Illustrator 1: Creating Graphics with Illustrator
About Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator, part of the Adobe Creative Suite package, is an application used to create and edit vector graphics. This extremely popular application is considered an industry standard and is used widely by graphic designers to create logos, illustrations, and artwork for signs, posters, packaging, and many other printed products. Adobe Illustrator can also be used to create illustrative web graphics.
Illustrator uses points and vectors, whereas Photoshop uses raster. The difference between these two graphic file formats.
Vectors
Vectors are built using mathematical formulas: paths, anchor points, lines, and curves. Vectors allow Illustrator to be resolution-independent, meaning that the computer recalculates the math every time you scale your artwork. Additionally, vectors remain infinitely sharp and crisp whether they are printed small or scaled large.
Overview
This manual provides a basic introduction to the Illustrator interface and explores commonly used features that students can use to complete different activities.
- After reading this manual, students will:
- Become familiar with the interface, workspace, and basic workflow
- Know how to create and edit basic shapes using common Illustrator tools
- Know how to modify shapes using anchor points and paths
- Learn how to add and style text for simple layouts
There will be activities available that you may use as practice in the activities panel within the same space this manual lives.
Starting A New Project
Click Create New.
Open the Illustrator application.
In the New Document window, settings such as units used, height, width, page orientation, number of artboards, color mode, and other settings can be customized. This window will also have different tabs that you can look through to find a preset template for your project.
Saving
To save a file, there are multiple different methods and things to note.
Save As Button
This button is used when a document is first created. This type of Save allows you to set the document’s name and the location it will live in.
- Go to the File tab at the top of your application bar.
- Select the Save As button or hit Ctrl + Shift + S; a file dialog box will appear.
- Set the file name and choose where it will live.
- Hit Save.
Save Button
This button does something similar to the Save As button, but the difference is that it does not bring up the dialog box that allows you to change the name and home location of the file.
- Click the File tab in the application bar
- Hit the Save button or hit Ctrl+S
Exporting
Exporting a file is the way you convert your project from an .AI file to a JPEG, or any other file format you need.
This is done in the File tab found in your application bar:
- Go to the File tab in your application bar.
- Go to the Export section of the drop-down menu and click Export as
- This will open a dialog box where you can name the file, choose the export format, and select where the file will save.
- Once you have changed these settings, hit Export.
Smart Guides
Smart Guides allow you to align objects on your artboard easily, and they will greatly aid you in your projects.
To enable this feature, go to the Application Bar and select View, then scroll down until you get to Smart Guides.
The Illustrator Interface
Interface Overview
The portion of the Illustrator interface that is used to view and edit documents is known as the Workspace. The interface relies on one dynamic Properties Panel and toolbars that automatically display options based on what is currently being edited. The Interface also has other specialized windows (Panels) that can be opened or hidden to customize the layout for specific tasks.
Interface Components
Application Bar
The Application Bar at the very top of the screen contains File, Edit, View, and more.
This will look different for Windows users.
Windows: The application bar is located within the software window.
Mac: The application bar is outside the main software window.
The Workspace Switcher menu can be used to arrange multiple windows. Depending on your project, there are a variety of window layout options that will suit your needs. To change the workspace/layout you are currently working on:
- Click on the Window Tab in your Application Bar
- Proceed to the Workspace menu and pick one of the workspace options available.
The rest of this manual will be based on the Essential workspace.
Document Window
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 above. The white rectangle inside the Document Window, which displays the printable area of the Workspace, is called the Artboard.
You can add multiple artboards within your file by specifying the number of artboards you want at the creation of your new file or by going through your Properties tab and editing your artboards.
Tools Panel
The Tools Panel contains tools used to create and manipulate artwork (like a toolbox). 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.
Control Panel
Recent versions of Illustrator default to the Essentials workspace, where the Control Panel is not visible. The Control Panel can help access options related to the currently selected tool. The options shown in the Control Panel are just a small subset of those available in other panels and menus.
To add this panel back into your workspace, all you have to do is click the Window tab in your Application Bar and select Control from the drop-down menu.
Properties Panel
The Properties Panel offers options to further monitor and modify your artwork, and some of these settings can also be found in the Control Panel. There are also two other panels: the Layers Panel and the Libraries Panel.
