| Add Color |
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Sooner or later everyone asks the question: Can I add
color to my fonts?
The answer is Yes!
Many of you have tried changing font
colors in your word processor. If so, you know that a word processor changes
only the outline of the letters.
However, using a common program included
with your operating system and a little trial and error, you can add full
color to any fill-in style font.
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Here is a step by step demonstration in Windows Paint for adding color to
one of our fonts, LD Sailing. (Mac users: Appleworks has a Paint option
which uses the same steps and tools as Windows Paint.)
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This image was made in about 5 minutes. Here's how: Go to Start-Programs-Accessories
and open Paint. Initially the white canvas will be smaller than the screen.
Enlarge it by placing your mouse pointer over the small point in the bottom-right
canvas corner and drag the canvas outward. Click the text tool button 
and create a text box on the canvas by dragging the text tool across the
canvas. If you don't see the text toolbar, select View-Text Toolbar from
the menu. Your canvas should now look like this:
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Choose a font size and type LD Sailing in the text box. Now it's time to
add your color. Click the paint bucket tool 
and select a color from the palette  .
Then add color to individual portions of the letters by clicking the paint
bucket tool inside the white spaces. Use the magnifier tool 
to zoom in to hard-to-reach areas. And that's it! We used light and dark
blue, red and yellow for this image. Make endless color titles using your
TrueType fonts!
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Can I overlap the letters? Yes again!
 Follow
the same steps as shown above, only this time make each individual letter
a separate image instead of creating one complete word. Do this by adding
one letter at a time. Spread the letters out on the page to give yourself
some working room and color them in. Once you have all the letters spread
out and colored on the canvas, click Image on the menu and make sure Draw
Opaque in not checked. Now, use the select tool 
to drag a  selection
box around a letter. Place the cursor over the selection and it will turn
into a four-way arrow. Drag the letter into position on the page. Do the
same for the remaining letters in the title. Any white space surrounding
the letter is transparent so the letters appear to overlap seamlessly. In
this example I worked backwards from G to L to make letters on the left
overlap the letter to its right. I also drew a straight line 
on the canvas to use as a ruler, then erased it when I was done. After a
little practice you'll be a pro!
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Some things to note when using
Paint:
Use Edit-Undo, or Ctrl+Z to undo a step and correct an error you
might make.
Add colors to the palette by clicking Colors-Edit Colors-Define Custom
Colors.
Edit selected images using the Image options on the menu.
Paint is a bitmap program. Bitmap images are made up of connected
squares and as such may sometimes appear a bit jagged-edged. |
