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How to make a shape outline a letter

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
February 25, 2018
6 replies
3567 views

Hi there!

I have been looking to see how to make a shape outline a letter.

Heres what I'm trying to do:

Please, could someone tell me how I would do this?

also, I'm new to Photoshop

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Correct answer JJMack

Shape have vector Paths that can be stroked and closed paths can be filed with a fill color gradient or patter. That is a singe color, gradient or patten. shape layers can also have layer styles added. To make your blue and cyan Z logo you would most likely need to make two shapes layers the Cyan shape and the Blue shape layer stacked. When you create the custom shape paths with the pen tool use the least number of control points possible. Something like this:

A

aminatub9111368

Participant

Please i have little assingment on photoshop and adobe can you help me?

JJMack

Community Expert

This is a user forum you are not dealing with Adobe here. We have been trying to help you.

Shapes have a vector layer mask there is a little Icon in the layers palette's Shape layers content thumbnail to indicate its a shape layer. The vector Layer mask is not depicted in the layers palette and is only visible in the Paths when a single shape layer is targeted. The path can be a single closed path or the Path may contain many subpath and the can overlap and may combine with other subpaths in various ways. Add subtract ... in a stack like a layer stack and subpath can be edited and their mode can be change the stack can be merged,

A Shape can have its combined path stroked with custom and preset line types. A Shape area filled with a solid color, a gradient or pattern. A shape layer can have layer styles added, A shape layer can be use as a clipping mask. A shape layer can not have multiple fills, strokes or patterns. If you need multiples you need multiple shapes

JJMack

Community Expert

JJMack

Adam_HolskiAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thank you so much its actually a nice feeling to see such nice people in this world despite all the bad things happening around the world at the moment. I truely am blown away from you peoples help. Thank you so much I will have a go at this tomorrow and let you know how I get along. You all deserve such Respect as a king should get.

JJMack

Community Expert

If you can find a Font you like you can make a large Text UL layer center it then have Photoshop convert the text layer to a shape layer. Get the layer vector path save to the path with a path name like UL Edit the U and L paths to stylize the U and L Paths then add a closed framing Path perhaps by merging two shape layers.

JJMack

Adam_HolskiAuthor

Participating Frequently

I got photoshop like 2 days ago and have been using GIMP before so ill probably have to look at some tutorials, Thank you though really appreciate the help!

Adam_HolskiAuthor

Participating Frequently

I was going to suggest the same thing as JJ, that being to make the Type layer into a Shape layer (in the Type layer menu). There are several reasons for this approach.

With the Type layer now being a Shape layer, select any of the Shape tools which will bring up the Shape options in the Options bar
Give the shape a stroke, which I think defaults to Outside
Click on the Line drop-down, and then on More Options. You can now change the alignment to Outside, and the corners to Miter. This is the only way to produce a stroke with sharp corners on both inside and outside corners.
The advantage of this approach is that you now have a template to follow with the Pen Tool to produce your outer shape.

I'd start with the Polygon tool set to three sides, and to Path in the Options bar

Incidentally, I like to have all the most used tools in their own group and a double width toolbar, as with the customizable toolbar option, it seems daft not to.

The trick for breaking into that path is to add new points at the corners.

Then add a new point in between them, and delete it.

When you finished the outside path, go back to the UL path (you'll need to set the option bar back to Shape) and turn off the stroke. This will give you a nice tidy, equally spaced, outline where it follows the UL letters. You can add the flourishes etc as a last operation.

Shout if you get stuck. As you can see, we like questions like this.

Hi, im struggling with doing this step:

I don't know how to edit the triangle to go around the "U" like you have done

JJMack

Correct answer

Community Expert

Shape have vector Paths that can be stroked and closed paths can be filed with a fill color gradient or patter. That is a singe color, gradient or patten. shape layers can also have layer styles added. To make your blue and cyan Z logo you would most likely need to make two shapes layers the Cyan shape and the Blue shape layer stacked. When you create the custom shape paths with the pen tool use the least number of control points possible. Something like this:

JJMack

Adam_HolskiAuthor

Participating Frequently

Wow. That helps so much as I'm trying to make the same picture but don't want the "Z" as I want to have UL instead

davescm

Community Expert

Hi

I might be missing the point of your question, but I would just make that outer shape with the pen tool and set the stroke to a gradient matching the blue. You could then put the letter above it in the layer stack.

Dave

JoãoCésar17023019

Community Expert

Hi.

- Right click the layer of your text;

- Choose 'Blending Options...' in the context menu;

- Check 'Stroke' in the 'Styles' list.

Regards,

JC

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