Overview Illustrator jma501 rev 02/11/2015 - Duq Not… · Web viewPublication needs a color that cannot be accurately reproduced with CMYK inks, such as precise color matching

Overview Illustrator jma501 rev 02/11/2015

We use it to create vector graphics

o Can resize without losing qualityo Place dots (anchor points)o Connect the dots with paths o Creates shapes, with or without fill and stroke

Creating Shapes

We use various tools to create the shapes, and then may fill inside the shapes and maybe add a stroke (border)

Can use predefined shapes or create your own shapes:

Key: anchor points and paths

Once we have the anchor points, we can fill the resulting shapes, push, pull the anchor points and paths to change the shapes.

Start Illustrator and choose a new print document; set units to inches, portrait, 8 ½ x 11 “, save the document as practice1.ai inside InClass/Illustrator

Q: Which color model for print?

Illustrator overview Page 1

Note various Profiles…look at some

What you will see is called the artboard (drawing area), its content is what prints

The document (page) also has a scratch area, aka. canvas area. Store stuff there so you can access it later

Change workspace to Essentials, or reset Essentials

Moving the artboard: space bar + left button

Don’t see my Artboard

What if I can’t find the artboard?

Solutions:

View>Fit Artboard in Window


Change toolbox to two columns, rather than one…personal preference: click tiny double-arrow top left:

Basic Shapes, fills, and strokes We will use the color squares to draw a red ellipse (circle)

with a black stroke (border):

Choose the Ellipse Tool

Hold down shift key and drag to draw a perfect circle/square


Or, click once on the artboard and enter the desired size: e.g. 3” x 3”

With ellipse seleced (black arrow)

Click “Fill” tool

Use swatches panel to choose Red as fill, Select stroke tool and make Black as stroke

In the control area at top, make stroke be 4 pixels

Instead of swatches can use color picker:


If you select the black arrow and select the circle, , may see Bounding Box:

Select a color by double-clicking on Fill or Stroke using a color picker (see below), or the swatches panel.

Watch for out of gamut warnngs


Swatches panel:

Use black arrow (selection tool) and select the circle…look for anchor points.


Make the stroke be a 5 pt dark blue

Bring stroke tool to top

Choose color (blue)

Set stroke size using Window>Stroke or

Using control area at top:

Paths connect the anchor points

Select>Deselect to unselect everything

OR


Click in white area with Selection tool

Using anchor points

Choose white arrow (Direct select ) and click an anchor point, drag it:

Ctrl-Z

Black arrow selects entire object

White arrow to select anchors or paths


Layers

Draw a small blue rectangle, no stroke and drop on top of circle…

This assumes the blue square ends up above the circle in layer1 (Window>Layers)

Drag the circle layer above the square…what happened?

Ctrl-Z


Adding Anchor points Click and hold on the Pen tool, choose Add anchor point

Tool

Go ahead and add a few additional anchor points to the blue square along a path…

Use the Direct Selection tool (white arrow) and pull and push the anchor points…look for the word anchor:

Scaling and rotating


And

Example: Scaling Select the objects by dragging over them using Selection

tool (Black arrow)

Scalling Method # 1

o Double click the Scale Tool

This opens


Try 200%

Objects have a box around them: Rotation is relative to that box; called a bounding box. You can rotate using it


Add two perfect yellow circles:

Rotation Method # 2: Undo rotation


Use the Transform panel to rotate:

Select the entire object (drag over all of it)

Open the Transform panel (Window>Transform)

Use Rotation tool:

Using Transform to size

Select the red circle

Use the Transform panel to resize W, H to 3”:


Set width and height to 1.5” …look for link symbol:

Rotation Method 3: Make sure the Bounding Box is visible (Window> Show>

Hide Bounding Box)



The Swatches panel shows colors, gradients, and patterns. You can add additional ones from built-in libraries, or “mix your own” colors.

Panel Menus and Color CategoriesThe Swatches panel,

Shows current colors and gradients.

Adding additional swatches colors.

Like most Illustrator panels, Swatches tab has a panel menu…find the small arrow in upper right

The Symbols tab also has a panel menuIllustrator overview Page 17

Swatches Panel Menu Example

Assume we want additional colors, colors that are theme-based (Same idea as adobe color)

Click upper right corner of Swatches panel, just below the “x”

Choose Open Swatch Library… then Celebration

Drag Celebration panel onto to Swatches panel:Illustrator overview Page 18

Choose colors that are indicative of the purpose; i.e. use Foliage colors for a wildlife project,

Color Categories: Process Colors versus Spot Colors Swatch colors can be process or spot. Spot adds in

additional colors other than CMYK

In general, stay with process colors-made with CMYK inks…cheapest …

Review: Gamut=number of colors a given color model can reproduce…Red Green Blue gamut on monitor larger than CMYK (paper) and Spot colors have larger gamut than process

Use spot only when:

Publication needs a color that cannot be accurately reproduced with CMYK inks, such as precise color matching of a corporate or logo color.

Need more vibrant colors than what CMYK inks produce.


Project requires special effects such as metallic or fluorescent spot inks.

