Outline Fonts do not cut through tint panel underneath

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Level 1

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Outline Fonts do not cut through tint panel underneath

Having completed the migration for our publication from ClarisWorks - which was just fine for 13 years - through AppleWorks (WEEPINGLY unrobust and erratic) to Pages, we now find that headlines set in Outline mode and positioned above a tinted panel,

*do not cut through the tint underneath*

and therefore those headlines look grey, instead of outlined white.

ClarisWorks outline fonts did, and splendidly. Even <spit> AppleWorks did. Pages, however, does not.

An Outline font should show the character in white, with a black outline. The white character should stay white when set over the top of a grey tinted panel.

The Editor is not happy about this. He is now wasting precious time in trying to make it work as it did using previous s/w.

Is there any way of making it work correctly? Or is the official line, with Pages, to just give up on outline font headlines and very very reluctantly change the design and go for solid black?

Many thanks

iMac, G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Mar 17, 2010 12:06 PM

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Answer 1

Walt K

Level 4

2,940 points

Mar 17, 2010 1:58 PM in response to StripedStep

To fill text with color, gradient, or image – with or without outline

In Pages, create text. Large and heavy. (About 72 pt.) Then: Print > Open PDF in Preview. Crop. (Not too tightly.) Save as PNG.(To Desktop.) Drag PNG into Pages.

Insert square shape. Drag and re-shape so that it is slightly larger than text. Then: Graphic Inspector > Fill > Color or Gradient.

Follow same procedure if you want an image instead of color or gradient.

Drag shape or image to cover text, send backward behind text (If edge of fill color shows, select and reduce size.). Select text. Select Instant Aplha. Click inside each letter.

To make text background transparent, Select All > Group, then Print > Open PDF in Preview. Crop. Save as PNG.(To Desktop.) Drag PNG into Pages. Apply Instant Alpha outside text.

For an outline or shadow, apply Stroke and/or Shadow at this point. (Use Graphic Inspector.)

Select text and drag corner to enlarge or reduce. To change only height or width: Metrics Inspector > uncheck Constrain proportions.

!

!

Walt

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Answer 2

StripedStep Author

Level 1

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Mar 18, 2010 10:22 AM in response to Walt K

Thank you very much for trying to help. I followed your procedure but I ended up with a white-on-tint and no black outline around each character. White-on-tint, had that been what we wanted, was achievable with change text colour to white, then making that white solid not transparent.

I can only conclude that Pages is not geared up for this kind of finesse, which surprises me since it handles so many other text operations so well.

Many thanks for your experiment anyway.

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Answer 3

Walt K

Level 4

2,940 points

Mar 18, 2010 1:00 PM in response to StripedStep

When you inserted a shape, did you fill it with white? Did you follow all the other steps exactly?

The illustrations were created in Pages, so you can't say that Pages can't do it.

Walt

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Answer 4

StripedStep Author

Level 1

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Mar 23, 2010 11:50 AM in response to Walt K

Hallo Wait

Apologies for the delay in replying but I work on a weekly publication and hence am very busy.

That kind of technique is far too cumbersome for headlines which change all the time. I did have a go, but it did not work in the font and size we use here.

We have now changed the design from outlined font to bold with shadow, so there are no non-cut-through issues.

Many thanks again for trying to help.

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Answer 5

Mar 23, 2010 12:26 PM in response to Walt K

Walt K wrote:
For an outline or shadow, apply Stroke and/or Shadow at this point. (Use Graphic Inspector.)

Walt,

This was a revelation for me. I had previously used Format > Font > Outline and was flummoxed when it came to adjusting the thickness of the outline. This method with the Graphics Inspector is great. One more pass through Preview and you can crop the stroke around the outside rectangle perimeter and you are good to go.

Very nice.

Jerry

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Answer 6

Walt K

Level 4

2,940 points

Mar 23, 2010 1:27 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

Jerry,

Did you skip this step:

To make text background transparent, Select All > Group, then Print > Open PDF in Preview. Crop. Save as PNG.(To Desktop.) Drag PNG into Pages. Apply Instant Alpha outside text.

This gets rid of the background so that the stroke is applied only to the text and you can place the text over backgrounds.

Or perhaps I misunderstood what you are saying. Anyway, glad you found it helpful. If I remember correctly after all this time, it was a post of yours that led me to this method, so thanks to you also.

Walt

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Answer 7

Mar 23, 2010 2:33 PM in response to Walt K

Walt,

You are correct, I missed the step. I'm not sure I understand why the Group command is necessary, but it does the job.

Jerry

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Answer 8

Walt K

Level 4

2,940 points

Mar 23, 2010 2:46 PM in response to Jerrold Green1

Jerry,

It may not be necessary to Group. Just Select All may be sufficient, I didn't try it that way.

Walt

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