adobe illustrator notes

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Adobe IllustratorSpring 2013

CS 71.11

Adobe Illustrator

Spring 2013

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Table of ContentsIntroduction to Adobe Illustrator ....................................6I. The Adobe Creative Suite 6 .............................................. 6II. What can you do in Illustrator? ....................................... 7III. The Illustrator shape ........................................................... 7IV. Using Help .............................................................................. 8The user interface ............................................................9I. Screen Contents ................................................................... 9II. A first look at the Illustrator tool panel ........................ 10III. Panels – sometimes referred to as palettes ................ 11IV. The View menu ..................................................................... 12Document basics ..............................................................14I. Opening a new document ............................................... 14II. Using Multiple Artboards .................................................. 14III. File Menu ................................................................................ 14IV. Preferences ............................................................................. 16Creating simple shapes ....................................................17I. What is an object in Illustrator? ...................................... 17II. Creating closed (regular) objects ................................... 17III. Creating open path objects ............................................. 18IV. Freehand drawing tools .................................................... 18V. Hints that will help .............................................................. 20Working with objects .......................................................21I. Using the Object menu ..................................................... 21II. Aligning objects ................................................................... 22III. Draw behind and inside .................................................... 22Introduction to formatting ..............................................23I. Concepts ................................................................................. 23II. Formatting tools and features ......................................... 23III. Swatches ................................................................................. 23IV. Gradients ................................................................................. 24V. Strokes ..................................................................................... 25Transform tools .................................................................26I. Basics of using the transform tools ............................... 26II. Rotate ....................................................................................... 26III. Reflect (found under Rotate tool) .................................. 26IV. Scale .......................................................................................... 26V. Shear (found under Scale tool) ....................................... 27VI. Reshape (found under Scale tool) ................................. 27VII. Free Transform ..................................................................... 27VIII. Extras ........................................................................................ 27Appearance panel ............................................................28I. Concepts ................................................................................. 28II. Appearance panel ............................................................... 28

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Working with layers ..........................................................29I. What is a layer? ..................................................................... 29II. Working with layers ............................................................ 29Introduction to type .........................................................31I. Basics ........................................................................................ 31II. Creating point type ............................................................. 31III. Creating area type ............................................................... 31IV. Creating type on a path ..................................................... 32V. Converting type to a graphic object ............................. 33VI. Type formatting tips and tricks ....................................... 33Formatting text .................................................................34I. Common text operations .................................................. 34II. Character panel options .................................................... 34III. Paragraph panel options ................................................... 35IV. OpenType panel ................................................................... 35V. Other advanced formatting ............................................. 35Placing and modifying area type ....................................38I. Illustrator - NOT a word processor ................................. 38II. Importing text files into area type objects ................ 38III. Linking overflow text ......................................................... 38IV. Other features for area type objects ............................. 39V. Manipulating type — careful which tool you use! .. 39VI. Text shortcuts and advice ................................................. 40Selection techniques ........................................................41I. Selection tools ...................................................................... 41II. Selection menu ..................................................................... 41Reshaping paths ...............................................................42I. Anchor points ........................................................................ 42II. Simple reshaping skills ...................................................... 42III. Pen tools and existing paths ............................................ 43Drawing with the Pen tool ...............................................44I. Creating straight lines ........................................................ 44II. Creating continuous curves ............................................. 44III. Creating combinations ...................................................... 44IV. Uses for Pen tool skills ........................................................ 45Importing images into Illustrator ...................................46I. Placing graphics in an Illustrator document .............. 46II. Linked vs. embedded graphics ....................................... 46III. Managing linked graphics ................................................ 47IV. Clipping masks ..................................................................... 47Adding Effects ...................................................................48I. Adding effects ....................................................................... 48II. The Effect menu ................................................................... 48III. Clipping masks ..................................................................... 49

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Combining shapes ............................................................50I. Definitions .............................................................................. 50II. Menu commands that make compound paths ........ 50III. The Pathfinder panel .......................................................... 50IV. Shape Builder Tool (new in CS5) ..................................... 51Mapping Artwork to 3D Objects .....................................52I. Apply 3D effect to object .................................................. 52II. Map artwork to 3D object................................................. 52Using Color ........................................................................53I. Purpose: to develop good color habits........................ 53II. Color models (how color is created) ............................. 53III. Printing colors on paper .................................................... 53IV. Problems for RGB colors that are printed in CMYK .. 53V. Viewing colors on screen .................................................. 54VI. Recommendations .............................................................. 54VII. Illustrator features for working with color .................. 54Modifying paths ...............................................................57I. Pencil tools ............................................................................. 57II. Eraser tool ............................................................................... 57III. Scissors tool ........................................................................... 57IV. Knife tool ................................................................................. 57V. Warp Tools .............................................................................. 57VI. Object..Path menu ............................................................... 57Image Trace (CS6 Only) and Live Trace ............................59I. Image Trace ............................................................................ 59II. Live Trace ................................................................................ 60Introduction to Live Paint ................................................61 True Perspective Drawing ...............................................62I. Illustrator CS5 finally gives you the tools! ................... 62II. Perspective Grid basics ...................................................... 62III. Drawing new objects in perspective ............................ 62IV. Add already drawn objects to perspective ................. 62The Swatches Panel ..........................................................63I. Review of Swatches panel menu commands ............ 63II. Swatch patterns .................................................................... 63The Graphic Styles Panel ..................................................65I. Purpose .................................................................................... 65II. Using the Graphic Styles panel ....................................... 65III. To create a style .................................................................... 65IV. To edit a style ......................................................................... 65V. Style libraries ......................................................................... 65The Brushes Panel ............................................................66I. Paintbrush basics ................................................................. 66II. Customizing brush strokes ............................................... 66III. To create your own custom brush ................................. 67IV. Other hints for using brushes .......................................... 68

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The Blend Tool...................................................................69I. Live Blends - general info .................................................. 69II. To create a live blend .......................................................... 69III. Special features..................................................................... 69The Mesh tool ..................................................................70I. What is it? ................................................................................ 70II. Using the Mesh tool ............................................................ 70III. Creating a Mesh with a menu command .................... 70IV. Editing the gradient mesh shape ................................... 70Symbol Tools .....................................................................71I. Definition of a symbol ........................................................ 71II. Symbol vs. scatter brush ................................................... 71III. Using symbols ....................................................................... 71IV. Modifying a set ..................................................................... 71V. Other Symbol tools ............................................................. 72VI. Making and editing symbols ........................................... 72Web Graphics ....................................................................73I. Good practices ..................................................................... 73II. File..Save for Web & Devices ............................................. 73III. Using slices ............................................................................ 74IV. Creating vector graphics for the web ........................... 74V. Other kinds of Illustrator integration ............................ 75Using Graphs .....................................................................77I. Developing a graph ............................................................ 77II. Styling the graph ................................................................. 77Paragraph and Character Styles ......................................78I. Definitions .............................................................................. 78II. Create a paragraph or character style .......................... 78III. Apply a paragraph or character style ........................... 78Align and Distribute .........................................................79I. Align or distribute to selection ....................................... 79II. Align or distribute to key object ..................................... 79III. Align or distribute to artboard ........................................ 79IV. Precise distribution ............................................................. 79Document Info and Metadata .........................................80I. Document Info ...................................................................... 80II. Metadata ................................................................................ 80Transparency and Blend Options ....................................81I. Transparency ........................................................................ 81II. Blending Modes ................................................................... 82Actions, Scripts, Variables ................................................84I. Actions ..................................................................................... 84II. Variables .................................................................................. 84

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Introduction to Adobe IllustratorI. The Adobe Creative Suite 6.0

A. Photoshop

1. Image-editing program that works with individual pixels (dots)

2. Produces raster images that can get “pixelated” if enlarged too much, and high-resolution graphics for print may result in enormous file sizes

B. InDesign

1. Desktop publishing program that allows author to combine text and graphics –either raster or vector

2. Produces high-quality multi-page books, booklets, manuals, brochures, and fliers

C. Dreamweaver, Flash

1. Dreamweaver creates web pages, and Flash creates animations for the web

2. At this point, the web is still primarily a raster graphics environment, but that is changing. Many Flash authors use Illustrator as their drawing tool, and the two programs are sharing many features now.

D. Acrobat

1. Most programs can save a copy of a document as a PDF file that can be transported from computer to computer without font substitution or changes in layout

2. PDF files can be opened/printed using the free Adobe Reader program.

3. Acrobat expands the features of a PDF, e.g., forms, capturing a PDF from a web page, combining PDFs, adding security, etc.

4. Illustrator can open and modify most PDF files!

E. Fireworks

1. A bitmap and vector graphics editor program

2. Developed for web designers, with features such as slices and the ability to add hotspots, for rapidly creating website prototypes and application interfaces

3. Designed to integrate easily with Dreamweaver and Flash

F. Illustrator

1. Vector drawing program that creates a collection of shapes that can be formatted/edited either as (or after) they are created, with no loss in quality

2. Specialty is high contrast artwork (like a cartoon)

3. The benefits of working with vectors (mathematical shapes)

a. File size is smaller (don’t have to worry about resolution... pixels/inch)

b. Only when you print does each object get translated into dots on the paper (math “stuff” called PostScript is sent to the printer which then matches its tiniest dots to the mathematical curves — the better the printer, the better the output)

Illustrator and Photoshop can swap content back and forth:• Import

Photoshop images into Illustrator and use as a object

• Image Trace over pixels to create a series of vector objects

• Rasterize an Illustrator graphic for use in Photoshop

• Optimize the Illustrator graphic for use in a website

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II. What can you do in Illustrator?A. Create a collection of independent shapes — lines, circles, squares,

curves, text

B. Each shape can be moved, reshaped, scaled, or transformed with no loss of quality

C. Examples of Illustrator at work

1. Maps and technical illustrations

2. Layout for an advertisement

3. Logo for a web page or letterhead

4. Traced sketch or photo to create a line drawing

5. Special 3-D and text effects

6. CD covers - using special templates

III. The Illustrator shape (aka object or path)A. Identifying parts of an Illustrator object

1. Path: the outline (edge) of an object created in Illustrator -- if a fill or stroke is applied to the path, then you can see it on the screen and when it is printed

a. Closed path: a continuous path like a circle

b. Open path: has distinct endpoints, a line segment

2. A path can be formatted with

a. Stroke: a line on the path defining its outline

b. Fill: what’s inside the shape (i.e. solid color, pattern, or gradient)

c. Text following the curves/direction of the path or inside the shape

d. Special brush effects including art, calligraphy, patterns, bristles, and scattered objects

3. Anchor point: a connector that defines where each part of a path starts and ends — an open path will have two endpoints

4. Segment: the section of a path between anchor points

5. Center point: a point in the middle of a closed shape

B. Other concepts regarding the Illustrator shape

1. Text is an object just like a circle or square (it can have stroke/fill and special effects applied)

2. An Illustrator path can be reshaped by moving the anchor points or segments, adding or deleting anchor points, or combining with other shapes into a more complex object

Te x t inside a shape

can be a lot of fun - if the shape is ap-

propriate

LOVE

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IV. Using HelpA. There are various ways to access Illustrator Help, and Adobe has moved from a static

printed version of its User Guide to a dynamic online resource center. You can choose what is comfortable for you, but understand that what you see today may not be available in the same format tomorrow. Always accept updates from Adobe, as they frequently relate to the Help system.

B. The Help menu

1. Type a keyword in the Search box - seldom a productive way to find information

2. Click on Illustrator Help (in Help menu)

a. A browser window will open for Adobe Community Help

b. On the left side you can type in a keyword in the Search box

c. On the right side you can search through the topics until you find what you want

3. Adobe offers downloadable PDFs for offline product Help. When you open Help, the Adobe Help Manager will open automatically. Using the various controls, you can download, update, and otherwise manage local Help.

4. Be sure to keep current with product Updates. When you choose that, a search is performed for updates for all the Adobe products you have installed on your computer. They are downloaded and installed automatically for you.

C. Application bar Search box

1. Type in a keyword and hit Enter

2. A browser window opens entitled Adobe Community Help

3. A list of online resources will display below

4. You may also click on the tab labeled Adobe.com or Support to access Adobe only resources

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The user interface I. Screen Contents

A. Artboard: the area that contains your artwork

B. Scratch area: area outside the artboard for holding objects and experimenting

C. Printable area

1. Dotted line representing the physical print area of the printer (changes with different printers) activated using the View..Show Print Tiling menu

2. When you File..Print, consider these options

a. In the General section of the Print dialog box, you can choose the number of copies and how many artboards to print

b. When the artboard is smaller than the paper it is printed on, you can move the position of the output by dragging on the preview in the lower left corner of the Print dialog box

c. In the Options section, you can scale the artwork to the paper being used

D. In the lower left corner of the screen

1. Zoom magnification

2. Artboard navigation – selects artboard and brings it to center of screen

3. File information, date, current tool, etc.

E. Control panel: a panel at the top of the document window that changes options depending on the tool and object(s) selected

F. Application frame / application bar: the application frame provides tabs to all open Illustrator documents The application bar provides access to workspace presets and a document arrangement tool.

Menu bar

Application bar

Control panel

Toolbar/box

Artboard

Application frame

Dock(Panels)

Scratch area

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II. A first look at the Illustrator tool panelA. Click on the double chevrons at the top to change to alternate between one and two

columns.

B. Hover mouse over tool to see it’s name and any keyboard shortcut (if any)

C. Small triangle means more tools are underneath

1. Click and hold mouse to display all or

2. Click and hold mouse, then move it over to far right side and release to tear off set of tools

D. For selecting objects

1. Selection: selects entire objects by clicking and resizes by dragging bounding box handles — to deselect, click in a vacant area

2. Direct Selection: selects points or segments of an object, or one object in a group

3. Magic Wand: selects objects with similar formatting

4. Lasso: selects objects or anchor points/segments by dragging

E. For creating shapes, lines, and text

1. Pen: creates straight and curved lines (Bezier paths)

2. Type: creates type in several different styles

3. Line: straight line, spiral, arc, grids

4. Shape: rectangle, ellipse, polygon, star

5. Paintbrush: draws freehand with calligraphy and other special brushes

6. Pencil: draws freehand lines

7. Blob Brush: draws areas instead of lines

8. Eraser: tools for modifying lines and shapes

F. For transforming

1. Rotate and Scale objects

2. Width: modifies strokes

3. Free Transform: make several transformations at one time

4. Shape Builder: combines objects

5. Perspective Grid: draw with perspective

G. Special features for fill and stroke

1. Mesh and Gradient: apply special effects using color

2. Eyedropper: matches fill/stroke colors from existing objects

3. Blend: combines shapes and/or colors

H. Symbol and Graph tools

I. Artboard and Slice tools

D2

D4

E2

E4

E6

E8

F3

F5

G3

J2

D1

D3

E1

E3

E5

E7

F1

F2

F4

G1

G2

H

I

J1

K1

K2

K3

K4

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J. For viewing

1. Hand: alternative to scrolling

2. Zoom: increases/decreases the view

K. Bottom of the tool panel

1. Current fill/stroke information

2. Last used color, gradient, or none (transparent fill or no line)

3. Draw mode – normal, behind, inside

4. Screen modes: for viewing window with/without menus and scroll bars

III. Panels – sometimes referred to as palettesA. Panels appear on the far right side of the screen in a collapsed view

called the Dock.Hold your mouse over any icon to see its name

B. Clicking on any of the icons expands that panel, along with other panels in its group. If you prefer this view, click on the left-facing chevrons at the top of the dock to expand all the panels. Click again to collapse to icon view.

C. Each panel has a drop-down menu off the upper right corner for additional commands

D. Double click the panel name (or click on the up/down chevron beside the name) to show different panel views

E. If a panel is accidentally closed (clicking on any X will do it!), click on the Window menu to open it again. Other panels may be opened from this menu as well.

