Pseudo/Fake Italicizing in Illustrator

[kinch]

Any techniques that you use to create an italicized form of a font, when one does not exist yet?

I found out on a logo that my client really likes the font, but he would like it italicized. I'm just wondering what techniques could be used to get the result?

[hewligan]

Right, first things first - don't do it. It is bad and wrong and typographically evil to perform such distortions on innocent type.

Having said that, we all need to fake stuff sometimes ;)

And you can't fake italic. An italic font is not just slanted - it actually has different letterforms to a roman. Those are usually what you get with serif fonts. What you're actually thinking of is an oblique - which is a roman form of a font that has simply been slanted. You see those mostly on san-serif fonts. And you can fake them - albeit badly.

Convert your type to outlines and grab the skew tool (behind the scale tool). With your outlined type selected, hold down shift and drag slightly to the right.

Congratulations, you are now going to typography hell ;)

[kinch]

Right, first things first - don't do it. It is bad and wrong and typographically evil to perform such distortions on innocent type.


I think as long as I know "I shouldn't be doing this", then I can do it. I'm aware that I am making a typographical sin, so therefore I can sin responsibly :P

Okay... I'll read the rest of your post now. :p

[kinch]

Right, first things first - don't do it. It is bad and wrong and typographically evil to perform such distortions on innocent type.

Having said that, we all need to fake stuff sometimes ;)

And you can't fake italic. An italic font is not just slanted - it actually has different letterforms to a roman. Those are usually what you get with serif fonts. What you're actually thinking of is an oblique - which is a roman form of a font that has simply been slanted. You see those mostly on san-serif fonts. And you can fake them - albeit badly.

Convert your type to outlines and grab the skew tool (behind the scale tool). With your outlined type selected, hold down shift and drag slightly to the right.

Congratulations, you are now going to typography hell ;)

I can't find the skew tool.. I see a "Shear tool" but that doesn't do it. Shortcut maybe?

[kinch]

Never mind, got it to work. It must have been the shear tool... I just wasn't using it enough... too afraid :p

[hewligan]

I can't find the skew tool.. I see a "Shear tool" but that doesn't do it. Shortcut maybe?
Shear tool. Yeah, that's the one. Drinking morning coffee now...

[urstwile]

Does a true italic version of the font not exist?

[kinch]

Does a true italic version of the font not exist?

Nope, not that I could find.... It's "Eras"

[hewligan]

There's no oblique for Eras becuase it's already slightly oblique.

[kinch]

There's no oblique for Eras becuase it's already slightly oblique.

Well they want it more oblique... so I did it ;)

[urstwile]

I guess sometimes you gotta go there. :)