- Each panel is displayed on a separate tab. To bring a Panel to the front, click its tab.
Guides
Guides are lines that will not print along with your project. They help you align and measure artwork with precision on your artboard.
To activate guides, you first have to activate the rulers:
- To turn on rulers, go to the View tab located within your application bar.
- Locate Rulers in the menu that comes up and click on Show Rulers
After the rulers have been activated, you can start creating guides that can help you align the items on your artboard.
To create a guide
- Click on one of the rulers and drag toward your artboard.
As mentioned before, these guides will not print with your design. It is recommended that they are put on their own layer so that they can be hidden when the design becomes overwhelming.
Layers Panel
In many of the Adobe Create Suite applications, documents are often organized and separated into different components called layers. You can edit and modify objects in each layer without affecting items in other layers.
Layers can also be used for organization. The three key words that can be used to describe layer organization are hierarchy, rearranging, and color coding.
Selecting Items
Items you have created can be selected through the layers panel as well by clicking them. There are two different ways to select items: targeting and individual selection. This can let you delete individual items on a certain layer or multiple items by deleting the entire layer.
Adding and Deleting Layers
To delete a layer, click the trash can icon at the bottom of the panel or drag it to the trash can.
To add layers, you need to click the Create New Layer button (folded paper icon) at the bottom of the panel.
After doing so, you can also change the name of the layer and the color of the layer by clicking the space next to the layer name.
Hiding and Locking Layers
The Layers Panel also has two distinct features: locking and hiding. These features are useful when you do not want to accidentally edit something while working on something in another layer and when you want to hide something without deleting it.
- Locking – To lock a layer, you have to click the empty box next to the eye icon to turn on a Padlock.
- Hiding – To completely hide a layer, all you need to do is click the eye icon next to the layer.
Navigating the Workspace
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 methods of navigating the workspace.
Zoom Tool
Lets you zoom in or zoom out to increase or decrease the document display size. This tool can be found in the toolbar to the right of your screen.
Shortcut: Quickly zoom with any tool by holding Alt/Option and scrolling with the mouse/trackpad or by hitting Ctrl/Command and +/-
Hand Tool
Used to move around the Artboard when the document is zoomed in beyond the workspace. This tool can be found in the Tools Panel to the right of your screen.
Shortcut: Hold the Spacebar while dragging with the mouse.
- Zoom in on the 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.
Fit Artboard in Window
Used to fit the artboard within the current window quickly.
In the Application Bar, go to View > Fit Artboard in Window
Shortcut: Ctrl/Command + 0
Creating and Altering Basic Shapes
In this section, we teach you how to create basic shapes with the Shape Tools and alter their form with the Selection Tool. We will also learn how to change a shape’s appearance by modifying its Fill Color, Stroke Color, and Stroke Weight.
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 any object in the Artboard; a box with control points appears, indicating the object is selected.
- Hold down Shift and click to select multiple objects
- When rotating a shape, you can use Shift to rotate in 45-degree increments.
You can create a copy by first selecting your shape with the Selection Tool.
- Click once on your shape to select it
- Hold down your Alt key (Windows) or Option (MAC) and drag to make the copy (Don’t let go of the key until you have made the copy)
- Make sure to let go of the click before you let go of the modifier key
Another thing you can do with the Selection Tool is edit the size. This can be done using similar shortcuts as the rectangle tool.
- You can then click and drag to shape the shape in a freeform method
- Or you can hold Shift (Windows) or Command (MAC) while dragging to make the shape change scale without distorting the shape.
- Or hold down Option (MAC) or Alt (Windows) while dragging to expand the shape from the middle without changing the shape’s location
To change the shape’s color:
- Highlight the shape you want to edit
- Go to your properties panel and change the fill
- You can also change the stroke (the outline of your shape) of your shape here
- To get rid of the stroke or fill, you go to a similar place and click the white square with a red slash through it.
- If the shape only has a stroke, make sure to click on the stroke to move the shape because the shape doesn’t have a fill color
Rectangle tool
Rectangle Tool
Use the Rectangle Tool to draw rectangles and squares. To activate the tool, you can select it from the Tools Panel.
