illustrator

What should you do after creating a selection that you are going to use repeatedly?

For any selection that you anticipate using again, choose Select > Save Selection. Name the selection so that you can reselect it at any time from the Select menu.

For which brush types must you have artwork selected on the artboard before you can create a brush?

For Art (and Scatter) brushes, you need to have artwork selected in order to create a brush using the New Brush button in the Brushes panel.

What is overflow text?

Over ow text is text that does not t within an area type object or path. A red plus sign in an out port indi- cates that the object contains additional text.

What must be done to a raster image in order for it to be used in certain brushes?

In order to be used in certain brushes (Art, Pattern, and Scatter), a raster image must be embedded.

Describe the generic process for exporting assets with the Asset Export panel.

In order to export assets using the Asset Export panel, the artwork to be exported needs to be collected in the Asset Export panel. Once in the panel, you can se- lect the asset(s) to be exported, set the export settings, and then export.

Describe two ways to change the view of a document.

1 You can choose commands from the View menu to zoom in or out of a document or to t it to your screen; you can also use the Zoom tool in the Tools panel and click or drag over a document to enlarge or reduce the view. In addition, you can use keyboard shortcuts to magnify or reduce the display of artwork. You can also use the Navigator panel to scroll artwork or to change its magni cation without using the Document win- dow.

How do you select a tool in Illustrator?

2 To select a tool, you can either click the tool in the Tools panel or press the keyboard shortcut for that tool. For example, you can press V to select the Selection tool from the keyboard. Selected tools remain active until you click a di erent tool.

How do you save panel locations and visibility prefer- ences?

3 You can save panel locations and visibility preferences by choosing Window > Workspace > New Workspace to create custom work areas and to make it easier to nd the controls that you need.

Describe three ways to navigate among artboards in Illustrator.

4 To navigate among artboards in Illustrator, you can choose the artboard number from the Artboard Navigation menu at the lower-left of the Document window; you can use the Artboard Navigation arrows in the lower-left of the Document window to go to the rst, previous, next, and last artboards; you can use the Artboards panel to navigate to artboards; or you can use the Navigator panel to drag the proxy view area to navigate between artboards.

Describe how arranging Document windows can be helpful.

5 Arranging Document windows allows you to tile win- dows or to cascade document groups. This can be use- ful if you are working on multiple Illustrator les and you need to compare or share content among them.

What is the di erence between a character style and a paragraph style?

A character style can be applied to selected text only. A paragraph style is applied to an entire paragraph. Paragraph styles are best for indents, margins, and line spacing.

Describe what a global color is.

A global color is a color swatch that, when you edit it, automatically updates all artwork to which it is applied. All spot colors are global; however, process colors can be either global or local.

What is a gradient?

A gradient is a graduated blend of two or more colors or of tints of the same color. Gradients can be applied to the stroke or ll of an object.

Describe the di erence between linking and embed- ding in Illustrator.

A linked le is a separate, external le connected to the Illustrator le by a link. A linked le does not add sig- ni cantly to the size of the Illustrator le. The linked le must accompany the Illustrator le to preserve the link and to ensure that the placed le appears when you open the Illustrator le. An embedded le is included in the Illustrator le. The Illustrator le size re ects the addition of the embedded le. Because the embedded le is part of the Illustrator le, no link can be broken. You can update linked and embedded les using the Relink button in the Links panel.

What kinds of objects can be used as masks?

A mask can be a simple or compound path, and masks (such as an opacity mask) may be imported with placed Photoshop les. You can also create layer clip- ping masks with any shape that is the topmost object of a group or layer.

Describe what a tint is.

A tint is a mixture of a color with white to make the color lighter. You can create a tint from a global process color, like CMYK, or from a spot color.

What is a Live Shape?

After you draw a rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, or polygon using the shape tool, you can continue to modify its properties such as width, height, rounded corners, corner types, and radii (individually or collec- tively). This is what is known as a Live Shape. The shape properties such as corner radius are editable later in the Transform panel, in the Control panel, or directly on the art.

Why do you align content to the pixel grid?

