Stitched Text Effect Tutorial Re-Write

This tutorial will teach you how to create a stitched

text effect in Adobe Illustrator 2021

Part 1 – Creating a Pattern

Step 1
Create a new Adobe Illustrator document. The width is 240 millimeters and the height
is 240 millimeters with a RGB color mode.

Step 2
Start by creating a 10mm x 10mm square using the rectangle tool centered on the
middle of the document. To center the square, use the properties panel move it to X:
90 mm and Y: 125 mm. Make sure the Reference Point is centered!

Step 3

Create a 4mm x 4mm Ellipse with the Ellipse Tool by clicking and holding down on the
rectangle tool. Center the ellipse on the document using the same method as before.

Step 4
Create a 2mm x 2mm ellipse, centered on the document using the same methods as
before.

Step 5

Now we are going to make a repeating pattern with the square and circles. To do this
select both of the circles by holding Shift and clicking on each of them. Copy them
using ctrl + c and paste them with ctrl + v. Now, using the properties panel, change the
coordinates of the two new circles to X: 85 mm and Y: 120 mm.

Step 6
Copy and paste the big square twice with ctrl + c and ctrl + v (Make sure they are in
the exact same place as the original square). Send the squares to the back by selecting
one and going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back. If done correctly the shapes should
look exactly as they did before.

Step 7

Select both the square and ONE of the circles by holding shift when clicking. Open the
Pathfinder panel by going to Window > Pathfinder and click the intersect button.
Repeat this for the other circle and they should turn into
quarter circles.

Step 8
Select both the quarter circles and copy-paste them. Go to Object > Transform >
Rotate and in the rotate box change the angle to 90 degrees.

Move the newly rotated quarter circles into the bottom-left of the square. The new
coordinates should be X: 86 mm and Y: 129 mm.

Repeat this process until there are quarter circles in every corner of the square (The
coordinates for the bottom-right are X: 94 mm and Y: 129mm and the coordinates for
the top-right are X: 94 mm and Y: 121 mm).
Step 9

Time to color the pattern. To do this open the swatches panel with Window >
Swatches and navigate to the Color Libraries menu and find a set of colors that works
best for you (I chose the Saturated color library for my pattern).
To apply a color, select the part of the sqaure that you want to change and the click on
a color in the new tab.

After applying all you colors, open the swatches panel again. Select all of your objects
by clicking and dragging the mouse cursor over all of them, then click and drag all of
the objects into the swatches panel.

That’s the first part done! The pattern has been created and now we can move onto
cerating the stitch outline!
 Part 2 – Creating the Stitches and Text
Step 10

Now we must create the outline for the text. To start create a 2 mm x 2 mm sqaure
centered on the document. Make sure to remove the fill and the stroke in the
properties panel. To change them, click on the colored sqaure and select “none” in the
swatches panel.

Step 11

Now create a oval with the elipse tool inside the the sqaure that is 0.5 mm x 2 mm.
Make sure to make the fill of the oval black.
Step 12

Even though the rectangle is invisible it still has a use. It’s size will determine how far
apart each stitch is in the final design. To get a better look at it go to View > Outline.

Step 13

To turn this design into a brush that we can use later, open Window > Brushes. Select
all the objects and in the brushes panel click on New Brush and then select Pattern
Brush.
Step 14

In the Pattern Brush Options box rename the brush to anything of your choosing and
change the Colorization Method to Tints.

Step 15

For this step you can either create your own font with the pen tool or you can use a
pre-existing one and convert it into a path. For the sake of simplicity I will be using a
preexisting font called “Cooper Black” at 150 pt. Make sure that each letter is a separate
text box so that we can change their effects easily.
Step 16

Convert all of the text into paths by going to Type > Create Outlines while all of the
text is selected.
 Part 3 – Adding Effects to the Text
Step 17

Now we can start changing how the text looks. To start off, select just the first letter
and open the Appearance panel with Window > Appearance.

Step 18

Click on the first letter and in the Appearance panel click Add New Fill at the bottom of
the panel
In the new Fill box, click on the dropdown arrow and click on the pattern that we
created in part 1.

(Sometimes there might be holes or

cuts in the design but those should
disappear when the file is exported. If
they don’t then the design wasn’t
aligned properly.)

Step 19

Now to add the stitches to the text click anywhere here in the stroke line to highlight it
then click on the brush that was created in part 2.
Step 20

Now to add a texture to the text. First create another Fill layer in the Appearance panel
using the Add New Fill button at the bottom of the panel. Make sure this new fill is in
between the pattern and the stroke.
Now click on the Fill dropdown arrow and in the bottom right of the box click on
Swatches Library menu. From there navigate to Pattern > Basic Graphics > Basic
Graphics_Textures.
Step 21

In the new panel select the Burlap texture then in the Appearance panel click on
Opacity underneath the brulap fill box. In the Opacity box change the blending mode
to Soft Light and the Opacity to 40%.

Step 22

Now we will add a drop shadow to the text (first make sure to select the fill with the
pattern on it instead of the brulap texture). Go to the appearance panel and click on
the Effects button. Hover over Stylize and select Drop Shadow
In the Drop Shadow box use these settings.

Step 23

Now we will create a graphoc style out of the effects we have applied to the text. Start
by opening the Graphic Styles panel by going to Window > Graphic Styles.
Click on the letter to select it then hit the New Graphic Style button in the bottom-right
of the Graphic Styles panel.

Step 24

Now apply the graphic style to all the other pieces of text by selecting all of the text
and clicking the newly created graphic style.
Step 25

Now we can change the patterns of the other letters. Do do this toy can create your
own custom patterns like we did in part 1 or use prexisting ones. I will be using
prexisting ones for simplicities sake. Click on the letter you want to change and
navigate to the appearance panel. From there hit the dropdown arrow next to the fill
layer with the pattern and goto the Swatched Library menu and find some pattern that
work for you. I am using the Decorative Legacy pattern in the example.

Step 26

Now arrange the text by resizing it, moving it, rotating it, etc. to make it look more
decorative and unique.
 Part 4 – Making a Background
Step 27

Now we will make the background for the image because white doesn’t work well with
what we are going for. Create a rectangle with the Rectabgle tool the size of the
document. Make sure the send the rectangle to the back of the text by going to Object
> Arrange > Send to Back.
Step 28

Now select the background rectangle and open the appearance panel as well as the
gradient panel at Window > Gradient. Add a New Fill to the appearance panel and
make sure the new layer is above the base color. Apply a gradient pattern to this new
fill witht the Swatches Library and use the gradient panel to edit the gradient to look
like this.
Step 29

Now click on the Opacity button underneath the gradient fill and change the blending
mode to Soft Light and the opacity to 50%.
Step 30

Now add another fill layer to the appearance panel below the gradient. Change the fill
to the brulap texture used on the text and change the opacity setting that the same as
before (Soft Light, opacity 40%).
And with that the final image is complete! Now you know how to create a stitched type
effect as well as some of the features Illustartor has to offer. Here is the final image: