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Drop Cap Tutorial

This tutorial teaches how to create a drop cap "S" in Adobe Illustrator. It instructs the reader to set up a new document, type the letter "S" at a large point size, and select an italic version. The tutorial then guides using the curvature tool to draw curved paths that fill the empty spaces of the "S", working from the bottom up. When finished, the drop cap "S" should resemble the example shown at the end.

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api-520373089
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223 views

Drop Cap Tutorial

This tutorial teaches how to create a drop cap "S" in Adobe Illustrator. It instructs the reader to set up a new document, type the letter "S" at a large point size, and select an italic version. The tutorial then guides using the curvature tool to draw curved paths that fill the empty spaces of the "S", working from the bottom up. When finished, the drop cap "S" should resemble the example shown at the end.

Uploaded by

api-520373089
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Drop Cap Design Tutorial

This guide instructs the reader how to create the 6. Adobe Illustrator will pull up a contextual menu
below Drop Cap Character in Adobe Illustrator. It does with variations of the glyph, select the third
not cover how to purchase, download, or log in to option, which is italicized.
Illustrator. Furthermore, it is not an introduction to the • If this menu does not automatically
software, and some prior knowledge on Adobe Suite pop up, set the letter to italics using the
may be necessary to understand the tutorial. glyph menu (U+0053 SJIS: 53 Italics
(Ital)). You can open the glyphs window
by selecting “Window” at the top of
your screen, then “Type,” and then
“Glyphs.”

Glyph menu
7. Select the “S” and open the “Fill” menu and
select the gray shade fifth from the left in the
Grays Folder. This color is R=102, G=102, and
B=102.

Adding Curved Accents


Final Drop Cap

Set Up 8. Select the “Curvature Tool” from the toolbar,


1. Open Adobe Illustrator. This tutorial was which is the sixth tool and the icon resembles
written using the 2023 version of Illustrator. a pen with a line.

2. Create a “Web” document with the dimensions 9. Using that tool, draw one point at the edge
set to 800 x 600 px. of the serif on the bottom of the “S.” about
halfway up the accent. Draw a second point in
The “S” the bottom of the curve created by the letter.
3. Using the type tool, draw a text box and type Illustrator will generate a straight line.
the letter “S.”

4. Highlight the glyph and in the character menu,


select the typeface

5. Adjust the glyph’s point size to fill the artboard,


approximately 500 points.
Mid-point of path creation
10. To curve the line, make a third point in the 17. Repeat steps 11-13 again, this time filling in the
center of the line, still using the curvature tool. space along the top of the “S.” Repeat these
Click and drag from the anchor point to create steps until a path begins at the bottom-most
an arc. point of the serif possible. The path may not
• Illustrator may automatically fill in your be able to be moved to the exact bottom of the
shape. If this occurs, select the “Fill” serif, but it is fine as long as the path does not
menu and hit “none” to remove this extend beyond the letter.
color.
• If Illustrator does not automatically 18. Using the Type tool, right click on the “S,” and
add a stroke, increase the stroke to .25 select “arrange,” and then “bring to front”
points. Illustrator should automatically to move the “S” in front of the paths. This
set the stroke to be the color black should hide any overlap of the paths onto the
(R=0, G=0, and B=0). letter. If the edges of paths are visible, undo
the arrangement and adjust them before
11. Copy the path using Command+C and paste it repositioning the “S” to the front of the page.
using Command+V.
19. Make any adjustments as needed. You may
12. Using the selection tool, move the path above undo and redo the arrangement to easily
the original, filling in more of the empty space. access the paths.

13. Using the curvature tool, you can adjust the The Final Drop Cap
path to better fit the curve of the “S.” There will Congratulations on creating your Drop Cap! Your
be anchor points across the path that can be character should resemble the below image.
moved across the path horizontally. The curve
can be adjusted by moving the anchor points
vertically.

14. Repeat steps 11-13 on the bottom of the “S,”


filling in the empty space line by line until
there are paths along the entire serif. This
should take between four and five lines,
depending on how much space you put
between them.

Completed bottom of “S”


15. Move your focus to the serif at the top of the
“S.” Create a new path using the curvature tool,
placing your first point halfway up the serif,
and the second at the top of the curve.

16. Adjust the fill and stroke as needed. This path


should resemble how the first path on the
bottom of the “S” looked, just rotated to match Final Drop Cap
the top of the letter’s curve.
Title: Bebas Neue (TT) Regular, 62/74.4
Subheads: Acumin Variable Concept Wide Bold, 11/14
Text: Acumin Variable Concept Regular, ragged right, 11/14
Captions: Acumin Variable Concept Regular, ragged left, 11/14

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