Shortcut: M
To create rectangles, there are multiple ways:
- To create a freeform rectangle, click and drag.
- To make a perfect square, hold Shift while dragging.
- To expand the rectangle from the middle, hold down Option (MAC) or Alt (Windows) while dragging.
- If you have a precise measurement that you want to make your rectangle, click once without dragging; this will bring up a dialog box where you can type in precise measurements (width, height).
Ellipse Tool
Ellipse Tool
Use the Ellipse tool to easily draw ellipses and circles.
Shortcut: L
To find the Ellipse Tool, hold down on the Rectangle Tool to display the hidden tools; it will be the second tool in the list.
- You can then click and drag to create a freeform ellipse
- Hold Shift while drawing to create a circle
- Hold down Option (MAC) or Alt (Windows) while dragging to expand the ellipse from the middle
- To make a perfect circle and have it expand from the middle, hold down the Shift button and the Alt (Windows)/Option (Mac) button while dragging
- Click once without drawing; this will bring up a dialogue box where you can type in precise measurements (width, height)
Creating Other Shapes: Polygon Tool
In order to create a Triangle, you need to use the Polygon tool.
This can be found by holding down the rectangle button; it will be the third tool in the list.
When using the Polygon tool, it is important to understand that it will draw shapes with a number of different sides.
How to use the shape:
- First, click and drag to start creating a shape (Do not let go)
- Tap your down and up arrow keys to either decrease or increase the number of sides your shape has.
- Optional: Before letting go of your click, hold down the Shift key to straighten out the bottom of your shape.
Transforming Shapes with Anchor Points
In Illustrator, every shape is composed of points connected by paths; we can change a shape by manipulating individual points with the Direct Selection Tool. In this section, we will focus on utilizing the Direct Selection Tool to create unique shapes.
Transforming a Rectangle
Direct Selection Tool
Use this tool to select individual anchor points within a shape. This helps you edit the shape.
Shortcut: A
To use this tool:
- Select the tool from the toolbar
- Select the shape you want to edit; this will reveal where all the anchor points of the shape are
- Click on the anchor point on the side that you want to edit once before clicking on it again to edit that point’s position without changing the rest of the shape.
- To edit multiple anchor points, hold Shift and click on the points
These methods let you create organic shapes in many sizes.
Creating an Organic Shape
Another important thing you can do with the direction selection tool is to adjust the curvature of the shape.
This can be done by interacting with the handles that come up when you select an anchor point.
You interact with these handles by clicking and dragging; altering the length and angle of these handles alters the curvature of the shape
Creating a Shape With Rounded Corners
Sometimes you want to create a shape with rounded corners. While there are multiple ways of doing this, there is one simple way that is the most effective:
- Use your selection tool to select the shape you want to edit.
- On the inside of the corner, there will be a small target that appears; click on it and drag in; this will round out all the corners of the shape.
If you only want to round out one corner, use your direct selection tool (this can also be done by your selection tool; just click once on the target of the corner you want to edit before clicking and dragging in).
- Select the shape you want to edit with your direct selection tool.
- Click on the anchor point of the corner you want to edit.
- Click on the target that appears on the inside of the corner and drag in.
If you want to round out more than one corner but not all of them, you also use your direct selection tool. (This can also be done by your selection tool; just hold Shift and click on the targets you want to manipulate before clicking and dragging on any of them).
- Select the shape you want to edit with your direct selection tool.
- Click on the anchor point of the first corner you want to edit.
- Hold Shift while you click on the other anchor points for the corners you want to edit.
- Then click and drag on any of the targets now visible.
Pen Tool
In Illustrator, the Pen Tool is used to draw custom shapes from scratch by laying out a series of curve and corner points connected by paths.
Pen Tool
The Pen tool is used to create anchor points and adjust the angles of the curves connecting them. It can be found in the toolbar on the left of your screen, the third button from the top.
Shortcut: P
Straight Lines
To create a line
- Click once on your artboard to place the first anchor point.
- A line will appear; it will be attached to the last anchor point you created and to your mouse cursor. It will lengthen and change angles as you move your cursor.
- In order to detach that line, you have to make a second anchor point, done the same way as the first.
