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Multiple Strokes, Fills and Effects
 The Appearance Palette
   
You can use the Appearance Palette to create multiple fills and strokes on your objects. Text Objects can remain editable with gradient fills and numerous live effects. You can then save your appearance and apply it to other objects, and even keep it around for new projects down the road.
 

 

 
Appearances & Styles
   
 
Create a New Document
(here's my settings)
 
Document Setup:
Ctrl+Alt+P / Cmd+Option+P
Size: (default) 8.5" X 11"
Orientation: (default) Portrait
 
Preferences: Ctrl+K / Cmd+K
General: (default) Inches
Stroke: (default) Points
Type: (default) Points
 
Color Mode:
File > Document Color Mode
Color Mode: RGB
   

1. Write some text. I'll use "Stylin" (Verdana-Bold-Italic). Scale your text so it takes up most of the artboard.

I also squished my text vertically a little to give it that streamlined look.

Tip! Place your type cursor between two letters and use Alt+Arrows Keys / Option+Arrow Keys to adjust the kerning between them.
   

2. Select your text and clear it so it has no fill or stroke. It will be invisible unless it is selected.

Go to your Appearance Palette
(Windows > Show Appearances)
   

3. Use your selection tool and make sure your text is selected on the artboard. Your Appearance Palette should say "Type Object" with a little square icon beside it. Select the "Stroke: icon" below it in your Appearance Palette.

Select a stroke colour from your Swatches Palette, and a weight from your Stroke Palette. Mine is a 20pt Blue Stroke, as seen in this image.
   

4. Make sure your text is still selected on the artboard. Go to your Appearance Palette Menu (click on the black arrow at the top right corner of the palette). Select Add New Stroke.

You should have two, 20pt Blue Strokes, in your Appearance Palette now.

   

5. Select the top-most stroke in your Appearance Palette. Change its colour and lower the stroke weight. Mine is a 10pt Black Stroke.

You should now see your editable text outlined with two strokes!
   

6. Make sure your text is selected and select your bottom-most stroke in the Appearance Palette. Go to Effects > Stylize > Drop Shadow. I went with the default options.

 

   

7. Make sure your text is selected, select the fill icon in your Appearance Palette. Now select a gradient fill from your Swatches Palette.

Now we have editable text with a gradient fill, multiple strokes and a drop shadow. Not Bad!

You can delete, modify and add strokes, fills, transparencies and many kinds of effects to your text or path object in the Appearance Palette. I decided not to go with a drop shadow this time. So I deleted mine by selecting it in the palette and clicking the trash icon in the Palette.

Play with the order in which the strokes and fills appear in your Appearance Palette for different results. They work just like Layers.

Double click on effects in the Palette to modify their settings on the fly. Effects are live, and have the ability to adjust to the edited type or shape.

I went ahead and created a Style out of this appearance, and applied it to a new object. Read on to learn how!
   

8. Once again, make sure your text is selected. Go to your Styles Palette (Window > Show Styles). Click the Black Arrow to access your Style Palette Menu, select New Style. Name your new style. Mine's called Stylin. Click OK.

You can now apply that style to new objects you create in this Illustrator Document.
   

9. To save this file out as a custom Style Library, to use in other Illustrator documents...

  • In your Style Menu go Select All Unused, then click the (trash can) to delete them.
  • Right Now you should have one style (the one we created) plus one other square in your Style Palette. You can create and save as many styles in here as you want.
  • Locate your Adobe Illustrator Program Folder.
  • Open it and locate the Style Library Folder.
  • Open it and save your file (*.ai) to this folder.
  • Close Illustrator and Re-Launch it.
  • Open a new document.
  • Go Windows > Style Libraries > and locate your Library. Check out all the styles that come with Illustrator too. You can apply, modify and save all kinds of styles.

TIP! Whenever you create a new object on the artboard and it has taken on the same appearance or style from a previous object, and you don't want it to. Do this...

Make sure your new object is selected. Go to your Appearance Palette and click on the Clear Appearance Icon. This will give your new object no fill, no stroke and clear all effects.

   
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email: rkovacs@thevein.com © 2001 Rod Kovacs -- A RK Tutorial