Turn Any Font Into a Sketch Font
Tutorials | June 11th, 2009
There are some popular sketchy fonts available that are great for grungy and hand-drawn designs and illustrations. My problem is, I want to be able to use this sketchy style in any font. Turn’s out, it is actually really easy to do in Illustrator. Moreover, you can create a Graphic Style and easily apply the style to other editable fonts!
Notes
This tutorial was created with Adobe Illustrator CS4, but you should be able to create the tutorial in other Illustrator CS versions.
Final Image
Below is an example of the sketchy text we will be creating.
Step 1
Create a new document and with the Text tool (T), type out some text with the with the font of your choosing. I am using Glypha Black as my font.
Step 2
With the text selected, take off any stroke and fill. We are going to add a stroke a fill separate from each other in the Appearance panel in the next couple of steps.
Step 3
With the no fill and no stroke text selected, open the pop-up menu in the Appearance panel and chose Add New Fill. Keep the default black color of the fill.
Step 4
Select the new fill in the Appearance panel and go Effect > Stylize > Scribble. With the Scribble Options dialog open, change the Angle to 45, the Path Overlap to 0 px, the Path Overlap Variation to 2 px, the Stroke Width to 1 px, the Curviness to 0, the Curviness Variation to 50, the Spacing to 2 px, and the Spacing Variation to 1.5 px.
Step 5
Select the Stroke option in the Appearance panel and give the text a 2 pt stroke.
Step 6
With the Stroke still selected in the Appearance panel, go Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen. In the Roughen dialog, change the Size to .5, select the Relative radial button, change the Detail to 30, and select the Smooth radial button for Point. This will give the stroke a little distress.
Step 7
Now, we have a custom sketchy font. Moreover, you can easily edit the font! To make this technique even more useful, let’s create a Graphic Style so we can quickly apply these effects to other fonts and text. First select your font and take a look at the Appearance panel. You can see all the effects in your type. Now, simply press the New Graphic Style Button in the Graphic Styles panel!
Step 8
Now type out some more text and change the font. With the text selected, press the thumbnail of your new sketchy Graphic Style and see all the wonderful sketchy results!
Experiment
You can apply the sketchy graphic style to other objects other than text. I also suggest playing around with the Sccrible and Roughen effect settings. Post links to images in the comments with your results!
How cool is this? I never would have imaged that creating a sketch font could be so easy.
Now that’s an awesome tutorial. Thank you.
great tip! thanks!!!
Like it. Very simple.
I cannot thank you enough. I’ve been searching for so long on how to do this. And it’s so simple even a novice like me could do it. thank you for your great site!
What’s the cursive font you are using in the example?
It is called Susa
Thanks for filling (or should I say scribbling?) me in on the cool font. Great technique article!
Any free version of the ‘susa’ font ?
Not that I know of.
So simple and such a grate result! I love it!..the newsletter came in at the right time, Im using it already..thxs
Basic and helpful guidelines
Nice but i already knew this.
why comment?
Awesome!
Wow! That is just the best tip ever! I’ve been wondering how to do this for ages and can’t believe it’s so easy! Thank you a million scribbly times!!!
WOW, great little tutorial so useful…Thanks.
The tutorial is sheer elegance, for this trendy visual approach. Not that I may use it too much, but thanks for this eye-treat!
Nice to see an experiment using line and fill layers. Great work.
Brilliant! And it doesn’t have that ‘vector feel’. I really looks believable.
Now I just have to find a project to apply this to…
Thanks for the tuts man!
Excellent tutorial. Sure I’ll find a use for this.
Thanks for sharing
How cool is that? This is great.
Holy Moly! Thats GREAT!
Thanks a lot, buddy!
Where can I find the appearance-button?
You can get to the Appearance panel by going Window > Appearance.
Thanks
very nice and easy tutorial, thanks!!!
That’s great thanks.
This is great …
I’ve used it already.
http://images-0.redbubble.net/img/clothing/bodycolor:grassgreen/cropped/size:large/style:mens/view:preview/3242358-1-scribble.jpg
Oops. Try here. http://www.redbubble.com/people/cathiet/t-shirts/3242358-1-scribble
Thanks so much. Just played around a bit with it…
I love this effect…thanks.
Here is my result http://twitpic.com/777vd
Great TUT, Thanx a mil
That is awesome! Very useful to know how to make swatches of fills
Solid! Nice effect easy to replicate. Thanks!
Your tutorials are always awesome!
Thanks allot, usefull and ez to understand as usual. Thnx m8
Super useful tip!
Hope you keep up with Vectips dude, it really is one of the best illustration resources on the web!
Nice work as usual Rype. I definitely need to remember this one for those sketchy font moods. More unique and control this way.
Thank you a lot! I can’t believe – it’s so simple!
)
-wow…love this, thank you!
Thanks for sharing .That was quite useful and step by step tutorial.
Hope to have such more
this is awesome !! fonts looks so much better .. thank you very much !
Great Tutorial. Thanks a lot..
Very Very useful and cool
A real handy effect! Thanks!
Thanks for your nice tutorial.
this is awesome! thanks!
WOW, that is so cool,thanks alot
Nice tutorial.
your effect looks excellent in Japanese too.
thank you.
Thanks for the tutorial
Awesome! Thank you
Great! thanks for your support!
What a great tip!! I can’t thank you enough for this! Just what I needed (I;m creating a T-shirt design and this is just perfect for what I had in mind).
Keep posting!!!
Thx man
aha..that’s easy..thanks for the guide..it’s really help me a lot.:P
Thanks for this! I have used these tips to crate the title for my blog
That is called a heavenly stuff!
Thank you a ton!
