Guides
* In order to be able to change your guides, make sure they're not locked. Select View --> Guides and if you see a check next to Lock Guides: click on it to uncheck the option.
Smart Guides
You can turn smart guides on or off by clicking View --> Smart Guides
Keyboard Shortcut: Command-->U
Horizontal or Vertical Guides
In order to create horizontal or vertical guides, you'll first need to make sure the rulers are displayed. Turn them on by selecting View --> Rulers --> Show Rulers. (Keyboard Shortcut: Command->R)
Use the rulers to create guides by moving the cursor into the ruler, then clicking and dragging down or across and releasing at the spot where you would like a guide.
Custom Guides
You can turn anything into a guide by selecting the object that you'd like to turn into a guide and then clicking: View --> Guides --> Make Guide
keyboard shortcuts for guides
- viewing/hiding guides: Command ;
- turning smart guides on/off: Command U
- viewing/hiding rulers: Command R
- making a custom guide: Command 5
Selection Tools (part 1)
- Selection Tool: Allows you to select objects or groups of objects. Keyboard shortcut: V
- Direct Selection Tool: Allows you to select single anchor points or groups of anchor points in order to manipulate shapes directly. Keyboard shortcut: A
Click and drag to draw a path
OR
Click on the tool icon, then click once on the artboard wherever you want the path.
This will open a dialog box: enter the specifications you prefer, then click OK to create
a path.
- Double click on a tool icon to open its tool options dialog box
- You can change the appearance of a path by selecting it and then changing the options in the control panel. You can select colors for the stroke and/or the fill . You can also control the opacity of the colors, plus the width and style of the stroke.
- You'll need to click and hold your mouse to use any of the modifier keys for these tools because once you release your mouse, they won't have any effect.
- Press the space bar to move a shape while drawing.
- Hold down the alt/option key to draw from the center out.
- After drawing a path, click once to open a dialog box that lists the specifications for the path. You can edit the path by changing the values in the dialog box.
Line Segment Tool - line segment paths
- hold down the shift key to get a straight line
Arc Tool - quarter of an ellipse paths
- hold down the shift key to get a quarter of a circle
- press the c key to turn your open path arc into a closed path pie slice
- press the f key to flip your arc
- press the up or down arrows to increase or decrease the slope of your arc
- if you changed the slope and want to change it back to the default arc: double click on the arc tool icon to open the tool option box, and change the number in the box next to the slope slider to 50
- press the up or down arrow keys to increase or decrease the spiral by one quarter of an ellipse
Week 2
Basic Shape Tools also known as closed path tools
Click and drag to draw a shape
OR
Click on the tool icon, then click once on the artboard wherever you want your shape.
This will open a dialog box: enter the specifications you prefer, then click OK to create
your shape.
- You can change the appearance of a shape by selecting it and then changing the options in the control panel. You can select colors for the fill of the shape and/or its outer stroke. You can also control the opacity of the colors, plus the width and style of the stroke.
- To make a copy of any shape, select the Direct Selection Tool, then click on the shape and drag while pressing the Option key. When you release the mouse, you'll have a copy of the shape.
- You'll need to click and hold your mouse to use any of the modifier keys for these tools because once you release your mouse, they won't have any effect.
- Hold down the space bar to move a shape while drawing.
- Hold down the alt/option key to draw from the center out.
- Hold down the Tilde (~) key while drawing to get a spirograph effect
- After drawing a shape, click once to open a shape dialog box that lists the specifications for that shape. You can edit a shape by changing the values in the shape dialog box.
Rectangle Tool (keyboard shortcut: M)
- Hold down the shift key to create a square.
Rounded Rectangle Tool
- Hold down the shift key to create a square with rounded corners.
- Press the up or down arrow keys to make the corners more rounded or less rounded. Press the left arrow key for minimum corner roundness, and the right arrow key for maximum corner roundness.
Ellipse Tool (keyboard shortcut: L)
- Hold down the shift key to create a circle.
Polygon Tool
- Hold down the shift key to constrain the shape and keep it straight.
- Press the up or down arrow keys to increase or decrease the number of sides.
Star Tool
- Hold down the shift key to constrain the shape and keep it straight.
- Press the up or down arrow keys to increase or decrease the number of points. You can't go any lower than 3 points, also known as a triangle.
