Make a Name Pendant in Adobe Illustrator

In response to a response to a question: :smile:

  1. Open the software and select your font, type out the name:

  1. Select everything, right click and Create Outlines.

  2. Select everything, right click and Ungroup. Resize or shift the letters over so that they overlap at some point.

  1. Select everything, click on the Unite button in the Pathfinder menu:

  1. If you want to add a small hanging ring, draw up a couple of Filled circles, center the smaller one over the larger one, and subtract out the center in order to create a ring shaped Compound Path. Use the Minus Front function in the Pathfinder palette.

Makes a compound path:

  1. Combine the ring with the name shape using the Unite tool again:

  1. Set the Fill to Null and set a Stroke Color.

That’s about it! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Excellent instructions, but your name is going to hang lopsided. :slight_smile:

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I know. Suits my outlook on life. :wink:

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Great write up. I tend to also add a border, and sometimes a score outline when I make keychains. The main graphic, or the name in this case is engraved, score line for emphasis, and a bit of a space for the border and loop hole. The same process that Jules listed above can be used to add these additional elements, just change the color. Sometimes, with a thin or very detailed font, the extra width or this border give your final cutout more “joined” material if that makes any sense. Merge and offset path are your best friends in Illustrator!

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Great idea!

@Jules you are the bomb!

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Thankee kindly! :smile::bomb::boom:

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Yay! Thanks @Jules!! This will come in handy for sure :slight_smile:

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I made a Dad keychain using the steps here! Quite happy with the results. I am going to slow down the score a little bit because the lines aren’t perfect, but I think I’m just about there. Thanks again.

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Awesome sauce! Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for this tutorial. These are very much appreciated.

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:smiley:

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