Illustrator Basics

HOW TO ILLUSTRATOR

Or: How to Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Orange Icon

HOW TO ILLUSTRATOR • 1

INTRODUCTIONVector vs. Raster (Illustrator vs. Photoshop)

Vector File Formats:.ai

.svg*

These sneaky file formats can be either vector or raster:

.eps.pdf

*Bonus! You can use svgs on the web!

Raster File Formats:.psd

.jpg/.jpeg.bmp

.tif.gif

.png


INTRODUCTIONFile Size (Illustrator vs. Photoshop)

File Specs: · 10pt font · 14pt leading (space between lines of text) · 0.5" margins · 50% black background · White text

Illustrator (.ai) File Size:1.7mb

Photoshop (.psd) File Size:4.5mb (cue sad trombone)

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INTRODUCTIONBasic Setup

New File: · Can create file name · If you know how many artboards (pages) you will have, you can set it here to start

· Includes many standard size presets · Choose units the rulers will be set in (usually inches or pixels)

· Do you have a bleed? (Print: probably, Web: no) · Select color mode and resolution

Not seeing rulers or Smart Guides? · Toggle both on and off in the View menu along the top

Smart Guide

Rulers(Drag guides from these to align things easier)


INTRODUCTIONWorkspaces and Palettes

My Customized Workspace: · Has all the palettes I use frequently, grouped by like type

· This has been set up by and saved so I can come back to "homebase" at any point

· Yes, there is a reason the Gradient palette is hanging out on its own, but I won’t go into that here Prefab Workspaces

and Palettes: · All available under the Window menu along the top

· If you create a custom workspace, you can save it as your own here, too


TIP 1: Selection Tool vs. Direct Selection Tool

Selection Tool (Black Arrow): · Selects whole shape · Selects whole group

Direct Selection Tool (White Arrow): · Selects individual anchor point · Selects individual piece within a group · Allows you to modify a path using anchor points and bezier curves


TIP 2A: Shift, Alt...

Shift*: · Hold shift to scale an object proportionately

Shift + Alt: · Hold shift + alt to scale an object proportionately, but using the center as a scaling reference point

*Please, please for the love of all that is good, always hold shift.


TIP 2B: ...And Alt and Shift Again!

Alt: · Hold alt and drag with your mouse to create a duplicate copy of a shape or group

Alt + Shift: · Hold alt + shift and drag with your mouse to create a duplicate copy of a shape or group and move it only in a straight line


TIP 3: Align and Distribute

How to Align and Distribute

Accessing the Align and Distribute Tools: · When multiple objects are selected, the Align menu will pop up along the top (see above)

· The Align palette can always be opened via the Window menu

Three Ways to Align/Distribute:

1: To Selection

2: To Key Object

3: To Artboard

To Align to Artboard:

· Choose a single or mutiple object/s · Choose Align to Artboard from either menu along top or palette

· Select your alignment(s)

To Align to Selection:

· Choose mutiple objects · Choose Align to Selection from either menu along top or palette



TIP 3: Align and Distribute (cont.)

To Align to Key Object:

· Choose mutiple objects · Without holding shift (if you were), click the object you want set as your key object (all other objects will be aligned relative to this object)


Distribute Spacing:

· Choose mutiple objects · Use Align to Selection · In the Align palette, choose to distribute spacing vertically (seen here) or horizontally


TIP 4: Text Creation

When creating a text box:

· Always click and drag to create the text box

· Don’t single click and start typing; you’ll create a mess for yourself

When you click and drag to create a text box:

· You can resize the box to accommodate more text

· Left align, center, right align all happens within the box you’ve created

· Text box is more flexible overall

When you click to type:

· You can’t resize the box (text won’t reflow) · To break a line of type, you have to do so manually

· Type is easily stretched or shrunken when you don’t mean to

· Left align, center, right align happens around the point you first clicked

Text box created

No text box created

SOME BIG TEXTSOME BIG TEXT

SOME BIG TEXTSOME BIG TEXT MADE LONGER


TIP 5: Type on a Path

Here comes a fun one:

· Create a path (a circle, a diagonal line, a wavy line, any path you’d like)

· Click and hold on the Text tool to reveal the hidden options

· Choose the Type on a Path tool

· Click somewhere on the path (generally some sort of top or starting point is good)

· Type or copy and paste your text

Heads up! If the path you created had any colors or effects applied, they will disappear.