F. Panel skills

1. Hit the tab key to hide/show all panels, including the tool and control panels

2. Shift+tab will hide/show all panels except the tool panel and control panels

3. Panels can be opened, closed, pulled off the dock, attached to the dock, and reconfigured into different groups. It is even possible to have a double column of panels.

G. Managing the workspace with the Application Bar dropdown menu

1. There are eight default panel arrangements – Essentials, Painting, Topography, etc.

2. You may discover that you prefer to have your panels arranged a different way. If so, you may choose to create a custom arrangement for future use. You can save as many workspace arrangements as you like.

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H. The Control Panel

1. Context-sensitive panel that changes according to the object (and/or tool) currently selected

2. Editing options associated with the object are displayed so that the user can quickly perform common tasks without having to look for commands in menus or other panels

3. Normally docked below the menu bar but may be docked to the bottom of the screen or torn off and floated

IV. The View menuA. Purpose: toggles screen features on/off and changes the viewed

magnification

B. Looking at objects with the View menu

1. View..Outline: shows the path, segments, and anchor points only in a “wire frame” environment (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command Y)

a. Quick screen redraw time (great for slower computers) and fast editing

b. Convenient for selecting anchor points and “lost” stacked objects

2. View..Preview: shows “regular” color artwork (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command Y)

C. Magnification – so many ways to change it!

1. View..Zoom In/Out: changes magnification by one magnification (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command + and Control/Command -)

2. View..Fit Artboard in Window: shows selected artboard on screen and fits it to the size of the monitor (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command 0)

3. View..Fit All in Window: shows all artboards on screen and fits them to the size of the monitor (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command plus Alt/Option 0)

4. View..Actual Size: 100% size (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command 1)

5. Zoom tool in tool panel

a. Click at desired area to enlarge the magnification

b. Alt/Option click to reduce magnification

c. Click and drag to enlarge a specific area

d. Double click on Zoom tool to go to Actual Size magnification

e. Double click on Hand tool to go to Fit in Window magnification

6. Type in desired magnification in the Zoom magnification box or on Navigator panel

7. Save a custom view of the document with the View..New View menu

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8. Look at two different windows of the same document with the Window..New Window menu (can be used to look at two different magnifications of the same document simultaneously)

D. Using Rulers

1. View..Show/Hide Rulers: displays a horizontal and vertical ruler (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command R)

2. Can choose rulers for individual artboards or to span across all artboards (global)

E. Using Guides

1. Nonprinting guides assist in alignment of objects — you decide where to place the Guides

2. To create: click and drag down/over from ruler

3. View..Guides..Hide Guides will turn off the display of guides

4. View..Guides..Lock Guides can be turned on to be sure the guides don’t move accidentally

5. To delete: either View..Guides..Clear Guides or select an unlocked guide with the Selection tool and hit the delete/backspace key

F. Using the Grid

1. View..Show/Hide Grid: displays a nonprinting “graph paper” grid, which can be magnetized to align a series of objects

2. Choose Illustrator/Edit..Preferences..Guides & Grid to customize the grid dimensions.

3. Turn on View..Snap to Grid when creating objects for a strong magnetized “pull” that aligns objects to the grid pattern

4. Turn off the Snap to Grid feature to disable the magnetized feature — even if you hide the grid, the magnetized feature will still be in effect

G. View..Show/Hide Bounding Box: displays bounding box around a selected object (can be confusing when turned off)

H. View..Snap to Point magnetizes the cursor position to anchor points and guides when dragging objects (turn off the view of the bounding box if aligning the corner points of a rectangle)

I. Using Smart Guides

1. As soon as you start drawing, Smart Guides will display many kinds of information

a. Whether you are on an anchor point or a path

b. The position of your location

c. Whenever you align to an important part of another shape in the artboard, such as a center or an edge. It almost removes the need for special alignment tools.

2. View/Hide..Smart Guides turns this feature on and off (keyboard shortcut: Control/Command U)

J. Advanced users will find options to view pixels for web graphics and prepress views for color management, transparency, and overprinting

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Document basicsI. Opening a new document

A. In previous versions of Illustrator a Welcome Screen appeared when starting Illustrator. This feature has been discontinued in CS6. You must click on the File menu to start a new document or open an existing document or template.

B. File..New to open a new document. In the new document dialog box, you can control the number of artboards, their size, units used, orientation, color mode (choose CMYK for print, RGB for screen/web), bleed, etc.

C. File..New from Template allows you to open a copy of a template document (.ait). There are numerous templates that come with Illustrator and we’ll use some of them in a later assignment.

II. Using Multiple ArtboardsA. When opening new document, you can choose number of artboards (limit is 100),

their size, and how they lay out. All must be the same size when setting up the document, but they can be changed later with the Artboard tool or Artboard panel.

B. By choosing the Artboard tool you can change the size of each artboard, give each a name, rearrange them, and add or delete artboards (note: deleting an artboard does NOT delete the artwork on it, but the artwork does move with an artboard)

C. The Artboard panel gives quick access to each artboard and provides ability to change output (print) sequence by changing stacking order of the layers

D. All artboards are saved as one document by default, but you can choose to save a subset of artboards as an .ai document

III. File MenuA. Opening existing files

1. File..Open to open an Illustrator, EPS or PDF file

2. File..Open Recent Files - last several files worked with

3. File..Browse in Bridge to launch the Bridge utility program to organize, view and open raster and vector graphics, PDFs and InDesign desktop publishing files (you can also click on the Bridge icon in the application bar)

B. File..Save / Save As / Save a Copy the current document as a “native” file type

1. AI (or AIT) file extension

a. Normally opened/saved in Illustrator (default file type)

b. Transfers easily into other Adobe programs, i.e., Photoshop and InDesign

c. When opened, documents containing text created in older (legacy) Illustrator versions may need to be updated

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d. When you save an Illustrator file you can set the following options:

i. Version - specifies the version of Illustrator with which you want your file to be compatible. Older formats don’t support all the features in the current version of Illustrator, but an out-of-date printer will be able to open the file!

ii. Fonts - Subset fonts when percent of characters use is less than: - supposedly this allows you to specify when to embed the entire font (as opposed to just the characters used in the document) based on how many of the font’s characters are used in the document. Don’t believe it for a minute! If the font isn’t installed on the machine that opens your file, there will be a font substitution. Either outline your type or send the font with the Illustrator file.

iii. Create PDF Compatible File - select this option if you want the Illustrator file to be compatible with other Adobe applications.

iv. Include Linked Files - embeds files that are linked to the artwork.

v. Embed ICC Profiles and Use Compression – leave checked

vi. Save each Artboard to a Separate File – appears only when saving to a previous version of Illustrator

vii. Transparency – for use if saving to version earlier than Illustrator 9

2. EPS graphics

a. Professional EPS clipart that you may have purchased

b. Considered a universal vector file type that exports to any vector graphic or desktop publishing program

c. Common usage: open EPS graphic from within Illustrator and make custom edits to clipart

3. PDF files

a. Universal PostScript “snapshot” of any document that can be viewed/printed using the free Adobe Reader (or Acrobat), without installing special fonts and/or programs

b. Common usage: save a second copy of the Illustrator document as PDF for email or to send to a professional printer

4. FXG, SVG, or SVGZ - superior XML-based vector formats, but not yet commonly used

C. Printing documents

1. File..Print menu (a beginner’s look)

a. Displays preview of output on page - can adjust placement of artwork with “grabber hand”

b. Many settings can be adjusted, but defaults usually work well at home

c. All artboards, an individual artboard, or a range of artboards can be printed on separate pages - the default behavior

d. All artboards can be printed on one page by selecting Ignore Artboards

EPS clipart

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2. Documents with complex effects, gradients, gradient mesh, drop shadows, and transparency are an enormous amount of extra work for PostScript printers. When working in the CIS lab, follow these instructions:

a. File..Save a Copy and create a copy of the file as a PDF document

b. Open the PDF file using Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, not Illustrator!

c. File..Print the document: click on the Advanced print option and then select the Print as Image feature

D. Other File menu commands

a. File..Revert sets the current document back to the last saved version

b. File..Export saves a copy of the Illustrator document as a legacy file (CS) or other popular file formats (ex: jpg, png, Photoshop, AutoCad)

c. File..Save for Web is very similar to Photoshop’s Save for Web function

d. File..Save for Microsoft Office creates a PNG file which is compatible with Word

e. File..Document Color Mode changes between RGB and CMYK color (useful if you want to eventually save two copies of the document for both screen and print use)

IV. Preferences A. Mac users - Preferences is found in the Illustrator menu

B. Windows users - Preferences is found at the bottom of the Edit menu

C. Preferences.. User interface adjusts the User Interface Brightness (the CS6 interface is very dark by default)

D. There are many other useful options that we will investigate as we proceed

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Creating simple shapesI. What is an object in Illustrator?

A. An object is made up of anchor points connected by straight and/or curved line segments

B. An object can be open or closed (a line or a circle)

C. A path is the edge of an object that defines its shape

II. Creating closed (regular) objectsA. Rectangle, rounded rectangle, and ellipse

1. Dragging to create the object

a. Drag diagonally (corner to corner - in any direction)

b. Add Shift key: draws a perfect square or circle

c. Add Option/Alt key: draws the object from the center out

2. Clicking to create the object brings up a dialog box to set dimensions

a. Where you click becomes the upper left corner of the bounding box unless the Option/Alt key is depressed when clicking (to draw from the center)

b. The Rounded Rectangle tool dialog box also allows you to customize roundness of corners

3. All objects drawn with these three tools display a center point - useful when moving objects that don’t have a fill

B. Polygon

1. Tool creates “perfect” closed objects - sides of equal length

a. Drag mouse outward, object is created from a center point

b. The polygon can be rotated if you drag in a circular fashion

c. Add Shift: holds the bottom of the shape to the horizontal axis

d. Add Up/down arrows: changes number of sides of the polygon while you drag

2. Can also click to bring up dialog box that allows you to choose the radius and number of sides

C. Star

1. Create by dragging

a. Drag in a circular fashion to rotate

b. Add Shift: keeps one or two points at the horizontal axis

c. Add Up/Down arrow: changes the number of points in the star

d. Add Option/Alt: makes the “shoulders” parallel

e. Add Command/Control: changes the difference between the two radius values (makes the arms longer or shorter )

Circles formatted with various effectsmultiple stars

made with the ` (tilde) key

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2. Create by clicking

a. Radius 1: distance from the center to the outer point

b. Radius 2: distance from the center to the inner point

c. Points: number of points for the star (3-1000)

D. Lens flare

1. Similar to lens flare in photographs — looks best when placed over a dark object

2. Click and drag - creates central object and rays; must click again to add other rings to object

3. Click - draws entire object and brings up dialog box to control all aspects of it

III. Creating open path objectsA. Straight line

1. Click and drag from beginning to ending point

2. Add Shift: constrains line to a 45° angle increments

3. Add Alt/Option: draws the line from a center point

B. Arc

1. Click and drag from beginning to ending point

2. Add C: switches between an open and closed shape, F flips the arc

3. Add Up/down arrows: changes the arc’s angle

C. Spiral

1. Click and drag from center point outward

2. Drag in a circular fashion to rotate

a. Add Shift: rotates in 45 degree increments

b. Add Up/Down arrow changes number of segments

c. Add Control/Command: controls how tightly the spiral winds (rate of decay)

3. Click once for dialog box

a. Options: radius (from center to out point), decay (how tightly the spiral will wind) and segments (number of quarter revolutions around center)

b. Style: direction of spiral

D. Grid tools

1. Draws rectangular or polar grids

2. The up/down and right/left arrows can add or delete the number of units in the grid

IV. Freehand drawing toolsA. Paintbrush

1. Creates a free form path with different kinds of brushes

a. Calligraphic (calligraphy nibs)

b. Art (brush art stretches along a path)

Radius 1

Radius 2

Center

Spiral with 3-D effect

Open arcs and spirals may still have a fill format

19


c. Scatter (brush parts scatter around the path)

d. Bristle (new in CS5, gives “painterly” effect)

e. Pattern (can have different art for corners and sides)

2. Choose the type of brush in the Brushes panel

a. To choose other brushes that come with Illustrator, click on the Brush Libraries menu button in the lower left corner of the Brushes panel

b. Once a brush from a library is used, it installs itself on the main Brushes panel

3. Drag to create the shape with the Paintbrush tool

4. Alternatively, the stroke of an existing shape can be selected and then formatted by clicking on any brush in the Brushes panel

B. Pencil

1. Click and drag to create a freeform object

2. Creates a freeform line that can be an open or closed shape. To close a shape, depress the Option/Alt key when dragging

3. By default fill is None. Can add fill if desired

4. To add to an open pencil line after it has been created (and is still active), choose the Pencil tool and position it over the end of the line, then click and drag to continue. This will work even if pencil is not exactly on top of the line

5. To erase a portion of a path (open or closed), select the object and use the Path Eraser tool to erase the unwanted portion

6. To smooth an active “bumpy” or congested shape, drag over the shape with the Smooth tool (works on any type of object) or use the Object..Path..Simplify menu

7. To completely remodel the existing curves of a selected shape, drag over the shape with the Pencil tool

C. Blob brush

1. Creates a free form closed object – excellent for artists!

2. Somewhat confusing, the object is filled with the stroke color (or the fill color if the stroke is set to none), but, when selected, that color of the object becomes the fill color, with no stroke color.

3. Drawing with the same color adds to the original object; using a different color starts a new object.

D. Eraser Tool

1. Erases all parts of an object, not just path (see Path Eraser tool under Pencil tool)

2. Select object with Selection tool, then select Eraser tool and drag over portion of object to be erased

3. Remaining portions will “heal”, that is, have original stroke applied to edges where erasure took place

4. To erase through all objects on the artboard, have nothing selected when using the Eraser tool

20


V. Hints that will helpA. If you plan on working with a series of objects (i.e. a checkerboard or row of objects)

it’s best to create a grid or ruler guides and set the “snap to” feature. With the improved Smart Guides, however, this may not be necessary.

B. To delete an object, select with the Selection tool and hit the delete/backspace key

C. Standard shapes can be created by selecting the desired tool and either dragging for freeform dimensions or clicking once for precise dimensions

D. When dragging to create an object, pressing the space bar allows you to move the position of the object (don’t let up on the mouse button)

E. When dragging, pressing the ` (accent grave) key and rotating the mouse or dragging towards/away from the center point makes progressive copies. For best results, start large and make subsequent copies smaller.

F. With some tools, when the Caps Lock key is turned on, the cursor appears as a cross hair for precise work

G. Objects can be edited and formatted as they are created or afterward — great special effects can also be applied

H. You can find tables in Help that describe what the additional keys do when combined with the drawing tools. Search for “Default Keyboard Shortcuts”.

21


Working with objectsI. Using the Object menu

A. Creating a row or column of the same object (duplicating it)

1. Create the first object and select it with the Selection tool

2. Hold the Alt/Option key and in one continuous mouse movement, drag the desired distance away from the original to create a copy (use grids or hold the Shift key for perfect vertical/horizontal copies)

3. Choose the Object..Transform..Transform Again to make additional copies at the same offset (distance away from the original)

B. Stacking objects

1. Stacking: the arrangement of how multiple objects in the same location stack on top of one another (i.e.., top, middle, bottom)

2. General rule: the most recently created object goes on the top of the stack

3. If you select an object with the Selection tool, you can change its stacking arrangement with the following options in the Object..Arrange menu

a. Send to Back/Bring to Front: go to the bottom/top of the stack

b. Bring Forward/Send Backward: shift up/down a level in a stack of objects

4. Finding an object that is lost in a stacked environment

a. If you know the general vicinity of the object, position the mouse and then press Control click (Mac) or right mouse click (Windows) to access a context sensitive menu and select Outline — return to Preview mode in the same manner

b. Alternatively, use the View..Outline mode to show all paths as a wire frame, select the object, and then go back to the View..Preview mode to change the stacking order

C. Grouping objects

1. Purpose: to take several objects and be able to work with them as a single unit

2. Examples: select, cut, copy, paste, transform, recolor, or move

3. To group objects with the Selection tool:

a. Click on the first object and then shift-click on the other objects or Drag a marquee around the objects (or at least a portion of them)

b. Choose the Object..Group menu

4. Selecting objects in a group

a. With the Selection tool, click on any one item selects all of them

b. The Direct Selection tool will select one item in the group

c. Use the Group Selection tool to select one item in a group. A second click selects the remainder of the group

d. Groups or parts of a group may be isolated from the rest of the

grouped

ungrouped

22


document by double-clicking any part of the group with the Selection tool. Double-clicking outside the group will return to normal mode

e. Nested groups are permissible and common in complex artwork!

