Punched Button

Why have buttons with text scribbled on them when you could create one of these catchy little punched-out critters? Very eye-catching! Especially on a textured background page!

Creating the Button

Click on the elipse tool and draw a 100x100 circle. Centre the image in the document.

Select the fill colour of your choice.

Apply whatever fills/effects you wish to use.

(For my Example, I applied INNER GLOW and RADIAL FILL to highlight the shape of the end result).

Click on the Text tool and click in the canvas to open the Text Editor.

Select your font and set the font size to 90. The colour does not matter for this exercise.

Type your symbol letter (I used "P", for Pyroteknix!) and click O.K.

Centre the resulting text block in the document.

While it is still selected, click TEXT>CONVERT TO PATHS.

You will not see an immediate change, but if you now de-select the text block (click anywhere else on the canvas), then choose the "sub-select" tool (the WHITE arrow), you will see the text outlined with "path markers" when you hover over it with the cursor.

Click on the text to select it.

Press and hold the SHIFT key and click on the circle to include it in the selection.

Now click MODIFY>COMBINE>PUNCH.

The result is a cool "punched-out" button, handy for logo's and stuff! The advantage to these buttons is that you have literally punched a hole through them, so any background colours/images included on your page will show through, just like a window.