Introduction

Project Description

For the first part of your project, you will be creating a design using three different shapes, each of which appears in three different size variations. Students must redraw their design digitally using Illustrator, then rearrange the design on a second artboard.

For more details about the project, see the handout provided by your instructor.

Class Files

In the class files folder, there are a number of resources which may be useful, including a scanned design, example projects, and tutorial files we will use along the way.

The Illustrator Interface

Application Frame Mode

In Mac OS, the Illustrator interface behaves differently than in Windows. In Windows, documents, menus, toolbars, etc, are grouped together inside one window, but, in Mac OS, documents float freely from other components and can be maximized/minimized independently of the application itself.

Mac OS users who prefer the Windows approach can mimic it by using Application Frame mode. To turn on Application Frame mode, go to Window > Application Frame.

Using Pre-Defined Workspace Layouts

Illustrator offers so many features that the Workspace can quickly become cluttered. To simplify things, we’ll use one of Illustrator’s pre-defined combinations of panels and menus, which are known as Workspace Layouts.

In the upper-right corner of the window, set the drop-down menu to Essentials. This gives us a basic set of tools and panels.

The resulting interface should look like the following image, with the Document Window, Application Bar, Tools Panel, Control Bar and Panel Dock displayed. These items are discussed on the next few pages.

Common Interface Components

The Document Window displays the file that you are currently working on. If you have multiple files open, each file appears as a tab in the Document Window, as shown below. The white rectangle inside the Document Window, which displays the printable area of the Workspace, is called the Artboard.

The Application Bar contains the Workspace Switcher menu and a shortcut to Adobe Bridge, an application used for image management. On Windows machines, the Application Bar also contains the File, Edit, View, etc menus.

The Tools Panel contains tools used to create and manipulate artwork. To select a tool, simply click it. Tools with a triangle in the lower-right corner have additional tools hidden beneath them. To display hidden tools, click and hold a tool icon; a drop-down menu showing the hidden tools will appear.

The Control Panel displays options for the currently selected tool. Control Bar options are generally a small subset of those available in other panels and menus. Keep in mind that there may be additional options for your selected tool beyond those displayed in the Control Bar.

The Panels Dock. Panels are menus that allow you to monitor and modify your artwork. By default, all Panels are closed and hidden beneath icons in the Panel Dock. Icons in the Panel Dock represent groups of related Panels; to open a Panel Group, click an icon in the Panel Dock. Each Panel within a Panel Group is displayed on a separate tab. To bring a Panel to the front of the group, click its tab. To close a Panel group, click the double arrows in the upper-right corner of the Panel Group. Panels can also be displayed individually. To show a panel, go to the Window menu and Click its name. To hide the panel, go to the Window menu and Click the panel name again.

Practice with the Class Files

The Class Files for this class will have detailed steps to complete the practice examples. The trainer will guide you through these examples but feel free to go at your own pace as well. The following are summarized versions of the Tools referenced in the Class Files.

Using the Layers Panel

Always make sure you are on the correct Layer before continuing with a project. Locking Layers can be helpful for keeping certain objects in place, but if you are selected on a Layer that is locked, you will not be able to create anything until you unlock it or create/select another Layer.

1. Open Layers Panel. Also found under Window > Layers

2. Make sure the Exercise Template Layer is locked.

3. Click the eyeball to toggle the visibility, then toggle it back on, for practice.

4. Click the Practice layer.

Navigation Tools

Working in Illustrator often involves moving around the workspace in order to focus on different portions of your project. In this section, we discuss a few tools and methods of navigating the workspace.

Selection Tool

Selection Tool

Use this tool to select, move, resize, rotate, etc. entire objects or groups of objects.

Select multiple objects by holding Shift and clicking each additional object, or by clicking and dragging a box around the objects you'd like to select.

Shortcut: V

• In the Tools Panel, Click the Selection Tool

• Click on any object in the Artboard. A box with control points appears to indicate an object is selected.

• Hold down Shift and Click to select multiple objects

Direct Selection Tool

Direct Selection Tool:

Use this tool to select individual anchor points within a shape.

Select individual anchor points or path segments by clicking on them, or select an entire path or group by selecting any other spot on the item.

Select multiple anchor points by holding Shift and clicking each additional point, or by dragging a box around all points you'd like to select.

Shortcut: A

• In the Tools Panel, Click the Direct Selection Tool

• Click on an object on the Artboard

• Click on an anchor point and drag

• Click on a path and drag

Zoom Tool

Zoom Tool:

The Zoom Tool lets you zoom in or zoom out to increase or decrease the document display size.

Quickly zoom with any tool by holding Alt/Option and scrolling with the mouse/trackpad or by hitting Ctrl/Command and +/-

To fit the current artboard within the current window:Ctrl/Command + 0

Shortcut: Z

• In the Tools Panel, Click the Zoom Tool.

