Creating Wordart using Word by Dave Danchuck

[Jediscroller]

Creating Word Art using Word

by Dave Danchuk

WORD TUTORIAL for beginners

2 ways

For flat letters all in one line:

Choose your font and size and write your letters. Highlight all you've just written and right click on it. Choose the "Font" tab, then choose the "Character Spacing" tab. Under the Spacing category change "Normal" to "Condensed" then it says "By 1 pt", change that until your letters touch by either clicking on the down arrow , or typing in another number. (try between 5 and 6 for the Hobo font, more or less for others) Oh, make sure you're going the right way, and expanding the font. Take a look at it and see if it's the right spacing. Now to add a line at the top or bottom (if you've got spaces in between words, go to the "autoshapes" at the bottom and click on the "box" shape (or just print it off and grab a ruler and pencil) and make yourself a box to fit the letters on to. Right click on the box and under "Color and Lines", change the color to black and/or the "Style" to a good thickness. Click and hold one of the buttons of the box to move it to under (or over) the letters, so that everything in your phrase is connected.


For rounded phrases/names:

Click on the blue shadowy A at the bottom (or go to Insert-Picture-Word Art) I chose the one on the top left corner (you can bend it later.) Type in your name or phrase (hit enter after every new line you want (ie. first name <enter> last name). I like using capital letters, but there's a button for getting them all the same height. Bold is good but not necessary. Choose your font here as well, the NP Hobo Medium is what I've been playing with. Hit enter.

There's your text with back outline of white letters, and a popup window or new bar at the top with some options. Play around with them, but here's a quick cheat sheet.

Go to the "Edit Text" button. Under the "Color and lines" tab, change the fill color to black. Click okay. Looks familiar huh. Now to get the letters to touch each other, go to the button that says AV with arrows under it. Click "Very tight"

So now you can bend stretch, and twist the letters. there's white boxes around the corners of your phrase, pull them around. There's also a yellow diamond, move this and see what happens. Now go to the "abc" button and play with those, the circle with the line through it is excellent for 3 lines of text, but try them all out. Also under the button with the horizontal lines, try the stretch justify button.

You might want to have a separate "word Art" window for each line you want as you can more freely rotate and stretch them to fit together so that the pattern will be scrollable.

To add the arrows and circles (or other assorted shapes that will connect all your pieces together) use the "Autoshapes" button or one of the other buttons to the right of that (bottom of the screen) Now when you add one of those, some of your font goes behind your new shape. Right click on your new shape, under the "order" heading, choose "send behind text.

...and there ya have it. Play around with it, be creative and have fun! You'll never need to buy a Wedding present again, I've scrolled quite a few, with the Bride and Grooms name and their wedding date below, and the response has been GREAT. (and that way the guys can see the date and never forget an anniversary, also a very good thing)



Cheers,

Dave

[sawdustus]

Kevin, thanks for the tutorial. I was really getting frustrated using Print Shop and Word doesn't come with a manual anymore. (I know, its online and printable but how do you refer back to a page you saw five pages ago without going nuts?) I have to try it later today for the word art I have been trying to make for a dear friend who retired last month.

George

[Ramjet]

Take a look at Steve Good's site at Scroll saw workshop . He has a piece on printing names .
Roger

[Jim McDonald]

I have Steve's program and while it is good, there is another quick way using Word®.

Find the font and size you like and after printing, use a ruler to make your line right at the bottom of the letters (or slightly up on the bottom) and then mark down 1/4" or so and make the sides and bottom. That way, you can make any type style you like.

[breakie]

G'day Dave....

Thanks for your tutorial....... I'll give it ago aginst other ways ----- always good to have 'different ways', eh !! Hehheh.

... Ray.

[jap]

is this microsoftword? thank you

[wood-n-things]

jap,
Yes it is, using microsoft word.

[Back2Jake]

WARNING: Word Art can be VERY addicting!!!!

I find them like puzzles, but more fun! Yesterday I was in sloth mode and ended up sitting at the computer most the day - creating word art patterns. I need to test cut a dozen of them now.... hope the weather gets warmer.

I encourage you to create them, but be careful there's always MORE to say once you've started designing word art patterns!

Take care
Toni