Course Outline

Introduction

• Why use Illustrator?
• What are vector graphics?
• Understanding paths
• Fill and stroke attributes
• Selections and stacking order

Creating Illustrator Documents

• The Welcome screen
• Important document settings

The Illustrator Interface

• Exploring panels and workspaces
• Using the control panel
• Navigating within a document
• Using guides and grids
• Utilizing the bounding box
• Using smart guides
• Choosing preview options

Basic Drawing

• Using the basic shapes tools
• Drawing with the Pen tool
• Drawing with the Pencil tool
• Painting with the Paintbrush tool

Basic Path Editing

• Creating compound shapes
• Utilizing pathfinder functions
• Using the Eraser tool
• Joining and averaging paths
• Outlining strokes
• Simplifying paths

Basic Text Editing

• Creating point text
• Creating area text
• Applying basic character settings
• Applying basic paragraph settings
• Creating text threads
• Creating text on a path
• Converting text to outlines

Making Selections

• Using the basic selection tools
• Using the Magic Wand and the Lasso tool
• Selecting objects by attribute
• Saving and reusing selections

Understanding Appearances

• Targeting object attributes
• Adding multiple attributes
• Applying live effects
• Expanding appearances
• Creating graphic styles
• Modifying graphic styles
• Appearance palette settings
• Copying appearance

Working with Groups and Layers

• Defining groups
• Editing groups
• Working with layers
• Layers and object hierarchy
• Creating template layers
• Object, group, and layer attributes

Advanced Drawing and Path Editing

• Creating Live Paint groups
• Detecting gaps in Live Paint groups
• Path editing with Live Paint
• Using Offset Path
• Dividing an object into a grid
• Cleaning up errant paths

Working with Color

• Defining swatches
• Creating swatch groups and libraries
• Working with gradients
• Working with patterns
• Using the Color Guide
• Experimenting with color
• Finding colors with kuler
• Modifying color in artwork

Object Transformation and Positioning

• Rotating and scaling objects
• Reflecting and skewing objects
• Using the Free Transform tool
• Using the Transform panel
• Aligning objects
• Distributing objects

Using Brushes

• Creating a calligraphic brush
• Creating a scatter brush
• Creating an art brush
• Creating a pattern brush

Working with Masks

• Understanding clipping masks
• Using layer clipping masks
• Creating opacity masks

Using Symbols

• Defining symbols
• Editing symbols
• Using the Symbolism toolset

Applying Filters and Live Effects

• Minding your resolution settings
• Mapping artwork to 3D objects
• Using the Transform effect
• Using the Pathfinder effects
• Using the Stylize effects
• Using the Scribble effect
• Using the Warp effect

Advanced Text Editing

• Taking advantage of OpenType fonts
• Using the Glyphs panel
• Wrapping text around objects
• Checking spelling
• Using the Change Case function
• Setting tabs and leaders
• Managing fonts
• Dealing with legacy text

Designing for the Web

• Using Pixel Preview
• Specifying web slicing
• Optimizing web graphics
• Creating simple animations

Creating Blends

• Creating a basic blend
• Using a blend to create an airbrush effect
• Using a blend to create an animation
• Using a blend to evenly distribute objects

Working with Images

• Placing images
• Using the Links panel
• The Edit Original workflow
• Live Trace
• Rasterizing artwork
• Object mosaic

Performing Specialized Tasks

• Creating graphs
• Creating a lens flare
• Using Gradient Mesh
• Using Envelope Warps
• Using the Liquify Distortion tools

Saving and Printing

• Saving your Illustrator document
• Printing your Illustrator document
• Using the Crop Area tool
• Setting up page tiling
• Adding XMP metadata

Working with Other Programs

• Exporting files for use in QuarkXPress
• Exporting files for use in InDesign
• Exporting files for use in Word/Excel/PowerPoint
• Exporting files for use in Photoshop
• Exporting files for use in Flash
• Exporting files for use in After Effects
• Migrating from FreeHand

Summary

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