Making novel type characters

[AndyD]

Hi

I am trying to make novel letters using the male and female symbols, the characters with the cross and arrow attached to a "o". I tried using the diagonal arrow from wingdings but when the size is reduced so that it looks acceptable in length then the arrow's thickness is so much less than letter's width it looks terrible. I am trying to make a sign saying suboptimo with the signs on the "o".

[mwenz]

Convert the arrow to curves. Then you can alter its width/length independently.

Take care, Mike

[AndyD]

Convert the arrow to curves. Then you can alter its width/length independently.

Take care, Mike

Is that "Convert line to Shape" or "Convert to editable shapes"? I only seem to be able to change general dimensions of the whole arrow, but when I try to reduce the size the arrow the "thickness" reduces. Is there a tutorial on this anyone knows of....?

[mwenz]

Turn it so the arrow is either pointing directly to one side or the other, or straight up or down. You can then easily change in width or length.

Use Convert to Editable Shape. And if you use the Shape tool (F4 key), you can grab the nodes that now make up the shape and keep things more proportional.

Take care, Mike

[AndyD]

I tried with the arrow, but it just starts to look silly. I may hvae to browse YouTube to see it being one somewhere perhaps.logo2.xar

[mwenz]

I tried with the arrow, but it just starts to look silly. I may hvae to browse YouTube to see it being one somewhere perhaps.logo2.xar

How about:



Take care, Mike

[AndyD]

Hi Mike,

That looks great. I did manage to edit it a bit. I will have to give it try myself and play around more with this type of thing.
Many thanks again.

Andy

[mwenz]

You're welcome Andy.

I can make a quickie movie of what I did if you end up wanting me to do so. Do note that once the characters are converted to editable shapes, they are grouped. Hitting CTRL-U a couple times ungroups what really are not groups. Then you can easily select and move nodes instead of stretching / compressing the shape. I find moving the nodes around is easier.

So have a good play. If you don't like what you have done, you can just download it again.

Also, I would select the cross and arrow and the letter o (which I also converted to an editable shape. You'll see what I did with the word Optimo) and add the shapes to make a single shape. But once you get thigs as you want them, you can also just group them together too.

Take care, Mike