Using Multi-Colors on Fonts in Clip Studio Paint: A Comprehensive Tutorial
Clip Studio Paint is an incredibly powerful tool for creating stunning artwork, and one of its many features is the ability to add multi-colors to fonts. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to achieve this effect, as well as some additional tips and variations to take your font game to the next level.
Selecting a Font
To get started, select the font tool and choose a font that you like. For this example, we'll use Arial Black Regular. Type out some text to demonstrate the plain font – in this case, we'll use a name.
Limitations of Text Color Options
One of the limitations of the text color option in Clip Studio Paint is that it only allows for one color. Selecting the second color option only changes the color of the text, not the border. But don't worry, we can get around this limitation using the border effect.
Using the Border Effect
To add a border to your text, go to the right side of the screen and select the border effect (represented by a black dot with a white outline). Adjust the thickness of the edge to make the border visible, and then change the edge color by selecting a new color from the color wheel. Use the paint bucket icon to apply the new color to the border.
Result
With the border effect applied, you should now see a border of a different color around your text. You can increase the thickness of the edge to make the border more visible.
Manipulating the Font
If the raster layer is an object (indicated by a 3D cube symbol), you can still manipulate the font. You can erase letters, change the text, and the border will remain for any new text entered.
Rasterizing a Layer and Creating a Double Outline
Rasterizing a layer means converting a vector layer into a raster layer, which is made up of pixels. To rasterize a layer, go to Layer > Rasterize. When a layer is rasterized, it can no longer be edited as a vector object, and the font can no longer be changed. The border effect will still be retained in the rasterized layer.
One way to create a double outline on lettering is to rasterize the layer and then add a new border effect with a different color. For example, if you have a red letter with a black border, you can rasterize the layer and then add a blue border effect. You can increase the thickness of the border to make it more visible.
Alternative Method for Creating a Double Outline
If you forget to add a border effect to your text, you can still create a double outline after rasterizing the layer. Select the lettering using the Magic Wand tool and hold down the Shift button to select multiple objects. Expand the selection area by a certain number of pixels (e.g. 20 pixels) using the Expand tool. Create a new raster layer below the original text layer and fill it with a color (e.g. blue). This will create an outline around the original text, giving it a double outline effect.
Advantages of the Alternative Method
This method allows you to create multiple outlines by repeating the process as many times as you want. You can experiment with different colors and border widths to achieve the desired effect.
Creating a Raster Layer Below the Font
To create a raster layer below the font, select the text and hold down the shift key to select all the letters. Choose a color (e.g. red) and create a raster layer below the font. This prevents the color from covering the font.
Creating Multiple Layers with Different Sizes
To create multiple layers with different sizes, hold down the shift key and select all the letters again. Expand the selection to a larger size (e.g. 20) and create a new raster layer with a different color (e.g. blue). Repeat the process to create multiple layers with different sizes and colors. You can also shrink the selection to a smaller size and create a raster layer on top.
Creating a Folder for the Font Layers
To organize your layers, hold down the shift key and select all the layers that make up the font. Create a folder and add all the selected layers to it. Make sure to keep the order of the layers correct.
Copying and Combining the Font Layers
Select the folder and copy it (Command C on Mac or Control C on Windows). Paste the copy (Command V on Mac or Control V on Windows). Make one of the folders invisible and combine all the layers in the other folder by hitting the "Combine Down" icon. Take the combined layer out of the folder and delete the folder. Now you have a single raster layer with the text font and outline, and you can still go back to the original separated layers if needed.
Manipulating the Combined Layer
With the combined layer, you can manipulate the text font with the outline as a single unit. You can perform various actions on the layer, such as rotating, scaling, or applying effects.
Manipulating Text and Fonts in Clip Studio Paint
In addition to the above techniques, there are many other ways to manipulate text and fonts in Clip Studio Paint. Here are a few more tips and variations:
- Use the Free Transform Tool to manipulate text and fonts to make them look more custom. Grab and move nodes to change shape and size, but note that there is no snap function to keep transformations perfectly vertical or horizontal, so use eyeballing.
- Add gradients to text by selecting all letters with the Magic Wand tool, creating a new layer on top of the original text layer, and using the Gradient tool to add a gradient effect. Choose a gradient style (e.g. rainbow, transparent, etc.) and hold shift to keep the gradient line horizontal.
- Customize gradients by using the Gradient tool to create an oval shape with a purple color, double tapping to apply the gradient, and resulting in a purple and black gradient effect in the center of the text.
- Combine layers and transform by copying the folder, making the original layer invisible, combining all layers, taking the copy out of the folder, and deleting the copy folder. Use the Edit > Transform > Free Transform tool to manipulate the text and maintain the gradient effect.
Tips and Variations
Experiment with different tools and techniques to achieve desired effects. Use the Undo function to try out different options, and feel free to ask questions in the comments. Additional tutorials may be created to address specific topics.