How to Thicken Fonts in Silhouette V4.1

Fonts form a big part of design as well as crafting projects. Script fonts are a particular favorite but they can be an issue to cut. This doesn't mean that you should leave them out of your projects. We will show you a quick way to thicken fonts in Silhouette V4.1 and higher.

In this tutorial we will be using an elegant serif font by Adam Azura and a simple serif font by Blush Font Co.

Step 1 - Use the Text tool and change your font

We will be using the Text Tool and Text Style panel. Once you have opened Silhouette Studio go to the left side panel and click on the Text Tool (shown as an A). Click anywhere on the canvas and type out your text. As we will be using two different fonts we duplicated our text.

Next, go to the right side panel and click on the Text Style panel to open the font options. Here we changed the top text object to Heshanty and the bottom text to Barn Acre.

Step 2 - Use the Offset tool

For the next step we will be adding an offset to the font. First, we changed the color of the font using the Fill panel so it is easier to see.

Next, click on the Offset tool on the right side panel. It looks like a star with an outline. This will open the Offset Panel. Click on your text then click on the Offset option under the panel. A border will appear around the text.

The size of the offset can be adjusted via the Distance slider. You can also change the corner to square or rounded. As we want to slightly thicken the font we changed the Distance to 0.030cm with a round corner. When you are happy click Apply.

We shifted the text down to give you a comparison of how the Offset looks. When applied, the Offset splits up into individual objects. Click + drag a selection box around the Offset objects then right click > Group.

We added an Offset to the Barn Acre font as well. This time we changed the Distance to 0.100cm with round corners.

The image below shows the final result after adding the Offset to both fonts. You can go as thick or as thin as you want with the Offset. Just keep in mind that a thicker Offset can cause loss of detail.

While adding an Offset is initially used to create thicker fonts, they can be used in other creative areas. Here we overlaid the initial font on top of the Offset (in black) to give a slight shadow effect.

There are many creative possibilities with the Offset tool. Creating thicker fontssolves the issue of working with thin and delicate fonts. Now you can have more flexibility with your favorite fonts.

Next up, we have more fun tutorials to follow such as creating a distressed design, using text with the Foil Quilland importing patterns to your Library in Silhouette Studio.

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