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TomKC
Known Participant
January 17, 2017
Answered

How to create a knockout stroke around text in InDesign CS6

  • January 17, 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 15232 views

I have an oval with text on top of it. I want to make the stroke around the text transparent so you see the background through the space between the text and the oval but I'm not sure how to get this done in InDesign and I don't know Illustrator well enough to do it in there.

I could take it into Photoshop and simple erase the stroke but then it's no longer a vector.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer winterm

    Yes, the yellow background was just simply put there so you could see the contrast of the stroke of my samples.

    As for the discussion regarding Illustrator, I do agree that would probably be a better tool for this but I don't have it, I do publication layout I'm not a graphic designer or illustrator.

    The reason you see that I only have outline strokes on the "s" and "s" is that the "t" is so close to the oval that if I added the outline stroke to it to bleeds into the oval.

    So I created a separate text frames for the "s" and "p". It worked, kind of.

    The only problem is with his step 5. With the Outlined Type still selected, go to Object > Flatten Transparency to Convert all Strokes to Outline. I don't see that option in indd CS6.

    I was able to complete the rest of it but the lines are hairline in size not the 3 pt I was looking for.

    Is there something I'm missing?


    Ok, here we go:

    1. Convert your text „startup” to outlines (Ctrl+Shift+O).  Give it a [Paper] stroke. The sequence is not relevant here, also you can not bother about stroke weight so far.

    2. Select your outlined text, in the Effects panel, sub-select the Stroke only, and set its Opacity to zero. Your stroke „disappears”.

    3. Group the green graphic element and „startup” together (Ctrl+G).

    6. With the Group of these two objects selected, in the Effects panel, turn on Knock-Out Group checkbox.

    7. Now your graphic element beneath the stroke should be knocked out.

    8. You can sub-select outlined text and adjust stroke weight and alignment using Stroke panel (most likely you’ll want to set it Outside). Just don’t ungroup, knockout effect will be lost!

    Also you may find reasonable to do it with the first and last characters only, it’s up to you.

    Hope this helps.

    5 replies

    Eternal Warrior
    Eternal Warrior
    Inspiring
    January 18, 2017

    Ok done done and done this time with various versions and everything...

    Hopefully Obi-Wan won't find any flaws this time....

    Dropbox - My Shared Folder

      Obi-wan Kenobi
      Obi-wan Kenobi
      Braniac
      January 18, 2017

      … Kerning between letters could be better!

      (^/) 

      Eternal Warrior
      Eternal Warrior
      Inspiring
      January 18, 2017

      Hahaha!! Ok.. Now I'm learning why we offer answers rather than actually helping people with the work itself

      I tried comparing it against the photos provided and it matched pretty much perfectly if the kerning is off I blame whoever made the logo in the first place

      Besides all I did was make a vector duplicate of someone else's work...blame them!! Hehehe

        Sandee Cohen
        Sandee Cohen
        Braniac
        January 18, 2017

        I just tried to replicate the logo in Illy and it's a LOT harder than you would think. There's a trick going on with the stroke that Illy doesn't understand when converting.

        I could do it, but it would take quite a few hours. And that's the kind of work I charge for.

        J
        Jeffrey_Smith
        Braniac
        January 18, 2017

        In Illustrator, Object > Path > Outline Stroke. The outer edge of a stroke does not work to create new shapes when using the pathfinder.

        Sandee Cohen
        Sandee Cohen
        Braniac
        January 18, 2017

        Jeffrey,

        You can get the stroke in Illustrator to work with the Pathfinders in Illustrator by using the Expand command to turn them into filled objects. The problem is the stroke in the swoosh doesn’t convert to filled object with the effect. I’d have to do it with a custom stroke in Illy and I hate to try to replicate a designers work. I like to just cut, paste, etc.

        J
        Jeffrey_Smith
        Braniac
        January 17, 2017

        Quick and dirty method... colorize the stroke on the "s" and "p" yellow - the same color as the background.

          Obi-wan Kenobi
          Obi-wan Kenobi
          Braniac
          January 17, 2017

          Not dirty at all but totally soft and relevant!

          (^/)

            winterm
            winterm
            Braniac
            January 17, 2017

            Really? OP posted two versions - one with background, and one without. So - that yellow background is optional: it may be yellow or not, uniform or not. It may just be or not!

            I'm a bit surprised you find plain stroking acceptable here. Do you mean to edit it every time background changes?

            Here it is, stroked and outlined, directly in ID:

              winterm
              winterm
              Braniac
              January 17, 2017

              Actually, it can be done directly in InDesign, too.

              Cons: text converted to outlines (just like in Illy, and it's not necessarily bad thing for the logo); whole thing must be grouped (except background itself):

              As a general rule, I'd vote for making a logo in Illustrator... for various reasons.

              However, again: it can be done in ID.

                Jeff Witchel, ACI
                Jeff Witchel, ACI
                Braniac
                January 18, 2017

                As you said, "I would vote for doing this in Illustrator."

                This graphic is a logo. Logos should not created in InDesign. Layouts should not be created in Illustrator. It's like hammering a nail with a screwdriver. It's just not the right tool for the job.

                  winterm
                  winterm
                  Braniac
                  January 18, 2017

                  Sure, no doubt.

                  However, it's an InDesign forum, so we are exploring ID possibilities

                  And one may find some applications for such a "knockout effect" designing some layouts, why not.

                  While leaving logos for Illy...

                  Jeff Witchel, ACI
                  Jeff Witchel, ACI
                  Braniac
                  January 17, 2017

                  This should really be done in Illustrator.

                  1. Select your type object
                  2. Copy and Paste in Back (Edit > Paste in Back) of the original Type
                  3. With the bottom type still selected, add a Stroke of the desired Weight
                  4. Outline the type (Type > Create Outlines)
                  5. With the Outlined Type still selected, go to Object > Flatten Transparency to Convert all Strokes to Outline
                  6. Deselect your Type and in the Layers panel, Lock the original type on top.
                  7. Select your bottom Outlined Type and your oval red shape at the same time with the Selection tool
                  8. Open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and use the Minus Front button in the panel

                  See attached.

                  Hope this helps!

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