My friend made a lettering tutorial...

[Shishio]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHmWJlsf6N0

Just thought I would let you know in case someone wanted to put it in the sticky topics or whatever.

[cyxodus]

Not a bad tutorial but it has a few errors in it.

First, your friend needs to get the wordage right. We use the terms balloons and sound effects (SFX) instead of bubbles and action text.

Second, I noticed that your friend expanded the balloon and tail after he had made a compound shape. I would advise against that because the objects can't be modified with ease any more. This is important when the script has been changed and you need to make a revision at 2am in the morning.

Your friend's tutorial isn't bad, he just needs to fix a few things. Thanks for sharing it. :happy:

[Jason Arthur]

I wouldn't call them errors as much as a different way of doing it.

It looks like he does web-comics or strips, so maybe they prefer "bubbles" to balloons. Eh, same difference.

As for expanding a compound shape... Once I join a tail and balloon together I have no trouble (using the Direct selection tool) in changing a tail, balloon or any other shape.

Nice little tutorial all in all.

-- J

[Clem Robins]

no, jason, cyxodus got it right. hitting "expand appearance" makes it impossible to modify your pointer with the direct selection tool. i tried it. i was about to modify my action key to add the step, but the expand function absolutely cements that pointer there. i would definitely call this an error.

the video was fun, though. nice to see how somebody else does all this arcane stuff.

[cyxodus]

I wouldn't call them errors as much as a different way of doing it.

It looks like he does web-comics or strips, so maybe they prefer "bubbles" to balloons. Eh, same difference.

-- J
Sorry but calling them bubbles is an amateur error. Comicraft states (http://www.balloontales.com/articles/glossary/index.html) "sometimes referred to as "Bubble," but not by us, we're professionals".

Also, once you convert the text to curves, it ceases to be text. That's why the term "action text" is incorrect.

[devildog]

You can use the direct selection tool to move multipe anchor points on an expended shape...Say if you wanted to slightly move the direction the tail was pointing...but I wouldn't want to move the whole tail like that bc you're working with an expanded stroke which would need all it's anchor points' handles adjusted so the curve of the balloon remained correct. But why expand the shape after uniting, at all?

[F!NCH]

Sorry but calling them bubbles is an amateur error…and John Byrne will come after you.

[cyxodus]

LOL. Ok, I'll amend my statement and say it's an outdated term.

[Jason Arthur]

I have to admit, I didn't watch the whole thing.

Matter of fact, I don't think I even know what Exapand Appearance does... I thought he was referring to the merging of the tail to the balloon?

-- J

[devildog]

expanding makes the stroke and the fill, two separate objects and the stroke becomes outlined in the process.

[Kep!]

I often call them bubbles. I like bubbles. Bubbles are pretty.

On the other hand, I have never heard Action Text. Chuckle.

Let's give the guy props due though, there's not a lot of this type of thing out there and if anyone here can do it better (hint, bloody hint) they SHOULD!

[cyxodus]

Let's give the guy props due though, there's not a lot of this type of thing out there and if anyone here can do it better (hint, bloody hint) they SHOULD!

:huh: I agree and I hope that Shishio and his friend doesn't think that we (or I) hate his tutorial. By putting it on YouTube, he's probably given lettering a boost. :thumbs: BTW, I'll will be listing this tutorial on Ninja Lettering. :w00t:

[Shishio]

I don't know how Zach (http://www.jackofallblades.com) feels, since he doesn't come here as far as I know, but I'm cool with constructive criticism. Not that it matters, since I had nothing to do with the creation of the video...

[Static]

cool video it give me any idea for making my balloons.