Vector Studio Part I -- Creating Cut Out Shapes in FreeHand

© 2000 by Gary Priester. All Rights Reserved.

FreeHand 8

Using the Rectangle tool, create a rectangle 2 inches wide by 1 ½ inches tall. Use the Object Inspector (Info tab) to get the exact dimensions.

Select the Text tool, click the insertion cursor inside the rectangle, and key in a character or symbol. I've used the letter Q in Adobe's Critter font. (Available from www.eyewire.com). Set the point size to 108 points.

Select the character or symbol and Convert to Paths (Text menu).

Select the converted character or symbol and center align them horizontally and vertically. (Modify | Align Click once in the center of the preview window and click Apply)

Select the rectangle and character or symbol and Join the two (Modify | Join). Set the outline to None and the fill to 15% black by selecting a tint of 15% black in the Color Mixer (Window | Panels | Color Mixer) and dragging in onto the shape.

Create a duplicate (Edit | Create Duplicate). Construct a rectangle that is larger than the opening in the duplicate shape but smaller than the outside rectangular shape by 3 or 4 points. Select the new rectangle and the duplicate shape and from the Modify menu select Combine | Intersect.

Create a new rectangle that is larger than the opening in the duplicate shape. Apply a 5% black fill and send the rectangle to the back (Modify | Arrange | Send to Back).

Group the small rectangle and duplicate shape and send them to the back of the original shape. Offset the group so the shadow falls down and to the left of the opening.

Select the front shape and change the fill to white.

NOTE: Adding the 5% black rectangle to the very back helps create the illusion of depth.

Quick Cutout Shape Effect

Unlike Illustrator and CorelDRAW, FreeHand has no built-in capability to apply a Gaussian Blur to a bitmap image. However, the Smudge tool (Window | Xtras | Xtras Tools) can produce an almost instant cut out shape.

Create a symbol or character, 108 points. Convert to Paths (Text | Convert to Paths). Apply a 5% black fill.

Open the Color Mixer (Window | Panel | Color Mixer) and create a 30% black fill. Double click on the Smudge tool to open the Smudge dialog. Drag from the Mixer to the Fill box on the Smudge dialog. Click OK.

Select the symbol then click on the Smudge tool. Drag up and right about a 1/16th inch with the two fingers cursor.

And there you are! Not too bad. And fast too. What is sacrificed is the clean opening which has become, dare I say, smudged. The Smudge tool creates a simple linear blend of the shape to a duplicate shape with the fill color that we dragged from the Mixer.

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