Tips for Filling Type with Gradients
Before you say, “filling type with a gradient is an abomination!” I’ll just say that the abomination is in the eye of the beholder—and in the context. Comic Sans used on a college graduation program is an abomination. Comic Sans used in a kindergarten graduation program isn’t going to hurt anyone. With that out of the way, let’s see how to fill type with cool (or warm) gradients, like so.
The thing to remember about filling type with gradients is that the gradient is really applied to the container, and only displayed in the type.
So you can fit a block of type with a gradient pretty easily, by selecting the text frame, and in the Swatches panel, targeting the text and selecting the gradient.
But if you reshape the text frame, the gradient does not come along for the ride.
So you’d have to reapply the gradient (and possibly change its type from Radial to Linear), and drag with the Gradient tool to get the effect you want.
Applying Gradients to Type on a Curve
What if your type is on a curve? How can you get that gradient to fill the letters? In that case, use a radial gradient, with the gradient stops all clustered toward one end of the gradient. Use the Gradient tool and drag from the middle of the area inside the curve (in this case the center of the sun) to the top of one of the letters.
With the type selected, you can use the Gradient panel to move the stops around until you get the final effect you want.
Applying Gradients to Each Letter
If you want to apply the gradient to each letter separately, then you’ll have to make each letter a separate object with its own fill. To do this, convert the type to outlines (Type > Create Outlines). If you’re working with more than one line of text, you’ll have to ungroup it, then release the compound path (Object > Paths > Release Compound Path). Then select all the former text objects and apply the gradient from the Swatches panel.
Obviously, you’ll lose the edibility of the text, so do yourself a favor and stash a copy of the live text before you convert it. On the upside, when you convert the type to outlines, you gain all kinds of other options, including the fact that the gradient will stick with each letter if you move or rotate it.
This is also how you would fill type with a gradient that could follow more complex curves (think: spirals, radio waves, rollercoasters, Beyoncé, etc.).
Hi Mike,
no need to outline text to be able to apply gradient to each letter.
Just select *one* letter and use the Gradient Tool (G) on it… :)
https://www.filedropper.com/indesigndegradetexte
Ya Ya! Works great! Total live text and effect preservation!