Bob the Sign Guy wrote: suggesting approaches like ... (gasp) auto-tracing methods to create a proper centerline effect on lettering. Please read carefully before claiming that. Nobody advised auto-tracing to do this stuff. Another question rose from this thread: "does Illustrator have a centerline tracing feature?" And that was the cause to discuss the feature. ... View more

photodrawken wrote: His points about Monika's example are valid. One only needs to look at CorelDraw's centerline trace to see how a "real" centerline trace should work.  As I pointed out in my earlier example, it's not perfect when used on type, but is a true centerline regardless of the font weight. I highly doubt that Corel Draw will get better results. Because it's autoatrace after all. The CD example in this thread shows round letters, so of course the results cannot be compared. The stroke being not in the middle of the letters: my screenshot was taken zoomed out and shows the path. If zoomed in the result is better. Just try it yourself. As for the typography example in the other thread: I don't know what that has to do with the problem here. ... View more

It still works in CS6 ... View more

You can select to trace "Strokes" instead of "Fills". You'll have to edit the options associated with it and then you'll have to expand the trace and make the strokes lighter.   How does the tracing method work in AI?  I don't see an option for "Centerline" trace. ... View more

The tracing method would work in Illustrator as well. ... View more

You can direct select the mask after having created the clipping mask and then apply the effect. ... View more

The standard color books in Illustrator CS6 (which are the Pantone + books) only contain LAB values. You'll have to replace them with older color books to get the expected behaviour. ... View more

OK - sorry, I overlooked that. Looks like it has changed again. You cannot operate freely with outline stroke like you used to. ... View more

Maybe you would like to post an example of what doesn't work. But in addition to that: Teri's example is from Illustrator 10. There has been a change in the appearance panel in Illustrator CS4 which affects exactly the outline stroke and outline object effects. Stuff that has been possible until Illustrator CS3 is not any more: http://www.vektorgarten.de/outline-object-and-stroke.html ... View more

In order to learn Illustrator you could start with the help files. If you don't like them, try Mordy Goldings "Real World Illustrator". ... View more

In case you need to go the Photoshop way to rasterize the graphic, PDF compatiblity would be important. ... View more

Even if the striped drop shadow was added in Illustrator, the outlined font may have been created that way. But if I wanted to make this stuff in Illustrator, I'd add a second fill to the text object and use the effect "Offset path" on it. ... View more

Set a width point on each end of the path. Make it an assymetrical width ... View more

Use the width tool. See manual for details. ... View more

Of course the resolution is different. You resized the photo. The control panel shows the effective resolution ... View more

Corel Draw X5 should open Illustrator CS4 quite well. ... View more

Juntaz wrote: im i missing out of something? That depends on what exactly you're doing. ... View more

tromboniator wrote: Mac 10.6.8, Illy CS5.1: The Auto setting does not exist in my Align Panel. If you don't enter anything (and don't select a key object), it's Auto. In CS3 "0mm" (or whatever unit) was default. This always triggered an error n case you didn't select a key object or didn't remember to select "Auto". Guess that's why it was changed. ... View more

It's not possible to automatically align anchor points the way you expect it to work. I've got the book and I think I found the paragraph you're referring to. It simply states that it is difficult to create the points in a symmetrical fashion. It actually doesn't show a way to do it. What you might do is create "helper objects", e.g. a rectangle that you use to measure the distance between anchors to recreate it on  the other side. You might also first create only one side of that violin completely and then mirror it when you're finished. Doing it that way would be the most efficient way to do it. ... View more

Actually it should be the latter. But as I said before: I didn't manage to apply the hairline in my current installation of FH MX. ... View more

In FreeHand the option is called "Hairline" in the menu. I can't get it to work in FH MX, it always re-sets to 0.25 Pt ... View more

Doug, when you simply assign a 0 Pt stroke, it's the same as assigning None. Only when using this pathfinder, you'll get the hairline stroke. ... View more

You can only add graphic styles. (see manual) With the eyedropper you cannot add an effect. ... View more

See the manual on graphic styles. You can add them to effects that are already applied. If you want to copy effects from one objects to the other, use the eyedropper tool or the layer panel. ... View more

I'm not aware of an app that could connect the iPad as a graphic tablet to Illustrator (it's a little different with Photoshop - you can use the iPad with it). On top of that, the iPad is not as precise as a Wacom tablet. What you can do is e.g. use the free app Adobe Ideas (there may be other apps like it) to scribble on the iPad and edit these files with Illustrator (it's vector). There are other vector apps that allow drawing kind of like in Illustrator, e.g. Inkpad. ... View more

No, you don't have to disassemble anything. Live color works on different kinds of objects and in deeply nested groups and clipping masks. see http://www.vektorgarten.de/img/tut/groups-live-color.mov ... View more