Stamp Set
Overview: A local zoo has commissioned you to create postage stamps to help to draw more public viewers. You will be creating a set of 3 stamps, each featuring a different zoo animal of your choice. You will use all of the tools and techniques you learned in Illustrator lessons 6-10. Follow the steps below for the initial setup. From there, customize your design, each with its own individual animal, color scheme, and shapes. You will then propose your completed project to the zoo’s board members for approval.
Requirements:
3 unique stamps
Sawtooth stamp edge
Gradient background (different colors for each stamp)
Animal silhouette/image traced from photo using pen tool (different animals for each stamp) Monetary value typed at the top of each stamp and name of zoo( use 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢) You can get a cent sign by holding down alt and (on the keypad to the right) typing 0162. (alt+0162)
Step 1: Open a new Illustrator document
From the welcome screen, click Create new Web Document
Name the document “Stamps_LastFirst”
Choose 640×480 pixels
Choose Horizontal format
Step 2: Create the stamp edges
Select the rectangle tool
Set the fill to none and the stroke to 1pt black
Click and release inside the art board
Set the size of your new rectangle to 160 px wide by 220 px high
Ctrl+C to copy your rectangle
Ctrl+F twice to place two copies of the rectangle directly on top of the original
In the layers panel, open your sub layers and hide the bottom rectangle
Select the top rectangle from the layers panel
Open the stroke panel and set the following parameters: 6pt stroke, round end cap, 4 miter limit, 0 pt dash, 10 pt gap
Click Object>Flatten Transparency from the menu bar. Make sure it is set to 100% vector as shown below. Click ok when done.
Select the expanded dotted lines and the rectangle below
Open up your Pathfinder Palette and hold Alt and select Subtract from shape area. This will give you the sawtooth edges of a stamp
Step 3: Set up the stamp graphics
Go to you Layers Palette and show the hidden layer of our original rectangle
Go Object>Path>Offset Path then enter -15px
Fill the rectangle with a linear gradient that goes from a dark to a light shade of the same color of your choosing
Select both rectangles, hold Alt and drag out two copies of the stamp
Click on the Color Guide tab in the color panel at the top of the panel dock
Click the drop down at the top right of the Color Guide panel and select a color harmony you like
Choose two other colors from the color harmony and make a dark to light gradient for each in your two new stamps
Change the gradient colors of the new stamps to light to dark shades of different colors
Use the type tool to include a monetary value to each stamp. Use 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢.
Choose the font and size you like
Step 4: Personalize your stamp
Save three images of different animals you would like to feature on your stamps
File>Place each one in Illustrator and use the pen tool to trace each animal’s silhouette
Take each vector animal outline shape and place it in your stamp design. Choose any fill color you like
You may choose to add pen tool shapes or burst effects to increase visual interes
Roosevelt Graphics 