Creating Inset Shadows
by Wizaerd

Date Posted: 10/31/2001 - Thanks to David Wood for giving me this idea for the next TCE Online tutorial. He actually sent it to me as a Canvas 8 Sequence, but unfortunately sequences aren't quite 100% bug free yet, and I couldn't get it to run on my system. For the record I passed it onto a few others using Canvas 8 as well, and they couldn't get it to run either. I know there's nothing wrong with the sequence itself because it runs on David's machine, and it ran fine at Deneba as well.

But I digress... Onto making Inset Shadows. There are countless ways to create inset shadows but I'm only going to pass along two of them. Are these the correct ways? Not necessarily. Actually, I've come to the conclusion that with Canvas, and with graphics in general, there really isn't a 'correct' way.

The methods I'm going to describe here will work for text or shape objects, but since using a text object requires one additional step, I'll use it for this tutorial. SO start up Canvas and create a big ole text object. You'll want to use a large blocky font, set at a large point size until you get comfortable with re-producing this effect. Once you are comfortable, you can use any skinny lil' font you want.

Alright, now that you have your large ole text object, duplicate it. Control+D (win), Edit->Duplicate, Control+Drag, Copy & Paste... there are countless ways of duplicating an object. Pick whatever method you're most comfortable with. You'll be using this duplicate object for most of the following steps. Select your duplicate text object and convert it to paths, Object->Path->Convert To Paths.

Now create a rectangle that's just a wee bit larger than your duplicate text object. One neat trick I use when wanting an object in the same location and the same size is to use the Object Specs palette. With the text object selected, I merely click on the icon on the left hand side, choose a rectangle from the flyout, and then click the Create button. I'll have a new rectangle directly over my text object, with the same physical dimensions.



Select this new rectangle and force it to the bottom of the stacking order. Control+B or Object->Arrange->Send to Back. If you chose the Object Specs method of creating your rectangle instead of manually drawing it out, you may have to size it a bit so it's larger (not by much) than your duplicate text object. Go ahead and size it, I'll wait...

Now select both your duplicate text object and the rectangle and we're going to do a Subtraction Combine. (How's that for a confusing concept, combining subtractions...). Bring up the Combine palette (Effect->Combine) and choose the Subtract Front option.



This will result in a singular object (a composite path if you really want to know). Be sure this new object is selected and go to Effect->Shadow, which will open the Shadow palette. Make any setting you want in here, but for the best results keep your shadow fairly tight as far as the offset and blur goes.



Now select your composite path (the text subtracted from the rectangle) and delete it, we're done with it. Select your shadow object and send it to the back. elect your original text object and lay it over your shadow. You can adjust it in a bit if you're having problems lining them up. Select both your text object and the shadow and create a clipping path (which is why the shadow object was sent to the back.). Object->Clipping Path->Make. You can now fine tune your alignment of the text object. Once you have them aligned properly to give an inset shadow look, select the text object and the shadow object and group them.

One of the advantages of this specific method is your object is pretty nothing more than a shadow. If you put any other objects under your inset shadow object, you'll see that through your object. It's completely generic in the sense that no matter where you drop it, it'll blend in just fine with whatever is behind it.



And remember, this works for shapes too, you'll just be able to skip the Convert to Paths step.



And now method two. The advantages to step two are that your text object can remain a text object (making it a bit easier to edit) and the cutout section of your object can have a different background.

Make your text and duplicate it as we did before, but don't convert it to paths... Select it and make it's fill color white. Create a black filled rectangle approximately the same size, but just a wee bit larger, just as we did above. Position the white text so it's on top of the black rectangle.



Select just the white text and apply a Gaussian Blur SpriteEffect by either choosing the Add New Effect on the SpriteEffects palette or going to Object->SpriteEffects->Add Effect->Blur->Gaussian Blur. Choose whatever setting you feel look desirable.




Select your white blurry text and the black rectangle and group them (Object->Group or Control+G). Send them to the back, and now line up your original text with the grouped object, and make a clipping path. Select all your objects created and group.

Now the thing about this method is regardless of the background, the inset text (or shape) will be white. Or actually, to put it accurately, the inset text color will be whatever color you set it to be. You could always use the Direct Group Selection Arrow or the Document Layout palette to select just the blurred text and make it's fill color different. Everything re-renders automatically, giving you a completely updateable inset shadow object. You could release the mask, and edit the text of the original text object and the blurred text object and re-mask and group. Easily editable.




But as I've always said, regardless of what you use it for, if you even use it, the important point is to have fun!!!