How-To: Create continuous gradients across text that has been Warped

[raldred65]

Hi,

I'm trying to create a gradient across two lines of text that has been Warped. I can add a gradient fill but it just adds the Gradient Fill to each character individually (bottom example) and I want it to be across the whole word. I can normally do this by creating a Compound Path but because the text has been Warped, this is preventing me from doing that.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Monika Gause]

Please show the Layers panel and the Appearance panel of those elements.

[raldred65]

Hi, below shows the Layers and Appearance of the top item of editable text.

[Monika Gause]

Create an additional fill with a gradient in the Appearance panel does not work?

Maybe use the Classic 3D effect?

[raldred65]

Adding a new Gradient Fill to the [Type] in Appearance just results in the image at the bottom. The individual chracters show the gradient but I wanted the gradient to run from left to right across the whole of the top two lines if possible.

[Monika Gause]

Works for me

[raldred65]

Hi,

I have previously asked this question but no one has been able to answer it satisfactorily yet.

On the PDF file attached, I want to apply the gradient as applied to the top example of text '£5000', to the Warped text that says '£5000 MEGA GIVEAWAY'.

If I add a new Gradient Fill in the Type element of the Appearance tab, all I get is all the Warped text in that Gradient Fill, but within each character, and not across the whole width of the words. See the third item on the page. Iss it possible to add gradients to certain lines and not others when the text is still editable like it is here?

Alternatively, if I highlight all the text and Create Outlines, then create a Compound Path and then apply the Gradient Fill to that shape, I get the bottom example, which also loses all the yellow Stroke outlines.

Any help or comments as to whether this is beyond the limits of Illustrator would be helpful. I'm trying to emulate the sample image (that I'vealso attached) for a client.

Thanks in advance.

[Monika Gause]

Please continue in your other thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/creating-continuous-gradients-across-text-tha... 

[Bobby Henderson]

One approach you can take is creating a larger circular-shaped or oval-shaped object, applying a radial gradient to that and then clipping it into the letters. That method might provide a little more fine-tune control over the fill rather than applying a radial fill directly to the letters. Sometimes it can be a pain to work with the gradient annotator in Illustrator.

[raldred65]

Would that work with the individual characters as they also have an outline Stroke applied? Ideally, I'd like the outline Stroke to have a continuous gradient aswell but don't know if that's possible within Illustrator. I'm trying to emaulate the below style as closely as possible for a client. I don't know if this might be beyond the capabilities of Illustrator.

[Ton Frederiks]

You may want to share an example file, save as (or rename as) .pdf to attache it to a forum post.

[raldred65]

Hi,

I have previously asked this question but no one has been able to answer it satisfactorily yet.

On the PDF file attached, I want to apply the gradient as applied to the top example of text '£5000', to the Warped text that says '£5000 MEGA GIVEAWAY'.

If I add a new Gradient Fill in the Type element of the Appearance tab, all I get is all the Warped text in that Gradient Fill, but within each character, and not across the whole width of the words. See the third item on the page. Iss it possible to add gradients to certain lines and not others when the text is still editable like it is here?

Alternatively, if I highlight all the text and Create Outlines, then create a Compound Path and then apply the Gradient Fill to that shape, I get the bottom example, which also loses all the yellow Stroke outlines.

Any help or comments as to whether this is beyond the limits of Illustrator would be helpful. I'm trying to emulate the sample image (that I'vealso attached) for a client.

Thanks in advance.

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks. At first sight 3D and materials don't like gradient fills and warped text. 

I can have a better look later, but now it's dinner time over here.

[Monika Gause]

In the file you posted here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/applying-a-continuous-gradient-across-text-th...

It is the 3D and Materials effect that causes this. So clearly since you need the scaling of the extrusion you also need that effect. The classic effect will let you have the gradient, but will cause other issues and doesn't have the scaling.

So your only chance is to first generate the extrusion, then expand that as vector and then apply the gradients and stuff.

[raldred65]

OK thanks Monika. Are you saying I should try both of these actions, one after the other, both within the Classic Effect tool?

[Monika Gause]

I would first try out if 3D and materials churns out a usable vector path.

If that does not work, you'll have to create this with the classic 3D effect, then Expand appearance, then apply gradients and stuff. Oh, and there will be a lot to clean up.

[Bobby Henderson]

Illustrator needs a good block shadow effect comparable to (if not better than) the one that's been in CorelDRAW for many years. Astute Graphics has a decent block shadow plugin for Illustrator, but it only covers basic parallel block shadow effects. It doesn't do anything to mimic simulated perspective effects (like what is seen in the original poster's examples). Corel's filter does that. But the effect tends to generate a LOT of trash that has to be cleaned up after the effect is applied.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

I don't know the details of what CorelDRAW's block shadow can do, but AG Blockshadow can make this fake perspective