Working with Envelopes

Working with Envelopes

Enveloping starts with 21 ready-made preset shapes that are stored in the Envelope toolbar. These shapes can be applied to either objects or text.

To apply an envelope to a graphic:

Select the object or text block you want to distort.

In the Envelope toolbar, select the envelope preset you want from the pop-up menu

Figure 1. The Envelope toolbar contains preset shapes you can choose among to distort an object.

Click the Create envelope icon to distort the selected object

Figure 2. The Create icon lets you apply the currently selected preset as an envelope shape.

or

Choose Modify > Envelope > Create. This uses the preset currently active in the Envelope toolbar

Figure 3. Applying the circle envelope preset to an elongated object creates an elliptical text object.

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Although you can apply envelopes to text objects, you may find you get better results if you first convert the text to paths (see page 258).

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You may also find that some envelope shapes look better when they are applied a second time to an object

Figure 4. The Circle preset was applied twice to text to create this elliptical shape.

To modify the envelope applied to a graphic:

Use any of the selection tools to select the graphic. The envelope shape appears as a path.

Use any of the techniques that modify paths to change the shape of the envelope . This includes moving the points on the path, adding and deleting points, and using the transform tools.

Figure 5. You can modify the points on the envelope path.

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To edit text inside an envelope, Opt/Alt double-click with the Pointer tool. This opens the Text Editor where you can make your changes.

There are some limits to what you can do when an envelope is applied to a graphic. For instance, you can't use the graphic in a blend or apply a second envelope to the graphic. So you may want to release the envelope after you apply it to a graphic.

To release an envelope from a graphic:

Choose Modify > Envelope > Release. or

Click the Release icon in the Envelope toolbar

Figure 6. The Release icon (circled) applies the envelope shape to the graphic and then removes the envelope path.

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When you release an envelope a path will return to being a path; a text block will become a group and the individual letters will have been converted to paths.

You may also want to remove an envelope so that it no longer distorts a graphic.

To remove an envelope from a graphic:

Choose Modify > Envelope > Remove.

or

Click the Remove icon in the Envelope toolbar

Figure 7. The Remove icon (circled) removes the envelope shape from the graphic.

You can also create your own custom envelope shapes from paths.

To use a path as an envelope:

Select the path you want to use as an envelope

Figure 8. Create a path you want to use as an envelope preset.

Choose Edit > Copy to copy the path to the clipboard.

Select the object to which you want to apply the envelope.

Choose Modify > Envelope > Paste as Envelope.

or

Click the Paste as Envelope icon on the Envelope toolbar . The envelope is applied to the object

Figure 9. The Paste as Envelope icon (circled) applied the contents of the clipboard as an envelope.

Figure 10. The results of pasting a path as an envelope.

Once you have a new envelope shape, you may want to save it to use it on other objects. This includes shapes you have pasted as custom envelopes as well as preset paths you have modified.

To save a custom envelope:

Select the object that contains the envelope you wish to save.

Choose Modify > Envelope > Save as Preset.

or

Click the Save as Preset icon on the Envelope toolbar . The New Envelope dialog box appears

Figure 11. The Save as Preset icon (circled) lets you save a custom shape as an envelope preset.

Figure 12. The New Envelope dialog box lets you name a custom preset shape.

Name the envelope shape and click OK. The envelope is listed in the preset list.

To delete an envelope preset:

Select the envelope you wish to remove from the pop-up menu on the Envelope toolbar.

Choose Modify > Envelope > Delete Preset.

or

Click the Delete Preset icon on the Envelope toolbar

Figure 13. The Delete Preset icon (circled) lets you delete any presets from the envelope preset list.

FreeHand also lets you see the envelope map. This is the grid of lines that is used by the envelope as part of the distortion.

To see the envelope grid:

Choose Modify > Envelope > Show Map.

or

Click the Show Map icon on the Envelope toolbar . The map appears inside the envelope

Figure 14. The Show Map icon (circled) lets you reveal or hide the grid used in the envelope distortion.

Figure 15. The Envelope Map displays the grid of lines used in the envelope.

After you have created an envelope to modify a path or a text block, you can convert it to a path for use in your document.

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Converting an envelope to a path is very helpful since you cannot apply fills or strokes to the paths used as envelopes.

To paste an envelope as a path:

Select the graphic that has the envelope you want to copy.

Choose Modify > Envelope > Copy As Path.

or

Click the Copy as Path icon on the Envelope toolbar

Figure 16. The Copy as Path icon (circled) converts the envelope path into a path on the clipboard

Choose Edit > Paste to paste the shape into the document. You can add a fill or stroke to the path

Figure 17. Copy the envelope as a path and put it behind the original envelope to put a fill behind the text.