- Hit Escape or Enter to finalize your line.
- Click the first point to close the shape or to stop adding new points to that segment.
- Or you can continue to click around your artboard to create additional points.
- Use your selection tool to move the line.
- Or use your Direct Selection tool to warp it, edit it, or move individual points.
Modifying Shape
Use the Direct Selection tool to move individual points at any time.
Curved Lines
To create a curve:
- Place your first anchor point
- Instead of just clicking to set your second anchor point, click and drag to set the angle of the control handles; these affect the angle of the lines(paths)
Another way to create a curve:
- Create an outline of your shape without any curves inside your shape
- Click on the anchor point that is close to the segment you want to curve. The control handles will appear; you can extend these and move them to curve the segment.
- If there aren’t any anchor points near the segment you want to curve, you can add anchor points to your segments.
To finish off your lines, click the Enter key on your keyboard.
Shape Builder Tool
The Shape Builder Tool allows us to combine shapes to create complex shapes quickly. This tool also helps delete sections of a shape.
Merging shapes
To merge all your shapes into one:
- Start by stacking shapes to form the shape you wanna create.
- Select your overlapping shapes with the Selection Tool
- After you have selected the shapes you wish to interact with, activate the Shape Builder tool by pressing Shift+M or clicking the Shape Builder icon in your toolbar.
4. Then all you have to do is click and drag your cursor across the separate intersecting zones you want to join together.
Subtracting Sections From a Shape
Subtracting parts of a shape uses the same setup as Merging shapes:
- Start by stacking shapes to form the shape you wanna create.
- Select your overlapping shapes with the Selection Tool
- After you have selected the tools you wish to interact with, activate the Shape Builder tool by pressing Shift+M or clicking the Shape Builder icon in your toolbar.
The difference is found during step 4:
4. To subtract or erase sections, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click and drag as you did across the unwanted parts or lines to delete them.
Pathfinder
Before the Shape Builder Tool, we had the Pathfinder Tool; this is slightly more complicated to use but works just as well.
Pathfinder
The Pathfinder Panel allows you to create more complex shapes by combining or subtracting two or more overlapping shapes. Access Pathfinder via Window > Pathfinder.
It can also be activated by pressing Shift + Ctrl + F9 (Windows) or Shift + CMD + F9 (Mac).
Before using this tool, make sure the shapes you want to edit are overlapping.
The order in which you create your shapes is important because the top shape indicates how the different actions will interact with the shape.
The four modes are:
- Unite: Combine two or more shapes into one, eliminating internal paths that overlap.
- Minus Front: Subtract the shape in front from the shape behind.
- Intersect: Keep only the areas where both shapes overlap.
- Exclude: Remove the areas where both shapes overlap.
Pathfinder options
Original
Unite
Minus Front
Intersect
Exclude
Type Tool
The Type Tool is very similar to other programs that utilize text. We will look at how we can change the properties of the text with the following exercise. There are two different ways to make text in Illustrator.
From the Tools Panel, select the Type Tool.
- Click once on the artboard to generate a text box; you can edit the text font and size in the Properties panel.
2. To determine the size of a text box before you create it, click and drag.
a. Hold Shift after you click and drag to create a perfect square
b. Hold Shift before you click and drag to create a square with text running up and down rather than side to side (you can also use the Vertical Type Tool).
Type Along a Path
This tool is used when you want to curve the text around a shape.
- To use this tool, you can select it by right-clicking on the Type tool; it is the second tool that comes up.
- Click on the path on which you want to type, and the text should appear.
Creating Outlines
As you use your Type tool to create words, you will notice that the words are not editable like the other shapes you can create within Illustrator. This is when creating outlines becomes helpful. Creating outlines enables the words to be able to be edited like regular shapes.
To create an outline:
- Select your text using your Selection Tool
- Go to the Type tab found in your application bar
- Click the Create Outlines button
Character Panel
The character panel is a toolkit that helps you edit and style certain parts of your text without affecting all of it.
The panel is found by:
- Selecting your text and going to the properties panel.
OR
- Going to the Window tab found in your application bar.
- Scrolling down to the Type section of the list.
- Clicking the Character button.