- Press the Command key to change the distance between the inner and outer points of the star.
Flare Tool
- This tool creates a vector shape that resembles the lens flare effect that sometimes happens in photographs.
Isolation Mode
Illustrator allows you to isolate a shape in order to work with it without worrying about changing anything else. Just double click on the shape you'd like to work with, and that shape will become isolated. Just double click elsewhere on the artboard when you're ready to exit the isolation mode.
Grouping Objects
You can group multiple objects together by selecting everything that you wish to group, and then clicking: Object --> Group. Keyboard shortcut: Command key and G
To ungroup those same objects, click: Object --> Ungroup.
Arranging Objects
You can change how objects are layered on your artboard by selecting an object and then going to Object --> Arrange--> and then any of the available choices such as bring forward or bring to front.
An even easier way to arrange objects is to select the object and then: right click --> arrange --> and then click on any of the options such as bring to front.
Clean Up Artboard
To delete any loose anchor points, paths, and shapes that have no appearance, but are still floating around somewhere on your artboard: Select Object--> Path--> Clean Up
Selection Tools (part 2)
- Magic Wand: Allows you to select everything on the artboard that is the same color.
- Lasso Tool: The lasso tool is generally of most use when you need to select while avoiding other close objects.
Pen Tool
Keyboard shortcut: P
- Allows a more advanced method of creating open and closed paths. The Pen Tool is one of Illustrator's most important tools.
- You can use the pen tool to create lines and curves, or edit existing shapes.
- Before drawing with the Pen Tool, set your fill and stroke in the control panel. Sometimes the fill can be annoying when drawing with the pen, so you might want to initially turn it off.
- While drawing with the pen tool, you can close a shape by clicking on your first anchor point.
- While drawing with the pen tool, you can leave a path open and then start a new shape by clicking while pressing the Command key. You can also leave a path open by clicking on the Selection tool and then clicking back to the Pen tool.
Straight Lines: To create a straight line with the Pen Tool, click on the artboard where you would like the line to start, then click again at the point where you'd like the line to end. Keep clicking to create more connected straight lines.
Curves: To create a curved line with the Pen Tool, click to create an anchorpoint where you'd like your curve to start. Then click again while dragging to create and control the curved line. If you are creating the curve as part of an in-progress shape, you would simply click and drag from your current anchor point.
- When you create a curved line, blue control handles appear at the anchor point
- After creating a curve, clicking once more will continue the curve. The farther away the new point is, the long and more extreme the curve. the angle of this new point in relation to the curve will determine the direction that the curve continues in.
Manipulating Paths
editing and refining
Direct Selection Tool: Click to select individual points, or Shift Click to select multiple points.
- Select a point with the Direct Selection Tool and then press Delete/Backspace to delete an anchor point. Be aware though that this method of deleting anchor points will break objects.
- Click and drag a selected anchor point to move the point and edit its path.
- Use the Direct Selection Tool to select a point that is part of a curve in order to make its control handles appear. You can then use the handles to manipulate the curve. Click and drag the handles up or down to increase or decrease the size of the curve, or out to the sides to change the direction of the curve.
Delete Anchor Point Tool: Found under the Pen Tool.
- The Delete Anchor Point Tool allows you to delete anchor points without breaking objects. When using this tool, simply click on an anchor point to delete it. The lines on either side of the deleted anchor point will be deleted and replaced by a single line connecting the two nearest anchor points.
Add Anchor Point Tool: Found under the Pen Tool.
- The Add Anchor Point Tool allows you to add new anchor points to any existing path. To use this tool, simply click anywhere on a line. A new anchor point will appear.
Convert Anchor Point Tool: Found under the Pen Tool.
- The Convert Anchor Point Tool allows you to turn straight lines into curves, and curves into corners. Click and drag on an anchor point to create a curve. Click on a point located on a curve to transform the curve into a corner.
Path Menu Options: If you go up to the top menu and select Objects --> Path, you'll find a number of additional options for editing a path. Make a shape and experiment with them.
Type Tool
- Basic controls like Word.
- Keyboard shortcut: T
- Stroke and fill
- To transform text into an object with anchor points that are fully manipulable, first select it with the Selection tool. Then click Object-->Expand
Type On A Path Tool
- To use this tool, select an already existing path, select the Type on a Path Tool, then click on the path and start typing. Your text will follow along the path.