• To zoom in, Click in the Document Window. You can also use keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Command + +

• To zoom out, Hold the Alt/Option key while clicking in the Document Window. You can also use keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Command + -

Hand Tool

Hand Tool:

Used to move around the Artboard when the document is zoomed in beyond the workspace.

Shortcut: Hold Spacebar while dragging with the mouse.

• Zoom in on Artboard so it extends beyond the Workspace

• In the Tools Panel, Click the Hand Tool.

• To pan around the Artboard, Click and Drag in the Document Window.

Creating and Manipulating Shapes

Using the Layers panel

Drawing a Circle

1. Select ellipse tool (under rectangle) in the Tools Panel

2. Click and drag to draw a circle anywhere. Hold shift to make it a perfect circle when you are dragging it out.

3. With the circle still selected change the stroke to none and the fill to black in the Control Panel.

4. Move it over the smaller blue circle to the left in the first shapes.ai artboard, and resize it to fit exactly by using the black arrow selection tool and dragging the anchor points out while holding down shift.

5. To create a circle from the center, hold the Alt/Option key while dragging out a circle.

Drawing a Triangle

The triangle shape is made using the polygon tool.

1. Choose the polygon tool.

2. Click once anywhere on your document and a dialogue box will appear.



3. Enter 3 sides and disregard the size because we can resize our triangle with the Selection Tool.



4. You can also use the Up and Down Arrow keys on your keyboard to increase or decrease sides of the polygon as you drag out a shape.

5. You can manipulate the shape of the triangle using the direct selection tool and selecting the anchor points around the object.

Resizing

1. Using the Selection Tool, select your object

2. Click on a corner port (white square) and drag inwards or outwards. Hold down Shift to constrain proportions. Keep holding down Shift until after you finish resizing.

Copying (Option-Drag)

This is the fastest and most many times most effective way of copying. Take time to learn and practice this technique!

1. Select the Selection Tool

2. While holding down the Alt/Option Key, click and drag on the shape you'd like to copy. You’ll see your arrow tool change to a double arrow indicating you're making a copy.

3. a corner port (white square) and drag inwards or outwards. Hold down Shift to constrain proportions. Keep holding down Shift until after you finish resizing.

4. Let go of the mouse, then let go of Alt/Option.

Transforming Shapes with Anchor Points

The Direct Selection Tool allows you to select individual anchor points or path segments by clicking on them, or select an entire path or group by selecting any other spot on the item. This tool is used for manipulating individual anchor points of a path directly.

The Delete Anchor Point Tool deletes anchor points when you click on them.

The Add Anchor Point Tool adds anchor points to a path when you click on it.

The Anchor Point Tool is used to manipulate individual anchor points, like the Direct Selection tool, but can also be used to convert anchor points to curves or corners.

When you have an anchor point selected with the Anchor Point tool, this icon will appear in the options bar. Clicking it when you have a curved anchor point selected will convert the anchor point to a corner.

When you have an anchor point selected with the Anchor Point tool, this icon will appear in the options bar. Clicking it when you have a corner anchor point selected will convert the anchor point to a curve.

Shape Builder Tool

Shape Builder Tool allows you to merge/create shapes by combining existing shapes or subtracting parts of overlapping shapes. To combine overlapping shapes, simply draw a line through all the shapes. To subtract overlapping shapes, hold down the Alt/Option key and drag a line through the shapes you want to delete.

The Pen Tool

1. Select the Pen tool from the tool panel.

2. Change fill to none and stroke to any color. (You can change the color at any point, but it’s helpful to have a distinctly different color when tracing).

3. Click once to lay down an anchor point. Do not click and drag (unless you are VERY comfortable already with the pen tool). Roughly lay down anchor points along the line.

4. Then use the Anchor Point tool to click and drag handles from an anchor point to create a curve.

Open Path

When you are finished with your open path like a line or an arrow, simply click on the selection tool in the tools panel and you will notice that your path has become a line.

To close a path, hover your pen tool cursor over the first anchor point you laid and your pen tool cursor icon will show a small circle next to it, meaning that once you click on the original beginning anchor point, you will have closed the path.

Rotate Tool

1. Select the object you would like to rotate.



2. Select the Rotate Tool from the toolbar.

3. Click on the object and drag the cursor to rotate the object.

4. You can also copy and rotate around a fixed point, as in the Class Files.

   

   1. To do this, select the object you would like to rotate.

   2. Select the Rotate tool from the toolbar.

   3. Hold down Alt/Option and click once to set a rotation point.

   4. A dialogue box will appear. Set the rotation degrees to whatever you would like.

   5. Click Copy.

Reflect Tool

1. Select the object you would like to reflect.



2. Select the Reflect tool from the toolbar.

3. Set a reflection center point by holding down Alt/Option and clicking once.

4. A dialogue box will appear. Set the reflection to Vertical or Horizontal.

5. Click copy.

Preparing Your DS120 Project 1

Creating a New Document

1. Open Illustrator CC.

2. Click on the Create New button

3. If this is your first time opening Illustrator, from the New Document dialogue box, select the "Print" option from the top to get some basic preset details.

