Logo design in Illustrator

[Louda!!!]

Hi!
I´m designing a logo using Illustrator and have a couple of questions I´d like to get solved.

First, how do I get text to act as a "picture", in the sense that the graphics of the text is editable? I want to erase a dot over the letter i, and have solved it by painting over the dot with the background colour. My fear is that this might be noticable in some way if I´d print the logo, and therefor I want to know how I can do this in the "right" way.

Second I want to know how I can merge all the graphics in to one whole picture? I´ve tried to select all the objects of the logo and then choose "merge selected" from the layers palette, but it wont work since "merge selected" is grey (can´t be selected).

And last but not least, in what format and resolution should I save my logo to get the best out of it? I understand that the use of the logo determines this so: It will be used on the web, in business cards and maybe other printables like envelopes, letters etc.

Thank you very much for answering my questions.

[morea]

1. create outlines? CTRL+A to select all, CTRL+SHIFT+O to create outlines.

2. you can't really "merge" them if they are different colors or are not overlapping. You could group them. CTRL+A to select all, CTRL+G to group them so that they move and scale together as one piece.

3. I always save the file from illy in .ai format for future editing. Since that is vector format, resolution will not need to be set; vectors are scalable. For the client, I provide a color .pdf, a black and white .pdf, and raster files (.gif / .jpg) at the appropriate size and resolution for the web.

Hope that helps some.

[Sketcher]

When you say "merge graphics", what exactly do you mean?

If you mean group them all together, select all the objects you want together, then go Object > Group.

If you mean welding multiple objects as one object, select all your overlapping objects that you want to be one object and open your pathfinder pallet. Then Click on the first box and hit Expand.

"Merge Selected" in the layers pallet only allows you to merge multiple layers into one layer. To use that option, select all your layers you want merged, then hit Merge Selected.

[CkretAjint]

merge = compound path, perhaps?

[Ned]

For the client, I provide a color .pdf, a black and white .pdf, and raster files (.gif / .jpg) at the appropriate size and resolution for the web.

PDF isn't necessary for all-vector artwork, unless there is raster images mixed in. EPS is a better format to save your vector art to, and is what the client should send to the printers.

You may want to leave them with a PDF as well, but that's just so they can easily open it up for viewing on their own computers, but the EPS is what they should be using to send to the printer or to incorporate into their layouts.

Other than that, I think all the questions are well answered already. ;)

As for "merging" objects into one, you can select them all and press CMD/CTRL-8 to "Make a Compound Path". However, as Morea stated, that won't work if the objects differ in layering order and color. I'm pretty sure CMD/CTRL-G (group objects) is the solution you're after.

[morea]

For the record, my client could not open EPS files, and COULD open PDFs (thanks to Acrobat reader).

I actually supplied both formats, as they intended to use the logo for some things that they put together themselves (in-house memos and whatnot) but would also have the other format handy to send to the printer, if the need arose.

[Ned]

That's the perfect solution, Mo. =3 The average computer won't be able to do anything with your EPS files, not even look at it to see how pretty. ;)

[Louda!!!]

Thanks a lot! That was some quick and very usefull answers!

[PrintDriver]

.eps files are great for placing into layouts but don't hand off a logo only as .eps, especially if it has transparency features, ie drop shadows, glows, etc (I've given up telling people not to use raster effects in logos - you shouldn't in a logo that isn't being blinged from a simpler logo>. Always provide a .ai file for a logo. The .eps files have been causing all kinds of problems when converting to some signware programs and some CNCs hate them. Also, they aren't always backwards compatible. Illy 10 can't open a CS .eps file. Illy CS can't open a CS3 .eps. Remember some sign shops are not up on the most current versions of software.