Adobe 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 and name it. You can reselect it at any time from the Select menu.
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. The topmost objects in the layer becomes the clipping mask.
How do you add pattern swatches to the Swatches panel?
Create a pattern (patterns cannot contain patterns themselves) and drag it into the Swatches panel.
For which brushes 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 something that cannot be used as a symbol?
Unembedded images cannot be used as symbols.
Name two ways to fill a selected object with a gradient.
Select an object and do one of the following: 1) Click the Gradient box in the Tools panel to fill an object with the default white-to-black gradient or with the last selected gradient. 2) Click a gradient swatch in the Swatches panel. 3) Make a new gradient by clicking a gradient swatch in the Swatches panel and mixing your own in the Gradient panel. 4) Use the Eyedropper tool to sample a gradient from an object in your artwork, and then apply it to the selected object.
What are the steps to map artwork to an object?
1) Select the artwork to be used as a symbol and Option-click the New Symbol button in the Symbols panel. 2) Select the object and choose Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel, or Effect > 3D > Revolve. 3) Click Map Art. 4) Navigate to the surface by clicking the Next Surface or Previous Surface buttons. Select the symbol from the Symbol menu. Close both dialog boxes.
Name two methods for creating a text area.
1) With the Type tool, click the artboard and start typing when the cursor appears. A text area is created to accommodate the text. 2) With the Type tool, drag to create a text area. Type when a cursor appears. 3) With the Type tool, click a path or closed shape to convert it to text on a path or a text area. Option-clicking when crossing over the stroke of a closed path creates text around the shape.
What is the difference between a character and a paragraph style?
A character style can be applied to text only. A paragraph style is applied to an entire paragraph. Paragraph styles are best for indents, margins and line spacing.
What is a gradient fill?
A graduated blend between two or more colors or between tints of the same color.
Describe the difference between linking and embedding in Illustrator.
A linked file is a separate, external file connected to the Illustrator file by an electronic link. A linked file does not add significantly to the size of the Illustrator file. The linked file must accompany the Illustrator file to preserve the link and ensure that the placed file appears when you open the Illustrator file. An embedded file is included in the Illustrator file. The Illustrator file size reflects the addition of the embedded file. Because the embedded file is part of the Illustrator file, no link can be broken. You can update linked and embedded files using the Replace Link button in the Links panel.
What kinds of objects can be used as masks?
A mask can be a simple or compound path. You can use type as a mask. You can import opacity masks with placed Photoshop files. You can also create layer clipping masks with any shape that is the topmost object of a group or layer.
There are three preset grids. Describe what each could be used for.
A one-point perspective can be very useful for roads, railway tracks, or buildings viewed so that the front is directly facing the viewer. Two-point perspective is useful for drawing a cube, like a building, or two roads going off into the distance, and typically has two vanishing points. Three-point perspective is usually used for buildings seen from above or below. In addition to vanishing points for each wall, there is a vanishing point showing those walls receding into the ground or high in space in three-point perspective.
How can you save a color?
Add it to the Swatches panel, select the color and do one of the following: 1) Drag it from the Fill box and drop it over the Swatches panel. 2) Click the New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches panel. 3) Choose New Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. ...You can also add colors from other color libraries by selecting them in the Color Library panel and choosing Add to Swatches from the panel menu.
What's the difference between applying a graphic style to a layer versus applying it to an object?
After a graphic style is applied to a layer, everything you add to that 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 effect applied, the circle adopts that effect.
Name two types of appearance attributes.
Appearance panel contains: Fill attributes (fill type, color, transparency and effects), stroke attributes (stroke type, brush, color transparency and effects), transparency attributes (opacity and blending mode), effects from the Effect menu
Describe how arranging Document windows can be helpful.
Arranging Document windows allows you to tile windows or cascade document groups. This can be useful if you are working on multiple Illustrator files and you need to compare or share between them.
Describe each of the five brush types: Art, Calligraphic, Pattern, Bristle and Scatter.