5. To ungroup and work with individual objects, select the group with the Selection tool and choose the Object..Ungroup menu

II. Aligning objectsA. Purpose: to line up and/or distribute a series of objects

B. To align and distribute:

1. Select the desired objects

2. By default, alignment is based on the bounding box of the selected objects. Alternatively, you can then click on an object within the group (it highlights, becoming the key object) and alignment will occur relative to it.

3. Select the desired feature(s) from the Control or Align panel

4. Objects may be distributed horizontally or vertically using the Align panel

5. Objects may be distributed relative to the selection, a key object, or the artboard.

III. Draw behind and insideA. New to CS5, three drawing modes located at the bottom of the Tools panel allow you

to choose how to overlap objects

B. Draw Normal – the most recent object drawn will be placed at the top of the stack (Note: if an object is copied, the new object is placed just above the original, not at the top of the stack.)

C. Draw Behind – the most recent object drawn will be placed at the bottom of the stack (Note: If any object is selected, the new object will be placed just below that one.)

D. Draw Inside – object must be selected first, then anything drawn will be placed within that object – works as clipping mask (Note: Objects or files can be pasted or placed inside other objects with this mode selected.)

objects aligned and horizontal centers distributed

draw normal draw behind draw inside

23


Introduction to formattingI. Concepts

A. The fill and stroke of any object (even text) can be formatted with a solid color.

B. Any object can also be formatted with additional Swatch panel features

1. Gradient: a blend of one color to the next

2. Pattern: a “wallpaper” piece of art created in Illustrator

3. Both gradients and patterns can be applied to both fill and stroke in CS6

C. An object’s stroke can also be formatted with brushes found in the Brushes panel

II. Formatting tools and featuresA. Most common ways of applying a color, pattern, or gradient

1. Select object

a. Check to see whether fill or stroke is active (foremost) in the Color panel, at the bottom of tool panel, or in the Control panel

b. Hit “x” on keyboard to switch between fill and stroke

c. Click on swatch in Swatches panel or

d. Click on color ramp in Color panel or

e. Double-click on fill or stroke icon in the Color panel, in the Control panel, or at the bottom of tool panel to bring up Color Picker

f. Note: if only the color ramp is showing in the Color panel, click on the fly-out menu and choose Show Options

2. Shortcut — drag and release the color/gradient/pattern on the object (not text)

a. Swatch from the Swatches panel

b. Icon in the upper left corner of the Color or Gradient panel

c. Color icon from the Fill or Stroke box at the bottom of the tool panel

B. Eyedropper: samples existing colors and “attributes” and applies to selected objects

1. With a shape selected, you can select the Eyedropper tool and click on another object that has the colors you want to apply to your current object

2. Drag the Eyedropper tool anywhere on the screen to sample the pixel colors (it can even sample color from placed raster graphics)

3. Double click on the Eyedropper tool to customize what attributes it “picks up”

4. Hit Option/Alt and click to apply the sampled color to unselected objects

III. SwatchesA. A swatch is a pre-defined sample designed to save time in choosing colors, gradients,

or patterns

24


B. To view the Swatches panel, choose the Window menu

1. The default Swatches panel has an initial set of swatches, but each document can include custom swatches

2. Small buttons at the bottom of the Swatches panel provide shortcuts for common tasks, such as accessing Swatch libraries, modifying swatch options, making new swatches, etc.

3. The fly-out menu of the Swatches panel provides even more options, including displaying the swatches in different views and orders

C. Methods to create a new swatch for the current document

1. Drag the the thumbnail of the active fill/stroke color in the Color panel (or the Tool panel) to the Swatches panel

2. Select an object, activate either the fill or stroke icon in the Color panel (or the tool panel), then click on the New button at the bottom of the Swatches panel

D. To delete a swatch, drag it to the Trash Can icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel. Clean up the panel to display only used colors with the Select All Unused menu item in the fly-out menu

IV. GradientsA. Definition: a swatch of different colors blending from one to another

B. To apply a gradient, select the object, determine if stoke or fill is active, and

1. Click on any Gradient swatch

2. Note: CS6 allows you to fill a stroke with a gradient, but earlier versions do not. In earlier versions of Illustrator, to apply a gradient to a stroke you must

a. Select the object

b. Choose the Object..Path..Outline Stroke menu to convert the stroke into a closed object

c. Choose the gradient from the Swatches panel as the fill color for the newly created object

3. To fill type with a gradient

a. Convert first into outlines with the Type..Create Outlines menu

b. Each character is an individual object that can be filled with a gradient

c. Can use Gradient tool to drag across and apply gradient to all text

C. To create a simple custom gradient

1. Click on a simple two-color gradient in the in the Swatches panel and then open the Gradient panel

2. Choose the starting color from the Color/Swatches panel and drag it on to the left color stop of the Gradient bar at the bottom of the panel

3. Choose the ending color from the Color/Swatches panel and drag it on to the right color stop of the Gradient bar at the bottom of the panel

4. Move the diamond on the top of the Gradient bar to adjust the midpoint of the color transition

25


5. Click at the bottom of the Gradient bar to add new color stops if desired Drag a color stop off of the Gradient bar to delete it

6. Select whether the gradient is linear (i.e. left to right) or radial (inside to outside)

7. To save the gradient, drag the gradient display box to the Swatches panel

8. The CS6 Gradient Panel has new features

a. Buttons to apply a gradient to a stroke in various ways - within, along, and across the stroke

b. Control for the aspect ratio of an elipse (circle to oval)

D. The Gradient tool

1. Select Gradient tool and then select the shape. The last used gradient is applied.

2. A bar appears across the object that has many controls associated with it.

a. When you mouse over the bar, color stops appear. You can modify them in the same way you modify gradients from within the Gradient panel.

b. The bar can be moved, rotated, and changed in length.

3. You can change from a linear to radial gradient (and vice versa) using the Gradient panel.

4. A radial gradient can be “squashed” - that is, have it aspect ratio changed - using either the Gradient tool or Gradient panel

V. StrokesA. The Stroke panel controls the characteristics of a stroke, e.g., weight

(thickness)

1. Cap: format for end points on an open path

2. Corner: format for corner anchor points within a path

3. Align Stroke: positions the stroke on the inside, outside, or middle of the path

4. Dashed line: creates custom dashes and gaps –can fit dashes to shape with Align dash option

5. Arrowheads: can choose from many pre-sets

6. Profile: can choose variable width pre-sets

B. Width tool

1. Pre-sets are also available in Control panel

2. Can apply variable stroke width manually by clicking on anchor points and dragging or by clicking on segment to establish new anchor points and then dragging

3. Can increase/decrease width at any point on just one side of path by holding Alt/Option

26


Transform toolsI. Basics of using the transform tools

A. Select the object to be transformed

B. Choose either the Rotate, Reflect, Scale, or Shear tool

1. The transformation will be based from the origin point that appears in the middle of the object

2. To change the position of the origin point before transforming, drag it to a new position (or simply click in another spot)

C. Double clicking on the desired transform tool will display the relevant Object..Transform dialog box where you can type in precise measurements and access optional features for the transformation

D. Dragging will allow you to manually control the transformation

1. You’ll often have more control if you position the cursor outside of the objects position and then drag

2. Holding the Option/Alt key down while dragging will leave the original object and create a transformed copy (depress - and release - the mouse first)

II. RotateA. Rotates an object around a fixed point that you specify

B. A 180% rotation turns the object upsidedown

C. Select the object, choose the Rotate tool, drag the tool to rotate the object manually or double-click on the tool to access the dialog box

1. Positive value: counterclockwise

2. Negative value: clockwise

3. Copy: leaves the original object and makes a copy on top of original

4. Can opt to rotate just the object or object and pattern fill

III. Reflect (found under Rotate tool)A. Flips an object across an invisible axis that you specify - also known as the “mirror” tool

B. Unlike the Rotate tool, a vertical reflection keeps the object right side up

C. Most common usage technique:

1. Select object

2. Select Reflect tool

3. Alt-click to change the origin point - this repositions the rotation axis AND brings up the dialog box where you can make a copy of the original object (easiest way to create symmetry)

IV. ScaleA. Purpose: resizes selected objects (either bigger or smaller)

B. Drag inward towards the origin point to make the object smaller

C. Drag outward (away) from the origin point to make the object bigger

Vertical axis reflection

27


D. Dragging diagonally with the Shift key scales the object proportionately

E. Scale tool dialog box options

1. You can also scale the weight of the stroke and fill patterns

2. Uniform scaling will scale object proportionately

V. Shear (found under Scale tool)A. Purpose: to skew (slant) objects

B. Useful for creating shadow effects (after making a reflected copy of the original)

VI. Reshape (found under Scale tool)A. Adjusts segments while keeping the end points of an OPEN path intact

B. Select object, select Reshape tool, click on one or more anchors points

C. When anchor point is dragged the path changes shape while the end points stay fixed

VII. Free Transform A. Scales, rotates, or skews a selection

B. Scaling and rotating work conventionally, but skewing requires a little finesse:

1. Select an anchor point and start to drag

2. Then hold down Control/Command and continue the drag - object will skew

VIII. ExtrasA. Object..Transform Each modifies a series of selected objects relative to their individual

origin points (instead of all together)

B. When working with an object formatted with a Swatch pattern, if you hold the ~ (tilde) key while dragging, the pattern fill will transform instead of the shape

C. Most transformation operations work on text

D. To make an object into a series of objects in a circle (creating a wreath):

1. Create the first object and select it with the Selection tool

2. Using the Rotate tool, Alt/Option+click to establish the center of the circular pattern and bring up the Rotate dialog box

3. Specify the angle of rotation (i.e. for 10 objects, 360°/10 = 36°) and click Copy

4. Choose the Object..Transform..Transform Again (Control/Command+D) to make additional copies

E. Transform panel

1. Includes proxy for origin point and various transformation options

2. Menu command off the side of the panel includes flip horizontal/vertical options

3. To preview: see the changes on the screen before you apply them. Hitting the tab key will redraw the screen as you experiment with different values

28


Appearance panelI. Concepts

A. Appearance attribute: “...a property you can edit at any time without changing the basic structure of the object to which it is applied.” (Adobe Illustrator User Manual)

B. Analogy: Cinderella turned into a princess at the ball but reverted to the old Cinderella at midnight when she lost her appearance attributes (clothes, horses and carriage)

C. Examples of appearance: stroke, fill, transparency, and effects

D. Appearance panel: lists classification (path/type/placed image) and basic editable attributes of selected object

II. Appearance panelA. Basic features: describes appearance attributes associated with a selected object

1. Displays fill and stroke format that is applied to the currently selected object (and will be applied to the next object created)

2. Drag upper left formatted square on an unselected object to apply that same format

B. In CS4, the Appearance panel changed dramatically

1. All changes to attributes can be made through panel (rather than selecting the object and hunting for the tools in the menus and panels)

2. Can hide any attribute of object - click eyeball

3. Buttons at bottom of panel allow adding new fill, new stroke, and new effect. Can also clear appearance and duplicate selected item

4. Most appearance attributes can be reordered

C. Deleting attributes from the panel: select attribute in list and click on panel Trash Can

29


Working with layersI. What is a layer?

A. Layers are like transparent sheets of film that are stacked on top of each other (the default is to have all objects in a document on a single layer)

B. Function of a layer is to allow you to separate objects in order to work more easily

1. E.g., put all the text in one layer and the background graphics in another layer

2. E.g., put the scan of a hand-drawn sketch in one layer to use as a template and draw the actual Illustrator shapes in another layer

3. Layers contain all objects, groups and guides in a document

II. Working with layersA. If the Layers panel is not visible, choose the Window menu

B. To create a new layer

1. Click the new layer icon at the bottom of the panel

2. Double click on the layer to customize it

a. Type in a name for the layer – highly recommended for complex documents

b. Color: controls the highlight color of selected objects

c. Print: whether or not the layer will print (hidden and template layers don’t print)

d. Template: locks and dims the layer

C. To put additional text/graphics on a layer

1. Make the layer active by clicking on the layer name in the Layers panel

2. Once active, all future objects will be placed on this layer (unless an object on a different layer has been selected)

3. Selected anchor points and paths will be “color coordinated” with the layer color

D. Working with individual items in the layer

1. To display the objects stacked in a layer, click on the triangle in front of the layer name

2. You can change the stacking order of objects within a layer simpy by dragging the object (not technically a sub-layer) to a different position in the Layers panel

3. To move an object from one layer to another

a. Select the object you want to move with the Selection tool (notice the small square on the right side of the Layers panel)

b. In the Layers panel, drag the colored square to the desired target layer

4. Delete an object by selecting it in the Layers panel and clicking on the Trash Can

30


E. Working with the entire layer

1. To hide a layer: click on the eyeball

2. To lock the contents of a layer: click in the box next to the eyeball

3. To apply a format to all objects within a layer:

a. Click on the circular target icon for the layer (the “donut”)

b. Apply a format — it will apply to all objects in the layer

4. To display only the layers (and not their contents): choose Panel Options... from the Layers menu and check the option to Show Layers Only

5. To change the stacking orders of layers:

a. The order in which the layers occur in the Layers panel determines the stacking order (By default, the first layer is listed at the bottom, the last layer is on the top)

b. Drag the layer name to a different position in the Layers panel

c. Stacked objects within the layer retain their original stacking order, but they can be rearranged in the same manner — simply drag one sub-layer to another position

6. To remove a layer: select it in the Layers panel and then click on the Trash Can

31


Introduction to typeI. Basics

A. Point type: a limited amount of text that begins where you click and does not word wrap

B. Area type 1: drag to create a text area and begin to type - word wrap occurs

C. Area type 2: type inside a container that already exists - word wrap occurs

D. Path type: type that follows a path

E. Vertical point, area, or path type: type that goes down instead of across

F. Place (import) a text file

II. Creating point typeA. Choose the (horizontal) Type tool or Vertical Type tool

B. Click where the text is to begin

1. Careful! If you click on the path of an existing object, you will create area type

2. Consider entering the point type in a vacant area, then moving with the Selection tool to the proper position later

C. Type your text

1. You’ll need to hit Return/Enter to go to a new line

2. Vertical type columns advance to the left when the Return/Enter is typed

3. When finished

a. Choose the Selection tool to activate the text block for moving, scaling, and formatting all characters in the point type object — or

b. Click in a vacant area (with the Selection tool!) to deselect the text object

III. Creating area typeA. You can create area type “on the fly” with the Type tool by dragging a rectangular

shape before beginning to type

B. You can also put text into an existing shape

1. Create a shape — any shape object we’ve covered, like an oval or polygon (don’t worry about the fill or stroke of the original object because it will disappear once you start typing)

2. Choose the Area Type tool

a. You can also choose the Vertical Area Type tool if you want the text to read up/down instead of left/right

b. The “regular” Type tool can also be used on closed paths to create area type

3. Click carefully on the path (edge) of the object — the mouse icon turns into a special I-beam with parenthesis around it

4. Type text, or File..Place a text file, or Edit..Paste copied text

5. Choose the Selection tool to finish the process

POINT TYPE IS USED FOR SMALL AMOUNTS OF TEXT

VERTICAL

TEXT

Yo ho, yo ho, a priate’s life for me.

