How do I create text effects like a glow, burn, or an outline?

[Madmax]

On this project I am working on I am trying to make the text title look a little more "aged" possibly with a stain or some sort of enveloping shadow effect. Here are some text effects I would like to experiment with to see which looks better:
1. How do I make it so the text looks like it was "burned" onto whatever background it is printed on.
2. How do I create a glow effect with different colors? I am not trying for an actual glowing effect but more like some sort of stain or maybe even a smear around the text.

If you need more explanation please ask. Though I am not sure how to better explain it.

EDIT: If possible how do I change the color of the shadow effect?
Bruce

[Rik]

Can you post some images that show what you're trying to create?

You can change the colour of the shadow, by selecting the Shadow tool, and pressing ALT and clicking on the item.
This allows you to toggle between the object and the shadow.

[Albacore]

The 2 Gary's have over the years produced great tutorials and many of them have been on text effects. Some have been on grunge effects others using bevel and shadow effects get yourself over to the Xone and see what you can find:http://www.xaraxone.com/
Also look and click on the Archives as well as the main Tutorial area. Hope that helps you but as Rick states if you know what you really want to do there are many here also who will give you a hand.

[Madmax]

Cool, I knew there was a way to change the shadow color. I'll have to look at the tutorials again.
Thanks!

Bruce

P.S. I'll post a sample card a little later because I have to go shovel out the driveway (it finally snowed).

[Madmax]

Here is my sample card. These cards will be the same size as the cards in a deck of poker cards (normal deck of cards). I wanted to keep the graphics simple but not mundane and this is what I came up with. I am open to suggestions on the overall look and appeal of the cards. This is my first time doing anything like this and I want them to look good.
Please note that the font size is probably the largest it will get because I wanted to keep all the cards uniform and some of the spell descriptions will take up the whole card as it is now.

Bruce

[angelize]

One way I like to age and grungify text is to first give it a very dark brown colour rather than black then use a fractal plasma transparency and set it to stained glass. Adjust the transparency handles and experiment with the profiles (click the arrow button on the info bar and you will get a dialogue with two sliders. Once you are happy with the transparency settings you can further the aged look by using the relief live effect. you can find this in the stylization filters and again you'll have a couple of sliders to experiment with.

I also dirtied up my piece by using the shape painter tool with a soft nib to brush on some staining and then I hit Q to clip it all together. I've included my .xar file that you can pull apart. It contains a google font, if you are using version 9 or 10 you be be prompted to install the font.

[Madmax]

One way I like to age and grungify text is to first give it a very dark brown colour rather than black then use a fractal plasma transparency and set it to stained glass. Adjust the transparency handles and experiment with the profiles (click the arrow button on the info bar and you will get a dialogue with two sliders. Once you are happy with the transparency settings you can further the aged look by using the relief live effect. you can find this in the stylization filters and again you'll have a couple of sliders to experiment with.

I also dirtied up my piece by using the shape painter tool with a soft nib to brush on some staining and then I hit Q to clip it all together. I've included my .xar file that you can pull apart. It contains a google font, if you are using version 9 or 10 you be be prompted to install the font.

I used a dark brown color for the text as black didn't seem to fit (though it was the darkest brown on the color palate). I may try working with some of the effects you mentioned but it needs to be something where I can apply it to the template and all I need to do is add the text because I am doing this for 100 - 200 cards, maybe more. Doing a text effect for each individual card would add time to this project.

I do like the look of your background though I wouldn't be able to use the jagged edges like you have. The edges on the cards are not precise and there are limits for text then background graphics.

Now I'm having another problem. When I opened your file I was prompted to download some Google fonts. For some reason it automatically un-bolds the warnock pro text and will not allow me to re-bold it. Only some of the text was bolded to indicated a category or title.

How do I uninstall the Google fonts?

Bruce

[Madmax]

I figured out how to bold the font, but now it changes the line spacing for the lines with the bolded text. Which in turn makes it offset or uneven with the rest of the paragraph (and it looks like crap). Is it possible to change the line spacing in Xara? I couldn't find an option for that. Or would it be easier to un-install the Google font?

Bruce

[Gamerprinter]

Another trick to try for the staining, something that I often do. I place a shape onto the area I intend to represent the staining, apply a heavy feathered edge, and I choose a color that is significantly lighter and apply a stain-glass transparency. Lighter colors applied with stain-glass transparency turn darker, but is still transparent. I find I get much better results apply light colors with transparency than color alone.

[Madmax]

I was able to put some more time in this project today and here are a two more examples. I prefer TemplateA but I'd like to hear other opinions. I have tried some of the techniques given above and have so far only decided to go with altering the text some to make it seem a little bit more aged. I am still open to suggestions and techniques especially since everyone here has been very helpful so far.

Please note that I left the two borders in the both examples just to give an idea of the limits I am constrained to. The blue boundary is the recommended "max" for text and the black boundary is the recommended "minimum" for graphics.
TemplateA.png.xar.png.xar
TemplateB.png.xar.png.xar

Thanks for all the help so far!

Bruce