Need help with creating this is Illustrator

[dziner2]

http://www.marketingsolutionsaz.net/rocnklogoold.jpg

I am just learning how to use Illustrator and need to create this logo as an EPS. I have work pretty much only in Photoshop until recently getting some logo work. Everything I have been doing the last couple of months has been for printing jobs and vector art is needed all to often. The part that has me stuck is creating the bent bar. I am sure that it must be something simple, but I just cannot figure it out. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

[morea]

can you just outline it with the pen tool?

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[PrintDriver]

Make the pen tool your friend.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[D-Zine]

Pen tool gooooood :o)

Power to the Oldschoolers

[dziner2]

Yes........but when I did that is just looked really .....well crappy! My closest attempt was to create an oval and then cut it in half with the razor tool and then stroke it with different wieghts. But I was still stuck with a line across the top and dont know enough to add the "bars" to the end of the curve.



Hahaha...............I really am trying to get the pen tool to be my friend, but he really is not liking me very much! http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

[PrintDriver]

Make rectangles and rotate them.
Make a closed shape of your arcs by using the pen tool to join the endpoints put the rectangles over the arc shape then use pathfinder>unite (or combine or add to shape or whatever the hell it says in your version). You may have to expand afterwards too. then you can apply your stroke and fill.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[D-Frag]

Have you messed around with the anchors? Thats the way to get that to bend that way, there is also make a line and go to effect>warp>arc or something along those lines.

One thing no one ever told me in Illy, was to hit the last anchor with your pen tool, what this does is make it to were your next conecting line you make, will not stay on the same angle of the path. After you have it all drawn out, you can use the 'Smooth' tool, which is just underneath the penicl to smooth out your lines.

I suggest some basic tutorials before you finish this to make your effort look good.

http://img15.exs.cx/img15/7863/nufrag2nk6zq.jpg

digitalcamwhore (http://digitalcamwhore.deviantart.com/gallery/)

Thanks to vend3r (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/profile.aspx?f=35&m=97279&p=4762) for the sig

[dziner2]

Thanks for the help guys & gals! I will keep messing with it. Good thing this particular logo is for my father in-law and I am not up against any deadline with him. After all he had it created on a business card at a Horse Show by a traveling salesman. The card is horrible and that is what started this whole thing. Most of what I do is Print Brokering, and my business partner was the Design guy, well he is no longer with the company so I am having to learn AI now ! Joy! http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/cheers.gif

[MD]

Work smarter not harder kiddies

The best way to get perfect curves is to use circles (see pic)
Match bottom angel then option-shift-drag a new circle above it to match upper angle
make 2 lines somewhere inside the rectangles on the end - select all - pathfinder divide
make a rounded rectangle and angle it.
mirror image it
put em in place and pathfinder add/unite

You can either stroke the object then or you get a better outline but duplicating the art and stroking that and placing it behind your current art.......make sense?

I wish I had something clever to put here.......

[PrintDriver]

What about drawing one curve then offsetting the path (which is probably how I woulda done it)? I hate trying to get circles to match arcs.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[dziner2]

Well I am still working with the pen tool and adding and deleting anchors. I have it looking pretty close now.





However not sure how to create an eps with stroke and the fill? Should I just leave it and deal with that on an as needed basis. I am going to be using this for Business cards, Letterhead, envelopes very soon after it is done. Not sure on the stroke/outline effect.


Will later be using this for a vinyl cut banner, this is when I know I will need this effect to be part of the eps.

[morea]

maybe I'm over-simplifying things as I am wont to do, but to make the file an 'eps' you just need to go to 'save as' and choose the eps file format instead of the 'ai' format. The fill would be blue and the stroke would be black. Does that help at ALL? I mean well, but it's hard to slip away from the men in the white jackets who keep trying to give me pills.

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[dziner2]

Here is what I have now...................................http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/frusty.gif \
http://www.marketingsolutionsaz.net/logostartepsTEST.jpg

[morea]

you're getting there... just need to get it balanced a little more. Keep at it - you're doing great!

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[dziner2]

Yes this is right. I guess I was rammbling a bit. I am having trouble now, even though I am far from done getting this thing to look right, figuring out how to get it to fill and stroke. The stroke seems to be fine on the pen.



morea said...
maybe I'm over-simplifying things as I am wont to do, but to make the file an "eps" you just need to go to "save as" and choose the eps file format instead of the "ai" format. The fill would be blue and the stroke would be black. Does that help at ALL? I mean well, but it's hard to slip away from the men in the white jackets who keep trying to give me pills.

[MD]

Ya pd you could do that but circles make perfect curves

I wish I had something clever to put here.......

[dziner2]

Nevermind on the fill and stroke! Got it all figured out!

BTW- I really appreciate all of you taking the time to help me out!

[morea]

we're a good bunch /emoticons/biggrin.gif

I haven't lost my mind... it's backed up on disk somewhere.

[Unit.Seven]

Draw circle -> clip -> outline stroke.

Add straigt lines same weight for ends, flat end caps -> Outline stroke

Use Pathfinder to join these shapes

Set fille and stroke.

For vinyl cutting image you will have to make it with one object filled and one object outlined without fill above.
Top object you would outline stroke before sending to vinyl cutters.

Check out this pdf for help with getting into the working of Illy:
http://www.creativepro.com/jump?jump=www.creativepro.com/img/story/050704_zen.pdf

Peace. Sam.

[dziner2]

That PDF is coming up as password protected http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/eyecrazy.gif



Unit Seven said...
Draw circle -> clip -> outline stroke.

Add straigt lines same weight for ends, flat end caps -> Outline stroke

Use Pathfinder to join these shapes

Set fille and stroke.

For vinyl cutting image you will have to make it with one object filled and one object outlined without fill above.
Top object you would outline stroke before sending to vinyl cutters.

Check out this pdf for help with getting into the working of Illy:
http://www.creativepro.com/jump?jump=www.creativepro.com/img/story/050704_zen.pdf

Peace. Sam.

[Unit.Seven]

Wierd, try this page which holds the link to the PDF, if that doesn't work I can e-mail it to you.

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/21306.html