We’re beggers, we’re blighters, ne’er-do-well

cads, drink up me ‘earties, yo ho. Aye, but we’re loved

by our monnies and dads, drink up me

‘earties, yo ho.

32


C. Hints to improve the looks of area type:

1. Choose a small type size and activate the Paragraph panel to choose the justify feature to eliminate a ragged right edge

2. To give text a background color, you must select the text container only. This can be done by using the Direct Selection tool and clicking on the path of the container -- the shape surrounding the text. If the text is selected by accident, the color selected will change the text, not the background.

3. The Type..Area Type Options menu you can create a text offset from the edge of the path

4. If there is more text than shape available, a small icon will appear on the lower right corner of the shape — when the object is enlarged, the remaining text will display

5. If you cut or copy the type out of a text object and paste it elsewhere, it will take on the characteristics of point type (the text will resize, not the container and word wrap will not work)

IV. Creating type on a pathA. Create an open or closed path and choose the Type on a Path tool

B. Move the mouse over the shape and then click on the path (edge) of the object

C. Type! The shape/path/object will lose its fill/stroke formatting

D. To move the position of the characters on the path

1. Choose the Selection tool and click on the text

2. Drag the I-beam to the desired position (this can be tricky ... be patient) or drag it to the inside of the path

E. The regular Type tool can be used to create type on a path, but you must hold down Alt/Option to set the cursor on a closed path

F. You can’t have two different text blocks on the same path. How to simulate top and bottom text on a circle (example to right)

1. Create the original circle

2. Make a duplicate copy of the circle and move it aside — you will eventually stack 2 separate type paths on top of each other

3. Create the path type for the top of the circle

4. Create the path type for the bottom of the circle, select it with the Selection tool, and reposition it inside and on the bottom of the second circle (using I-beam)

5. Choose Type..Type on a Path..Type on a Path Options and change Align to Path to Center or Ascender, whichever looks better; can also Change Spacing

6. AND/OR choose the Character panel menu to Show Options

7. Change the Set the baseline shift setting to move the text outside the circles

8. Align the centers of the two circles of text

G. Special path type effects are available using the Type..Type on a Path menu

type on a path, type on a path, t ype on

a path

I-beam

33


V. Converting type to a graphic objectA. What is a graphic object?

1. Type that is transformed into “true” vector shapes (paths)

2. The converted shapes forget that they have ever been type, so regular type operations, such as adding, deleting, or formatting characters, are no longer possible

B. To convert text into an graphic object

1. Select the text with the Selection tool

2. Choose the Type..Create Outlines menu

3. If the text is inside a shape or on a path, the path object will be deleted

4. Warning... you can’t convert transformed text back into “regular” text, only Undo will work

C. What’s the difference between regular type and type converted to outlines?

1. With point, area, and path type, you can

a. Apply a fill/stroke to the letters

b. Edit with tools like Scale, Rotate, and Skew

c. Edit and format text using Type tools

d. Apply special effects using the Effects menu

2. When type is converted into a graphic outline you can do additional things

a. Change any part of a character’s shape

b. Format the fill with gradients found in the Swatches panel

c. Make sure that missing fonts will not be a problem on the receiving system (common way logos are sent to many other programs)

VI. Type formatting tips and tricksA. Including a stroke the same color as the fill will make the characters look “bold-faced”

B. Formatting panels for text using the Window..Type.. menu

1. Character: font, size, spacing

2. Paragraph: alignment and indents

3. OpenType: toggles special symbols for OpenType fonts such as fractions

4. If the text is already typed, select it with the Type tool and then choose the format If the format is selected before typing, future text will receive that format If you select the text with the Selection tool, all text will receive the format If you want to format just a portion of text, drag over it with the Type tool

C. Scaling the type object with Transform tools also adjusts character height and width

D. Special symbols can be inserted by double-clicking in the Type..Glyphs menu dialog box. OpenType fonts will have an extensive list of symbols

E. Type objects can be also formatted permanently with special effects using the Object..Envelope Distort..Make with Warp menu

34


Formatting textI. Common text operations

A. Type..Font: changes to a different typeface This menu displays formatted font names if the option is selected for Font Preview Size in the Illustrator/Edit..Preferences..Type menu

B. Type..Size: changes to a different point size

1. Type is measured in points, a measurement of vertical height (1 point = 1/72”)

2. Illustrator range: 0.1 - 1296 point (you can always convert type to an outline and scale to any size desired)

C. Edit..Check Spelling: checks for spelling mistakes

D. Edit..Find and Replace: search and replace for text (“Bob” into “Robert”) and special characters (* into a bullet •)

E. Type..Show Hidden Characters: shows position of spaces, returns, tabs

F. Type..Change Case: changes upper/lowercase formatting of type

II. Character panel optionsA. Window..Type..Character menu: displays Character, Paragraph and OpenType panels

B. Features (full list is displayed when you choose the Show Options from the fly-out menu - or double-click on the Character tab until full panel displays

1. Font: choose the desired typeface from the list (font types include TrueType, PostScript 1, and OpenType)

2. Style: variation within font family, e.g., bold, italic, etc.

3. Size: choose from list, use nudge arrows, or type in a value

4. Leading: the amount of vertical space between each line of text

a. Common word-processing analogy: single or double spacing

b. Default () is 120% of font size (i.e., size 10 point gets 12 point leading)

5. Kerning: used to tighten/loosen the space between letters with the insertion point between characters - useful for large headlines or awkward positions of type on a path (negative value tightens; positive value loosens)

6. Tracking: used to tighten/loosen spacing between each character in a selected group - useful for paragraphs with the last word on a line by itself

7. Height and Width: modifies dimensions of selected characters

8. Baseline adjustment: adjusts vertical position of text relative to the baseline (the path where characters rest)

9. Character rotation: rotates each individual character

baseline

72 point text

123 45 678 9

1011 12

r o t a t e

35


10. Change case, super and sub-script, underline and strike-through

11. Language declaration: if you select text and declare its language, then the spell checker will offer suggestions and flag text based on that language

12. Anti-aliasing method

C. Note: the Character panel contains formatting that can be applied to groups of characters (from one character to several words to all characters in an area type object) or future characters typed at the position of the insertion point

III. Paragraph panel optionsA. General info

1. Contains formatting for paragraphs of text (group of characters that end with return/enter)

2. Make sure you either select multiple paragraphs or at least put an insertion point in a single paragraph before proceeding

3. Most features work best with area type — I recommend the Adobe Every-line Composer panel menu for the best flow of multiple lines in a paragraph

B. Options

1. Align: left, center, right, and justify (with variations on last line in paragraph)

2. Left indent for all lines in paragraph

3. Right indent for all lines in paragraph

4. First line indent (preferred to using a tab or spaces to start a paragraph)

5. Spacing before the paragraph (preferred to hitting the return/enter twice for block style paragraphs with a blank line of space in between)

6. Spacing after the paragraph — choose either space before or space after, not both!

7. Toggle hyphenation for paragraph

IV. OpenType panelA. Turns on special glyph enhancements for selected characters formatted with

OpenType fonts

B. Features include

1. Enhancements for numeric values (Figure)

2. Position of numerical characters

3. Special glyph substitutions (at bottom of panel) — not all OpenType font have the full set of substitutions

V. Other advanced formattingA. Type..Smart Punctuation: replaces existing type with curly quotes, ligatures, em dashes

instead of two dashes, a single space after a period instead of two spaces, and ellipses

1. Select the text with the Type tool for a specific group of characters; otherwise the entire document will be adjusted

1

42 3

5 67

123

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2. Choose features from the dialog box

3. Another handy feature is the Roman Hanging Punctuation menu on the Paragraph panel to adjust the position of area type quotes outside of the path

B. Type..Type Orientation..Vertical flips placed area type inside its container

C. Type..Legacy Text manually adjusts paragraphs of area type to the improved text composition engine to better flow text into multiple-line paragraphs (same engine is used in Adobe InDesign)

D. Type..Find Font: search and replace for font (i.e. Garamond into Palatino)

1. The dialog box provides list of what fonts are used in the document (top area)

2. You specify which typeface (at the bottom of dialog box) is going to replace the selected font in top of dialog box

3. The replacement font can be a font currently used in the document or from all fonts in the entire operating system

4. Global (change all) or individual replacements allowed

E. Type..Glyphs: show all glyphs (symbols) of a font for inserting into text

1. Select font and style at bottom of the panel Limit the amount of glyphs displayed with the Show menu at the top of the panel

2. OpenType fonts will display a more extensive list (up to 65,000 glyphs) of symbols for the typeface, including

a. Ligatures (fl, ff where two characters merge together)

b. Stylistic alternatives (Q instead of Q)

c. Ornaments (• • •)

d. Fractions (½ instead of 1/2)

3. Double click on the desired symbol to insert it into the document — you can leave this panel open while you enter and edit text

F. Text Wrap: where area type “jumps” away from a graphic

1. Position a graphic above the area type (won’t work with point type)

2. The graphic must be in the same layer as the text that will wrap around it

3. Select the graphic with the Selection tool (its selection square will activate on the Layers panel)

4. Choose the Object..Text Wrap..Make Text Wrap menu

a. Specify an offset value to distance the graphic from the text

b. Invert Wrap puts the text inside of the path instead of around it

5. Object..Text Wrap..Options sets the text distance from the vector object

When you open an older Illustrator document, you will be asked to convert the legacy text.

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6. Object..Text Wrap..Release Text Wrap is an “undo” feature

7. In addition to working with a placed raster graphic, text wrap will work with Illustrator paths and text

8. You may find it beneficial to convert text to outlines when creating a drop cap effect (a large letter that intrudes into a paragraph of text)

9. Embedded vector graphics sometimes work better than linked graphics because the shape of the path is always used in the text wrap instead of the rectangular shape around linked graphics. This will work with transparent gifs and Photoshop graphics with clipping paths and transparent backgrounds

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Placing and modifying area typeI. Illustrator - NOT a word processor

A. Words and short phrases are fine, but paragraphs should be composed elsewhere

B. Use Microsoft Word or any other word processor or text editor to compose your text; virtually any file type is acceptable - .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, etc.

II. Importing text files into area type objects A. Choose the File..Place menu item to import the text file

1. You have the option to either retain or remove any previous text formatting

2. By default the text is placed in a rectangular area type object that fills the artboard except for 1” top/bottom and 1.25” left/right margins

3. To place text into a shape, use the Area Type tool to place the cursor in an existing shape, then use the File..Place command

B. Area type objects include an in port and out port on the bounding box upper left and lower right corner

C. What if there’s more (hidden) text than what fits in the text object?

1. A small red + will appear in the lower right corner out port to indicate there is overflow text

2. Resize the area type object using the Selection tool to drag on a standard bounding box handle — or —

3. Draw or link to another object that will hold the rest of the text and create threaded text

III. Linking overflow textA. Working with rectangular area type objects “on the fly”

1. With the Selection tool, click on the red “+” on the out port — a loaded pointer will appear

2. Drag a rectangle to hold the next unit of area type text

3. Repeat until the red “+” does not appear

B. Placing overflow text into a new shape (ex: from a rectangle into a circle)

1. Create additional shape(s)

2. Click on the red “+” on the out port — a loaded pointer will appear

3. Move the loaded pointer near the path of the next shape so that the pointer shows a dotted ( )

4. Click to place the text into the shape

5. Repeat into other shapes until the red “+” does not appear

C. Placing overflow text into the same shape (ex: circle to circle or column to column)

1. Click on the red “+” on the out port — a loaded pointer will appear

2. Move the loaded pointer to a new area and click — the same shape will be used to hold the new amount of text

3. Repeat until the red “+” does not appear

in port

out port

You can also select both the text object displaying the "+" and the next intended text object and then choose the Type..Threaded Text.. Create menu

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D. When all text is flowed, the in and out ports indicate the following:

1. A hollow port indicates either the beginning of end of the story (entire unit of text)

2. An arrow (▶) port indicates that the area type object is linked to another object

3. Choosing the View..Show Text Threads menu displays how the text objects are linked to one another

IV. Other features for area type objectsA. To remove all threads but leave the type in place as independent area type objects

1. Select one of the linked type objects

2. Choose Type..Threaded Text..Remove Threading

B. To release an object from a text thread and flow text into the next object

1. Select the object

2. Choose the Type..Threaded Text..Release Selection

C. Area type options

1. Available through the Type..Area Type Options menu

2. Change the width and height of the type object

3. Create rows and columns of text within the object

4. Create an offset to separate the text from the edge of the text object

D. Advice on creating area type objects in “cute” pointy shapes (ex: a star or tree)

1. Eliminate returns to effectively work with a large unit of word wrapped text

2. Choose a small font size to fit as much text in the shape as possible

3. Show the Paragraph panel (Window..Type..Paragraph) and change the alignment to Justify, although Left may look better

4. Avoid jagged paths with tight curves where the sides are too close together

5. Try to make the top and bottom of the path more “level” to avoid text “jumps”

6. The more simple the path, the better the text flows

V. Manipulating type — careful which tool you use!A. Formatting with color

1. If you select type with the Selection tool and format the stroke/fill, the format applies to the text (notice that the text is underlined when selected)

2. If you select the path of an area type object with the Direct Selection tool (make sure to carefully click on the path so that the text is not underlined), the format applies to the stroke/fill of the object, not the type

B. Font formatting for area type

1. Selecting an area type object with the Selection tool selects all the text in that object, so choosing a different font or font size applies to all selected characters. This could change the flow of text if linked to other type objects

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2. Selecting text with one of the Type tools allows you to change the format of a subset of characters, e.g., one word or one letter

C. Transforming text

1. Resizing point type with the Selection tool resizes the text

2. Resizing an area type object with the Selection tool resizes the shape containing the text, not the text itself

3. Selecting area type with the Selection tool and then rotating the object using that tool will alter the “container” , not the type

4. Selecting area type with the Selection tool and then using the Rotate tool applies the transformation to the object and the type

VI. Text shortcuts and adviceA. Moving area type objects is most easily accomplished when you drag on the center

point or position the mouse on actual text — beware of area type with no fill

B. If you double click on a type object with the Selection tool, you switch to the Type tool for editing

C. When using the Type tool, depressing the Command/Control key switches temporarily to the Selection tool, but if you use the keyboard shortcut of V (upper or lowercase) to switch to the Selection tool, a V will be typed into your text

D. You cannot put area text into a shape that is defined as a compound path

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Selection techniquesI. Selection tools

A. Selection tool: selects the entire object including all anchor points

1. Be careful of objects with no fill — you’ll have to click on the path/stroke to select

2. Shift+click or dragging a marquee over portions of objects selects multiple objects

B. Direct Selection tool: selects part of an object

1. If you click on the fill of an object, you select all the points just like the Selection tool

2. The pointer provides “clues” as you approach a path: a hollow square next to the pointer selects an anchor point and a filled square selects a path

3. If you click on the edge of an object and select the segment, its anchor points activate and curves show direction lines (if it is a curved segment)

4. If you click on an anchor point, it becomes active (solid square) and the other anchor points show as hollow squares

5. You can shift+click or drag a marquee to select multiple segments and anchor points

6. Turning on View..Smart Guides provides text labels for anchor points and paths

C. Group Selection tool: selects objects and groups within a group (the first click selects an object, the second click its group, the third click the group above, etc.)

D. Lasso tool: selects anchor points and segments

E. Magic Wand tool: selects objects with similar characteristics. Double-click the tool for choices of what to select (fill color, stroke color, etc.)

