How to create Vintage-looking distressed text in Illustrator in 5 steps

I’m going to teach you how to create that washed, vintage look to your typeface by using nothing but Illustrator.  The cool thing about creating distressed text in Illustrator rather than with Photoshop is that your image will be fully scalable without losing any resolution.

For this tutorial all you’ll need is a good texture image –  try a wooden fence or ocean waves – and a saying you want distressed!

Step 1: Select your typography and texture image and get them open in Illustrator.

Step 2: Select your text and then convert it to outlines.  Type > Create Outlines.  Now we’re going to convert the image you’ve selected for your texture into an object.  Select your image, and then click on live trace (Object > Live Trace > Make).  Oh man.  It’s way to dark!

No problem… Just select threshold. In this example I took it from 128 down to 40 to create more whitespace.

Step 2: Convert text to outlines and live trace your texture image

Step 3: With your texture image still selected, and the desired threshold set, click on expand (object > live trace > expand).  Now select the magic wand tool, click on the white space of the texture and just delete so that only the black area remains.

Step 3: Expanding the live trace.

Step 4: Drag the texture over your text and position as you want it.  Now select the texture and send it to back (object > arrange > send to back).   Select your type and turn it into a compound path (object > compound path > make).

Step 4: Positioning the text and texture image.

Step 5: Select the text and your texture image.  Here comes the fun part!  Open up the pathfinder, (window > pathfinder) and select minus back.  With both still selected, change the color to your desired color  and you’re done!  Woo hoo!

Distressed Text in Action

Related Posts

• 15 Awesome Hand-Drawn Fonts for use in your designs (1)
• Seven Free fonts for Graphic Designers (0)
• Stunning examples of Graphic Design in the Swiss Industry (0)