JR Logo Example: A simple Logorev 10/12/2015

Content:

  • Pathfinder
  • Two ellipses
  • Pentagon
  • A symbol
  • Character rotation
  • Start new Illustrator document: portrait,print document named JR-Logo
  • Save as JR-Logo.ai (InClass/Illustrator)
  • Choose ellipsetool with these dimensions: 1.38” by 1.38”
  • Fill with your choice of color (not Black, however), No stroke
  • Move it out of the way:
  • ChooseType tool and type “JR”:then select the textusing theSelection tool
  • Next, Window>Type>Character; and choose Trebuchet MS, Bold, 100 points

If you don’t see the expanded Characterpanel, clicknext to the word Characterin the control area.

If you see a reference to “Touch Type”, use the panel menu and uncheck it: (Note: However, this is a powerful text tool)

  • Select the Jusing the Type tool
  • Choose Character Rotationand set it to 30 degrees:

Result:

  • Select the “R” and rotate 30 degrees negative

Result so far:

  • Place cursor in between the letters
  • Set Kerning to -100 (What does Kerning do?)
  • Now, select your two letters and drag on top of your circle:

HERE

Align circle and JR on their centers

Align tool allow you to position objects relative to each other: left sides, right sides, centered…

We want the text and the ellipse to be centered

  • Select bothobjects (drag or shift-click)
  • Open the Align Panel (Window>Align)

OR use control panel:

  • Choose Align center: horizontal and vertical
  • Here is Vertical Align Center .ie centered up and down

Result:

  • Select both objects
  • Open Pathfinder panel… will use to cut out shapes that overlap…should be on a tab next to Align, or Window>Pathfinder
  • We will create a new compound shape in black(Uses color of top object) , with the (Excluded) overlapping areas removed
  • Choose Shape ModesExclude:

Note: I had to select the artwork (JR and ellipse) by clicking the small circles on the respective sub layers:

Here is my result:

Any overlapping shapes are eliminated…i.e. lower parts of the “J” and part of the “R” will be removed, deleted.

The resulting color will be the color of the top object (The text…black)

Adding Symbols…

  • ChooseWindow>Symbol Libraries

  • Choose Logo Elements
  • Find the adult with a child:

I dragged to the canvas first, then

  • Dropped it on top of the JR:
  • Mess!!
  • Place in middle…as before: align horizontal, vertical
  • Selecteverything again, then again use Shape to exclude

Overlapping

  • Click to create a newEllipse …this time: 2.3 x 2.3” (don’t worry about Fill).
  • We want this ellipse to be larger than the first one.
  • It will hold the original ellipse inside. An ellipse has four paths, so we can use Type on a Path(Type in an area would result in the text being shaped like a circle…don’t want that)
  • Choose theType on a path tool
  • Make font be Trebuchet/24 points
  • Click on an edge of the new circle
  • Type “JR Foundation”

Here was my original attempt:

The character rotation was still in-effect

I had to set rotation back to zero

  • Slide the right-most bracket so the text is centered: (You may have to reselect the ellipse)
  • Click away; Result:
  • Let’s move the text to the bottom of the ellipse
  • Rotate the text around using bracket (This may not be necessary, mine didn’t)
  • Here was my result:

DON’T Use the next few lines if your text is already reflected…skip to “Drag the circle…”Mine looks like this

  • Want to make it look like this:
  • Reflect the text by pushing the bracket inwards:
  • Then drag the new circle on top of the JR circle

You might want to use what we have, so save As JRLogo-Black- and-White.ai

What if we want color version

  • Could copy>Paste in front…or just keep on working…here…skip down to change fill
  • Select all of it, and then Edit>Copyand then Editpaste in Front

Creates a copy on top of the original version

  • Separate the copy(It’s on top)from the original: Just slide it to one side or another of the canvas:
  • Now you have two versions
  • Group the original: (Object>Group)

Change fill and Stroke colors

  • Select the original (The one still on the artboard)
  • Fill with CMYK Cyan,
  • Orange stroke (complementary colors )

Might have to ungroup, apply colors, regroup

  • Make the stroke be 2 pts (Window>Stroke)
  • Let’s make the fill be a dark blue---do so now

Add aPentagon

  • Choose the Polygon Tool. We want to put logo inside the pentagon
  • Radius 2.8”
  • 5 sides

Too large

  • Resize using Transform to 3” wide, let Height maintain its aspect ratio:
  • W:3 in
  • H:2.85 in

… that’s better

  • Drag the polygon on top of logo

It covers the logo…what’s the solution?

Send the polygon to the back, or change stacking order

  • Use Layersand drag the blue polygon to bottom of stack
  • Select all and align center horizontal and vertical (Window Align)
  • Select all again
  • Open Pathfinder
  • Find Exclude and alt click on it……

Result

  • You might also add a drop shadow (Effect>Stylize>Drop Shadow)
  • I reduced opacity to 60%
  • Save as logocolor.ai
  • Use the artboard tool to resize the artboard so can save for web AND use with InDesign

Your Logo is now cropped,

  • File>Save for Web
  • Save in InClass/Illustrator as LogoCropped.ai
  • Close it

JR LogoPage 1