Art brushes stretch artwork evenly along a path and include strokes that resemble graphic media, such as the Charcoal-Feather brush used to create the tree and objects such as the Arrow brush. Calligraphic brushes are defined by an elliptical shape whose center follows the path; they create strokes that resemble hand-drawn lines made with a flat, angled calligraphic pen tip. Pattern brushes paint a pattern made up of separate sections, or tiles, for the sides, ends and corners of the path; the brush applies different tiles from the pattern to different sections of the path, depending on where the section falls on the path. Bristle brushes allow you to create brush strokes with the appearance of a natural brush with bristles. Scatter brushes scatter an object, such as a leaf, along a path; you can adjust the size, spacing, scatter and rotation options to change the appearance of the brush.
Name two ways that you can bring content from Illustrator into InDesign.
Choose File > Place in InDesign to place a graphic and create a link to the original, or choose Edit > Paste after copying content from Illustrator. Pasting content does not create a link.
How do you save panel locations and visibility preferences?
Choose Window > Workspace > Save Workspace to create custom work areas and make it easier to find the controls that you need.
Name two benefits of using layers when creating artwork.
Benefits include 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.
How can you control lighting on a 3D object? Does the lighting of one 3D object affect other 3D objects?
By clicking the More Options button in any of the 3D dialog boxes, you can change the light, direction of light and shade color. Settings for the light of one 3D object do not affect the settings for any other 3D objects.
How do you resize an object? Explain how you determine the point from which the object resizes. How do you resize a group of objects proportionally?
By selecting it and dragging handles on its bounding box, by using the Scale tool or the Transform panel, or by choosing Object > Transform > Scale to specify exact dimensions. You can also scale by choosing Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform.
Describe two ways to blend the shapes and colors of objects.
Choose one: 1) Click each object with the Blend tool to create a blend of intermediate steps between the objects, according to preset blend options. 2) Select the objects and choose Object > Blend > Blend Options to set the number of intermediate steps, and then choose Object > Blend > Make to create the blend.
How can you lock layers?
Choose one: 1) Click in the edit column to the left of the layer name. A lock icon appears indicating that the layer is locked. 2) Choose Lock Others from the Layers panel menu to lock all layers but the active one. 3) Hide a layer to protect it.
How do you add a second stroke to an object?
Click the Add New Stroke button in the Appearance panel or choose Add New Stroke 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 stroke.
How do you apply an effect to a layer? How can you edit that effect?
Click the target icon for the layer to which you want to apply an effect. Then choose an effect from the Effect menu. To edit the effect, make sure the layer is selected, and then click the name of the effect in the Appearance panel. The effect's dialog box opens, and you can change the values.
How do you hide layers?
Click to deselect the eye icon to the left of the layer name. Select the blank, leftmost column (Visibility column) to show a layer.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of converting text to outlines?
Converting type to outlines eliminates the need to send the fonts along with the file when sharing with others. You can also fill the type with a gradient and create interesting effects on individual letters. However, when you create outlines from text, you should consider the following: 1) Text is no longer editable. The content and font cannot be changed for outlined text. It is best to save a layer with the original text or use the Outline Object effect. 2) Bitmap fonts and outline-protected fonts cannot be converted to outlines. 3) Outlining text that is less than 10 points in size is not recommended. 4) You must convert all type in a selection to outlines; you cannot convert a single letter within a string of type. To convert a single letter into an outline, create a separate type area containing only that letter.
Name two ways to bring symbols from Illustrator to Flash.
Copy and paste the symbol(s) from Illustrator to Flash, choose File > Import > Import to Stage, or choose File > Import > Import to Library.
Name two ways to change the size of an existing active artboard.
Double-click the Artboard tool and edit the dimensions of the active artboard in the Artboard Options dialog box. Select the Artboard tool and position the pointer over an edge or corner of the artboard and drag to resize.
How can you change the way the Pencil tool works?
Double-click the Pencil tool to open the Pencil Tool Options dialog box, where you can change the smoothness, fidelity and more.
How do you name a color?
Double-click the color swatch in the Swatches panel or select it and choose Swatch Options from the panel menu. Type the name for the color in the Swatch Options dialog box.
How do you update an existing symbol?
