Step 1: Multiple Strokes on Type - Adding Basic Text

You've seen how to stroke type, but did you know that you can use the Appearance palette you can add multiple strokes?

Open a new Web document in Illustrator (with pixels and RGB mode). Save as lastname_textstroke.

Type a word or words you would like to outline. A font that's fairly simple works best, without a lot of curlicues. Also it will work better if it isn't a bold font. This one is Georgia Regular, at 72 points.

Step 2: Character Palette - Adjust Tracking

Open the Character palette ( Window > Type > Character). You need to enter a positive value for tracking to spread the letters out, since they will be considerably thicker once they're outlined. For now, use a guesstimate. You won't know at this point how far apart you will need them when finished, because it depends on the thickness of the last stroke you use, and you can always come back later and adjust it. The text needs to be selected with either the selection tool or the text tool for this to work. I set mine at 50 for now.

Steps 3 & 4: Adding Color to the Text

Open the Appearance palette ( Window > Appearance or Shift + F6).

From the palette menu, choose Add New Fill. Illustrator will add new fill and a stroke of none.

Steps 5& 6: Manipulating the Strokes

Keeping Fill selected in the Appearance palette, and with your text selected, click on a swatch or use the color palette to change the color if you like.

Make sure the type is still selected, and choose Add New Stroke from the Appearance palette menu. Shift-click to select both strokes, and drag them down below the fill. The stacking order of strokes and fills affects the appearance of the artwork.

Step 7: Adjusting the Stroke Color and Width

Change the color of the bottom stroke,and increase the width in the stroke palette. I changed mine to light blue, and 6 pt wide.

Step 8: Changing the Stacking Order of the Stroke

Because the stroke is below the fill, we see half the width of the stroke; ie, the stroke looks like a 3 pt stroke. If I were to drag the stroke above the fill you can see how we'd lose the shape of the letters.

On the top word at the left I dragged the stroke above the fill. On the bottom one you can see I put it back.

Step 9: Adjusting the Stroke Color and Width (Again)

Change the color and width of the other stroke.

Step 10: Adding a Brush Stroke

I changed the color to light gold, and then added a brush stroke (it looks like a rough brush stroke) and set the width of the stroke to 1. It's hard to see, so I've shown the 'a' zoomed in.

Follow these steps:

1. Reduce the light blue stroke to 3 point.
2. Add a new stroke from the palette menu, and drag it under the light blue stroke.
3. Change the new stroke to 6 pt width.

Step 9: Editing the Text

Are you seeing a pattern here? You can add strokes, reorder them, or even use brush strokes on them. With a larger piece of type this can be very effective! And of course, your text is still editable.

Step 10: The Final Embellished Text Effect

The paintbrush is from a paintbrush tutorial on this web site: http://www.northlite.net/illus/paint.htm.

Make the paintbrush and add the watercolor effect to your text.