In this tutorial, we’ll create a circular logo using the Appearances Panel and the Type on a Path tool. As with many of these tutorials, the steps can be adapted for a multitude of projects.
1. With the ellipse tool, click on the screen and make a circle 100pts x 100pts. Copy the Circle (cmd/ctrl + C)
2. With the circle still selected open the Appearances Panel (WINDOW menu > APPEARANCES), change the fill to none, and change the stroke to 44pts and make the stroke color black.
3. In the Appearances menu add a new stroke and make it 36 pts, change the stroke color to white.
4. Add another new Stroke make it 28pts, make the stroke color black.
5. We’re going to use this circle as the foundation for our logo and will be punching out the text from the thick inner black ring. The next step involves expanding the circle into its constituent parts and making them pure vector outlines. With the circle selected go to the OBJECT menu > EXPAND APPEARANCE – this creates three separate paths grouped together – one for the 44 pt stroke, one for the 36 pt stroke and separate one for the 28 pt path. Next, with the group still selected, go to the OBJECT menu > EXPAND – this will change all of the paths into outlined shapes.
6. Now that the paths are shapes go to the WINDOW menu > PATHFINDER and select the DIVIDE tool, this separates the overlapping shapes into individual shapes. With the shapes selected, go to the OBJECT menu > UNGROUP.
7. Deselect everything by clicking on a blank area of the workspace and then click on only the white rings of the graphic and delete them.
Select the remaining rings and go to the OBJECT menu > HIDE > SELECTION to temporarily hide them.
8. Go to the EDIT menu > PASTE IN FRONT. This pastes in the circle from STEP 1 in the exact location from where we copied it.
9. Select the Scissors Tool (associated with the Eraser tool or keyboard shortcut C)
and click on the left and right-hand anchor points of the circle – this separates the circle into an upper and lower arc.
10. Choose the Type tool and click on the upper arc – this will activate the path as a type path. Type ROUND and then change the Typeface to Century Gothic and the Style Bold at 24pts for its height. Change the Tracking to 500.
11. The type at this point does not fit on the path so we will have to make some adjustments. First, take the white arrow and click on the type path. You will see three lines that are placed perpendicular to the path, a beginning, end and orientation line.
Drag the Beginning line (the line that determines where text starts on a path) and drag it to the point on the left where the path begins. Drag the end line to the far right side of the path.
12. Select the text on a path with the black arrow and then go to the TYPE menu > PARAGRAPH and change the alignment to center.
13. With the type still selected go to the TYPE menu > TYPE ON A PATH > TYPE ON A PATH OPTIONS and change the Align to Path to Center. Click OK.
14. With the Type tool, select all of the text and go to the EDIT menu > COPY (cmd/ctrl + C), then click on the lower arc with the type tool and then go to the EDIT menu > PASTE (cmd/ctrl + V) Replace the text with the word ABOUT.
15. Similar to STEP 11, click on the type with the white arrow and adjust the beginning and end of the type path.
16. With the White Arrow, drag the orientation control (the line in the center) towards the center of the circle, this will orient the text above the path.
Go back to the TYPE menu > TYPE ON A PATH > TYPE ON A PATH OPTIONS and change the Align to Path to Center. Click OK.
17. Select both type paths with the black arrow and go to the TYPE menu > CREATE OUTLINES. This makes shapes from the type which will allow us to cut the text from the ring shapes in the next steps. Change the fill color to White. Then go to the OBJECT menu > COMPOUND PATH > MAKE (this will make all text outlines act as one path.)
18. Go to the OBJECT menu > SHOW ALL to reveal the hidden rings from STEP 7.
19. Select the text shapes and the wide black ring and go to the PATHFINDER panel > SUBTRACT.
The logo is complete and the letters have been cut out of the rings allowing color background images to show through.
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