Double-click the symbol icon in the Symbols panel or double-click an instance of the symbol on the artboard. Then you can make edits in isolation mode.
How do 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 and starting point.
What are the three types of 3D effects that are available? Give an example of why you would use each one.
Extrude & Bevel: Uses the z-axis to give a 2D object depth by extruding the object. For example, a circle becomes a cylinder. Revolve: Uses the y-axis to revolve an object around an axis. For example, an arc becomes a circle. Rotate: Uses the z-axis to rotate 2D artwork in 3D space and change the artwork's perspective.
If something is preventing you from selecting an object, name two ways to select the blocked object.
If something is blocking your access to an object, you can choose Object > Hide > Selection to hide the blocking object. The object is not deleted, just hidden in the same position until you choose Object > Show All. You can also use the Selection tool to select behind content by pressing the Cmd key and then clicking on the overlapping objects.
How can you convert a raster image to editable vector shapes?
If you want to base a new drawing on an existing piece of artwork, you can trace it. To convert the tracing to paths, click Expand in the Control panel or choose Object > Live 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.
Name two ways you can add colors to a gradient.
In the Gradient panel, click beneath the gradient bar to add a gradient stop to the gradient. Then use the Color panel to mix a new color, or, in the Swatches panel, Option-click a color swatch. You can select the Gradient tool in the Tools panel and position the pointer over the gradient-filled object. You can also click beneath the gradient slider that appears in the Gradient panel or in the artwork with the Gradient tool selected to add a color stop.
How do you remove an appearance attribute using the Layers panel?
In the layers panel, click the target icon of a layer. Drag the target icon to the Delete Selection button in the Layers panel to remove the appearance attribute. You can also remove the appearance attribute of a selected object or layer using the Appearance panel. Select the object and choose Reduce to Basic Appearance from the Appearance panel menu to return the object to its original state.
What is the purpose of entering isolation mode?l
Isolation mode isolates objects so you can easily select and edit content on a single layer or sublayer.
What does double-clicking a grid plane control allow you to do?
It allows you to move the plane. You can specify whether to move the content associated with the plane and whether to copy the content as the plane moves.
How do you select a shape with no fill?
Items that have no fill can be selected by clicking the stroke.
Explain what Live Paint allows you to do.
Live Paint lets you paint vector graphics intuitively by automatically detecting and correcting gaps that otherwise would have affected how fills and strokes were applied. Paths divide the drawing surface up 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. Painting objects with Live Paint is like filling in a coloring book or using watercolors to paint a pencil sketch.
How do you draw a corner point on a curved line?
Press the Option key and drag the direction handle on the end point of the curve to change the direction of the path. Continue dragging to draw the next curved segment on the path.
Which tool would you use 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.
How can you show or hide the Perspective Grid?
Select the Perspective Grid tool in the Tools panel or choose View > Perspective Grid > Show Grid/Hide Grid.
Describe at least three ways to fill an object with color.
Select the object and the Fill box in the Tools panel, then do one of the following: 1) Double-click the Fill or Stroke box in the Control panel to access the Color Picker. 2) Drag the color sliders, or type values in the text boxes in the Color panels. 3) Click a color swatch in the Swatches panel. 4) Select the Eyedropper tool and then click a color in the artwork. 5) Choose Window > Swatch Libraries to open another color library, and then click a color swatch in the Color Library panel.
Name two ways to apply an effect to an object.
Select the object and then choose the effect from the Effect menu, or apply an effect by selecting the object and clicking the Add New Effect button in the Appearance panel and then choosing the effect from the menu that appears.
How do you move objects from one layer to another?
Select the objects you want to move and drag the selected-art indicator (to the right of the target icon) to another layer in the Layers panel.
What are the basic shape tools? Describe how to tear or separate a group of shape tools away from the Tools panel.
Six basic shape tools are: Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star, and Flare. To tear off a group of tools from the Tools panel, position the pointer 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 at the bottom of the group and then release the mouse button to tear off the group.
How can you choose color harmonies for colors?
The Color Guide panel is a tool you can use for inspiration while you create your artwork. The panel suggests color harmonies based on the current color in the Tools panel.
