Transparent text by using the convert to outlines feature

Previous topic - Next topic

Stranger

Hello,

I am trying to create transparent text, by following these instuctions (that I found on the forum here):


* Create an image frame and give it an image.
* Draw a rectangle over the image.
* Change the fill colour of the rectangle to White with 60% Opacity and line colour to None.
* Create a text frame over the rectangle.
* Add your text as necessary.
* With the text selected, choose menu "Item -> Convert To -> Outlines".
* Then select the text again.
* Then choose menu "Item -> Ungroup".
* Then choose menu "Item -> Combine Polygons".
* Then select both, first the rectangle, then the text, e.g. with the pressed shift key while clicking on the items and choose "Item -> Path Tools -> Path Operations".
* Press the "Subtracts" button (second from left), swap items if necessary to get the correct effect, and OK the dialog.

However, when I get to "* Then choose menu "Item -> Ungroup"  I find that that the 'ungroup' option is not available to click on.

Could anyong kindly tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thank you!

This is where I found the original instructions: http://forums.scribus.net/index.php/topic,1526.msg6723.html#msg6723

utnik

hi stranger (really strange nick...)

on my system it just works with your steps.
the only difference: it's 'item' → 'grouping' → 'ungroup'...

utnik

Stranger

Hi Utnik,

Thanks, but...

Both the 'grouping' and the 'ungrouping' options are off.



utnik

Quote from: Stranger on January 23, 2020, 09:06:46 PMBoth the 'grouping' and the 'ungrouping' options are off.

this never happened to me. (or is it just one single letter? – in this case 'grouping' and'ungrouping' would be grayed out...)

utnik

Stranger

Ok, thanks, I seem to have made that work now.

May I ask, Utnik, if you think this is the best method in Scribus to overlay transparent text on top of another layer?

Stranger

What I would like to do (in Scribus), is something like this here, in Gimp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQpNkAMdQU

Is it possible to do this (in Scribus), using layers?


utnik

hi stranger

if the desired result is just an image frame in the shape of some text, i would:

  • write the text
  • convert it to outlines
  • ungroup and combine the polygons
  • convert it to an image frame
  • load the image
you don't need different layers for this.

utnik

Stranger

Hi Utnik,

Maybe.

But I'm not trying to put a picture inside letters, but rather I would like to overly two 'texts.'

A backdrop with small print, then large characters over it, and only appearing in the colour of the smaller print underneath (as if you were seeing through this letter/outline onto the bottom print...

Like this one, (which I made in Gimp) :



[attachment deleted by admin]

utnik

hi stranger

scribus might not be the best application for this sort of graphical play.
i would use inkscape for such things...

...but i'm a bit tired of trying to solve your problems, when you change your mind since the earlier post where your goal was to mask an image...

utnik

a.l.e

The above effect is probably something you can do with Scribus... but, as Utnik writes, it all depends on what exactly you want to do.

I did it this way:

- Load an image in an image frame
- Duplicate it.
- Convert the duplicate to a polygon and fill it with white.
- Create the text frame on top of both the image and the white shape
- Fill your text frame with the text. Keep a backup of it somewhere.
- Convert the text frame to outlines.
- Ungroup and combine
- Duplicate the outlined text
- Type your bit "BAC" text and convert that to outlines too
- Ungroup and combine
- Duplicate the "BAC" outline
- Put both copies of "BAC" on top of the text (and the image...).
- Select one copy of "BAC" and of the text (Use the outline window if necessary)
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Substract" to cut the "BAC" from one copy of the outlined text
- Select the other copy of "BAC" and of the other copy of the outlined text
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Interset" to get the text that should have the background color
- Select the white polygon and the intersection between BAC and the text
- Use "Item > Path tools > Path operations > Substract" to cut the outlined text in the BAC form from the white polygon (that covers the image)

CORRECTION: I went through the steps above and noticed that the last step should have been tw osteps... it's fixed now

... If i got all steps written down correctly it should work. BUT!:



- It's not something I'd like to do often...
- It's probably an effect I'd like to see in a document...

I would share the result, but the text and image i've used gave me a really terrible result so you would not really see much.

CORRECTION: I've now attached a .sla and a screenshot...

Finally, if you share you real example all would be much simpler for everybody!

[attachment deleted by admin]

Stranger

Wow, great a.l.e, thank you very much for this.

Let me try and, as you suggest, I will post the example.

Also, Utnik, my apologies for being so confused.

I don't know the correct terminology to express my questions... I do appreciate your help.

Stranger

Thanks again for this s.l.a.

I just downloaded your pac.sla file, but when I atttempt to open, I get the message "not an acceptable format" and it refuses to open.

Any idea why this is?

Thanks!

utnik

hi stranger

scribus1.4 won't open files created by scribus1.5 – and ale created it with scribus1.5,6,svn, as you can see when you open the file with a text editor.
if you really need this file, you have to download scribus1.5.5. but all the steps to produce your own one should work with scribus 1.4.8 too.

utnik