Aligning content to the pixel grid is useful for providing a crisp appearance to the edges of artwork. When Snap To Pixel is enabled for supported artwork, all the hori- zontal and vertical segments in the object are aligned to the pixel grid.

Describe how artwork in an Art brush is applied to content.

An Art brush is made from artwork (vector or embed- ded raster). When you apply an Art brush to the stroke of an object, the artwork in the Art brush, by default, is stretched along the selected object stroke.

What is the Shaper tool?

Another way to draw and edit shapes in Illustrator involves the Shaper tool. The Shaper tool recognizes natural gestures and produces Live Shapes from those gestures. Without switching tools, you can transform individual shapes you create and even perform operations such as punch and combine.

When you apply a Photoshop (raster) e ect to vector artwork, what happens to the artwork?

Applying a Photoshop e ect to artwork generates pix- els rather than vector data. Photoshop e ects include all of the e ects in the bottom portion of the E ect menu and the Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, Outer Glow, and Feather commands in the E ect > Stylize sub- menu. You can apply them to either vector or bitmap objects.

Explain how to embed a linked library graphic asset.

By default in Illustrator, when a graphic asset is dragged from the Libraries panel into a document, a link is created to the original Library asset. In order to embed a graphic asset, select the asset in the document, and click Embed in the Control panel. Once embedded, the graphic will no longer update if the original library asset is edited.

What is the advantage of converting text to outlines?

Converting text to outlines eliminates the need to send the fonts along with the Illustrator le when sharing with others and makes it possible to add e ects to type that aren't possible when the type is still editable (live).

How do you create a layer clipping mask?

Create a clipping mask on a layer by selecting the layer and clicking the Make/Release Clipping Mask button in the Layers panel. The topmost object in the layer becomes the clipping mask.

How can you adjust the direction of a gradient?

Drag with the Gradient tool to adjust the direction of a gradient. Dragging a long distance changes colors gradually; dragging a short distance makes the color change more abrupt. You can also rotate the gradient using the Gradient tool and change the radius, aspect ratio, starting point, and more.

What is CSS?

If you are building a website or want to hand o con- tent to a developer, you can transform the visual designs you create in Illustrator to CSS styles using the CSS Properties panel (Window > CSS Properties) or File > Export > Export As command. Cascading Style Sheets is a speci cation of formatting rules, much like paragraph and character styles in Illustrator, that con- trol the appearance of content in a web page. Unlike paragraph and character styles in Illustrator, CSS can control not only the look and feel of text but also the formatting and positioning of page elements found in HTML.

Sometimes you are unable to select an object because it is underneath another object. Explain two ways to get around this issue.

If your access to an object is blocked, you can choose Object > Hide > Selection to hide the blocking object. The object is not deleted. It is just hidden in the same position until you choose Object > Show All. You can also use the Selection tool to select an object that's behind other objects by pressing the Command (Mac OS) or Ctrl (Windows) key and then clicking the over- lapping objects until the object you want to select is selected.

In Illustrator, what type of content can you save in a Library?

In Illustrator, you can save colors ( ll and stroke), graph- ic assets, and type formatting.

How do you select a shape with no fill?

Items that have no fill can be selected by clicking the stroke or by dragging a selection marquee across the item.

Explain what Live Paint allows you to do.

Live Paint lets you paint vector graphics intuitively, by automatically detecting and correcting gaps that might otherwise a ect the application of lls and strokes. Paths divide the drawing surface into areas, any of which can be colored, regardless of whether the area is bounded by a single path or by segments of multiple paths.

Describe the difference between named and unnamed content when it comes to generating CSS.

Named content is content whose layer name in the Layers panel has been changed. When content is unnamed in the Layers panel (the default layer name is used), a CSS style is not created for the content by default. If you name the object in the Layers panel, the CSS is generated, and the name of the style cre- ated matches the object name in the Layers panel. To generate CSS styles for unnamed content, you need to enable this in the CSS Export Options dialog box by clicking the Export Options button in the CSS Proper- ties panel.

Describe what packaging does.

Packaging is used to gather all of the necessary pieces for an Illustrator document. Packaging creates a copy of the Illustrator le, the linked images, and the neces- sary fonts (if desired), and it gathers the copies into a folder.