II. Selection menuA. Select..All: selects all objects in all artboards (Ctrl/Command + A)

B. Select..All in Active Artboard: selects all objects in the artboard in which you are working (Ctrl/Command + Alt/Option + a)

C. Select..Deselect: deselects all objects (you can also click in a vacant area)

D. Select..Reselect: selects last selection

E. Select..Inverse: selects what isn’t currently selected

F. Select..Object Above/Below: selects objects in stacking order

G. Select..Same: selects objects with he same fill/stroke color, stroke weight, opacity, etc.

H. Select..Object: selects objects with similar characteristics, such as brush strokes, text objects, clipping masks, etc.

I. Select..Save/Edit Selection: saves/edits the current selection for future use

anchorpath

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Reshaping pathsVector graphic programs provide support for drawing Bézier curves. Named for the French mathematician Pierre Bézier, a Bézier curve is a curved line defined by a mathematical formula. Bézier developed this system when working as a senior engineer at the Renault car company.

I. Anchor pointsA. Paths are made up of anchor points connected by straight or curved (smooth)

segments

1. Smooth anchor point: has a pair of direction lines (handles) that move as one unit

2. Corner anchor point

a. Number of direction lines vary

b. None: connects two straight lines One: connects curve and straight line Two: connects two curve segments that can be altered independent of each other — direction lines move independently

B. You can change how your anchor points and direction lines (handles) display. Go to Illustrator/Edit..Preferences..Selection & Anchor Display. A useful option is “Highlight anchors on mouse over”, which works with the Direct Selection tool.

C. Direction handles at the end of the direction lines control the shape of the curve(s)

1. If you rotate the direction handle, you change the angle of the curve into the anchor point

2. If you drag (pull) on the direction handle, you change the length of the direction line and the height of the curve

II. Simple reshaping skillsA. Use the Direct Selection tool to select either a segment or anchor point

B. If you move an active (solid square) anchor point, the segments are forced to reshape

C. If you move a curve segment, its anchor points will not move but the curve segment will adjust

D. If you move a straight line segment, its anchor points will also move

direction lines (handles)

curve segment

smooth anchor point

none twoone

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III. Pen tools and existing pathsA. To change the type of anchor point

1. With the Direct Selection tool, click on the edge of the object to display all anchor points on the path

2. Select the Convert Anchor Point tool

3. To convert a corner anchor point into a smooth anchor point, drag on the anchor point (a little tricky, sometimes you have to reverse direction)

4. To convert a smooth anchor point into a corner anchor point, simply click on the anchor point

5. To make an anchor point that consists of a straight line AND a curve segment, click on a smooth anchor point with the Direct Selection tool, then select the end point of a direction line (called the direction point) and drag it into the anchor point — this side becomes the straight line

B. To pinch a curve

1. Definition: when the direction lines at an anchor point rotate independently of each other (unlike a smooth curve where the direction lines remain locked in a straight line)

2. With the Direct Selection tool, select a smooth anchor point to display both direction lines

3. With the Convert Anchor Point tool, drag a direction point to reshape half of the curve (the other half can be reshaped using the Direction Selection tool)

4. A pinched curve can also be made using only the Direct Selection tool - select the anchor point, hold down Alt/Option, and drag direction line

C. To add a new anchor point

1. Select the object to look at the existing anchor points

2. Choose the Add Anchor Point tool and click on the edge of the object

3. If you click on a curve, you’ll create a smooth anchor point. If you click on a straight line segment, you’ll create a corner anchor point

D. To delete an anchor point

1. Select the object to look at the existing anchor points

2. Click on an anchor point with the Delete Anchor Point tool

E. Pen tool tricks

1. In fact, you can do all the above using just the regular Pen tool! You can add and delete anchor points by clicking the Pen tool on a segment ( to add) or on an anchor point (to delete). If you hold the alt/option key, the Pen turns into the Convert Anchor tool.

2. Need to add on to the end of an existing open shape? You can add new segments “on the fly” by clicking/dragging on the endpoint with the Pen tool and then continue creating the active shape (the Pencil tool works well too)

a pinched curve allows either side of the direction line to be adjusted separately

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Drawing with the Pen toolI. Creating straight lines

A. To create a straight line: click at the beginning and ending points and then click any tool in the tool panel to complete the action (or Command/Ctrl-click)

B. To create a shape made of multiple straight lines, keep clicking and then complete the action as described above

C. To close a shape made up of multiple straight lines, click on the original starting point

D. Straight lines are not controlled by direction lines

II. Creating continuous curvesA. To create a continuous curve with a smooth anchor point

1. Create the direction line for the first anchor point

a. At the first anchor point position, click and drag in the direction that the curve will follow to create a direction line and release the mouse

b. If you don’t click and drag, the curve will be controlled by only one direction line at the next anchor point, which may be difficult to adjust

2. Create the curve segments

a. Move the mouse to where you want to place the next anchor point, click and drag in the direction you want the next part of the curve to follow

b. As you drag to create a new direction line, you’ll modify the previous curve (which you can modify this later if desired)

c. If you create a “bad” segment, immediately hit the Backspace/Delete key to delete it (two times will delete the entire shape), then click and drag on the last anchor point to continue drawing

3. To complete the shape, either:

a. Close the path by clicking and dragging on the beginning anchor point

b. Or click on another tool to stop drawing, leaving an open path

B. Three important rules when creating curves

1. Each continuous smooth curve should be controlled by two direction lines — begin a curve by creating a direction line first

2. 33% Rule: the distance from any direction point to its anchor point should be about 1/3 of the total segment length, or 66% for both direction lines

3. Anchor points go on both sides of “hills” and “valleys”

III. Creating combinationsA. Definition: combination paths consist of segments that curve on only one side of

an anchor point or have two independent direction lines from an anchor point, e.g., pinched curve or straight line segment connected to curve segment

Continuous curves are created by clicking and dragging to create a direction line; straight line segments are created by just clicking

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B. To create “on the fly”

1. Create the first complete segment with 2 anchor points using the Pen tool

a. Click if you are creating straight line segments

b. Click and drag if you are creating curve segments

2. For straight line segment —> curve segment: click and drag on the second anchor point to create a direction line, then click to create the curve segment

3. For curve segment —> straight line segment: click on the second anchor point to eliminate half of the direction line and then click to create the straight line segment

4. For a pinched curve: with the Option/Alt key depressed, drag on one direction point to create an independent direction line, then create the next curve segment

IV. Uses for Pen tool skillsA. Some experts draw with Pen tool, but most use it to trace raster objects, thereby

converting them to vector objects

B. The basic technique:

1. Import raster graphic (File..Place)

2. Isolate graphic on separate layer and make that layer into a template

3. On new layer trace graphic outlines with Pen tool

Template layers are essential when a sketch or scan needs to be traced using the Pen tool — even Live Trace would have trouble with this longhorn steer!

Hint: when tracing use as few anchor points as possible — 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock Adjust curves after basic shape is made

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Importing images into IllustratorI. Placing graphics in an Illustrator document

A. File..Place menu command

1. A single Illustrator document can be a combination of raster and vector graphic objects

2. File..Place lets you place (import) other kinds of graphics as objects into Illustrator

a. EPS clipart (popular universal vector file format that can be opened and edited in Illustrator)

b. Raster images, including GIF, JPG, PNG and TIFF file types

c. Photoshop graphics can also be imported and have special features to automatically interact with layers in Illustrator during the File..Place command

3. A raster object is treated like any other object and can be moved, scaled, rotated, and transformed, but Illustrator cannot directly modify the pixels in the image or add a fill or stroke (however, an object can be drawn around the image to simulate a frame)

4. The imported file will be placed according to the following rules:

a. If nothing is selected, the file will be placed in the center of the artboard

b. If the Type tool is active in some text, the graphic will be placed inline, as if it is another character in the text

II. Linked vs. embedded graphicsA. During File..Place, Illustrator gives you the option to link or embed (not link) the

graphic

B. All placed graphics (see exception below) are listed in the Links panel

C. Linked graphics

1. Keeps the graphic separate from the Illustrator document

2. When the document prints, Illustrator needs to refer to the linked graphic for detailed printing information

3. When transporting the document, you need to bring the graphic along also

D. Embedded graphics

1. A copy of the graphic becomes a part of the Illustrator document

2. Useful for transporting the Illustrator document to different computers but increases file size

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3. Embedded vector graphics (such as EPS) are special — they are translated directly into Illustrator as vector objects and aren’t listed on the Links panel

4. Embedded raster graphics show a special embedded symbol in the Links panel

III. Managing linked graphicsA. The Links panel shows a list of linked (raster and vector) and embedded (raster) files

B. To view this panel, choose the Window..Links menu

C. Panel features

1. Relink: allows user to re-link selected graphic or change to a different graphic

2. Go to link: highlights the desired graphic in the Illustrator document

3. Update link: updates the graphic in Illustrator if the original graphic changes (e.g., graphic changed in Photoshop)

4. Edit original: opens linked graphic in its original program, e.g., Photoshop for editing

5. The fly out menu off the side of the Links panel contains features to sort files

IV. Clipping masksA. Basics

1. Feature that “masks” or selects what part of a graphic is displayed

2. Top object is the mask; under that is the object or image displayed within the mask

B. To create a clipping mask

1. File..Place a raster image or create a series of vector objects for the “background” (group multiple vector objects)

2. Create a vector object - the mask - on top of the background (color doesn’t matter, only shape) — examples might include point type formatted in a “thick” font (like Arial Black) or a shape (e.g., oval)

3. With the Selection tool, select both the mask object and background image(s)

4. Choose the Object..Clipping Mask..Make menu

5. Check out the Layers panel!

a. Automatically a group will be created of objects associated with the mask so that the entire unit can be easily moved to a new location

b. The mask object will be listed in the Layers panel as a Clipping Path

c. To adjust the position of the raster image (or background) inside of the mask, you can use either the Control panel tools or the Layers panel to select the image, then move the image to the desired position

6. To release the mask, choose the Object..Clipping Mask..Release menu

7. Note: in earlier versions of Illustrator, the underlying object’s bounding box displayed when the clipping mask was selected. Now only the clipping mask is selected, but the group remains editable

relinkgo to link

update link

edit link

embedded graphic

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Adding EffectsI. Adding effects

A. Effect definition: “live” (editable) appearance attributes

B. Before you begin with effects

1. Many effects create special raster effects (i.e. drop shadow, glow, feather) that generate pixels instead of vector data

2. Check the Effect..Document Raster Effects Settings menu to see if resolution is correct — high for print, low for screen

C. Popular effects for paths and type objects

1. Effect..Distort & Transform: Pucker & Bloat, Roughen, Tweak, Zigzag

2. Effect..Stylize: Arrowheads, Drop Shadow, Inner/Outer Glow, Feather, Scribble

3. Effect..3D: Extrude & Bevel

4. Effect..Warp: Arc, Arch, Wave

5. Effect..Effect Gallery… - a huge selection of effects can be previewed and applied

D. Some effects work well with vector objects, not raster objects, and vice-versa

E. Effects can be expanded to permanently alter the path using the Object..Expand Appearance menu

F. Effects can be added not only to objects but also to layers and groups

G. In early versions of Illustrator, effects could be applied only to RGB documents, but now either color mode is fine

II. The Effect menuA. The upper half of the menu presents Illustrator (vector) effects, but some

will work on raster images – experiment!

B. The lower half of the menu presents Photoshop (raster) effects, but some will work on vector objects - experiment!

C. How to apply effects

1. Select the object and open the Effects menu

2. Select the effect you want and a dialog box will open, most of which offer a preview of the effect and the ability to change the way the effect looks before it is applied

3. If you select the Effect Gallery, you enter a complex preview window that allows you to move among many different effects before applying one

4. Multiple effects can be applied to a single object, but file size will increase a lot

D. Effects are very convenient to work with because they can be deleted or modified using the Appearance panel

1. Drag effect to the trash can to delete

2. Double click on effect to bring up dialog box

effect

effect

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E. You could even convert a vector object to a raster object and then apply an effect. The results could be subtly or vastly different

1. Select the object and choose the Object/Rasterize... menu

2. Apply one of the effects that is appropriate for raster objects

original roughen effect mosaic effect

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Combining shapesI. Definitions

A. Simple path: As you draw, you create a line called a path. A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments. Most shapes are simple paths, however, Illustrator can combine paths in various ways, which can result in other simple paths or compound paths.

B. Compound path: contains two or more paths that are modified so that holes appear where paths overlap. When you define objects as a compound path using the Pathfinder panel, all objects in the compound path take on the paint and style attributes of either the top-most or the bottom-most object in the stacking order.

C. Note: when objects are simply grouped, they do not actually combine with one another. Each path keeps its own formatting and can be selected individually. Most commonly, the purpose of grouping is to keep a collection of objects organized and easy to manage.

II. Menu commands that make compound pathsA. Object..Compound Path..Make when two or more overlapping paths are selected

(bottom-most attributes are used)

B. Type..Create Outlines - all letters become compound paths

C. Remember that text cannot be used in or on a compound path

III. The Pathfinder panelA. Contains two sets of tools, Shape Modes and Pathfinders

B. Both are used to combine stacked objects - objects that don’t touch will not be modified

C. Results can be simple or compound paths

D. There are always changes to the original objects – stroke and/or fill

E. Using Shape Modes – Unite, Minus Front, Intersect, Exclude (top-most attributes are used)

1. Select the objects

2. Click the desired Shape Mode on the Pathfinder panel

a. Unite: creates a single merged shape with the stroke and fill of the front object

b. Minus front: subtracts the front object(s) from the bottom object – can result in compound path

c. Intersect: creates a new object with the stroke and fill of the front object from common space (intersection) shared by all shapes

d. Exclude: knocks out (makes transparent) area(s) where one shape overlaps another – good for text but must Create Outlines first

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3. If an odd number of shapes overlap, it gets pretty crazy

4. The stroke and fill of the front object is used for the resulting shapes (except for Minus Front); although grouped, the parts of the end result are simple paths

5. If you hold Alt/Option as you click on a Shape Mode, you create a “live” shape, the parts of which can be moved/edited using the Direct Selection tool

6. When you are satisfied with the result, re-select all the “live” shapes and click on the Expand button to make your changes permanent

F. Using Pathfinders – Divide, Trim, Merge, Crop, Outline, Minus Back

1. Divide: cuts the overlapping parts of all stacked objects into smaller individual shapes with all paths recognized

a. Keeps fill/stroke of original shapes

b. Any type of straight line or pencil path will divide an object

c. Groups the result

2. Trim: removes hidden parts of stacked objects and converts visible parts into individual shapes

a. Keeps fill but eliminates stroke formatting

b. Groups the result

3. Merge: functions like Trim but merges objects of the same color that touch one another

a. Keeps the fill, but eliminates the stroke


4. Crop: functions like Trim and then uses the topmost object as a mask (cookie cutter).

a. Keeps the fill, but eliminates the stroke


5. Outline: deletes all but faint outline (stroke) in color of original objects

a. Used for “trapping”, ensuring that printing works correctly


6. Minus Back: subtracts back object(s) from front object (opposite of Minus Front)

IV. Shape Builder ToolA. Purpose: creates complex-looking shapes by merging simpler shapes

B. More flexible than Pathfinder Shape Modes - attributes of the first path selected are used

C. How to use

1. Select shapes

2. Select Shape Builder tool, click and drag across sections to be combined; Alt/Option click or click and drag will remove sections

3. Resulting objects are simple paths

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Mapping Artwork to 3D Objects I. Apply 3D effect to object