Name the symbolism tool that is used for rotating instances in a symbol set.
The Symbol Spinner tool changes the rotation of a symbol instance in a symbol set.
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 by using the following keyboard commands: Left Grid (1), Horizontal Grid (2), Right Grid (3), or No Active Grid (4), or selecting content on the grid you want to choose with the Perspective Selection tool.
What happens if you paste a layered file into another file? Why is the Paste Remembers Layers option useful?
The paste commands paste layered files or objects copied from different 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 purpose of changing the selection color for a layer?
The selection color controls how selected anchor points and direction lines are displayed on a layer and helps you identify the different layers in your document.
What does the square diagram indicate in the Transform panel and how does it affect transformations?
The square diagram in the Transform panel indicates the bounding box of the selected objects. Select a reference point in the square to indicate the reference point from which the objects as a group move, scale, rotate, shear or reflect.
If you are using a symbolism tool on an area that has two different symbols applied, which one is affected?
The symbol active in the Symbols panel is the only instance affected.
What are two benefits of using an OpenType font?
The two main benefits of OpenType fonts are cross-platform compatibility (they work the same on Windows and Mac OS) and support of widely expanded character sets and layout features, which provide richer linguistic support and advanced typographic control.
What is the difference between a gradient fill and a blend?
The way the colors combine together - colors blend together within a gradient fill and between objects in a blend.
To align objects to the artboard, what do you need to first select in the Align panel or Control panel before you choose an alignment option?
To align objects to an artboard, first select the Align To Artboard option.
What is the difference between applying a brush to artwork using the Paintbrush tool and applying a brush to artwork using one of the drawing tools?
To apply brushes using the Paintbrush tool, you select the tool, choose a brush in the Brushes panel and draw on the artboard. 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.
How do you change the colorization method for an Art, Pattern or Scatter brush? (Remember, you don't use colorization methods with Calligraphic or Bristle brushes.)
To change the colorization method of a brush, double-click the brush in the Brushes panel to open the Brush Options dialog box. Use the Method menu in the Colorization section to select another method. If you choose Hue Shift, you can use the default color displayed in the dialog box preview, or you can change the key color by clicking the Key Color Eyedropper and clicking a color in the preview. Click OK to accept the settings, and close the Brush Options dialog box. Click Apply to Strokes in the alert dialog box if you want to apply the changes to existing strokes in the artwork. Existing brush strokes are colorized with the stroke color that was selected when the strokes were applied to the artwork. New brush strokes are colorized with the current stroke color. To change the color of existing strokes after applying a different colorization method, select the strokes and select a new stroke color.
How do you change the number of sides on a polygon as you draw?
To change the number of sides on a polygon as you draw, select the Polygon tool in the Tools panel. Start dragging to draw the shape, and hold the Down Arrow key to reduce the number of sides and the Up Arrow key to increase the number of sides.
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 and drag to set the direction of the curve, and then click to end the curve.
How do you draw a square?
To draw a square, select the Rectangle tool in the Tools panel. Hold down the Shift key and drag to draw the square, or click the artboard to enter equal dimensions for the width and height in the Rectangle dialog box.
Describe how to draw straight vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines using the Pen tool.
To draw a straight line, click twice with the Pen tool. The first click sets the starting anchor point, while the second click sets the ending anchor point of the line. To constrain the straight line vertically, horizontally or diagonally, press the Shift key as you click with the Pen tool.
Describe how to edit paths with the Paintbrush tool as you draw. How does the Keep Selected option affect 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 selected (the default setting) 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.
How do you assign a transparent color to an object?
To paint a shape with a semitransparent color, select the shape and fill it with any color. Then adjust the opacity percentage in the Transparency panel or Control panel to less than 100%.
How can you rename an artboard?
To rename an artboard, select the Artboard tool and click to select an artboard. Then change the name in the Name field in the Control Panel. You can also click the Artboard Options button in the Artboards panel to enter the name in the Artboard Options dialog box.
Describe how to replace a placed image with another image in a document.
To replace a placed image, select the image in the Links panel. Then click the Replace Link button, and locate and select the replacement image. Click Place.
