Maintaining stroke weight when using live text as a clipping mask

[bunting_banner]

Hi all - I'm trying to do something that I suspect isn't possible, but I wanted to reach out and see if anyone had any brilliant workarounds!

Often, I need to use a stroke to make some text appear thicker. I also often need to apply a texture to live text, which I do using clipping masks (thanks to the amazing advice I got re: Outline Object Effect here).

My goal is to be able to do both things while keeping the text editable. So, I want to have live text that's used as a clipping mask, that's also thickened with a stroke. Like so:

However, I know that when an object is used as a clipping mask, it gets its fill and stroke removed. I've tried re-adding the stroke, but then the stroke weight doesn't factor into the clipping mask but is rather applied around it:

So, the visual effect I'm after is definitely achievable by creating outlines and expanding, but it's difficult for my workflow not to have the text remain live. I was hoping the "Outline Stroke Effect" might be the key here, but I haven't had any luck. Any suggestions?

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

bunting banner,

You can just use your live Type with added stroke in connexion with an Opacity Mask:

Select both Type and background and in the Transparency palette flyout click Make Opacity Mask with both Clip and Invert Mask ticked (in the main Transparency palette window).

[bunting_banner]

Thank you! It seems like the text loses its editability so long as the Opacity Mask is applied (and then becomes editable again when you release the mask) - is that right?

For various reasons, I'd still love to find a way to do this with clipping masks if at all possible, but this is a good option - thanks again!

[Sebastian Bleak]

Hi I don't have a good workaround for your original question but I'm hoping this video will help you edit your text with Opacity Masks

Adobe Illustrator CS6 "Opacity Mask" NSL Week 96 - YouTube

Skip ahead to 3:48

[Ton Frederiks]

"It seems like the text loses its editability so long as the Opacity Mask is applied"

Just click on the Mask proxy in the Transparency panel to edit the text (the Opacity Mask).

And don't forget to click on the left proxy to get out of the Opacity Mask editing mode.

[bunting_banner]

Thank you guys! This has been incredibly helpful.

Does anyone happen to know if there's a way to achieve this with clipping masks? I think Opacity Mask is a better general solution, but due to some idiosyncrasies of the situation, I'd love to know if this is possible with clipping masks.

[Ton Frederiks]

Glad that helped.

As far as I know a clipping mask is just a clean unstroked unfilled path.

[chanaart]

You can add a fill and a stroke to clipping mask as well!

Simply type you text

In my sample it is the work Illustrator.

click on the bottom on the tools panel on the Draw inside symbol.

Create a rectangle fill it with Pattern.

Select the mask on the top on the screen you will see 2 symbols

The left one for the clipping (our text) the right one for content.

You can change the colors fill stroke and opacity even blending modes.

The last sample is: type with black stroke red fill. Pattern with Darken blending mode!

[Ton Frederiks]

Chana,

I  know you can do all that.

But the question was not about text filled with a pattern, but about text clipping a texture.

And especially about making the clipped text area larger by adding a stroke to the text.

That is only possible with opacitiy masks (as far as I know).

[chanaart]

If you are using Opacity mask your texture will be BW the only way to achieve a color is to duplicate the text change the color. Have an opacity mask .

But why use an opacity mask if you simply can add texture to your type?

If you still want to use opacity mask You need to do the following:

Create type

Duplicate

Create opacity mask to the top one . Add pattern to the opacity mask. Play with blending modes if needed.

Duplicate type make it no fill

Add a new stroke.

[Ton Frederiks]

You are making it too complicated and missing the original question.

[Ton Frederiks]

Another option would be to make a pattern from the texture and apply it to the fill as well as the stroke.

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, bunting banner.

And what Ton said.

Hi Ton. Luckily, you were here later than I.

[Ton Frederiks]

All answers add up, Jacob.

[Jacob Bugge]

Even the silliest ones, Ton?

Re: Do the adobe Apps need Internet to work?

[Ton Frederiks]

Yes, even those, Jacob.

[chanaart]

No need to have a Clipping Mask when you are using Pattern in Type. (you need it only if you are using Gradients and want to keep the type live).

Simply type the text and add pattern using the Appearance Panel you can control it and even add stroke that has width to it or a brush.

Type is live!

[bunting_banner]

Thank you all again! We were able to change our process from using clipping masks to using opacity masks thanks to your advice, and it's been a boon for us.

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that!