· Click and drag the long bar opposite the type to adjust where the type is on the path

Beware: this can be extremely finicky. Just make friends with your undo button and be patient.

Hey! This is text on a circle!

Hey! This is text on a circle!


TIP 6A: Some Miscellaneous Type Tips

Character Palette:

· Change physical characteristics (typeface, weight, size, leading, kerning) of selected text

· Adjust baseline of selected text (shift some text slightly upward or downward)

· Make text uppercase, small caps, super or subscript, underlined, or with a strikethrough

Paragraph Palette:

· Change text alignment · Indent a full paragraph (from left or right)

· Indent just the first line · Add space before or after a paragraph

· Toggle hyphenation on and off

So... someone sent you some copy that’s formatted ugly:

· Type > Change Case ... will allow you to change selected text to all uppercase, all lowercase, title case (every word capitalized), or sentence case (first word of each sentence capitalized)

Please just pretend these tools don’t exist; it will make a type lover and the font’s designer cry.


TIP 6B: Some (More!) Miscellaneous Type Tips

Glyphs Palette:

· Access some "hidden" characters that may be included with the typeface

· Easily use FontAwesome icons as vectors! (Yeah, I know!)

When to outline type*:

· You’re sending a file to a printer, client, or coworker who may not have the fonts you used, and they won’t need to change the text

· You’re using a glyph (maybe FontAwesome?) as an icon and would like to easily resize and reposition it

· You’d like to edit a character/glyph in a non-standard manner (Emma, this one’s for you!)

How to outline type:

· Select the type box (it’s all or nothing here), then use Type > Create Outlines

*Note: Text that is outlined can no longer be edited.


TIP 7: Rounded Corners

Three ways to achieve rounded corners:

· 1: Effect > Stylize > Round Corners (This will round them all equal amounts)

· 2: Shape Properties (located along the top once a shape is selected): Choose corner radius for individual or all (if lock is selected) corners numerically

· 3: Use selection tool (will affect all corners) or direct selection tool (will affect just the corner nearest the anchor point selected) to drag the blue dot on a corner in or out


TIP 8: Effect > Warp

Bonus: The Appearance Palette

Use Warp to:

· Alter the shape of text while leaving it editable

Oops! Too much bulge? Not enough arch?:

· Open the Appearance palette and click on any blue link to edit an aspect of the shape’s appearance (like the warp we just applied)

· Alter the appearance of a shape in various ways


TIP 9A: The Infamous Pathfinder Tool

Common uses of the Pathfinder tool:

Add/Unite Subtract/Minus Front Intersect Exclude


TIP 9B: For Mikey: Using the Pathfinder to Cut a Shape in Half

How to be a shape samurai (got your katana ready?):

· Create the shape you want to "cut" in half · Draw a dividing line through it (use the line segment tool) · With both selected, use the Divide tool within the Pathfinder palette · Either use the direct selection tool to move just one half or ungroup (Object > Ungroup) the shape you just sliced to manipulate the halves individually

Divide

Mmm... we just made a macaron

Divide

Mmm... we just made a macaron


TIP 10: Simple Blends

Four key steps to any blend:

· Create beginning and end shapes · Select both shapes · Object > Blend > Blend Options... · Object > Blend > Make

Smooth Color (creates a smooth gradient)

Specified Distance (shapes are all equally spaced apart)

Specified Steps (5 steps for a total of 7 shapes)

Illustrator Basics

Design

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