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The Fab Tabs Ruler
in Illustrator 9
Slanted Columns of Text |
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In this tutorial we will import a text file
and format it into slanted columns. This may
be handy if you want to spice up financial reports,
event schedules or anything that appears in
columns of text.
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1. Open
"tabs_text.txt".
Notice I have three words per line. You can't really tell but,
I used one tab between each word
on each line. If I want to separate my text into columns, I am
going to format my text, with tabs, like this. I used regular
line breaks (Enter / Return) to separate the lines.
Close the text file now.
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2. Create
a New Document in Illustrator. Here are my settings.
Document
Setup:
Ctrl+Alt+P / Cmd+Option+P |
| Size: |
(default)
8.5" X 11" |
| Orientation: |
(default)
Portrait |
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| Preferences:
Ctrl+K / Cmd+K |
| General: |
(default)
Inches |
| Stroke: |
(default)
Points |
| Type: |
(default)
Points |
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Color
Mode:
File > Document Color Mode |
| Color Mode: |
RGB |
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3. Go
File > Place and locate the "tabs_text.txt" file
from your hard drive. Use your Selection Tool  ,
and scale the text box so it encloses your text, like mine.
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4. With
your text box selected, open the Tab
Ruler (Type > Tab Ruler) or (Ctrl+Shift+T / Cmd+Shift+T).
Your Tab Ruler should be lined up with your text box at the top.
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5. Add
a Right Justified Tab on the Tab Ruler. To do this... Click
above the ruler on your Tab Ruler, then click on this icon  ,
near top-left on the Tab Ruler.
Now, Click and Drag
the little arrow (your right justified tab) that just appeared
above the ruler part of your Tab Ruler, to the far right. Leave
a bit of space between the arrow and the right side of the Tab
Ruler. Look at my screen shot. The little arrow is highlighted.
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6. Your text
should be getting worse, rather than better at this point. That's
OK. We have more to do. Go View > Outlines.
Viewing in outlines will make this next part easier.
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7.
Using your Direct Selection Tool  ,
Select the two bottom anchor points of
your text box. Now Click+Shift+Drag
sideways on one of the selected anchor points with your Direct Selection
Tool, so you get a parallelogram shaped text box. |
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8. Select your
text box with your Selection Tool ,
then [double click on the title bar of the Tab Ruler (Win) / Click
on the size box on the far right (Mac)] so the Tab Ruler realigns
with your text box.
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9. Now,
use your Pen Tool  ,
to make a vertical line that's parallel
to your text box. Make sure the line has no
fill and stroke.
With your Selection Tool ,
make 1 copy of the line we just
made.
Place the two lines so they're spaced something like mine.
TIP: With your Selection Tool (Click+Alt+Drag
/ Click+Option+Drag) on any object to make a copy of it.
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10.
Now, select everything on your
artboard. Go Type > Wrap > Make.
We just created tabs out of paths. Each line (path) represents a
tab. |
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11. With your Direct Selection Tool
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move the lines and space them
so you get three evenly spaced columns of text, like this.
This is what you should end up with. You can go View
> Preview to get back to your normal view.
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Preview |
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Notice your text is still completely
vertical (no skewing) unless you selected an italic font,
which looks good too! If you want to make changes, do it in Outlines
View. You can still change fonts and adjust both the text box
shape and size, as well as the the lines. You can make curved
columns too.
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| email: rkovacs@thevein.com
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© 2001 Rod Kovacs -- A RK
Tutorial |