A. Select object

B. Select Effect..3D..Extrude & Bevel or Revolve (not Rotate)

C. Choose settings (click Preview for best results)

D. Click OK

II. Map artwork to 3D objectA. Select 3D object

B. In Appearance panel, double-click the 3D Effect

C. Click Map Art

D. Select surface to work on (every object has multiple surfaces - cylinder has 3, box has 6)

E. Choose artwork from Symbol drop-down menu

F. Art can come only from Symbols panel

G. Could be library symbol or could be any object, path, compound path, text, raster image, mesh object, or group that has been converted to a symbol

H. Symbol in Map Art dialog box can be moved, scaled, rotated, etc.

I. Only one symbol can be applied per surface

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Using ColorI. Purpose: to develop good color habits

A. Understand how color is produced when viewed on the monitor and/or when printed

B. Create a document with color that best suits the desired output (screen or print)

II. Color models (how color is created)A. RGB: document is produced for screen with combinations of red, green, and blue

light

B. CMYK: document produced for print with combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and black dots of ink on paper (aka 4-color process)

C. Other models: displayed using Color panel fly-out menu

1. HSB: another method for representing RGB colors (hue, saturation, brightness)

2. Web safe RGB: the recommended 216 colors that display the same on both Mac and PC (no longer necessary but sometimes used as a convenience)

3. Grayscale: color replaced with a range from white to black

III. Printing colors on paperA. Output is typically produced as process colors - an overlapping

set of CMYK dots making up any combination of colors

B. Print shops may also use spot colors - custom colors (like cans of paint) that will produce the same color every time

1. An alternative to 4-color printing (often less expensive)

2. Pantone spot colors are commonly used in the U.S. and can be installed on the Swatches panel

3. Why? Instead of a full 4-color process job, reduce print shop costs by using black text and one or two spot colors - spot color tints (using paper color to produce combinations with white) don’t count as extra colors

IV. Problems for RGB colors that are printed in CMYKA. Color gamut (or color space): the range of color that can be

reproduced for viewing

1. Human eye sees the biggest range of colors

2. Screen (monitor or video) gamut is a smaller range than the eye

3. Printer gamut has an even smaller range than the monitor - printing certain RGB colors can result in a color shift in the printed copy

B. Illustrator warnings about out-of-gamut colors on the Color panel (with Show Options):

1. Out of Web Color gamut (not one of the 216 safe web colors for both Mac and PC)

2. Out of gamut for print (color shift will likely occur when printed)

3. Click on the symbol to have Illustrator pick a similar color that fixes the problem

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V. Viewing colors on screenA. More common than any of the problems associated with color spaces, most home

monitors are not properly calibrated

B. This results in different monitors displaying the same file in sometimes wildly different colors

C. Printed copy often differs dramatically from what we see on screen and/or from one printer to another

VI. RecommendationsA. Use all RGB colors and imported graphics made in RGB mode when creating an

Illustrator document intended for viewing on the screen. In older versions of Illustrator you should also use RGB when applying effects to imported raster images

B. Use all CMYK colors and imported graphics made in CMYK mode when creating an Illustrator document that will go to a print shop for output. In addition, use spot colors when possible and use the Press Quality preset when creating a PDF file

C. You will probably be able to use the RGB color mode if printing only to your home inkjet printer. Strangely, the inkjet printer is considered an RGB device and does its own RGB —> CMYK conversion, which is a little closer to the RGB gamut

D. When creating an Illustrator graphic for use in another document, e.g., an InDesign brochure, ask what color mode is needed — sometimes you might have to create two different versions of the file, RGB and CMYK

VII. Illustrator features for working with colorA. Declaring the document’s color mode

1. When starting a new file, either RGB or CMYK is part of the New Document Profile, and the various color panels load either RGB or CMYK color swatches. Even if you define a color in RGB on the Color panel, it will convert to CMYK in a document declared as CMYK, and vice-versa

2. File..Document Color Mode: switches the color mode from RGB <—> CMYK

B. Swatches panel: holds colors (as well as gradients and patterns) associated with color mode of document and/or colors (gradients and patterns) added to document

1. Global colors

a. Colors that reformat all associated objects when changed

b. Double-click on any color in the Swatches panel to change it to a global color (does not change previously used instances of the color)

2. Spot colors (automatically global)

a. Double-click on any color in Swatches panel to change it to a spot color — but remember, there is no guarantee that color will print on your home printer (or any other non-professional printer) as you hope

b. Use of premixed Pantone spot colors are the best bet for professional printing in the U.S. — found through the Swatch Library menu..Color Books button at bottom of Swatches panel, or from the Window..Swatch Libraries..Color Books

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3. Other useful swatch libraries include web safe colors, custom sets of colors, and default swatches — in case you open a document that has limited/no swatches

4. If you plan on using a swatch library frequently, choose Persistent on the library fly-out menu to have it open automatically when Illustrator starts up

5. To “borrow” swatches from another document, choose Swatch Library menu..Other Library and find the appropriate file

6. To save swatches for easy access in Illustrator, choose Save Swatch Library for AI on fly-out menu of the Swatches panel. The set can then be found under the User Defined fly-out of the Swatches Libraries.

7. To share document swatches with a different Adobe program, e.g., InDesign, use the Save Swatch Library for ASE item on the fly-out menu of the Swatches panel and create the .ase file. You can load this file in the other program using the Swatches panel fly-out menu command Load Swatches

C. Color panel: for creating a new color

1. If the wrong color model is displayed (that is, something other than the declared color of the document), choose the panel fly-out menu or shift+click on the color bar to rotate through the color models (remember that document color mode always prevails — colors will shift to that mode)

2. Select any color in the color bar with the Eyedropper, and then adjust color to exact specifications using the sliders

3. If you are working with a spot color, the Color panel allows you to select a tint of that color (tint is added white, not opacity)

4. Double-click on the fill or stroke icon in Color panel (or Toolbox) to display the Color Picker, which displays all color models and hexadecimal web colors

D. Color Guide panel: still evolving

1. Find harmony rules (pre-defined color schemes) for a selected color

2. Define the base color by:

a. Selecting a color from the Swatches or Color panel or Color Picker

b. Selecting a color in the artwork with the Eyedropper tool

3. Select a harmony rule from the drop-down list

a. Color set can be saved in Swatches panel by clicking on Save Color Group

b. Colors can be limited to a certain library by selecting it from Limit Library list

4. Variation grid - find tints and shades of each color in the color scheme

a. Grid that appears displays the selected set of colors down the middle of grid (under the arrow)

b. Colors to right are tints of those colors; colors to left are shades (other options are cool/warm and vivid/muted)

c. A selected object will be re-colored by clicking a swatch. You can also drag a swatch to an unselected object to recolor it

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E. Recoloring Artwork

1. Select the artwork (must be vector, can’t recolor pixels); lock objects that you don’t want to recolor

2. Click on Recolor Artwork button in Control panel or in the Color Guide panel, or Edit..Edit Colors..Recolor Artwork

3. The colors in the selected artwork become the colors available, but you can change to a harmony rule using any base color

4. In Assign view:

a. Protect color by clicking on arrow

b. Find color in artwork by clicking on magnifying glass and then clicking on color

c. Combine original colors to have fewer - simply drag color row to another

d. Limit colors to Swatch library (web safe, official company set, etc.)

5. In Edit view:

a. Base color denoted by large circle

b. Drag to change any color individually, or lock (chain link) to change all colors relative to position on color wheel -- around wheel for hue, in and out for saturation, slider for brightness

c. Can usually click on Eyedropper to “Get colors from selected artwork” and start again, or simply Cancel

6. You may save any color group you like by clicking the Save Color Group icon. Double-click on any color group name to rename it

F. Kuler: web hosted application for finding and sharing color themes. Select Window...Extensions...Kuler or go to http://kuler.adobe.com

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Modifying paths I. Pencil tools

A. To use: drag over a selected path

B. Pencil tool: alters (rewrites) any existing path

C. Smooth tool: smooths curves on a path (changes curve and/or eliminates anchor points)

D. Erase tool: erases sections of a path (even works on closed paths)

II. Eraser toolA. Erases both paths and fills, healing the path as it works

B. If nothing is selected, everything the Eraser touches is erased; if something is selected, only that object is erased

III. Scissors toolA. Choose the Scissors tool and click on the path (it doesn’t have to be selected)

1. If you click on a segment, two new endpoints appear one on top of the other

2. If you click on an anchor point, a new anchor point appears on top of the existing one

B. Open vs closed paths

1. Splitting a closed shape makes it into an open shape (hint: immediately use the Direct Selection tool to adjust the segments using the newly selected anchor point)

2. Splitting an open path makes two separate open paths (hint: immediately use the Selection tool to select one of the new paths and move to a new location)

IV. Knife toolA. As you drag, the Knife cuts through paths (including paths that are stacked

underneath the existing path)

B. Does not require that objects be selected before dragging

V. Warp ToolsA. Found under the Width tool

B. Tools include: Warp, Twirl, Pucker, Bloat, Scallop, Crystallize, Wrinkle

C. All tools work the same way:

1. Tool is nudged against the path (object can be selected or not)

2. Result is sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic, and can be changed by double-clicking on the tool to change the settings

3. All changes to objects are permanent

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VI. Object..Path menuA. Object..Path..Join (Ctrl/Cmd + j) joins two end points with a line segment

a. Select the two objects (or end points with the Direct Selection tool)

b. Choose the Object..Path..Join menu

c. The straight line segment can be modified after it is created

d. This will not work if trying to join objects that have been grouped or contain text paths

e. This can join two end points into a single anchor point if you manage to stack the two end points exactly on top of one another before choosing Object..Path..Join

B. Object..Path..Average

1. Averages the horizontal/vertical position of selected anchor points

2. Useful to line up anchor points on the same path

C. Object..Path..Outline Stroke

1. Converts the stroke of a path into a compound path

2. Useful for applying a gradient to a stroke

3. You’ll find that vector clipart utilizes a similar technique — what looks like a stroke is really a black background shape

D. Object..Path..Offset Path draws a new path outside/inside an existing path

1. Positive number creates a new path outside the existing path

2. Negative number creates a new path inside the existing path

E. Object..Path..Simplify smooths out a selected path (similar to using Smooth tool but uses a dialog box instead of dragging)

F. Object..Path..Add Anchor Points doubles the amount of anchor points between existing points (try this before using a Pucker & Bloat effect or filter)

G. Object..Path..Remove Anchor Points will delete all selected anchor points

H. Object..Path..Divide Objects Below designates the top selected object as a “slicer” to divide paths into smaller pieces

I. Object..Path..Split Into Grid turns any object into a rectangular grid that is drawn according to the values you enter into the dialog box

J. Object..Path..Clean Up gets rid of stray points, unpainted objects and empty text paths

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Image Trace (new in CS6) / Live TraceI. Image Trace

A. Purpose: automatically traces over placed raster art (jpg, gif, tiff, etc.) and converts it to a series of vector shapes that REPLACE the original art

B. How does it work?

1. Color/contrast information in the raster graphic is used to create paths — anchor points and segments

2. The result is live (like an appearance), allowing you to experiment with different trace settings until you hit the Expand button to change to a permanent path

3. Image Trace is a NEW feature in CS6, an enormous improvement in speed and end results over Live Trace in earlier versions of Illustrator

C. To use:

1. In an Illustrator document, File..Place a raster image

2. Select the image

3. Open the Image Trace panel (new in CS6) to access custom options such as:

a. Preset (buttons and more extensive drop-down list)

b. View (only if Preview is turned on)

c. Mode (Color, Grayscale, Black and White)

d. Colors (more or fewer)

e. Advanced (for fine-tuning trace results)

4. Can click on the arrow beside the Image Trace button in the Control panel for presets (clicking the button gives you simple black and white). Using this method will provide some of the features of the Image Trace panel, but not all

5. Note: using the Image Trace panel is the preferred method

6. When satisfied, click the Expand button to make object into permanent path

7. To reset the image to its original condition, click Object..Image Trace.. Release

8. The result is often a very complex set of vector objects, but it is much better than in the Live Trace methodology. Often you can avoid using the Pen tool altogether!

before Image Trace after Image Trace

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II. Live Trace (prior to CS6) A. Purpose: automatically traces over placed raster art and converts

it to a series of vector shapes that REPLACE the original art

B. How does it work?

1. Color/contrast information in the raster graphic is used to create paths — anchor points and segments

2. The result is live (like an appearance), allowing you to experiment with different trace settings until you Expand into a permanent path

C. To use:

1. In an Illustrator document, File..Place a raster image

2. Select the image

3. Click on the Live Trace button on the Control panel or

4. Choose a Tracing preset from the drop down list beside the Live Trace button or

5. Choose Tracing Options from the drop down list - dialog box allows choice of

a. Preset

b. Color mode

c. Number of colors

d. And many other options

6. When satisfied, click the Expand button to make object(s) into permanent path(s)

7. Note that result is often a very complex set of vector objects - not easy to work with - and the reason the tracing ability with the Pen tool is so important

before Live Trace after Live Trace

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Introduction to Live PaintA. Definition: an intuitive way to color objects

B. Why use it?

1. Live Paint automatically senses regions created by paths (even when not selected) and can re-color any fill or stroke of an object

2. Normally used in conjunction with images that have been traced or with stacked objects that intersect — intersecting parts can be colored separately

C. To create a Live Paint group

1. Before Live Paint fills (and strokes) can be applied, the objects must be made into a Live Paint group (consisting of faces and edges)

2. When working with a traced image or with “regular” stacked objects

a. Select the objects with the Selection tool

b. Cliick on Object..Live Paint..Make or select the Live Paint tool (under Shape Builder tool)

c. Click on the selection using the Live Paint tool

3. Live Paint options

a. Double-click on Live Paint tool to access dialog box

b. Can decide to paint fills and/or strokes

c. Can use Swatch preview (belt buckle) or not

d. Can change highlight color and width

4. To apply fills

a. Choose the Live Paint tool

b. Right/left arrow through belt buckle colors, or choose desired color from the Color, Swatches, or Color Guide panel

c. Click on the desired area that the Live Paint tool highlights as you move over the group

d. Note that, if you have Strokes selected in the Options, the cursor changes depending if you are on a fill (bucket) or a stroke (brush)

5. An object that isn’t completely closed may not fill with Live Paint. Choose Object..Live Paint.. Gap Options to fix the problem

6. The Live Paint Selection tool allows you to select non-contiguous parts of an illustration and then color them all at once.

7. You may leave the Live Paint object live or click the Expand button to create permanent objects

Live Paint tool

Live Paint Selectio

n tool

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True Perspective DrawingI. Illustrator gives you the tools!

A. Define or edit one-, two-, or three-point perspective in a document

B. Create objects directly in perspective

C. Bring existing objects in perspective

D. Transform objects in perspective (move and scale objects)

II. Perspective Grid basicsA. Open a new document

B. Click View..Perspective Grid..Show Grid (or simply click the Perspective Grid tool)

C. Illustrator provides presets for one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives in View menu

D. View..Perspective Grid..Define Grid presents dialog box with which you can define a grid and save it as a preset

E. Preset options can be changed manually with Perspective Grid tool:

1. Horizon height

2. Ground level

3. Plane positions

4. Plane extents

5. Grid cell size

F. Plane Switching widget appears in upper left corner in order to select the active grid plane

III. Drawing new objects in perspectiveA. Use the line tools or regular object tools while the grid is visible. While using the tools,

can switch to the Perspective Selection tool by pressing Cmd / Ctrl

B. Can also switch the active plane using the keyboard shortcut 1 (left plane), 2 (horizontal plane), 3 (right plane), and 4 (no plane)

C. Double-click any object with Perspective Selection tool to edit it in isolation mode

IV. Add already drawn objects to perspectiveA. Copy or place object into document

B. Select the proper plane

C. Use the Perspective Selection tool to move the object into place

D. The Type tool does not automatically work in perspective. After typing, use the Perspective Selection tool to move it into place.