How do you select tools in Illustrator?
To select a tool, you can either click 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 different tool.
What does the Blob Brush tool allow you to create?
Use the Blob Brush tool to edit filled shapes that you can intersect and merge with other shapes of the same color, or to create artwork from scratch.
Name two ways 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 Convert 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 edit the shape 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.
Name two ways you can select an item in a group without choosing Object > Ungroup.
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. You can also 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.
Name two ways you can combine several shapes into one.
Using the Shape Builder tool, you can visually and intuitively merge, delete, fill and edit overlapping shapes and paths directly in the artwork. You can also use the Pathfinder effects to create new shapes and paths directly in the artwork. You can also use the Pathfinder effects to create new shapes out of overlapping objects. You can apply the Pathfinder effects by using the Effects menu or the Pathfinder panel.
How do you add to an existing graphic style?
When a graphic style is applied to an object, Option-click a new graphic style in the Graphic Styles panel.
What is the difference between selecting a smooth color blend and specifying the number of steps in a blend?
When you choose Smooth Color blend, Illustrator automatically calculates the number of intermediate steps necessary to create a seamlessly smooth blend between the selected objects. Specifying the number of steps lets you determine how many intermediate steps are visible in the blend. You can also specify the distance between intermediate steps in the blend.
How do you move an object perpendicular to the grid?
With the Perspective Selection tool, hold down the number 5 key and drag the object perpendicular to the grid.
Describe the steps required to move content from one grid plane to another.
With the object(s) selected, begin dragging them, without releasing the mouse button yet. Press the number 1, 2, 3, or 4 key to switch to the grid plane of your choice.
How do you access symbols from other documents?
You can access symbols from saved documents either by clicking the Symbol Libraries Menu button at the bottom of the Symbols panel and choosing Other Library from the menu that appears; by choosing Other Library from the Symbols panel menu; or by choosing Window > Symbol Libraries > Other Library.
Describe two ways to change the view of a document.
You can choose commands from the View menu to zoom in or out of a document, or fit 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 change its magnification without using the Document window.
Describe three ways to navigate between 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 first, previous, next and last artboards, you can double-click the name of an artboard in the Artboards panel to navigate to an artboard, or you can use the Navigator panel to drag the proxy preview area to navigate between artboards.
How can you select and manipulate individual objects in a group (as described in this chapter)?
You can double-click the group with the Selection tool to enter isolation mode. This temporarily ungroups objects so that you can edit them within a group without ungrouping.
What are the three benefits of using a symbol?
You can easily apply multiple shapes. You can edit one symbol and all instances are updated. You can map artwork to 3D objects.
Where can the effects applied to an object be edited once they are applied?
You can edit effects in the Appearance panel.
How can you select an object that has no fill?
You can select items that have no fill by clicking the stroke or dragging a marquee across the object.
What color modifications can you apply to a selected object using effects?
You can use effects to change the color mode (RGB, CMYK, or grayscale) or 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 modifications to placed images, as well as to artwork created in Illustrator.
How do you adjust the shapes or colors in the blend? How do you adjust the path of the blend?
You can use the Direct Selection tool to select and adjust the shape of an original object, thus changing the shape of the blend. You can change the colors of the original objects to adjust the intermediate colors in the blend. Use the Convert Anchor Point tool to change the shape of the path, or spine, of the blend by dragging anchor points or direction handles on the spine.
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 objects to be masked, and choose Make Opacity Mask from the Transparency panel menu.
How do you adjust the blend between colors in a gradient?
You drag the diamond icons or color stops of the gradient in the Gradient panel.
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 location. The order of layers in the Layers panel controls the document's layer order - topmost in the panel is the frontmost in the artwork.
Name two things that the Edit Colors/Recolor Artwork dialog box allows you to do.
You use the Edit Colors/Recolor Artwork dialog box to create and edit color groups, to reassign or reduce the colors in your artwork and more.
What transformations can you make using the Transform panel?
You use the Transform panel for making the following transformations: Moving or precisely placing objects in your artwork (by specifying the x and y coordinates and the reference point), scaling, rotating, shearing and reflecting.
