What is Illustrator? Adobe Illustrator CS5 An Overview Illustrator is a vector drawing program. It is often used to draw illustrations, cartoons, diagrams, charts and logos. Unlike raster images that store information in a grid of dots (pixels), Illustrator uses mathematical equations to draw out the shapes. This makes vector graphics scalable without the loss of resolution. Advantages of Vector Graphics Scalable without resolution loss Lines are crisp and sharp at any sizes Print at high resolution Smaller file size Good for drawing illustrations Designing Logos Disadvantages of vector graphics Drawings tend to look flat and cartoon Hard to produce photo realistic drawings Common Uses for Illustrator Drawing Illustrations Photorealistic Drawings Drawing Maps Packaging Design
Vector vs. Raster Images Vector Graphics are typically generated using drawing or illustration programs (e.g., Adobe Illustrator) and are made up of lines and nodes defined by mathematical objects called vectors, which describe an image according to its geometric characteristics. You can freely move or modify vector graphics without losing detail or clarity, because they are resolution-independent. As a result, vector graphics are the best choice for artwork, such as logos, that will be used at various sizes and in various output media. Raster Graphics are produced by digital image capture devices (e.g., digital scanners or digital cameras) or by pixel editing programs (e.g., Adobe Photoshop). Raster images are composed of a grid (or bitmap) of digital picture elements (pixels). Pixels are tiny squares that can appear as black, white, gray or color. When scaled to different sizes, the quality of raster images deteriorates and pixellation occurs. Creating a raster logo design in Photoshop might enable a designer to pile on stunning effects, but the final product will have limited uses. Vector Graphic Raster Graphic
Tool Panels The first time you start the application, the Tools panel appears at the left side of the screen. You can move the Tools panel by dragging its title bar. You can also show or hide the Tools panel by choosing Window > Tools. You use tools in the Tools panel to create, select, and manipulate objects in Illustrator. Some tools have options that appear when you double-click a tool. These include tools that let you use type, and select, paint, draw, sample, edit, and move images. You can expand some tools to show hidden tools beneath them. A small triangle at the lower-right corner of the tool icon signals the presence of hidden tools. To see the name of a tool, position the pointer over it. Tool Panel Overview
View hidden tools Hold down the mouse button on the visible tool. View tool options Double-click a tool in the Tools panel. Using the Tool Panels Select a Tool Do one of the following: Click a tool in the Tools panel. If there is a small triangle at a tool s lower-right corner, hold down the mouse button to view the hidden tools, and then click the tool you want to select. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and then click a tool to cycle through and select hidden tools. Press the tool s keyboard shortcut. The keyboard shortcut is displayed in its tool tip. For example, you can select the Scale tool by pressing the S key. Move the Tools panel Drag its title bar. View the Tools panel in Double-Stack or Single-Column Click the double-arrow on the title bar to toggle between double-stack and single-column view of the Tools panel. Hide the Tools panel Choose Window > Tools. Tear off hidden tools into a separate panel Drag the pointer over the arrow at the end of the hidden tools panel and release the mouse button. Close a separate tool panel Click the close button on the panel s title bar. The tools return to the Tools panel. Selecting Tools A. Tools panel B. Active tool C. Tear off panel with hidden tools D. Hidden tool triangle E. Tool name and shortcut
Components of a Path As you draw, you create a line called a path. A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments. The beginning and end of each segment are marked by anchor points, which work like pins holding a wire in place. A path can be closed (for example, a circle), or open, with distinct endpoints (for example, a wavy line). You change the shape of a path by dragging its anchor points, the direction points at the end of direction lines that appear at anchor points, or the path segment itself. A. Selected (solid) endpoint B. Selected anchor point C. Unselected anchor point D. Curved path segment E. Direction line F. Direction Point Paths can have two kinds of anchor points: corner points and smooth points. At a corner point, a path abruptly changes direction. At a smooth point, path segments are connected as a continuous curve. You can draw a path using any combination of corner and smooth points. If you draw the wrong kind of point, you can always change it. A. Four corner points B. Four smooth points C. Combination of corner and smooth points A corner point can connect any two straight or curved segments, while a smooth point always connects two curved segments. A corner point can connect both straight segments and curved segments. A path s outline is called a stroke. A color or gradient applied to an open or closed path s interior area is called a fill. A stroke can have weight (thickness), color, and a dash pattern (Illustrator and InDesign) or a stylized line pattern (InDesign). After you create a path or shape, you can change the characteristics of its stroke and fill.
Keyboard Shortcuts For design and web professionals, using keyboard shortcuts is a great way to increase speed and efficiency in your workflow. They are a must-know for true mastery in web design, development, or any computer-intensive trade. Common Keyboard Shortcuts Result Windows Mac OS Copy Ctrl + C Cmnd + C Cut Ctrl + X Cmnd + X Paste Ctrl + V Cmnd + V Undo Ctrl + Z Cmnd + Z Bold Ctrl + B Cmnd + B New Document Ctrl + N Cmnd + N New Folder Ctrl + Shift + N Cmnd + Shift + N Result Windows Mac OS Find/Search Ctrl + F Cmnd + F Underline Ctrl + U Cmnd + U Italic Ctrl + I Cmnd + I Select All Ctrl + A Cmnd + A Print Ctrl + P Cmnd + P Close Window Ctrl + X Cmnd + X Quit Program Ctrl + Q Cmnd + Q Keyboard Shortcuts for Illustrator CS5