Automatic path/line in the center of the letter

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
October 17, 2024
4 replies
1405 views

hi all,

I would like to know if it’s possible in Illustrator to create a perfectly equidistant centerline from the entire edge of a letter, for example.

The one you see in the attached image was done manually

Thank you.

How-to

Correct answer Monika Gause

Several have tried, but in the end it will fail with complex shapes such as letters.

Check out this: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/new-year-new-strokes/m-p/12629248

A

anime_0978

Participant

If you're looking for accuracy, you can watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Qx5N2ewoU
However, you'll need to do it manually, but the result will be much more precise.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

And just to be a bit fair and realistic: The New Year Strokes approach was by no means provided to create the centerlines of (outlined) type objects / calligraphic type objects.

It was rather meant to recreate (single) stroked paths out of outlined stroked paths, as can be seen in floorplans, technical drawings or network maps, for example.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

That's why I wrote that it will fail with complex shapes.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

Omar,

In addition to what Monika said, one complication often encountered as in your case is that parts of your centre lines where they cross each other are without guides in the letter shapes because the corresponding parts of the original (grey filled) paths have been lost by uniting them.

If you could go back to those original paths, it would be much easier (albeit non automatic), using a bit of preparation and then a 1 step Blend (maybe with a bit of adjustment), especially because your centre lines do not extend into the rounded end parts.