'Add alpha to selection' for text contour border in Gimp, equivalent in Adobe Illustrator?

Question

I made my old site logo in Gimp, it's basically white text surrounded by a black boundary that follows the contour of the text. I can describe this viscerally but there is probably a descriptive name for this effect.

In Gimp I made it using this:

1. Type white text
2. Layer -> Transparency -> Add alpha to selection
3. Then I would increase the size by 3 or 4 pixels
4. Then create a new transparent layer underneath the text layer
5. And then fill this layer with black

I've got hold of Adobe Illustrator to redesign my logo, and I'm having trouble replicating this effect - I was wondering if anyone had an answer?

Answer 1

If I understand correctly, simply add a stroke to the text.

Illustrator isn't raster-based and doesn't create "selections" the same way raster-based applications do.

Answer 2

Just one addition to Scott's answer. I would have added it as a comment, but I cannot add images to a comment.

In Illustrator a stroke is centred in a path by default. That means that if the stroke is 2px wide, for example, 1px will appear inside the shape and 1px will appear outside the shape. You have the option of aligning the stroke to the outside or the inside the path, though, using the stroke palette.

Unfortunately, if you apply a stroke to a text, the stroke can only be centred. The options to align the stroke to the inside or the outside are disabled. If the stroke is too thick, it starts to eat up from the shape of the text making it look strange.

A workaround this is to turn the text into outlines and then apply the stroke.

• Step 1: Type the text
• Step 2: Select Menu->Type->Create Outlines The text is not text anymore, but a group of paths.
• Step 3: Apply the stroke and using the Stroke palette select Align Stroke to the Outside (the last icon).