What is text threading?

Text threading allows you to ow text from one object to another by linking type objects. Linked type objects can be of any shape; however, the text must be en- tered in an area or along a path (not at a point).

Name at least three transformations that can be applied with the Free Transform tool.

The Free Transform tool can perform a multitude of transformation operations, including move, scale, rotate, shear, and distort (perspective distort and free distort).

Brie y describe what the Scale Strokes & E ects option in the Transform panel does.

The Scale Strokes & E ects option, found in the Trans- form panel (or in Illustrator CC > Preferences > General [Mac OS] or Edit > Preferences > General [Windows]), scales any strokes and e ects as the object is scaled. This option can be turned on and o , depending on the current need.

What does the Touch Type tool let you do?

The Touch Type tool allows you to visually edit certain character formatting options for individual characters in text. You can edit the character rotation, kerning, baseline shift, and horizontal and vertical scale of text and the text remains editable.

Name at least two bene ts of using layers when creat- ing artwork.

The bene ts of using layers when creating artwork in- clude organizing content, selecting content more eas- ily, protecting artwork that you don't want to change, hiding artwork that you aren't working with so that it's not distracting, and controlling what prints.

What is the purpose of changing the color for a layer?

The color for a layer controls how selected anchor points and direction lines are displayed on a layer and helps you identify which layer an object resides on in your document.

Before drawing content on a grid plane, what must be done to ensure that the object is on the correct grid plane?

The correct grid plane must be selected by choosing it in the Plane Switching Widget. You can select it by using the following keyboard commands: Left Grid (1), Horizontal Grid (2), Right Grid (3), or No Active Grid (4); or by selecting content on the grid you want to choose with the Perspective Selection tool.

What is the di erence between a gradient and a blend?

The di erence between a gradient and a blend is the way that colors combine together—colors blend together within a gradient and between objects in a blend.

Name two methods for creating text in Adobe Illustra- tor.

The following methods can be used for creating text: • With the Type tool, click the artboard and start typing when the cursor appears. A point type object is created to accommodate the text. • With the Type tool, drag to create a text area. Type when a cursor appears. • With the Type tool, click a path or closed shape to convert it to text on a path, or click in a text area. Op- tion-clicking (Mac OS) or Alt-clicking (Windows) when crossing over the stroke of a closed path creates text around the shape.

Name three image le types that can be chosen in the Export For Screens dialog box and Asset Export panel.

The image le types that can be chosen in the Export For Screens dialog box and the Asset Export panel are PNG, JPEG, SVG, and PDF.

What happens if you paste a layered le into another le? Why is the Paste Remembers Layers option useful?

The paste commands paste layered les or objects cop- ied from di erent layers into the active layer by default. The Paste Remembers Layers option keeps the original layers intact when the objects are pasted.

What is the ruler origin?

The ruler origin is the point where 0 (zero) appears on each ruler. By default, the ruler origin is set to be 0 (zero) in the top-left corner of the active artboard.

What are the basic tools for creating shapes?

There are six shape tools: Rectangle, Rounded Rectan- gle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star, and Flare. As explained in Lesson 1, "Getting to Know the Work Area," to tear o a group of tools from the Tools panel, position the point- er over the tool that appears in the Tools panel, and hold down the mouse button until the group of tools appears. Without releasing the mouse button, drag to the triangle on the right side of the group, and then release the mouse button to tear o the group.

What is the di erence between artboard rulers and global rulers?

There are two types of rulers in Illustrator: artboard rulers and global rulers. Artboard rulers, which are the default rulers, set the ruler origin at the upper-left corner of the active artboard. Global rulers set the ruler origin at the upper-left corner of the rst artboard, no matter which artboard is active.

What are three bene ts of using symbols?

Three bene ts of using symbols are as follows: • You can edit one symbol, and all instances are updated. • You can map artwork to 3D objects. Mapping is wrap- ping an image around a 3D object. • Using symbols reduces le size.

How do you add a second ll or stroke to artwork?

To add a second ll or stroke to artwork, click the Add New Stroke button or Add New Fill button at the bottom of the Appearance panel, or choose Add New Stroke/Add New Fill from the Appearance panel menu. A stroke is added to the top of the appearance list. It has the same color and stroke weight as the original.

