How to Create a Stroke / Bubble Effect around Text with a Text Box or Shape

[melspring]

I am looking to create a text effect like this where the text box bubbles or strokes around the shape of the text.  I am not sure if this particular effect was created in illustrator or another program, but I am interested in learning how to do this. I have looked through several tutorials and have not quite found what I am looking for.  Thank you in advance for any assistance.

[Jacob Bugge]

Mel,

Much of it can be made by simply selecting the text and Object>path>Offset Path by the desired distance to the strokes round the text, then deleting the unwanted parts.

[melspring]

I am trying this suggestion but I suppose I am doing something incorrectly because I am not getting any result at all.

[michelew83603738]

Are you converting your text to outlines first? That is the first step. Select the type, Type>Convert to Outline. Then you can try what @JacobBugge suggested, but it will take some modification from there. Below you will see the 2 ways I started. The top, I just converted to outline and offset path and the lines are not connected. The bottom one, I first converted to a Compound Path after creating an outline, so that more of the offset is connected. You won't have to do as much work getting to your ultimate bubble. If you have the correct font and play with the offset, you will get a better result.

[Monika Gause]

michelew83603738  schrieb

Are you converting your text to outlines first? That is the first step.

No, it's not.

You can use the appearance panel and Assign a new stroke to the text.

Then assign the effect > Path > Offset path to that stroke

[michelew83603738]

While what @MonikaGause said is correct that you can use the appearance panel to simply get an offset path, this is not the result you are looking for. In my opinion, in order to do what you are trying to achieve, it would ultimately take more work. By first creating outlines, creating a compound path and then an offset, some of the work is done for you. It seems like a much better workflow for what you want.

[Monika Gause]

michelew83603738  schrieb

While what @MonikaGause said is correct that you can use the appearance panel to simply get an offset path, this is not the result you are looking for.

Let me guess: you got this:

Can be easily repaired by applying the Effect > Pathfinder > Add

[michelew83603738]

No, actually it is years of teaching and seeing that sometimes the use of the Appearance panel for a newer user is hard to understand, whereas the actual manipulation of things by themselves leads to a better understanding of what is happening and ultimately a better understanding of how illustrator works and better use of advance tools later on.

And for you Melspring, you will see that there is more than one way to do things in illustrator, not just one answer and that different designers have different ways of doing things. I suggest you try both ways and see which works best for you. If you have further questions or problems, please let us know.

[melspring]

Thank you all! I am still working on it.  I have only dabbled a little in Illustrator and have mostly worked with Photoshop so this is new territory for me.  Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses.

[melspring]

This is what I was able to do using a combination of the techniques. Thank you all so much for your help!

[Monika Gause]

You're welcome!

[Jacob Bugge]

For my part you are welcome, Mel.

[Lukas Engqvist]

First glad you got your work done. Yes appearance is hard for beginners and that's why it needs guidance to get going with it, the advantages as I am sure Michelle and Monica agree is that it is possible to correct a spelling mistake, or duplicate the object and edit to another word (Or go power user and use with variable data).

Do take the time to figure out the appearance pannel there is a world waiting to be discovered. One way I use is to dissect Graphic Styles, which is where Appearances can be saved and retrieved.

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Mel,

What Michele said, with the following possible other way.

When you outline the live Type, you get a Group of Compound Paths (each of which may be a true Compound Path (with one or more counters (= holes)) or basically just a simple path), one for each letter.

With that Group selected, you may then Object>Path>Offset Path which will give you another set of Compound Paths one for each offset letter shapes within the same Group, the offset paths being selected, you may Ctrl/Cmd+G to turn them into a Group within the Group, and in any case you may Pathfinder>Unite which should (more or less) give the contiguous outer offset path along with possible inner ones.