Create a Detailed Circuit Board Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

1. Create a New Document and Setup a Grid

Hit Control + N to create a New document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 600 in the width box and 355 in the height box then click on the Advanced button. Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the Align New Objects to Pixel Grid box is unchecked before you click OK.

Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). For starters you will need a grid every 5px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid, enter 5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units > General. All these options will significantly increase your work speed.

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2. Create the Board

Step 1

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on your Toolbar. Remove the color from the stroke then select the fill and set its color at R=2 G=110 B=60. Move to your artboard and simply create a 410 x 165px rectangle, the Snap to Grid should ease your work.

Step 2

Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 5px circle, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape is selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the left window (in the following image), click OK and go again to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the right window (in the following image), click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 3

Make sure that the Ellipse Tool (L) is still active, create a new 5px circle, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 4

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 10 x 5px shape, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape is selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the left window (in the following image), click OK and go again toEffect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the right window (in the following image), click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 5

Make sure that the Rectangle Tool (M) is still active and focus on the top, right corner of your green rectangle. Create a 10px square, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the fist image. Keep focusing on this new shape, grab the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and simply click on the bottom, left anchor point to remove it. This should turn your black square into a triangle. Reselect the Rectangle Tool (M) and focus on the bottom, left corner of your green rectangle. Create a new 10px square, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the fist image. Keep focusing on this new shape, grab the Delete Anchor Point Tool (-) and simply remove the top, right anchor point. In the end things should look like in the second image.

Step 6

Select one of your black shapes and go to Select > Same > Appearance. This will select all your black shapes. Make sure that these shapes are selected and hit Control + 8 (or go to Object > Compound Path > Make) to turn them into a simple Compound Path.

Step 7

Select your black compound path along with the green rectangle, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click the Minus Front button. Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance), add a 2pt stroke, set the color at R=50 G=130 B=90and align it to inside. Keep focusing on the Appearance panel and add a second stroke for this shape using the Add New Stroke button (pointed by the little, blue arrow in the following image). Select this new stroke, set the color at R=0 G=60 B=20 and decrease its width to 1px.

Step 8

Reselect your compound path and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the properties shown in the top, left window (in the following image), click OK then add the other four Drop Shadow effects shown in the following image. Move to the Layers panel and lock this compound path just to make sure that you won’t accidentally select/move it.

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3. Add a Piece of Text and Two Simple Rectangle

Step 1

Grab the Type Tool (T), click on your artboard and add the "VECTOR" piece of text. Use the "Viafont" font, set the size at 80px and the color at white. Make sure that your piece of text is still selected, go to theTransparency panel (Window > Transparency) and lower the Opacity to 30%. Move to the Layers panel and lock this piece of text.

Step 2

Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 45px square, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the first image. Continue with the Rectangle Tool (M) is still active, create a 10 x 35px shape, set the fill color at black and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape is selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the left window (in the following image), click OK and go again to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the right window (in the following image) and click OK.

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4. Create the Green Circuits

Step 1

Using the Pen Tool (P), create a 35px, vertical path and place it as shown in the first image. Add a 1pt for this new path, set its color at R=117 G=165 B=75 and make sure that you have no color set for the fill. Make sure that your vertical path is still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the properties shown in the following image and click OK. Duplicate this thin path (Control + C > Control + F), select the copy, drag it down and place it as shown in the third image.

Step 2

Select the bottom, vertical path and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Move to the Layers panel, select the newly created group and hit Shift + Control + G twice to Ungroup it.

Step 3

Keep focusing on your bottom row of vertical paths. Focus on the first two paths and grab the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the top anchor point (highlighted in the first image) and simply hit Control + J(or go to Object > Path > Join) to connect them. Make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) is active, reselect the two anchor points highlighted in the second image and drag them 25px up. In the end things should look like in the third image.

Step 4

Move to the third vertical path from your bottom row of vertical paths. Select it, grab the Pen Tool (P), click on the top anchor point, move 35px up then simply click to add a third anchor point. Make sure that your path stays selected, move 30px to the left and add a fourth anchor point then move 35px down and add the final anchor point for your path. In the end things should look like in the fourth image.

Step 5

Move to the fourth vertical path from your bottom row of vertical paths. Grab the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the top anchor point and drag it 50px up.

Step 6

Select your top, vertical path and go to Object > Expand Appearance. Move to the Layers panel, select the resulting group of shapes and hit Shift + Control + G twice to Ungroup it. Now, using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and the Pen Tool (P) along with the simple techniques mentioned in the last three steps edit the rest of the vertical paths roughly as shown in the second image. Thing don’t have to look exactly like in the image, but make sure that you’re wrapping your paths around the text.

Step 7

Now, a little tweak for the "C". Focus on this letter, pick the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 25px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Add a 1px stroke for this path and set its color at R=117 G=165 B=75. Keep focusing on this circle, switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the right anchor point and simply hit the Delete key from your keyboard to remove it. Make sure that the Direct Selection Tool (A) remains active, select the two anchor points highlights in the second image and hit Control + J to connect them. Move up, select the two anchor points highlighted in the fourth image and hit Control + J. In the end things should look like in the sixth image.

Step 8

Select one of your thin path and go to Select > Same > Appearance to select all those thin paths. Once you have all these paths selected hit Control + G to Group them. Activate the Pixel Preview (Alt + Control + Y or View > Pixel Preview). Take closer look at one of those thin paths and you’ll notice that things area bit pixelated. It’s all because your paths are not perfectly aligned to the pixel grid. We’ll take care of this issue in the next step.

Step 9

Make sure that your group of thin paths is still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Focus on the Move section, drag both sliders at 0.5px and click OK. Take a new look at your group and you’ll notice that the paths are no longer pixelated. You can disable the Pixel Preview (Alt + Control + Y).

all credits goes to step alu