- After typing, you can then go to the Direct Selection Tool and select anchor points to manipulate the line of text that you just created
Week 3
How to Download and Load New Fonts into Illustrator
First go to www.dafont.com, or any of the countless other free font sites on the Internet.
Search until you find a font that you want. Then click download and ok.
Open finder and then click on the Downloads folder on the side. Scroll through the Downloads folder until you find find the zip file of your font. Double click to unarchive it, then open the resulting folder.
In the folder, double click on the ttf file to open the new font and then click Install Font. It should now be available in Adobe Illustrator under fonts.
Transform Tools
Rotate Tool
Keyboard
shortcut: R (This tool does exactly what you'd think)
To use the Rotate tool, first select the
object or objects that you would like to rotate using the Selection tool. Then
click on the Rotate tool. Move your cursor over the object and click and drag
to rotate.
Reflect
Tool
Keyboard shortcut:
O
Select your object and then the reflect tool. Option-click at the spot where you want the object to reflect, this
will create a very small circle (the point
of origin, where it will reflect from: you can drag it to move it.) A
dialog box will open, select the vertical
axis and then either click OK if
you want to flip the object, or Copy
if you want to make a symmetrical copy of it and keep the original.
Scale
Tool
Keyboard shortcut:
S
Select the object you would like
to change the scale of. Double click on
the Scale tool and a dialog box will open. You can change the scale
uniformly or non-uniformly to make the object wider or taller. Click ok and the
scale will change. Press Command-D to
repeat the transformation.
Shear Tool
Distorts an object.
Select an object and then select the Shear tool (under the scale tool.) Again, you have a point of origin that acts as the center that it is distorting from, you can drag it to move it. Then simply click and drag your object to transform it.
Pathfinder Panel
- Allows you to combine shapes in different ways in order to create complex shapes, or compound shapes. eliminating one shape from another, combining shapes, or create new shapes from where two intersect.
- To open the Pathfinder Panel, select: Window--> Pathfinder
- Pathfinder has several Shape Modes to choose from:
Unite
combines 2 or more shapes together.
First you should use the Selection tool and shift-click to select all of the shapes that you wish to combine.
Then:
If the shapes are overlapping - click the Unite button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into a single, path or compound path.
or
If the shapes are overlapping - hold down the option key while clicking the Unite button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into one compound shape. (This means it is one shape, but still has separate paths in the layers palette.)
or
If the shapes are not overlapping - click the Unite button in the Pathfinder panel to group all the selected shapes. (This is the same as right clicking and then clicking on group.)
or
If the shapes are not overlapping - hold down the option key while clicking the Unite button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into a compound shape. (This means it is one shape, but still has separate paths in the layers palette.)
Minus Front
From two overlapping shapes, Minus Front deletes both the top shape, and any part of the bottom shape that was overlapped by the top shape.
First you should make sure that the two shapes are overlapping and in the correct order. Then shift-click to select both shapes.
Then:
Click the Minus Front button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into a path or compound path.
or
Hold down the option key while clicking the Minus Front button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into a compound shape. (This means it still has separate paths in the layers palette.)
Intersect
Intersect is sort of the opposite of the Minus Front shape mode. From two overlapping shapes, Intersect deletes everything from both shapes except for the part of the top shape that was overlapping the bottom shape.
First you should make sure that the two shapes are overlapping and in the correct order. Then shift-click to select both shapes.
Then:
Click the Intersect button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into a path or compound path.
or
Hold down the option key while clicking the Intersect button in the Pathfinder panel to combine them into one compound shape. (This means it still has separate paths in the layers palette.)
Exclude
From two or more overlapping shapes, the Exclude shape mode deletes anything from either shape that overlaps the other, then combines the remaining parts of both shapes together.
First you should make sure that all of the shapes are overlapping in the way that you want. Then shift-click to select all of them.
Then:
Click the Exclude button in the Pathfinder panel to delete any overlapping parts, and then combine them into a group. (You can't continue to use the pathfinder panel on a group and another path)
or
Hold down the option key while clicking the Exclude button in the Pathfinder panel to delete any overlapping parts, and then combine them into a compound shape.
