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[bookouri]

great, thanks, I used the expand and it worked fine. Ive never looked at outlines. Are outlines basically templates?

 

[kim00]

They seem to do the exact same thing - I always used Create Outlines - it's not a template.

...kim

 

[itchybug]

When you outline type, you are turning the font metrics into paths, so essentially you lose all the font information in exchange for little vector drawings of letters. This is a destructive procedure, meaning you cannot get the editable type back once it's been outlined. Always make sure to back up the original text on a separate layer in case you need to go back in to edit later...

With small type sizes, the outlines will look a little different, because the hinting is lost, but other than that outlined text will look the same as live text.

Bert

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[SuzyQ265]

How do you type a word, thicken it via Stroke, and then KEEP it thickened after applying a white fill? Problem is the letters at this point, following the fill, always REVERT to their pre-Stroked thickness (even while the still-adjustable fill is retained).
So -- what is the use of having Stroke function at all if it evaporates like this?
I am using Mac OS 9.1.
Sorry for the Illustrator 8 restriction, but that's what I have to work with. Therefore I don't have access to Appearance Palette. (Too bad!) Thanks.
SuzyQ265

 

[wags240]

SuzyQ, If I am understanding you correctly, you want the white fill to stay the same size as the original type but have a stroke around it. If this is case all you have to do is click on the original type, copy then go to Edit then Paste Behind. This places a copy of the type directly behind your original. Now click on the type on top, change the fill to white. Then lock this selection. Now click on the type below it and but a stroke on this type of any amount you need. You now have your original type size on top with a stroke around the underlying type. Hope this helps.

 

[maccrazy]

wags said exactly what I was going to suggest, so I'll add this: Before doing what wags said, you may want to Group the original text, so it's easier to select the version behind (you can do this by holding down Ctrl and clicking, a contextual menu will pop up; choose "Select Next Object Below"). If the text is ungrouped, you'll have to select each individual letter to later manipulate the color, line weight, etc.