Creating a simple "sunburst" graphic

[GarryP]

You can make a simple "sunburst" graphic, such as that in the attached image, very easily in Scribus - Inkscape not required.

Here's how...

Stage 1 - The Shape

1. Choose menu item "Insert -> Insert Polygon -> Properties...".
2. Type 30 in the "Corners" text field - you can experiment with the number of corners.
3. Check the "Apply Factor" checkbox.
4. Use a "Factor" of -15% (that's minus 15%) to make the shape concave - again, you can experiment with this.
5. Use a "Curvature" of 30% just to round it off a bit - and again, change this to suit.
6. OK the dialog box.
7. Draw the shape to the size you require - try and make it as square as possible though.

Stage 2 - The Shading

(You'll need both an orange and yellow in your colours list for this next stage. You can either import them from another document or swatch, or just create them manually. In this example I've used: Orange CMYK 0,50%,100%,0; Yellow CMYK 0,0,100%,0.)

1. Select the shape and go to the "Colours" tab in the "Properties" palette.
2. Click on the "Fill" icon and select "Free Radial Gradient" in the drop-down box - not just Radial Gradient, use the "Free" one.
3. Click on the left-hand gradient stop and choose an orange colour.
4. Click on the right-hand gradient stop and choose a yellow colour.
5. Press the "Move Vector" button just under the gradient stops.
6. Drag the left-hand end of the gradient vector - the line displayed on top of the shape - to the bottom-left of the shape (around 25% in from the corner).
7. Similarly, drag the right-hand end of the vector to the top-right of the shape (again, around 25% from the corner).
8. Close the small "Gradient Vector" dialog.
9. Click on the "Line Colour" icon in the "Colours" tab.
10. Select a colour of "None".

And that's it. A simple little graphic that can bring a bit of sunshine where it's needed. Why not put one in your Scrapbook for a rainy day?

You can try using different factors, curvatures and fills to make all kinds of strange shapes that can add a little "spice" to a blank space without much effort.

I hope someone finds this useful.

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[GarryP]

Or, you can take this a bit further and create a "pointy flash" like you might have seen on adverts and in magazines, as shown in the attached image below.

Here's how...

Create the "sunburst" as above, but you might like to use different colours on the free radial gradient fill. (I've used Mid-Blue: CMYK 100%,50%,0,0; and Cyan: CMYK 100%,0,0,0.)

Stage 1 - The Text

1. Create a text frame and add your text.
2. Select the text frame and choose menu "Item -> Convert To -> Outlines".
3. Ungroup the selected object and choose menu "Item -> Combine Polygons".
4. Re-select the new combined polygon if necessary and give it a free radial gradient fill as before but with a White->Black fill. Don't bother moving the gradient vector just yet as you'll have to move it again later.

Stage 2 - The Effect

1. Choose menu "Item -> Path Tools -> Lens Effects...".
2. Press the "Zoom Out" button in the dialog box (just under the preview) so you can see what you're doing.
3. Make sure you've got "Magnification Lens" selected and drag the top-right corner of the lens further to the top-right.
4. Now drag the bottom-left corner further to the bottom-left. You should see a preview of the effect so you can tweak it to how you want it.
5. OK the dialog when you're ready.
6. You'll probably now have to re-size your text to fit inside the "sunburst" shape again.

Stage 3 - The Fill

1. Now, with the "lensed" text selected, go to the "Colours" tab of the "Properties" palette and, after pressing the "Fill" icon if necessary, press the "Move Vector" button.
2. Drag one corner of the vector to just inside the top-right of the text box and the other outside of the bottom-left corner to a distance about the same as the width of the frame. You might need to check which end-point relates to each colour so you get the right effect.

And that's it. You should now have a similar graphic to the attached image. You might need to change various sizes, fills and gradient vectors to get things looking how you want it but that's all part of the creative process.

Try experimenting. This sort of thing, once you've done it a couple of times, will become second nature and it can take less than a couple of minutes to create from scratch.

P.S. I know that Inkscape can do this sort of thing - and it gives you more control over what you're doing - but some people don't have the time to learn another application. So if you just want something quick and simple, why not keep it "in-app" if you can?

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[JLuc]

nice tuto !

wouldnt you mind copying it in the documentation wiki ? or sbd to do it ?

[GarryP]

Thanks JLuc.

Hopefully, in the near future - if I can find the time - I'll be looking at putting this and some other tutorials that I've posted here onto the Wiki.

[Kunda]

Very cool tutorial. Thanks for this one. I'm learning a lot!