4. From the side Preset Details, scroll down and click on More Settings and set the options to the following:

• Name: [Your Name]'s Project 1

• Number of Artboards: 2

• Units: Inches

• Spacing: 1 in

• Width: 6 in

• Height: 10 in

• Color Mode: CMYK (color mode for printing)

Placing (Importing) an Image

Placing an image in Illustrator is a good way to begin making a vector version of a drawn design. Placing an image is different than pasting. It creates a link back to the image file. You must keep the image in the same place or embed the image to ensure you don’t lose it. The students should be prepared with a scanned image of their design. If they do not have a design with them, they can place the class file Design-cropped.jpeg.

1. File > Place…select your file. (Instructors will use Design-cropped.jpeg

2. Click Embed in the Properties Panel or Control Panel to add the image to the Illustrator file.



3. Drag your image into the desired location with the Selection Tool.

The Power of the Shift Key!

Holding down the shift key when resizing an object will ensure it maintains the original proportions.

Holding down the shift key while rotating an object will ensure it rotates at 45 degree increments.

4. Resize by clicking on a white selection point in the corners of the image and dragging outward or inward.

5. Rotate your image as needed by hovering just over any of the white selection point until a double-sided arrow appears. Click and drag to rotate.

Cropping an Image (Adding a Clipping Mask)

If you scanned your entire 11x14 document and need to crop your image, follow these instructions:

While Illustrator has a Crop Tool, it often glitches and doesn't work the way it's intended. Feel free to try it out first, but if it doesn't work, use a Clipping Mask to crop your image the traditional way. (Instructors: Place the Design-clipping-mask.jpeg into your project for this example)

1. While you can use any shape for this, we will use the Rectangle Tool. Draw a rectangle (Any Fill/Stroke Color will do) over your image, specifically over the area you want to keep. When you add a Clipping Mask, it will remove all parts of the image that are not covered by the shape.

2. With the Selection Tool, select both the image and the rectangle at the same time by holding down Shift and clicking on each or dragging a selection around both.

3. Right-Click and select Make Clipping Mask.

To edit content within this Clipping Mask, simply double-click on your image to move the shape and double-click again to reveal everything hidden.

Once finished editing, double-click outside of the all of the content to get back to the rest of your project.

Changing the Opacity

Turning down the opacity of our image will help us be able to "trace" it more easily, the same way one would used tracing paper to trace an image. With the image selected, navigate to the Properties Panel or Control Panel and where it says Opacity 100%, enter a value around 50% and click Enter.

Locking Objects

To lock your object so you don't accidentally move it will recreating it, select your placed image with the Selection Tool, then from the top Menu go to Object > Lock > Selection.You can also do this in your Layers Panel by finding the layer you are on and clicking in the lock box to toggle the lock layer feature.

To Unlock, navigate to Object > Unlock all, or find the shape in Layers Panel and unlock by clicking on the lock icon.

Adding a Border

Adding a thin border to both artboards will be helpful in seeing the artboard’s edge after printing so that cutting out the images will be much easier.

1. Click on the Rectangle Tool.



2. Click once in the artboard, and specify the dimensions of the rectangle as 6 inches width and 10 inches height.

3. Change the stroke to Black and the Fill to None.

4. Make sure the Stroke weight is set at 1 pt.



5. Position the rectangle so it outlines the first artboard. Copy and paste this rectangle in the second artboard and position it to outline this artboard.

   Reminder that if there is no Fill Color on a shape, you will need to click right on its border (Stroke) to be able to move it.

Grids and Rulers

Grids and Rulers are essential tools for precision drawing, copying, resizing, rotating and reflecting objects effectively.

• Bring up Grids by going to View > Show grid

• Bring up rulers by going to View > Rulers > Show rulers

Saving and Exporting

Saving as an Illustrator Document

File > Save As… .ai (Adobe Illustrator) file will ensure the file will be a workable file. This means that whatever is on your pasteboard and the art board will be saved, along with all of the layers. You can always go back and edit an Adobe Illustrator file. You can print straight from an .ai file. File > Print…

Saving as a PDF

File > Save As … .pfd (Adobe Portable Document Format). This will essentially flatten your image and make it so you cannot edit it. This is a good format to email, or print from.

Saving as a JPEG

File > Export. jpg (JPEG) this will compress your image and make it a smaller file. Usually a good file format to put things on the internet.