How to Underline Text in Illustrator

Illustrator is one of the best tools you can use for editing documents and building graphics. You can create projects with images, shapes, and even text.

The text in Illustrator is completely editable. You can adjust the color, the font, and the size.

How to Underline Text in Illustrator | Step by Step

The easiest way to learn how to underline text in Illustrator is to use the character panel. You have to use the icon to achieve your desired effect.

Before you can use the underline icon, you have to set up your text. You can find specifics concerning this process in the below information.

Set Up Text to Underline

You must set up and select your text to learn how to underline in Illustrator. You must add your words to the document first and learn how to select them in your project afterward.

Add Text to Your Project

First, you need to learn how to add text to your Illustrator project before you can underline it. You can add single lines or paragraphs to your design, as shown below.

Add a Line of Text

Add a line of text in Adobe Illustrator by using the steps below.

1. Select the type icon in the tool panel on the left side of the screen. It resembles a “T.”
2. Click somewhere in the document to create a placeholder.

3. Start typing to replace the placeholder text.
4. Drag-and-drop the text to reposition it in your document.

Add a Paragraph of Text

Follow the steps below to learn how to add a paragraph of text in Adobe Illustrator.

Click on the Text icon in the tool panel.
Create a placeholder in your document.
Drag a corner of the text box to create enough space for your paragraph.
Start typing to replace the placeholder text.
Drag-and-drop the paragraph to its proper placement in your document.

Select the Text in Your Document

Select text after you add it to your Adobe Illustrator Document. There are several methods you can highlight the words, as illustrated in the list below.

Double-click on a single word in your document to highlight it.

Triple-click on a paragraph in your document to select the whole section.

Select the characters you want to underline. Press “Select,” followed by “All” to highlight them.

Use the Underline Text Icon in the Character Panel

After you add and select the words, you can learn how to underline text in Adobe Illustrator. Open the character panel to find the underline icon.

Open the Character Panel

Follow the below steps to learn how to open the character panel in Adobe Illustrator.

Click on the “Window” menu at the top of Adobe Illustrator.
Press the option labeled “Type,’ and wait for the dropdown menu to load.
Select “Character” and wait for the panel to load.

Select the Underline Icon

After you open the character panel, ensure you have the proper text selected. If you do not have any words selected, the formatting will apply to any new information you add.

The underline icon resembles a “T” with an underscore under it. Click on that button to achieve the desired effect you need.

Illustrator Underline Text Shortcut

You can learn an Illustrator underline text shortcut to shorten the process mentioned above. You can use this specific feature with the below steps.

Open Adobe Illustrator on your device.
Choose the project you want to continue working on or start a new one.
Click on the text feature in the toolbar. Remember, it resembles a capital “T.”
Draw the text box by dragging and dropping your mouse.
Choose the line segment tool in the toolbar on the left side of the screen. It resembles a “\.”
Look for the text you want to underline in your document.
Press “Shift” on your keyboard while clicking and dragging at the same time. Keep the cursor under the words you want to underline.

How to Change Underline Color in Illustrator

You can learn how to underline text in Adobe Illustrator and change the color of it. This feature can provide an effective design on your document.

You need to know how to underline text in Illustrator before you can change its color. It has to already be present in your document.

Use the Underline Shortcut

First, you need to underline any text in your document. You can use the shortcut again to complete this process fastest with the steps below.

1. Click on the line segment tool in the toolbar on the left side of the screen.

2. Hold down shift on your keyboard while clicking and dragging simultaneously.

3. Release the shift key and your mouse when you underline the appropriate words.

Change the Color of Your Underlines

After you learn how to underline text in Illustrator, you can change its color. Access the features you need in the menu at the top of the screen, as seen below.

1. Hold down the option key on your keyboard and click on the underline tool in the menu.
2. Wait for the options for your underline to load in the menu.

3. Choose the color you want for your underline.

4. Adjust the thickness if you want your underline wider.

Another trick is to change the color of the text above the underline. It will adjust the words and the icon you have underneath them. The color will affect both pieces of your document rather than just the text or the underline.

How to Bold Text in Illustrator

There are a couple of easy methods you can use to learn how to bold text in Illustrator. The first is to adjust the stroke effect in the Appearance panel, adjusting its weight of it.

You can also change the font using the character panel. There is also a keyboard shortcut for learning how to bold text in Adobe Illustrator.

You can also create an outline around your text using an offset path. this method lets you manually bold your text with the desired thickness you need.

Adjust the Stroke Effect

First, you can adjust the stroke effect when learning how to bold text in Illustrator. This method is not as easy as using the character panel or a keyboard shortcut.

You have to adjust the weight of your text stroke. A higher number will make the letters appear thicker and bold, while a lower will make them appear narrow.

You can learn to bold text using the stroke effect in the Appearance panel on Adobe Illustrator.

Open the Appearance Panel

First, you need to open the Appearance panel to change the stroke effect using the steps below.

1. Open Adobe Illustrator on your device.
2. Start a new document or load a project that already has text.

3. Click on “Window” at the top of the screen.
4. Choose the option labeled “Appearance” to load the panel.

Add a Border Stroke

After you have the Appearance panel open, you can add a border stroke with the below steps.

1. Select the text in your document.
2. Go to the Appearance panel.

3. Click on “Add Stroke.”
4. Choose the appropriate stroke.

Adjust the Stroke Weight

After you add a border stroke, you can adjust its weight. Remember, a higher number relates to a thicker outline.

Look for the dropdown menu next to the field labeled “Stroke” in the appearance panel. It will show numbers labeled “pt.” Choose one of the higher numbers to make your bold more obvious.

Change the Font Style

You can also change the font style using the character panel. Again, you will need to open the panel first, then click on the appropriate icon.

Open the Character Panel

If you do not already have the character panel open it, you need to do so. The steps below will help with this process.

Click on the “Window” menu at the top of the screen.
Press on the option labeled “Type.”
Select “Character” to open the character panel.

Use the Bold Icon

After the character panel loads, you can start making your text bold. Look for the icon that resembles a thick “T” on the panel.

Make sure you have your text selected in the document. After, click on the appropriate icon in the character panel.

Use a Shortcut to Bold the Text

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to bold text in your Illustrator document. Again, the words need to already be present in your project and should be selected.

The shortcut will only add a border to the words in your document. You have to create an offset path to further clean up your decisions to bold the text.

Select the text tool to add new words on your document.
Create a placeholder on the document by clicking where you want the text.
Replace the placeholder words with what you want to use.
Select the text you want to bold on your document.
Hold down the shift icon on your keyboard. You will also need to press command and “O” at the same time.
Wait for the border to load around your text.

Outline the Text with an Offset Path

After you outline the text, you need to create an offset path. Again, use the keyboard shortcut to add the initial border mentioned in the last group of steps.

After you add the border, follow the below steps.

1. Click on the “Edit” menu at the top of the screen.