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The Swatches PanelI. Swatches panel menu commands

A. Swatches panel menu allows you to

1. Open up other swatch panels from the Illustrator library (ex: Pantone spot colors)

a. Once a pattern, gradient, spot, or global color swatch from a library panel is clicked on, it installs on the main Swatches panel. Simple color swatches do not install automatically.

b. Changes that you make to the Swatches panel are local (for that document only)

2. List the swatches by name or type (gradient, color, pattern) — the icons at the bottom of the panel restrict the category of swatch that appears in the panel

3. The Show Find Field menu displays a blank field so that you can type in a name of a swatch to select it in the panel (good for Pantone spot colors)

4. View the swatch icons in different sizes or by a named list

B. Custom colors, gradients, and patterns can be added to the Swatches panel

C. Edit a selected swatch using the Swatch Options menu or double click on the swatch

D. Swatches can be deleted by selecting them and clicking the Trash Can at the bottom of the panel — this affects only the current document

E. Unused colors can be eliminated from the document Swatch panel using the Select All Unused panel menu and then clicking the panel Trash Can

F. To create a custom swatch panel of favorite swatches

1. Add and delete colors, patterns, and gradients to/from the main Swatches panel Remember that these changes affect only the current document

2. Choose the Save Swatch Library menu on the Swatches panel Save Swatches for Exchange shares solid colors with other Adobe applications

3. Choose a name for the library — the menu command will automatically place the library in the Swatches folder inside the Illustrator program

4. When Illustrator restarts, the Open Swatch Library menu will include your custom library in both the Swatches panel menu or the Window menu

5. A custom panel will automatically appear when you start Illustrator if you choose the Persistent menu from the Swatch panel

II. Swatch patternsA. What is a pattern?

1. A pattern “tile” or wallpaper of repeated objects

2. What is a tile made of?

a. Paths, embedded raster graphics, clipping masks, and text — including transparency and/or Effects is OK

b. No blends or linked raster graphics - linked raster graphics can easily be embedded using the button on the Control panel

Remember the Persistent menu command if you want to automatically load your custom Swatches panel when Illustrator opens

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B. To use a pattern swatch

1. Select an object and note whether fill or stroke is active

2. Choose a pattern swatch from the Swatches panel or from a Pattern library - patterns can be used in either fills or strokes

3. You can also drag a swatch to an unselected object.

C. To edit a pattern swatch

1. In CS6, the methodology for edting a pattern swatch has changed. You simply double-click on the pattern swatch to open the Pattern Options dialog box and editing mode. (In previous versions, a sample of the swatch was dragged to the artboard, modified, and then saved.)

2. The pattern can be modified using many different controls in the dialog box. It can also be changed using normal path editing techniques - color, shape, etc.

3. When satisfied use Save a Copy from the isolation mode bar at the top of the screen. A warning will appear that any further changes will be made to the original, not the saved copy. Then exit by clicking Cancel.

D. To make a new pattern swatch

1. Develop original art - paths, embedded raster graphics, clipping masks, text, etc.

2. Select the art and click Object..Pattern.. Make to enter pattern options mode, as you would to edit a pattern (or drag art to the Swatches panel and then double-click swatch to edit)

3. The significant improvement with CS6 is that you can use the Tile Type in order to make the swatch look professional. This was very difficult to do in previous versions of Illustrator.

E. Other notes

1. When you format an object with a pattern fill/stroke, the internal pattern shapes can’t be selected and edited

2. The Object..Expand menu converts the pattern format and turns the formatted object into a complicated mask

3. If you use a transform tool (i.e. Scale tool), double click on the tool select the checkbox to allow the object and pattern to transform together

4. Using the Rotate tool, hold the tilde ~ key down and drag to move the pattern around inside the shape

5. Any custom swatch pattern will be saved locally with the document and can be accessed by going to the Swatch Library menu, choosing Other Library, and seaching for the file

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The Graphic Styles PanelI. Purpose: to record appearance attributes for repetitive use

A. What gets recorded includes fills, strokes, swatch and brush formatting, effects, and transparency settings — more than what a swatch or brush can remember

B. The style can get applied to an individual path, a group, or a layer

II. Using the Graphic Styles panelA. Select one or more objects (all paths in a layer can also be

selected using the target icon on the Layers panel

B. Apply the style by selecting it from the Styles panel list

C. You can also drag the style onto an unselected object

D. To remove a style, you must choose the Clear Appearance button in the Appearance panel, but then you have to apply fill and stroke colors again - bummer

E. There are numerous Style libraries that can be accessed from the Windows menu or Graphic Styles panel menu

F. Note: styles provide consistency in a document where the same format is applied repetitively — you can still apply custom appearances to the object after the style has been applied

III. To create a styleA. Apply attributes to an object and review them on the Appearance

panel

B. Drag the object to the Styles panel just like defining a new swatch or brush — or click the New Style button at the bottom of the Styles panel

C. Double click on the style if you want to give it a name

IV. To edit a styleA. Choose an object that has the style applied and modify as desired

B. With the alt/option key depressed, drag the modified object on top of the “old” button on the Styles panel

C. All objects that have been formatted with the style automatically change

D. The Break Link to Style button disassociates a style from a selection

V. Style librariesA. Custom style libraries can be created

B. Use the same set of skills that you’ve learned for swatches and brushes!

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The Brushes PanelI. Paintbrush basics

A. The Paintbrush tool formats a stroke with the brush selected from the Brushes panel

B. To remove a brush from a path, select the path and then click on the Remove Brush icon at the bottom of the Brushes panel

C. Both the Paintbrush and Pencil tools are used to draw “freehand” by using the mouse or a stylus and pressure sensitive tablet

D. Double clicking on the Paintbrush tool lets you customize paintbrush activity - Keep Selected is turned OFF by default

1. Good for complex art - the paths don’t get redrawn by accident

2. Bad because you always have to reselect a path to change its look

E. Any path drawn with any tool can be formatted with a paintbrush nib

F. Five types of brushes: calligraphic, scatter (objects on path), art (stretches artwork to path), pattern (applies pattern to a stroke with corner, side, start and end pieces), and bristle (“painterly” look)

G. To load other brush panels, choose the Window..Brush Libraries — you can spend hours playing with all these creative brushes!

1. These brushes show up in their own panels

2. When you click on one of the brushes, it installs itself on the main Brushes panel

II. Customizing brush strokesA. Select the path that has a brush format applied to it

B. Simple changes include

1. Change the stroke weight (resulting size depends on type of brush)

2. Changing the stroke color (will not work on all brushes)

C. For custom changes, double-click the brush or choose the stroke options button

1. Choices will override the preset features of the brush format for the selected path - the creator of the brush specified the default options and chose the dominant color for the hue shift

2. Each type of brush has different features that can be edited

D. Colorization

1. Modifies the color of black/white brushes

a. None: keep original colors specified by creator of brush

b. Tint: allows you to choose a different stroke color to change the entire color of the brush stroke (good for working with a spot color where only 2 coats of ink are printed)

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2. Modifies grayscale and colored brushes (i.e. scatter)

3. Choose stroke color before you bring up the Options panel so you can preview what will happen

4. None and Tint (described above)

a. Tints and Shades: maintains black and white with everything between getting tinted (useful for grayscale brushes)

b. Hue Shift: maintains black, white and gray and tints key color (prominent color defined when the brush was created) — useful for multicolored brushes

III. To create your own custom brushA. Calligraphy brushes

1. Click on the New Brush button, then specify the type of brush and options

2. Drag existing brush onto New Brush button, double-click on new brush, and change brush options

B. Art and Scatter brushes

1. Create the simple Illustrator objects that will make up the brush (no blends, gradients, text or placed raster graphics, but transparency and outlined type are OK)

2. Drag the selected objects into the Brushes panel and select the brush type

3. Choose desired features and colorization options

4. Remember that Art brush artwork gets stretched along the entire path, while Scatter brushes scatter the artwork along the path without any stretching

C. Pattern brush

1. Made with up of a maximum of 5 tiles: side, outer corner, inner corner, start, and end

2. Make the series of graphics (you’ll want to coordinate their sizes)

3. Save each tile in the Swatches panel — give each one a name by double clicking on the swatch (e.g., outside, corner, side)

4. Click on the New Brush button on the Brushes panel and select the Pattern Brush

5. Choose the swatch name that goes in each part of the pattern brush

D. Bristle brush

1. Allows user to create brush strokes with the appearance of a natural brush with bristles

2. Layered, individual, bristle brush strokes build up and interact with each other, but a single stoke scrubbed back and forth in place does not interact with itself and build up

3. Use brushes from library or click on New Brush button and select Bristle Brush

4. Options include 10 tip shapes such as round, flat, or fan and characteristics such as bristle length, stiffness, and paint opacity

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IV. Other hints for using brushesA. As mentioned above, brush strokes can be

removed using the Remove Brush Stroke button — this can also be accomplished with the Appearance panel

B. Brushes work similar to Swatches - naming, modifying, deleting, duplicating, etc.

C. The Object..Expand Appearance menu will separate the brush stroke into separate objects that can be modified individually

D. Creating a custom Paintbrush library works the same way as making a Swatch library (save to the Brushes Libraries folder in the Illustrator program folder)

E. Brush libraries can be accessed by clicking on the Brush Libraries Menu icon.

F. A favorite brush library can be opened automatically with the Persistent menu command

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The Blend ToolI. Live Blends - general info

A. Creates a group of distributed objects that start at one object and end at another object while changing shape and color in between

B. Live blend: when you change one of the original shapes, the in between (tween) shapes change

C. The distributed objects are set on a spine (path)

II. To create a live blendA. Create the objects (the minimum is two objects but more

can be used)

B. Select both objects and choose the Object..Blend..Make menu - or - Choose the Blend tool and click on each of the objects

C. Blend options using the Object..Blend..Options menu: smooth color, steps or specified distance

D. To adjust the live blend, use the Direct Selection tool and modify one of the original shapes

III. Special featuresA. Treat the spine as you would any path to add points or convert the path’s shape

B. Introduce a new spine by selecting the blended group and any other path, then choosing the Object..Blend..Replace Spine menu

C. Spine can also be flipped (reversed) or reversed front to back

D. You can convert the intermediate blended shapes into a series of independent objects by choosing the Object..Blend..Expand menu (the shapes will be automatically grouped)

E. Undo the blend with the Object..Blend..Release

The new spine made with a pencil stroke "squiggle" made an impressive difference on this simple blend of two stars!

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The Mesh tool I. What is it?

A. Used to add 3-dimensional effects, highlights, and shading to a path

B. Formats a path with multiple gradients that can be controlled with anchor points and direction lines on a mesh of horizontal and vertical axis lines

C. The “regular” Gradient tool formats a path with a single gradient, whereas the Mesh tool installs multiple gradients into a single object

II. Using the Mesh toolA. Create a shape and format it with the basic background color desired (the

background color cannot be changed later!)

B. Deselect the shape

C. Choose the desired color of the gradient highlight in the Fill icon at the bottom of the toolbox or in the Swatches or Color panel

D. Click on the object with the Mesh tool, creating a new horizontal and vertical axis. Click as many times as desired to develop mesh, keeping in mind that the more complex the grid, the more difficult it is to manage

E. The mesh shapes itself according to the contours of the object

III. Creating a Mesh with a menu commandA. Create a shape and format it as above

B. With the shape selected, choose the Object..Create Gradient Mesh menu

C. Enter the desired number of rows and columns (this works on any type of shape)

IV. Editing the gradient mesh shapeA. Select a gradient mesh anchor point with the Direct Selection tool

B. With the anchor point active, change the fill color to alter the color of the gradient

C. Improve the gradient by moving or deleting mesh anchor points (Alt+click with the Mesh tool will delete a mesh anchor point / section)

D. Click the area between mesh anchor points with the Direct Selection tool - this selects all four anchor points of the area and allows you to color the entire area

The Mesh tool can get you fantastic results, but it doesn’t happen without hard work!

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Symbol ToolsI. Definition of a symbol

A. A symbol is defined once in Illustrator, and all uses of it refer to the original (like a linked file or pointer)

B. An individual copy of a symbol is called an instance

C. A collection of symbols (applied with the Symbol Sprayer tool) is called a set

D. Advantages:

1. A complex symbol can be used repetitively without “bogging down” the document

2. Using symbols reduces file size

3. Symbols are useful for web environments when exported as SWF or SVG

II. Symbol vs. scatter brushA. Scatter Brush stroke

1. Format can be applied to the stroke of any path using the Brushes panel

2. A brush stroke is typically intended for freehand drawing using the Paintbrush tool

3. Scatter brushes are customized using the Brushes panel Options button

B. Symbol set

1. Instances/set is created using the Symbol Sprayer tool

2. The instance/set is not attached to a path

3. The instance/set is customized using special Symbol tools

III. Using symbolsA. Select the desired symbol from the Symbols panel (additional Symbol libraries can be

accessed from the Symbol Libraries button menu)

B. Create a symbol set by dragging the mouse using the Symbol Sprayer tool

1. The longer the mouse stays in one area, the more symbols are sprayed

2. To change the size of the sprayer before dragging, use the [ ] (square bracket) keys

3. A mixed set can contain different symbols in one grouping — just click on another symbol and keep spraying in a selected set!

4. To bring in a single instance, click on the Place Symbol Instance button at the bottom of the Symbols panel (or simply drag one onto the artboard)

IV. Modifying a setA. Once a set is created, select it and drag using one or more of the other Symbol tools

B. Alt/Option usually reverses the effect of the tool

C. When working in a mixed set, select the specific symbol in the Symbols panel so that only that symbol receives the modification. Alternately, deselect all symbols to work on all parts of the set

set

instance

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V. Other Symbol toolsA. Shifter: moves the symbols in the direction you

drag. Use the Shift key to click on a symbol and bring it to the front, or Shift + Alt/Option to send behind

B. Scruncher: changes the location by pulling the symbols together, Alt/Option pushes them apart

C. Sizer: increases the size of the symbols, Alt/Option decreases the size

D. Spinner: rotates the symbols

E. Stainer: changes the color of symbols based on the Fill Swatch — when you drag, the longer the mouse is held the more color is applied. Alt/Option removes the applied color

F. Screener: increases the transparency of the symbols, Alt/Option decreases it

G. Styler: applies a style from the Styles panel to the instances - be VERY careful with this one, your computer can grind to a halt!