Name two ways you can add colors to a gradient.

To add colors to a gradient, in the Gradient panel, click beneath the gradient slider to add a gradient stop to the gradient. Then, double-click the color stop to edit the color, using the panel that appears to mix a new color or to apply an existing color swatch. You can select the Gradient tool in the Tools panel, position the pointer over the gradient- lled object, and then click beneath the gradient slider that appears in the artwork to add a color stop.

How do you adjust the blend between colors in a gradi- ent?

To adjust the blend between colors in a gradient, with the Gradient tool selected and with the pointer over the gradient annotator or in the Gradient panel, you can drag the diamond icons or the color stops of the gradient slider.

To align objects to the artboard, what do you need to rst select in the Align panel or Control panel before you choose an alignment option?

To align objects to an artboard, rst select the Align To Artboard option.

Name two ways to change the size of an existing active artboard.

To change the size of an existing artboard, you can do the following: • Double-click the Artboard tool, and edit the dimensions of the active artboard in the Artboard Options dialog box. • Select the Artboard tool, position the pointer over an edge or corner of the artboard, and drag to resize. • Select the Artboard tool, click an artboard in the Doc- ument window, and change the dimensions in the Control panel.

How can you change the way the Pencil tool works?

To change the way the Pencil tool works, double-click the Pencil tool in the Tools panel to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog box. There you can change the smoothness, delity, and other options.

Name two ways to convert a smooth point on a curve to a corner point.

To convert a smooth point on a curve to a corner point, use the Direct Selection tool to select the anchor point, and then use the Anchor Point tool to drag a direction handle to change the direction. Another method is to choose a point or points with the Direct Selection tool, and then click the Convert Selected Anchor Points To Corner button in the Control panel.

How do you draw a curved line using the Pen tool?

To draw a curved line with the Pen tool, click to create the starting anchor point, drag to set the direction of the curve, and then click to end the curve.

Describe how to draw straight vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines using the Pen tool.

To draw a straight line, click with the Pen tool, and then move the pointer and click again. The rst click sets the starting anchor point, and the second click sets the ending anchor point of the line. To constrain the straight line vertically, horizontally, or along a 45° diagonal, press the Shift key as you click to create the second anchor point with the Pen tool.

Describe how to edit paths with the Paintbrush tool as you draw. How does the Keep Selected option a ect the Paintbrush tool?

To edit a path with the Paintbrush tool, drag over a selected path to redraw it. The Keep Selected option keeps the last path selected as you draw with the Paintbrush tool. Leave the Keep Selected option se- lected when you want to easily edit the previous path as you draw. Deselect the Keep Selected option when you want to draw layered paths with the paintbrush without altering previous paths. When Keep Selected is deselected, you can use the Selection tool to select a path, and then edit it.

Which tool would you use to edit a segment on a curved line?

To edit a segment on a curved line, select the Direct Selection tool, and drag the segment to move it, or drag a direction handle on an anchor point to adjust the length and shape of the segment. Dragging a path segment with the Direct Selection tool or pressing the Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows) key and dragging a path segment with the Pen tool is another way to reshape a path.

Describe how to replace a placed image with another image in a document.

To replace a placed image with a di erent image, select the image in the Links panel. Then click the Relink button, and locate and select the replacement image. Click Place.

How do you update an existing symbol?

To update an existing symbol, double-click the symbol icon in the Symbols panel, double-click an instance of the symbol on the artboard, or select the instance on the artboard and then click the Edit Symbol button in the Control panel. Then you can make edits in Isolation mode.

How is the Join tool di erent from the Join command (Object > Path > Join)?

Unlike the Join command, the Join tool can trim over- lapping paths as it joins, and it doesn't simply create a straight line between the anchor points you are join- ing. The angle created by the two paths to be joined are taken into account.

What does the Blob Brush tool allow you to create?

Use the Blob Brush tool to edit lled shapes that you can intersect and merge with other shapes of the same color or to create artwork from scratch.

