Use Envelope Distort to combine 2 words.

How do I combine two words as one with Envelope Distort.... For example...

I want to take a paragraph worth of words and then apply envelope distort to it so it can all fit inside one word.

I use to use this technique all the time, but I must have forgotten a step cause I cant get it to work anymore.

I Expand both the paragraph and the single word..... then I make sure the single word is on top in the arrangement.... then I select the expanded paragraph.... while the paragraph is selected, I hold down shift so I can select the single word too.... Once both are selected I click on"Make with Top Object" under "Envelope Distort."

But it tells me "This requires a selection of multiple objects. The top object must be a single path or mesh, or a symbol containing a single path or mesh."

Whats the deal? I know this is possible because I have done this countless times, but I cant seem to do it anymore.

What am I missing? What am I doing wrong?

Just a thought: when you expand text, it is a group of individual objects (hit ungroup, and you can move individual letters). Do you maybe have to make a compound path of each (or either) group before using envelope?

Your top object (the single word) is a group, not a single path. So even if Envelope Distort did its thing, it would use only one character (the topmost path) as the envelope.

The top object must be a single simple (not Compound) path.

I suspect you are confusing Envelope Distort with Clipping Mask. A paragraph of text distorted by an envelope in the shape of a Compound Path (several characters) would not likely even be readable.

Are you sure you aren't looking for Object>ClippingMask>Make? IF that is what you are looking for, there is no need to Expand the text objects. They can remain live, editable text.

JET

JFP, I think the description of your problem is a little difficult to understand, so why don you take or make some picture and upload here
<http://flickcabin.com/index>

On Aug 20, 5:14*pm, J_...@adobeforums.com wrote:
> How do I combine two words as one with Envelope Distort.... For example....
>
> I want to take a paragraph worth of words and then apply envelope distortto it so it can all fit inside one word.
>
> I use to use this technique all the time, but I must have forgotten a step cause I cant get it to work anymore.
>
> I Expand both the paragraph and the single word..... then I make sure thesingle word is on top in the arrangement.... then I select the expanded paragraph.... while the paragraph is selected, I hold down shift so I can select the single word too.... Once both are selected I click on"Make with TopObject" under "Envelope Distort."
>
> But it tells me "This requires a selection of multiple objects. The top object must be a single path or mesh, or a symbol containing a single path or mesh."
>
> Whats the deal? I know this is possible because I have done this countless times, but I cant seem to do it anymore.
>
> What am I missing? What am I doing wrong?

Once your top object is expanded, make sure all your letters/words
underneath are touching. Combine them using Pathfinder. Then, if there
are any 'holes' like in an "O" or "P" etc, they have to be cut with
the knife tool or other device so that the entire top word is ONE
path.
HTH,
randy hare

I think you guys are right and he wants to do something like this

<http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1eG8F35m5M0rXluuzkSbY9pWZgWM>

I no longer have the need to do this but used to doe this when I was in High School and then at Cooper Union it was very uncommon then but as it was costly to do even foe =r the design studios and agencies but since I worked for such and they paid me very little I had no problem using their resources at their expense. You can also do this with images and such.

Any way it is outlined text then all turned to area type paths and the thread and then filled with the text. Pretty simple and basic today.

I may have even been the first person to ever use this graphic device.

circa 1962.