Doing some letterworks - HOWTO?

[Lexje]

Hi folks,

First off, thanks for all the great help you've provided me with!
I'm exploring on some work and stuff I found here on the forum
I'm referring to Ken's thread here using SimpleViewer and Steve's explanation and pointer to his example

This made me try to do some letterworX :-)
I wonder how in the example the letters forming Xara have been manipulated to get to this final effect?
- How is one leg of the X prolongued?
- What's happened to the general 'shape' of the individual letters?

I guess you first start typing some text, choose a nice font, next you color and resize to flavour, after which you convert to editable shapes - Is that correct?

But what am I missing here?
I've looked through the XaraXone tutorials but haven't easily found what I'm looking for....

Please have a look at the attached file.
(made up in XXP5)
How would I go about to extend the lower end of the leg of the 'P' and how would need to go about to say, extend the bellow of the 'P' to the right?
Very curious...

Thanks for your suggestions!

Erwin

[Soquili]

Hi Erwin,

After you convert the text to editable shapes use the Shape Editor Tool to select nodes and move them.

To extend the X the group was ungrouped in your file.

[Lexje]

Bill thanks again for your extremely quick reaction!
Thanks for revealing, I did some quick testing as you can see, but I still wonder whether there is a 'convenient' way to e.g. work the 'a' in a way that is easily reproductible? I have a feeling if I have to edit 'each' letter, I won't have a uniform result, if you get what I mean.

[Soquili]

I often use copy and paste for custom letters. Lower case 'a' is difficult to recreate accurately.

[gwpriester]

Irwin

Don't complain. In the old days, lettering was done by hand with a pen and ink and French curves, T-square and triangles, and without the electronic tools.

[Lexje]

Just tried some editing on the extended 'P'.
How do I manage to keep the edges 'fluid'?

[Soquili]

If you use many customized fonts you may want to look into a font creation application.

I use FontLab.

[Lexje]

Irwin

Don't complain. In the old days, lettering was done by hand with a pen and ink and French curves, T-square and triangles, and without the electronic tools.

Hi Gary,
No complaining at all :-)
Just need to learn to use the tools at hand!
No suggestion for a XaraXone tutorial?

[Soquili]

For keeping things fluid a lot of practice is the only method I am familiar with.

[Lexje]

If you use many customized fonts you may want to look into a font creation application.

I use FontLab.

Bill, thanks for the tip.
By coincidence familiar with fontforge?
Seems like pretty powerfull.

Although I prefer to stick with Xara first before comlicating my life even more as it is... =-)