Of the two Selection tools (Selection and Direct Selec- tion), which allows you to edit the individual anchor points of an object?

Using the Direct Selection tool, you can select one or more individual anchor points and make changes to the shape of an object.

What's the di erence between applying a graphic style to a layer versus applying it to selected artwork?

When a graphic style is applied to a single object, other objects on that layer are not a ected. For example, if a triangle object has a Roughen e ect applied to its path and you move it to another layer, it retains the Rough- en e ect. After a graphic style is applied to a layer, everything you add to the layer has that style applied to it. For example, if you create a circle on Layer 1 and then move that circle to Layer 2, which has a Drop Shadow e ect applied, the circle adopts that e ect.

What is a dynamic symbol?

When a symbol is saved as Dynamic, you can change certain appearance properties of instances using the Direct Selection tool without editing the original sym- bol.

What is the di erence between applying a brush to art- work using the Paintbrush tool and applying a brush to artwork using one of the drawing tools?

When painting with the Paintbrush tool, if a brush is chosen in the Brushes panel and you draw on the art- board, the brush is applied directly to the paths as you draw. To apply brushes using a drawing tool, you select the tool and draw in the artwork. Then you select the path in the artwork and choose a brush in the Brushes panel. The brush is applied to the selected path.

When you save a pattern in Illustrator, where is it saved?

When you save a pattern in Illustrator, it is saved as a swatch in the Swatches panel. By default, swatches are saved with the current document open.

Name two ways to apply an e ect to an object.

You can apply an e ect to an object by selecting the object and then choosing the e ect from the E ect menu. You can also apply an e ect by selecting the ob- ject, clicking the Add New E ect button at the bottom of the Appearance panel, and then choosing the e ect from the menu that appears.

How can you choose color harmonies for color inspira- tion?

You can choose color harmonies from the Color Guide panel. Color harmonies are used to generate a color scheme based on a single color.

How can you convert a raster image to editable vector shapes?

You can convert a raster image to editable vector shapes by tracing it. To convert the tracing to paths, click Expand in the Control panel or choose Object > Image Trace > Expand. Use this method if you want to work with the components of the traced artwork as individual objects. The resulting paths are grouped.

Where can you access the options for e ects applied to an object?

You can edit e ects applied to selected artwork by click- ing the e ect link in the Appearance panel to access the e ect options.

How can you save a color?

You can save a color for painting other objects in your artwork by adding it to the Swatches panel by doing one of the following: • Drag the color from a Fill box, and drop it over the Swatches panel. • Click the New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches panel. • Choose New Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. • Choose Create New Swatch from the Color panel menu.

How can you select an object that has no ll?

You can select an object that has no ll by clicking the stroke or by dragging a marquee across any part of the object.

Explain two ways you can select an item in a group without choosing Object > Ungroup.

You can ungroup objects, or double-click the group to enter Isolation mode, edit the shapes as needed, and then exit Isolation mode by pressing the Escape key or by double-clicking outside of the group. Read Lesson 9, "Organizing Your Artwork with Layers," to see how you can use layers to make complex selections. Also, using the Group Selection tool, you can click once to select an individual item within a group. Click again to add the next grouped items to the selection.

What color modi cations can you apply to a selected object using e ects?

You can use e ects to change the color mode (RGB, CMYK, or grayscale) or to adjust individual colors in a selected object. You can also saturate or desaturate colors or invert colors in a selected object. You can apply color modi cations to placed images, as well as to artwork created in Illustrator.

How do you create an opacity mask for a placed image?

You create an opacity mask by placing the object to be used as a mask on top of the object to be masked. Then you select the mask and the object(s) to be masked, and either click the Make Mask button in the Transparency panel or choose Make Opacity Mask from the Transparency panel menu.

Describe how to reorder layers in a file.

You reorder layers by selecting a layer name in the Layers panel and dragging the layer to its new loca- tion. The order of layers in the Layers panel controls the document's layer order—topmost in the panel is frontmost in the artwork.

Name two things that the Recolor Artwork dialog box allows you to do.

You use the Recolor Artwork dialog box to change the colors used in selected artwork, create and edit color groups, or reassign or reduce the colors in your art- work, among other functions.