Ok now, that was way easier than I thought that text effect would be. remarkable.
Adorei!!!
Vlw…
Another nice tutorial, man I’m learning a lot from you!, thanks I’m just starting using Illustrator I have more experience with Photoshop.
Thank!.
Wow! This is a great tutorial and money saver too.
Awesome tutorial!!!!
Thanks!
Superb! Very simple to apply and an Exceptional results!
Awesome, always thought this was a typeface!
Very nice! Thanks!
I put your tutorial on one screen and illustrator on the other screen and followed step-by-step and got the results, wow this is amazing, especially that we can reuse this effect with out all the work. well done.
Dude, your tutorials are so great. This one come really handy with a new project I am working on, tyvm.
Nice tutorial. This will be very handy for my upcoming site logo. Thanks Alot!
sweeeeeet!
Hi Rype,
I am using Illustrator CS3 and i can not find Effect > Stylize > Scribble. Can you help me out. I have been looking for this technique for a while now.
Not sure what could be the problem, the Scribble Effect Should be under The Menu Bar > Effect > Stylize > Scribble for CS3 just like CS4. Does that help?
I have the same problem like Samson, My illustrator don’t have this effect too?
There are two stylize menus, one under illistrator and one on photoshop, make sure you’re using the top one.
Creat tutorial. Really easy but so useful…
Is anyone else struggling to roughen the stroke from the Appearance panel?
Is it just not working? What version of Illustrator are you on?
Awesome, cheers
Thank you, this tutorial helped me out with my homework for a digital arts class I am taking at my local community college.
Very useful! Thank you.
Thanks a lot, it’s wonderful tutorial !!!
Hi,
Your teaching style is too good and information about photoshop is very useful for visitor
Just be sure to check the license on the typeface you’re going to use for this. You don’t want to end up doing this for a client, only to find yourself being sued by the type designer or foundry. Look specifically for lines that mention modifications to the original design. Some do, but some don’t. When in doubt, ask before you do anything other than just playing.
Really good point!
what font is the second one try it on a different font???
It is a font called Susa.
cheers for that, but do you know where i can download it for free?
Wow, it’s actually a lot easier than I thought. Thanks for the great tutorial
Awesome!!! Just like my friend design on inijie.com
Thanks for sharing, I will practice it now.
Great article, thx
Also some nice free fonts http://www.fonts2u.com
that`s what i`m talking about!
wao .. look (@-@) I love this !!
wau, interesting and easy step for me. I had combine any color for my font. thanks for your tips.
Nice tutorial bro great stuff
what if i wanted to make similar effects on vectors other than text?
i tried this method on vectors but got short on the part where you go to apply the scribble effect in stylize since the option doesnt exist? is it only for text?
thanks
You should have no problem applying to Graphic Style and techniques to other vector objects. When you are applying the Scribble effect, is it grayed out?
Wow, this was JUST what I needed! Thanx!
what ya mind super
okaya
super easy and looks really cool!! thank you for this…!!
So simple, so useful. One tutorial as I like it.
Love this!
WOW! And here’s me thinking I would never EVER understand illustrator and first time I get my perfect scribble text. Not just that, but I was even able to succesfully play around with the colours and scribble effect attributes to get the perfect scrawl. THANK YOU SO MUCH. xxx
cool! the style is nice.
Thanks for a great tutorial!
Awesome, thanks!
You have some really great tutorials! Thanks for sharing them.
Thx a lot! You make my day! ^_^
Great Champ!!!
very informative
Awesome tip — you saved my morning!
can anybody help me?? scribble option does not exist in my illustrator… there just glowing edges style effect. i’ve use illustrator cs5.. how to make that option appears? i’ve try to clear uninstall and reinstall.. but still not work..
thx..
Is it just grayed out or not under Effects > Stylize > Scribble at all?
I did the same thing on first glance. There are two Scribble options. You are looking at the one under Photoshop effects. Look in the section above that under Illustrator effects.
Super duper tutorial. Awesome. Thanks a ton.
Great tutorial – I have used it on both of my sites!
Nice Tut, Thanks
super!! love this so much..thanks a lot
I love this tutorial!! but my results it’s not as yours why?
how i can? what’s i wrong?
i have illustrator CS5, this is my result,
http://img560.imageshack.us/i/schermata20110113a17242.png/
but i want yours
I found this tutorial incredibly helpful in doing exactly what I was looking to do, create a sketchy look to a font. However, I want to take it a step further from Illustrator. I want to create a font from the effect. I have outlined the font in Illustrator with the effect on it so each letter is individual (with scribble effect still on it). I have then tried to copy and paste an individual letter into Fontographer without success (it comes through as a solid black version of the font). I have also tried and copy and paste it just into another Illustrator file and it goes all white, losing the effect as well. Is there any way I can take this style as individual letters from Illustrator into Fontographer to create a version of our house font, retaining the scribble effect which is so perfect in Illustrator from using this technique?
Thx u soooo much for wonderful tips….
This is really awesome!!! It helped me ALOT…
You saved me all time of searching for a scribbled font type on line… Thanx sooooo much…
I’m in love with Illustrator, it a really Great program!
amazing!!!!! can’t believe I had been suffering trying to get this effect for so long LOL your tut has made my day, thank you!
What a great tutorial! Thanks so much! I see a whole new set of web buttons for my blog on the horizon.
When I went to “Effect > Stylize,” there was no “Scribble” option. What did I do wrong?
What version of Illustrator are you running?
Love It!
Thank for this tutorial and for sharing it!
thank you for nice tips!
simple, fast = awesome. Tks a lot!
I love it again
thank you ! This helped me in my work
Thanks for the tutorial. awesome