This panel can also be brought up by pressing Ctrl + T.
Grouping Shapes
Grouping shapes is a useful feature in Illustrator because we can move all the shapes at once without having to select all of them each time.
To group items:
- Select the items you want to group.
2. Right-click and hit Group or select Group from your properties panel.
To Ungroup items, go through the same steps.
Isolation Mode
When you want to edit a group of objects without ungrouping them, the isolation mode can be very helpful.
To activate this mode
- Double-tap the group of objects you want to edit.
- Edit the shapes within the group
- To deactivate the mode, double-click or click outside the shapes.
Precision Manipulation Tools
These tools are used when you want to make precise edits to a shape.
These tools are found when you right-click on a shape and click on Transform:
- Move
- Rotate
- Reflect
- Scale
- Shear
- Transform Each
Every tool will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to edit the shape with precise inputs.
Move Tool
This tool does as its name implies; it moves your shape to the location you specify.
- Opens a dialog box where you can input exact Horizontal and Vertical distances, or specific Distance and Angle
- Clicking “Ok” moves your original shape, while clicking “Copy” makes a copy of the shape at the specified location
Rotate Tool
This tool does as its name implies; it rotates your shape to a precise angle.
- Allows you to rotate a shape by typing in a precise angle
- The default setting allows you to rotate the shape around the center of the shape.
- To rotate around a different point, use the Rotate Tool and click while holding Alt(Windows) or Option (Mac) anywhere on your artboard to set a custom pivot point and open the same dialog box.
- Clicking “Ok” moves your original shape, while clicking “Copy” makes a copy of the shape at the specified location
Reflect
This tool allows you to reflect your shape over an axis.
- Flip your shape. Choose Horizontal (flip upside down), Vertical (flip left-to-right), or a custom Angle.
- Perfect for drawing half of a symmetrical icon (like a heart or a shield). Select the half, click Reflect > Vertical > Copy, and slide it over.
- Allows you to rotate a shape by typing in a precise angle
Scale
This tool enlarges or reduces the size of the selected shape based on a specified point.
- Choose Uniform to keep the aspect ratio identical, or Non-Uniform to stretch it horizontally or vertically.
- Always look at “Scale Corners” and “Scale Strokes & Effects”. If checked, your borders and rounded corners will shrink/grow proportionally with the shape. If unchecked, your stroke weight stays exactly the same size regardless of how big the shape gets.
- Clicking “Ok” moves your original shape, while clicking “Copy” makes a copy of the shape at the specified location
Shear Tool
This tool allows you to slant or skew the selected object, effectively making the shape asymmetrical.
- In the Dialog box, enter a Shear Angle and choose the axis (Horizontal or Vertical).
- Use a 30° or -30° shear angle when creating isometric projections (like drawing a 3D box).
- Clicking “Ok” moves your original shape, while clicking “Copy” makes a copy of the shape at the specified location
Transform Each Tool
This is a powerful tool. If you select 5 separate squares and use the normal “Scale” command, they will scale together as one giant block. If you use Transform Each, you can scale, move, and rotate all 5 squares simultaneously around their own individual center points.
- Clicking “Ok” moves your original shape, while clicking “Copy” makes a copy of the shape at the specified location
Cropping and Adding Effects
Within Illustrator, there are ways to edit your artwork like you would in Photoshop. Some of the methods available include clipping masks and adding effects through the Appearance section within your properties panel.
Clipping masks
Clipping masks can be thought of as stencils. They hide portions of the artwork so that the only part visible within the project is the part that is inside the respective shape of the masking layer. Within Illustrator, Clipping Masks are a very common way to edit an item or composition.
These masks use a top layer to clip and hide portions of the layers beneath it. These masks are used to hide unwanted areas without permanently erasing pixels or vectors.
To create a Clipping Mask:
- Select the objects
- Click the Make/Release Clipping Mask button at the bottom of the Properties Panel or use the shortcut Ctrl+7 (Windows) or Cmd+7 (Mac).
This will crop your artwork. To edit the objects within the clipping mask, all you have to do is activate Isolation mode.
Adding Effects
Adding effects to your art piece can be a great way to manipulate the way your art piece is represented.