Basically, spot colors are more expensive, try to not use them

Drawing using Pencil tool

It draws using the current stroke color, and size

Turn Fill off

Draw a 4-point black line:

Editing the line:

Look for anchor points

Select the white arrow (Direct Select) Click on the line


Find an anchor and drag

Blending Change the line’s (stroke) color, I used a blue

Draw another line using a different color:

Select both

o (Drag or shift-click)

Object>>Blend>Make


Blending Objects with specified number of steps Draw a orange star and a blue rectangle (No stroke)

Select both and choose Object>Blend>Blend Options


Cick OK

Now, Object>Blend>Make

Result:


Drawing using Pen tool

Click once, move cursor, click again to draw a straight line

Make a triangle

Try drawing 2 lines using the pen tool

Watch what happens when you try to draw the second line

Have to click Pen tool again when want to start new shape

Drawing curves

Click once, Click again at another location but drag cursor to create a curve with handles


Viewing Smart Guides

if Smart Guides turned on , and you pause over a corner of a selected object, you will see the word anchor.

If you hover near the center of an object, look for center to appear

Same for paths

Filling with a Gradient

A gradual change from color to color

Draw a 2: x 2” red rectangle, no stroke

Use the Transform tool and place the center of the square at x=2.5,y= 2.5”

Isolate the square, so it is by itself.

Use the black arrow (Selection tool) and select the square

Now click the Gradient (fill) tool:


Result: A default gradient is applied (black and white)

Look at swatches panel…see the three gradients:

Now click the Gradient tool and manipulate the bar:

Just drag across the rectangle:


Could try another pre-constructed gradient, but better if create your own:

Roll your own

Window>Gradient (or double-click the Gradient tool:)

Result:


Drag a start and end stop color

Move the middle diamond left and right to see the effect on the gradient fill

You can drag the cursor to apply the gradient from any angle (Drag from right to left so darkest is on the right)

The icons on the bottom of the horizontal bar are called stops There are two at the present time

Can drag a color from the swatch panel to any stop, can add, delete stops

Drag a red swatch to the leftmost stop:


Blue to end:

Add a third stop in the middle of the line (choose a new color)

Pull down to delete a stop

OK, so those are the most often used fill options (There is a fill with Pattern, which we skipped


Symbol Spray Tool

Double-click sprayer to show properties (See below) Make size be small, .5”, and then select any symbol

Choose Window>Symbols Click on a symbol ( I chose grime)

Spray away!


Adding more symbols: Symbols panel menu

Symbol LibrariesThere are many collections of symbols. To see then, Choose Window>Symbol Libraries and choose a category

Here is the flowers library:


Make a tree

Open Nature symbols

Draw a thin brown rectangle

Spray foliage

Drag one to the document and resize

Choose a symbol and spray!


Cropping esp for WebMaybe want a piece of your artboard for a web site you’re doing. Of course, the object then becomes a bitmap

The cropping tool is actually called the artboard tool

It puts sizing handles around the artboard: try itHere is mine after I resized the box:


To finish, File> save for Web

Anchors and Paths, Adding anchors Start a new document named AnchorsAndPaths.ai

Recall there are two selection tools: Selection (black arrow) and Direct Select (White arrow). The Selection tool selects entire objects. Direct Select: a part of an object

Goal: Create this:

Set Fill to none, stroke to 1 point black

Create a new rectangle 5” wide by 2”, (no fill), black stroke, 1 point

Show rulers

Click away

Use the Selection arrow and select, then move, the rectangle:


The small circles are the anchor points

Can resize/reshape the object using the anchor points

Click on a path (Turn SmartGuides on to see the word “path”, indicating you did, in fact, select a path)

a path connects two adjacent anchor points

Moving an Object Select the rectangle using Selection tool

Move it

Shift-Drag constrains to 45 degree angles.

Alt-Drag makes a copy of the object being moved

Summary: We use the direct selection tool to select part of an object; the Selection tool to select the entire object

Adding Anchor pointsWant to add two additional anchor points along the top path of the rectangle


Ctrl-Z to return the rectangle to its original 5” x 2” shape

Show rulers (if not already showing)

Drag out two vertical guides from the rulers

To precisely position where we want the new anchor points

Initially will be locked

To unlock:

View>Guides

Check the Lock Guides box


Rearranging a stacking order

o Open the Layers panel

Expand Layer 1…

o The guides are on top, but we want the paths to be on top so we can add anchor points along a path…


Bring the rectangle to the top

Method # 1: drag the <Path> Layer to the top:

Method # 2: select the rectangle (black arrow)

Select Object>Arrange>Bring to front:

Select the rectangle using the Direct select (White arrow) tool


Now, select the Add Anchor Point tool

Click where your guides meet the path: look for “intersect” via smart guides

Deselect all

Select both by dragging over both with Direct Select tool (or select one, then Shift-click the second

Make sure both anchors are filled-in (i.e. Direct selected)


Anchor points are solid when selected, open when not selected.

Pull down the path between the two new points

Hiding the guides View>Guides>Hide Guides

Pathfinder: Combine, subtract, divide shapes Draw a black ellipse and two red ones (unite takes on the

color of whatever is on top

Open Pathfinder panel

Select all three objects, then “Unite”


Ctrl-Z

To subtract the top shape(s) from bottom one: use Minus Front

Result:

Delete a few shapes


Divide:

Draw a rectangle and a circle:

Select both

Choose pathfinder Divide

Use direct select to pull the objects apart:


Save if you wish

Close the document

END


Documents

Overview Illustrator jma501 rev 02/11/2015 - Duq Not… · Web viewPublication needs a color that cannot be accurately reproduced with CMYK inks, such as precise color matching