VI. Making and editing symbolsA. To create a new symbol

1. Create the art that will be the symbol

2. Drag it into the Symbols panel and give it a name in the dialog box that appears

3. Unless you are creating a symbol for use in Flash, it makes no difference if it is defined as a movie clip or a graphic

B. To edit an existing symbol

1. Select the desired symbol in the Symbols panel

2. Drag the symbol to the artboard or select it and then click on the Place Symbol Instance button at the bottom of the panel

3. Break the link to the original symbol using the button at the bottom of the panel (unless you want to change the original symbol)

4. Using the Direct Selection tool, select the part(s) of the artwork you want to change and apply your changes

5. Drag to the Symbols panel to create a new symbol, or Alt/Option+drag over the original symbol to replace it

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Web GraphicsI. Good practices

A. Develop graphic(s) with web in mind

1. Use Web document profile (RGB, 1024x768 px, 72 ppi, etc.)

2. Use View..Pixel Preview

3. Align objects to pixel grid

a. Checkbox in New Document dialog box

b. Transform panel checkbox (for already made objects)

c. Transform panel flyout menu - Align New Objects to Pixel Grid

d. Symbol options - Align to Pixel Grid checkbox

4. Use anti-aliasing (blurring edges for smoother display) appropriately

a. Preferences..General..Anti-aliased Artwork turned ON by default

b. When exporting to raster format, sometimes better to turn OFF

B. Use Web panel preset (or develop your own set of favorite panels)

C. Use web-safe colors (Adobe recommendation, most authors don’t agree)

D. Use web templates (must add swatches, symbols, etc.)

E. Can build individual graphics or entire web page layouts in Illustrator

II. File..Save for Web...A. Goal - choose most appropriate file format to balance quality with file size

B. Several ways to preview images in Save for Web dialog box – 2-up is best bet

C. Use tools on left hand side (e.g., eyedropper for transparency color)

D. Choices in right-hand panel:

1. File type

a. gif - used for logos, text, flat color, and transparency

b. jpg - used for complex art - photos, gradients

c. png - best of both worlds, png-8 uses same rules as gif, png-24 is closer to jpg

2. Other choices depend on file type chosen

3. Image size - clip to artboard or to graphics

E. Check below Optimized version preview for file size

III. Using slices A. Concept of table - whole artboard gets carved into rectangular sections

B. Slice tool, Slice Select tool

anti-aliasing on

anti-aliasing off

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C. Ways to make slices

1. Manual slices, click and drag with Slice tool, finished with automatic slices

2. Use Guides to make slices - Object..Slice..Create from Guides

3. Object based slicing

a. Select object (or several objects)

b. Choose Object..Slice..Make

c. If object is complex, it must be grouped before applying slice

d. If object is modified, slice gets updated accordingly

D. Remove slices - Object..Slice..Delete All or Object..Slice..Remove for just one slice

E. Slice Select tool

1. Can be used in normal view to change dimensions of slice

2. Can also select object and then Object..Slice..Slice Options to get a jump on the specific settings for saving the object

F. Apply settings to Slice Options

1. Select slice, then Object..Slice..Slice Options

2. Enter slice type, name, URL, alt, background

G. Edit..Save for Web...

1. Select any slice with Slice Select tool and make modifications - such as size

2. 2-up allows you to compare original and optimized versions

3. Can save All Slices, All User Slices, Selected Slices

4. Images will save in “images” folder, given automatic names unless names were assigned in Slice Options dialog box

IV. Creating vector graphics for the webA. SVG - a vector format for images that currently works in all major browsers except IE

and is not widely used at this time. SVG is an Illustrator “native file format” and is an option in the File..Save As.. dialog box.

B. SWF - another vector format native to Flash. Flash has dominated the web in high quality, low file size animations, but Apple has rejected Flash -- so who knows what will happen?

1. Illustrator can export to swf format or send Illustrator artwork to Flash

2. Can copy and paste object into Flash – nice and easy

3. Can export entire file to swf, but better to save as ai for import into Flash

C. Exporting Illustrator artwork into Flash (swf) format

1. Develop artwork in Illustrator and save as ai file

2. Choose File..Export..., select the Flash (swf) format, and click Export

3. A dialog box appears with two tabs - Basic and Advanced

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4. Basic - the major thing to consider is Export As:

a. AI File to SWF File - converts artwork to static swf file

b. All Layers to SWF Frames - used for animations

c. All Layers to SWF Files - each layer as separate static swf

d. All Layers to SWF Symbols - self explanatory

e. Artboards to Files - for use with multiple artboards

5. Advanced - controls for animations - Frame Rate, Looping, Animate Blends, Layer Order, Export Static Layers

6. If animation is desired:

a. Multiple graphics must be available in same file

b. Each object or group of objects must be on a separate layer

c. If objects are in the same layer, choose from Layers flyout menu: Release to Layers (Sequence) or Release to Layers (Build)

i. “Sequence” allows each object to be available individually in the animation

ii. “Build” allows each object to stay in view throughout the animation

d. Click on Web Preview button to test animation, then click OK to save.

e. Double-click on file to test in Flash player

7. Blends can also be used for animation without having to Release to Layers. Simply click on Animate Blends checkbox

V. Other kinds of Illustrator integrationA. Photoshop - Export..Photoshop (psd)

1. Can preserve editability of all parts of Illustrator document

2. Can even transfer slices with export

3. Content is rasterized in Photoshop, so, if content needs to be modified, a different approach is used:

a. Place Illustrator (ai) file into Photoshop file and hit Enter to confirm it as a Smart Object

b. After applying any Photoshop effects to the artwork, you can double-click on Smart Object icon in the Photoshop layers panel to send the original object back to Illustrator (in new document) for changes

c. Choose “Discard changes, preserving Illustrator editing capabilities” , make changes, save new document, and Smart Object will update in Photoshop

B. Dreamweaver - importing sliced ai document sets up table that contains graphics only, text is not preserved

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Using GraphsI. Developing a graph

A. Graphs communicate statistical information in a visual way

B. Nine types of graphs available in Illustrator: column, stacked column, bar, stacked bar, line, area, scatter, pie, and radar – all can be customized

C. How to make a graph

1. Select any graph tool - can easily change the type of graph later on

2. Define the dimensions of the graph in any of the following ways:

3. Drag diagonally from the corner where you want the graph to begin to the opposite corner. Alt drag (Windows) or Option drag (Mac OS) to draw the graph from its center. Hold down Shift to constrain the graph to a square

4. OR click where you want to create the graph. Enter a width and height for the graph, and click OK. (Dimensions do not include labels and legend.)

5. Enter data for the graph in the Graph Data window (or copy/paste from existing spreadsheet)

A. Entry text boxB. Import dataC. Transpose row/columnD. Switch x/yE. Cell styleF. RevertG. Apply

6. Click the Apply button or press the Enter key on the numeric keypad to populate the graph

7. The Graph Data window stays open until you close it. This allows you to easily switch between editing graph data and working on the artboard

8. Can also import data from existing spreadsheet, but data must be saved as a tab delimited .txt file

D. To change the type of graph, close the Graph Data window, right click on the selected graph, and choose Type. A dialog box provides various options for the types of graphs.

II. Styling the graphA. Use the Group Selection tool to select various parts of the graph. You can select a

group by clicking one of its parts, clicking again to select the objects grouped with it. Each click adds another layer of grouped objects to the selection, beginning with the next group up in the hierarchy. You can click as many times as the number of groups to add to a selection.

B. Adjusting column width has no effect on the width of columns in the graph; it only lets you view more or fewer digits in a column.

C. Click Cell Style button to increase number of digits showing.

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Paragraph and Character StylesI. Definitions

A. A paragraph style can include both character- and paragraph-formatting attributes, and can be applied to a selected paragraph or range of paragraphs

B. A character style is a collection of character-formatting attributes that can be applied to a selected range of text

C. Using character and paragraph styles saves time and ensures consistent formatting

II. Create a paragraph or character styleA. Style text the way you like and then click

Create New Style button in the appropriate panel

B. OR click on Create New Style button and build style from scratch within the dialog box

1. Double-click on the default name of the new style to open the dialog box and give style a meaningful name

2. Change any values if necessary and click OK

3. A named style can be modified at any time and the changes will be applied to all instances of that style

III. Apply a paragraph or character styleA. Select text and click a style name in one of the panels

B. If you don’t select any text, the style applies to new text you create

C. A plus sign after a style name indicates that the style has been over-ridden by some changes. To clear the over-ride, click on the fly out menu and choose Clear Overrides or simply right-click on the style and the extra formatting disappears.

D. Can import styles from other documents

1. From panel fly out menu, select Load Paragraph/Character Styles.. and choose document

2. From panel fly out menu, select Load All Styles.. - both Paragraph and Character styles will load from another document

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Align and DistributeYou use the Align panel (Window .. Align) and the align options in the Control panel to align or distribute selected objects along the axis you specify. You can use either the object edges (default) or anchor points as the reference point, and you can align to a selection, an artboard, or a key object. A key object is one specific object in a selection of multiple objects.

I. Align or distribute to selectionA. Select the objects to align or distribute

B. In the Align panel or Control panel, select Align to Selection, and then click the button for the type of alignment or distribution you want

II. Align or distribute to key objectA. Select the objects to align or distribute

B. In the Align panel or Control panel, select Align to Key Object and then click again on the object you want to use as a key object. A blue outline appears around the key object, and then click the button for the type of alignment or distribution you want

C. To stop aligning and distributing relative to an object, click again on the object to remove the blue outline, or choose Cancel Key Object from the Align panel menu.

III. Align or distribute to artboardA. Select the objects to align or distribute

B. In the Align panel or Control panel, select Align To Artboard, and then click the button for the type of alignment or distribution you want.

C. You can distribute objects using exact distances between their paths.

IV. Precise distributionA. Select the objects to distribute

B. Choose Align to Key Object

C. If the Distribute Spacing options aren’t displayed, select Show Options from the panel menu.

D. In the Align panel, enter the amount of space to appear between objects in the Distribute Spacing text box.

E. Use the Selection tool to click the path of the object you want the other objects to distribute around. The object you click will remain fixed in its position.

F. Click either the Vertical Distribute Space button or the Horizontal Distribute Space button.

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Document Info and MetadataI. Document info

A. Use the Document Info panel to see listings of general file information and object characteristics, as well as the number and names of graphic styles, custom colors, patterns, gradients, fonts, and placed art. To display the panel, choose Window .. Document Info.

II. Metadata A. Definition - a set of standardized information about a file, such as

author name, resolution, color space, copyright, and keywords applied to it.

B. Select File..File Info. The dialog box displays file properties, an edit history, copyright, and author information. The File Info dialog box also displays custom metadata panels. You can add metadata directly in the File Info dialog box.

C. In most cases, the metadata remains with the file even when the file format changes (for example, from PSD to JPG). Metadata also remains when files are placed in an Adobe document or project.

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Transparency and Blending ModesI. Transparency

A. Transparency is such an integral part of Illustrator that it’s possible to add transparency to your artwork without realizing it. You can add transparency to artwork by doing any of the following:

1. Lowering the opacity of objects so that underlying artwork becomes visible

2. Using opacity masks to create variations in transparency

3. Using a blending mode to change how colors interact among overlapping objects

4. Applying gradients and meshes that include transparency

5. Applying effects or graphic styles that include transparency, such as drop shadows

6. Importing Adobe Photoshop files that include transparency

B. Using the Transparency panel

1. Click Show Options from fly out menu

2. Thumbnail of selected object(s) shows in Transparency panel

3. Set opacity to specified number or use slider (good to turn on View..Show Transparency Grid)

C. Create transparency knockout group

1. Definition - elements of a group do not show through each other

2. Select the group / layer

3. In the Transparency panel, select Knockout Group

4. Selecting the Knockout Group option cycles it through three states:

a. on (check mark)

b. off (no mark) - use the off option when you want to ensure that a layer or a group of transparent objects will never knock each other out

c. neutral (square with a line through it) - use the neutral option when you want to group artwork without interfering with the knockout behavior determined by the enclosing layer or group

D. Create opacity mask

1. The opacity mask provides the shape through which other objects show.

2. The masking object defines which areas are transparent and the degree of transparency.

3. You can use any colored object or raster image as the masking object. Illustrator uses the grayscale equivalents of the colors in the masking object for the opacity levels in the mask. Where the opacity mask is white, the artwork is fully visible. Where the opacity mask is black, the artwork is hidden. Shades of gray in the mask result in varying degrees of transparency in the artwork.

without knockout

with knockout

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II. Blending ModesA. Allow you vary the ways that the colors of objects blend with the colors of underlying

objects. When you apply a blending mode to an object, the effect of the blending mode is seen on any objects that lie beneath the object’s layer or group.

B. It’s helpful to think in terms of the following color terminology when visualizing a blending mode’s effect:

1. The blend color is the original color of the selected object, group, or layer

2. The base color is the underlying color in the artwork

3. The resulting color is the color resulting from the blend

C. Types of blending modes

1. Normal - No blend mode - paints the selection with the blend color, without interaction with the base color. This is the default mode.

2. Darken - Selects the base or blend color—whichever is darker—as the resulting color. Areas lighter than the blend color are replaced. Areas darker than the blend color do not change.

3. Multiply - Multiplies the base color by the blend color. The resulting color is always a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces black. Multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged. The effect is similar to drawing on the page with multiple magic markers.

4. Color Burn - Darkens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with white produces no change.

5. Lighten - Selects the base or blend color—whichever is lighter—as the resulting color. Areas darker than the blend color are replaced. Areas lighter than the blend color do not change.

6. Screen - Multiplies the inverse of the blend and base colors. The resulting color is always a lighter color. Screening with black leaves the color unchanged. Screening with white produces white. The effect is similar to projecting multiple slide images on top of each other.

7. Color Dodge - Brightens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with black produces no change.

8. Overlay - Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay the existing artwork, preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color while mixing in the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the original color.

9. Soft Light - Darkens or lightens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a diffused spotlight on the artwork.

10. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the artwork is lightened, as if it were dodged. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the artwork is darkened, as if it were burned in. Painting with pure black or white produces a distinctly darker or lighter area but does not result in pure black or white.

11. Hard Light - Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a harsh spotlight on the artwork.

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12. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the artwork is lightened, as if it were screened. This is useful for adding highlights to artwork. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the artwork is darkened, as if it were multiplied. This is useful for adding shadows to artwork. Painting with pure black or white results in pure black or white.

13. Difference - Subtracts either the blend color from the base color or the base color from the blend color, depending on which has the greater brightness value. Blending with white inverts the base-color values. Blending with black produces no change.

14. Exclusion - Creates an effect similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. Blending with white inverts the base-color components. Blending with black produces no change.

15. Hue - Creates a resulting color with the luminance and saturation of the base color and the hue of the blend color.

16. Saturation - Creates a resulting color with the luminance and hue of the base color and the saturation of the blend color. Painting with this mode in an area with no saturation (gray) causes no change.

17. Color - Creates a resulting color with the luminance of the base color and the hue and saturation of the blend color. This preserves the gray levels in the artwork and is useful for coloring monochrome artwork and for tinting color artwork.

18. Luminosity - Creates a resulting color with the hue and saturation of the base color and the luminance of the blend color. This mode creates an inverse effect from that of the Color mode.

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Actions, Scripts, VariablesI. Actions

A. An action is a series of tasks that you play back on a single file or a batch of files - menu commands, panel options, tool actions, and so on. For example, you can create an action that changes the size of an image, applies an effect to the image, and then saves the file in the desired format.

B. Actions can include steps that let you perform tasks that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Actions can also include modal controls that let you enter values in a dialog box while playing an action.

C. Photoshop and Illustrator come with predefined actions installed that help you perform common tasks. You can use these actions as is, customize them to meet your needs, or create new actions. Actions are stored in sets to help you organize them.

D. You can record, edit, customize, and batch-process actions, and you can manage groups of actions by working with action sets.

ScriptsA. When you run a script, your computer performs a sequence of operations. These

operations may involve only Illustrator, or they may involve other applications, such as word-processing, spreadsheet, and database-management programs.

B. Illustrator supports multiple scripting environments (including Microsoft Visual Basic, AppleScript, JavaScript, and ExtendScript). You can use the standard scripts that come with Illustrator, and you can create your own scripts and add them to the Scripts submenu.

C. For more information about scripting in Illustrator, see the sample scripts and scripting documentation in the Adobe Illustrator CS6/Scripting folder.

II. VariablesA. In a collaborative environment, coordination between team members is essential

to the success of a project. For example, in a company that creates websites, the web designer is responsible for the look and feel of the site, while the web developer is responsible for the underlying code and scripting. If the designer changes the layout of the web page, those changes must be communicated to the developer. Likewise, if the developer needs to add functionality to the web page, the design may need to be updated.

B. Variable libraries enable designers and developers to coordinate their work through an XML file. For example, a designer can create a template for business cards in Illustrator and export variable data as an XML file. The developer can then use the XML file to link variables and data sets to a database and write a script to render the final artwork. This workflow can also be reversed, where the developer codes the variable and data set names in an XML file, and the designer imports the variable libraries into an Illustrator document.

adobe illustrator notes

Documents

adobe illustratorspring

illustrator tool panel

formatting tools

transform tools

illustrator shape

scale tool

rotate tool

object menu