Using the Pathfinder Panel to Manipulate Text
Create a Letter or series of letters. Then select what you typed with the Selection Tool. Then click on Object-->Expand. Then create another separate letter or series of letters. Use the Selection tool to select the second letters and then click on Object--> Expand. Then move the second group directly on top of the first, make sure both groups are selected and then bring up the Pathfinder window by selecting Window-->Pathfinder. Select divide. Now all overlapping segments of the letters should be separate shapes that you can move and manipulate independently of each other.
Line Weights and Styles
Controlling the appearance of one's paths in Illustrator is as important as controlling one's mark making when drawing on paper.
Line Weight
You already know how to change the color and stroke in the control panel, but if you select a path, you can also open the Stroke palette by going up to the top menu and selecting: Window --> Stroke
- Changing Line Weight in the Stroke Palette: In the Stroke palette, you can find the drop down menu for Weight and change the selected value to change the weight of the line. The higher the number, the thicker the line
- Varying Line Weight in the Stroke Palette: When drawing on paper, very few artists draw identical, evenly wide lines all the time. Drawings often contain all sorts of lines that change and shift throughout the work. Diverse mark making can make your artwork look more expressive and realistic. At the bottom of the Stroke palette, you'll find a drop-down menu called Profiles. There are six varying line options in this menu under the uniform default. Try them out and see how the different kinds of shifting line weight change your drawing.
- Using Custom Calligraphic Brushes to Vary Line Weight and Style: If you get tired of the options in the Stroke palette Profile menu, you can create new types of varying line weight by creating a custom calligraphic brush in the Brushes palette. Open the Brushes Palette and click the new brush button at the bottom. A new brush window will open, click Calligraphic Brush and then OK. Then the Calligraphic Brush Option Dialog Box will open. You can try out different specifications in order to create a varying brush that fits your needs; enter new values in the angle, roundness and size boxes, or click and drag in the preview box in order to customize your brush. Then click OK and your new calligraphic brush will appear as a swatch in your brushes palette. To use it, simple select a path and then click on the swatch.
Line Style
- Dashed Line: If you check the Dashed Line box in the Stroke menu, you can change the stroke from a solid line to a dashed line. With a dashed stroke, you are able to select values for both the weight of the dashes and the distance between each dash.
- Corner Options: If you have a path selected that has sharp angles of 90 degrees or less, you can select the Round Join button that is in the Corner options within the Stroke palette. The Round Join Button will round off the edges/points of the corners in order to make the path seem more sleek and smooth instead of jagged.
- Arrows: You can add an arrow to the end of a line. Draw a straight or curved line, then select it with the Selection tool. Find the arrow options in the Stroke palette. There are two drop-down arrow menus. One puts an arrow on one end of the line, while the other menu will put an arrow on the other end of the line. You can select from a variety of arrow styles.
Gradients
Sometimes people automatically think of flat, solid colors when they think of vector art, but there are certainly other options. Moving beyond flat colors can make your artwork more interesting, in addition to creating the illusion of dimensional space.
There are two main types of gradients:
- Linear - a fade from one color to another in a linear fashion
- Radial - the color fades outward from a center point as if it is radiating from the center and dissipating as it gets farther away.
How to turn a circle into a sphere using a radial gradient:
- Create a circle that has a solid color fill, but no stroke.
Eyedropper Tool
Keyboard shortcut: I
You can use the Eyedropper tool to make any shape/path adopt the appearance (fill and stroke) of another shape:
First select the shape that you want to change the appearance of with the Selection tool.
Then select the Eyedropper tool and simply click once on the shape or path that has the appearance that you want to copy. The appearance of the selected shape will change.
Placing a raster/bitmap image
You can easily place a raster image onto your art board by going up to the top menu and selecting File-->Place. Then select the image that you want and click ok. As long as your image is still a bitmap, you'll want to avoid making it larger than it already is.
Clipping Masks
A clipping mask is an object whose shape masks other artwork, so that only areas that lie within the shape are visible; in effect, clipping the artwork to the shape of the mask. Only vector objects can be clipping masks; however, any artwork can be masked.
First create or open the artwork that you want to mask. You could use the raster image that you just placed on the art board.
Then create the vector object that you want to use as a mask.
Move that vector object directly on top of the artwork that you wish to mask. Using the Selection tool, shift-click to select both objects.
Go up to the top menu and select Object -->Clipping Mask --> Make
Your artwork will now be masked.
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