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ILLUSTRATOR

MASKING WITH TYPE

Illustrator’s masking tools have long been a powerful part of its feature set. Here Martin Fewell shows you
how to use masked images with typography to create an eye-catching illustration

Pioneered by the likes of Wim

ON THE CD Crouwel and 8vo, using
You’ll find all the files typography as the main focus point in
you need for this tutorial place of an image is a very effective
in the folder marked means of getting a message across.
Tutorials\Masking on Type used in this way is popular today
this issue’s CD. across a range of campaigns and is easy
to achieve in Illustrator.
TIME NEEDED As well as experimenting with large
1 hour headers by modifying letters, colours
and so on, you can use type to mask First off, fire up Illustrator. This
SKILLS
• Clipping Masks
over elements of your design. The
effect can also be used to enhance the
1 tutorial uses CS3 but you’ll be able to
use older versions. Create a new CMYK
• Compound paths
• Blend tool
meaning of the wording. For example,
you could mask an image of a fish with
document of 280x280mm. 4 When you’re happy with your text,
kerning, line spacing and so on,
select it and Copy and Paste it to one side.
text saying ‘fish’ and then put a Fisheye Next, select your original text and convert
INFO Warp filter on the text. it to paths by using Type>CreateOutlines.
Based in As well as enhancing the meaning of Apple+Shift+O is the keyboard shortcut
Manchester, text you can hide it and make it really for this selection.
Martin Fewell subtle, creating a watermark effect by
has seven building up layers of masked images.
years’ experience in the In doing this you’ll see how interesting
design industry, working effects start to happen when letter
for some of the world’s forms cut into your images.
largest brands. He’s In this tutorial you’ll learn how to
recently set up his own create the example image on the
design company called opposite page. You’ll see how easy the
Yolo. To find out more
visit www.yo-lo.com.
main masking technique is to follow
and how it adds another essential string
2 Next go to File>Place… to import
your first image on to your Illustrator
page. Choose the Type Mask image from
to your creative bow.
After the image is done, you can
the CD, or use one of your own. You’re
going to create a poster for a fictitious
5 This renders the type as vector
artwork, which you can’t edit with the
Type tool. The copy of it you made is in
build up layers and experiment to learn summer event, The City Garden Show. case you need to change it at a later date,
how the effect can be used in different or have more text with the same spec.
ways. But, as with all design treatments
and styles, the key is not knowing how
to use the effects; rather it’s knowing
when to use them.

3 Now type out your title text. Choose

an ornate but chunky font. Its thicker
lines will show a lot of the image when
Tutorial and illustration by Martin Fewell
www.yo-lo.com
used as a mask, with the thinner lines
creating a nice contrast. You’ll find the
6 Now select your type and go to Object
>CompoundPath>Make, or press
Apple+8. This unifies all the letters even
main title text as outlines on the CD. though they’re still separated.

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ILLUSTRATOR
CREATE A
WATERMARK
Create a watermark
for your photographs
10 As with a normal
Illustrator mask,
you can move the image
using text masking. around while still in the
Make a matrix of mask. To do this just click
your name or the image with the white
company logo, arrow and move it freely.
change it to a CS3 also comes with an

7 When turned into a compound path

the letters lose their fill colour. You
can re-colour them, without effecting the
compound path, as
explained in this
tutorial, and mask
Edit Contents option
in Object>Clipping
Mask>EditContents,
path, to help you see what you’re doing. your image with it. which selects the
Alternatively go to View>Outline (or hit Then Copy and Paste masked image for you.
Apple+Y) to go into Outline mode. the photograph
behind the original
one and move it
slightly, giving you a
watermark effect
over your image.
From here you’ll see
how masking images
with patterns can
give you very
interesting effects.

8 Now position the first image on the

Illustrator art board. It needs to be
behind the text. Do this by selecting it and 11 In this example a block has been
added in the background to better 13 You’ve probably noticed that the
example subject matter is a little
going to Object>Arrange>SendToBack accentuate the effect. So that’s the abstract. That’s because image masking
or using the key command Apple+Shift+[. process covered, now you can start using can create good juxtapositions with the
A fill to the letters has been added here so the technique a little more creatively with photograph and the wording. Contrasting
you can see them. help from multiple masking, the use of different elements in the design creates
A PICTURE TELLS A layers and by shifting the images around. an interesting tension.
THOUSAND WORDS

Masking images with

text can make your
message stronger.
Use textures that
visualise your
message; for
example, a grass
texture masked in a
title about conserving
the environment

9 You’re now ready to make your first

text mask. To do this select both the
image and the outlined text and choose
would work well.
Here you could add
some vector detail 12 Should you want to release the
image from the mask, go to
Object>ClippingMask>Make. This gives Object>ClippingMask>Release and
you an image masked inside the text.
to the lettering, such
as blades of grass
or flowers, to further
your image reverts back to being
unmasked. You’ll notice the outlined
14 Now you can look at using image
masking more subtly to great
effect. First, mask an image as explained
enhance the mood. text has also lost any fill it had – it hasn’t above. Next, select the image with the
vanished, it just no longer has one. white arrow and hit Apple+C to copy it.

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18 Bring up your Layers palette, if it

isn’t already open, by going to
Window>Layers. Create more layers by
clicking the Create New Layer button at
the bottom of the palette.
20 It’s time to introduce further
detail into the lettering with some
line work. These lines were created using
the Blend tool, then expanding the blend
and punching it into the lettering. Try
making a compound path from it.

15 With the image copied go to Edit>PasteInBack. From here

it’ll look like the image without any masking. The copied
image will still be selected – lock it in position by going to
Object>Lock>Section or pressing Apple+2.

19 Select the object to go on the new

layer. Cut it by going to Edit>Cut
or pressing Apple+X. In the Layers palette
AVOID COMPLEX
MASK ERRORS select the layer you want it on and go to
When you do more Edit>PasteInFront. It will be in the same
complex maskings, position on the new layer.
21 Use the compound path to mask
the image again and position it in
the main composition. The line work in the
lettering gives you a good opportunity to
effectively alter the letters by dragging out
all of the lines.

16 Select the top masked image; with

the other one locked you can click
anywhere on it to get it. Move it around to
such as a watermark
with many separated
items in your
create an interesting Predator-style compound path,
camouflage effect with the masked type. you’ll sometimes get
an error message
saying you may have
problems printing,
because the mask is
too complicated. To
get round this you’ll
need to rasterise the
file by importing
it into Photoshop
or by selecting
Object>Rasterize
from directly within
Illustrator. However,
sometimes, a mask

17 From here you can continue to

build up layers of images and text
masking. If you get a bit lost in your layers
will be just too
complex and you’ll
have to simplify it for 22 Refine the poster until you’re happy with it by using the text masking methods
above and adding some extra details to make the poster look more professional.
of type and masks, put them on separate it to work properly. Text masking the image has been used sparingly in this piece. That’s because a ‘less is
layers to make things clearer. more’ approach to your work is always recommended for best results.

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