Font Issue: Thickening Stroke, but Keeping Sharp Corners

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Hi Everybody,

I have the common issue where I'm trying to expand a font, but I'm getting the chunky points. I've tried a number of options (stroke/expand, offset path, etc) but they're all coming out mitered or round, and I just don't know what to do, as this font isn't cursive but it has angles sharper than 90 degrees that I'm trying to take advantage of.

What's odd is one of the ends of one of my letters is scaling wonderfully, but the others are stubborn. I keep anayzing the nodes, but...I can't tell what's different. I figure that maybe if I can replicate how that point was created, maybe I can go over the other points and make them the same. Thus, going around any sort of procedural attempt to shape the font. (image attached)

Note: I do see that little round circle that's used for making edges round. I think that plays a role in the corner that's sharp, but I don't know how to re-create that, if that indeed is the leverage to make it sharp in reverse somehow...?

Can anybody tell me what I or the font maker did with the upper-right corner of this 'r' to make it sharp versus the other two points? If I could make this work, that would be a golden note going forward that I'd want to share with anybody having this problem.

As always, thank your for reading. 

[Jacob Bugge]

Xander,

The attatchment is unavailable, at least to me, can you use the Insert Photos button at the top of the Reply box (looks like moon over mountains)?

It will show the image right there in the post, no need to (try to) open another Tab.

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Okay, I'll use that going forward. Been using the Drag/drop indicator at the bottom.  As you can see, the upper-right is sharp, but the others are flat. There might be a way to "hit puree" and make them all cornered, but I can't seem to find the solution. So I figure if there's a way to convert the other points to be like that one, that's a heck of a win. 

[Monika Gause]

The "Max" value in the Stroke panel needs to be higher.

But they will get very pointy with that.

So you might need to expand the stroke and edit it with the direct selection tool

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Hi Monica, what I said was misleading. The upper right one is actually flat too, just the little round doo-hickie makes it smaller so it looks sharp. I did manage to get another one to behave like that and it helped. But I'm still wrong, my observataion is off. I'll still do what you recommend though. Pointy is fine, this font is kind of like Bullit font, it has tails, but I need them pointy. can't be flat and I'm trying to get these smaller letters to thicken up to pair with the main big letter. 

Thanks for the help!! 🙂

[Xander36210402r7ns · Accepted solution]

I figured it out!!! (...I hope!)

Monica - Yes, you're right about the Stroke Limit. I was actully on point (no pun intended) starting out, the upper one was actually sharp. In trying to fix things I made it square, by reducing the Stroke Limit which was a backwards move. Enlarging a stroke value might be counter-intuitive, but that's one reason why it was working from the start. 

Jacob - I managed to get the upper left one to cooperate but just flattening the corner with the pen carrot. the bottom one....the reason why this one was tricky is because the bezier handle I had in a neighboring node OVERSTRETCHED THE STROKE. It was enough to distort the point at the end. Once I pulled that back the stroke miter snapped back into a point. Here's a clip showing what I mean. 

(hopefully this uploaded video posts, I tried posting it using the video button above but it didn't like the MP4 link I posted to my site)

It's a simple enough error, but if you don't know what to look for you can scramble all through the settings and the solution is right in front of you, just ease back the neighboring bezier node - it's crowding the corner! So if anybody has this happen and it's a giant mystery, this could very well be the problem .

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Thanks guys!!

[Jacob Bugge]

Xander,

Thank you for sharing.

The very conspicuous Attatchment Drag/drop has been with us after a forum software change five years and a half ago, and most use it until told about the well hidden Insert Photos.

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Cool, yeah typically it works (I think), but during that post it's still stuck in a virus check and stalled. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for that prior to posting and if it gets stuck I'll insert (or if I just run into too much trouble). Thanks!

[Bobby Henderson]

Choices are a bit limited how to handle the corners on stroke or path offset effects. The corner options in the Stroke or Offset Path dialog boxes will affect the object on a global basis -all corners will be styled the same. Paths that have fairly sharp corner angles can get some pretty wacky looking results.

It's possible to create a copy of the object and style its corners differently and then use path editing tools to mix the good part of the two results together. Otherwise the corners will have to be edited manually using things like the little round circle tool that appears in the corners.

Astute Graphics' Dynamic Corners plugin allows more control over that kind of situation.

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Cool, yeah. I think that might be what I have to do I think. If you can recommend anything, I'm all ears. Been trouble-shooting this one like crazy.

Jacob - I was wrong. I don't know what I'm talking about. I thought the upper right-hand corner was sharp. I was wrong, it's not. It's just smaller. I've been going over and over through the settings and because these corners are sharper than 90 degrees, the stroke has to be inside, and even then the reverse effect happens with the corners pointed inward. - it's back to the drawing board with this one. Thanks anyway!

[Xander36210402r7ns]

Bobby - "Astute Graphics' Dynamic Corners plugin" cool will look into that - Thanks!