To create text in the shape of a heart in Adobe Illustrator, you need to follow a few key steps that involve creating a heart shape and then manipulating the text to fit within it. Here's how:
Creating the Heart Shape
- Use the Rectangle Tool: Start by creating a rectangle.
- Round the Corners: Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the corners of the rectangle. You can then drag the corner widgets to round them off, creating a rounded rectangle. According to the YouTube tutorial reference, “I'm then going to use the direct select tool again which is a on your keyboard i'm going to select each corner and round it off by pulling”.
- Adjust the Shape: Modify the rounded rectangle further to resemble the shape of a heart. This may involve adjusting the corner radiuses, resizing and rotating the rectangle, and manually adjusting the curve of the shape using the handles.
Adding Text to the Heart
- Type your Text: Use the Type Tool (T) to add your desired text onto the artboard.
- Adjust Text Size and Position: Center the text over the heart shape and make it a bit bigger as stated in the referenced YouTube video.
- Text and Shape Manipulation: The text will not automatically conform to the heart shape just by being overlaid. Instead you will need to convert your text to paths/outlines. Then you can either individually modify the text paths so it matches the hearts general shape. Alternatively, you can try to use the envelope distort feature in illustrator to make the text conform to the heart shape if possible.
Additional Tips
- Direct Selection Tool (A): Use this tool to fine-tune the curves and corners of the heart shape for a perfect heart.
- Anchor Points: Practice with the pen tool or curve editing to more precisely create the heart.
- Experimentation: Try different fonts and sizes to see what looks best inside the heart shape.
- Pathfinder: Use Pathfinder tools to make more complex shapes.
- Practice: It might take a few attempts to master the technique.
By following these steps, you'll be able to create text in the shape of a heart in Illustrator.
