Download the
“grungy” image
24043164 below,
Photos.com,
www.jupiterimages.com
(available free at
www.dynamicgraphics.com/downloads).
1. Place the image,
or another similarly
appropriate image,
on the artboard in
Illustrator. Create a
text box and enter the
word(s) you would
like to distress. With
the text box selected,
choose Type > Create
Outlines.
2. Select Object >
Ungroup to separate
the individual letters.
Without deselecting
the letter shapes,
choose Object >
Compound Path >
Make. (If the letters
are not changed to a
Compound Path, the
distress effect will
only be applied to one
of the letters, not the
entire group.)
3. Next, select the
image placed earlier.
Choose Object >
Live Trace > Tracing
Options.
4. In the Tracing
Options palette, use
settings shown. Note:
setting the Threshold
lower will result in less contrast in the final
trace result. Clicking
on the Preview button
will allow you to see
the changes made in
the Options palette
before clicking Trace.
5. Select Object >
Expand. Use settings
shown.
6. Deselect the image.
With the Direct
Selection tool, click on
a white portion of the
image. Choose Select
> Same > Fill Color.
This will select all
areas of white in the
traced object. Press
Delete to remove the
white shapes.
7. Choose Object >
Arrange > Send to
Back. Move the
image behind the
outlined text.
8. Choose Select >
All. Choose Window
> Pathfinder to open
the pathfinder palette.
Select the Minus Back
button. This will delete
the grunge pattern
from the outlined text.
Deselect to view.
Preview Hint
Choose View >
Outline as a way
to preview the
final distressed
outcome. Choose
View > Preview to
return to normal
screen view.
