This document provides an overview of the Illustrator workspace and basic tools for working with artboards, objects, text, and gradients in Adobe Illustrator. Key points covered include how to view and modify artboard elements, work with objects and smart guides, create basic shapes, select, move and align objects, transform objects, make direct selections, work with multiple artboards, create and format text, flow text into objects and on paths, create colors and gradients, and apply gradients to text and strokes.

2. Explore the Illustrator Workspace
Artboard
Tools
panel
Control
panel
Workspace
switcher
Panels
dock
Essentials Workspace Menu bar

3. View and Modify Artboard Elements
• In Normal mode, objects are displayed with
fills, strokes, and effects.
• In Outline mode, objects are displayed as
hollow shapes, with no fills, strokes, or effects.
• Working in Outline mode can be helpful for
careful selection.

4. View and Modify Artboard Elements
• You can work with multiple open documents.
• You can set them as tabs in your workspace.

5. View and Modify Artboard Elements
• Shortcut keys allow quick access to commands
essential for performing basic and complex
operations.
• When available, shortcut keys are listed beside
commands on the menu.

6. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• Objects in Illustrator are any individual pieces
of artwork you create, such as:
– Shapes
– Lines
– Text

7. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• You can use the bounding box of an object to
resize it.
• Select the Show Bounding Box option on the
View menu.
• Click and drag any of the eight handles that
appear to change the object’s shape and size.

8. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• Selected circle with the bounding box
showing.

9. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• When you select multiple objects, a single
bounding box appears around all of them.

10. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• The Paste in Front command pastes the copy
directly in front of the original.
• The Paste in Back command pastes the copy
directly behind the original.
• The Paste in Place command also pastes a
copy directly in front of the original.

11. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• Other useful Object menu commands include:
• Hide
• Lock
• Group
• Ungroup

12. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
• Smart guides give you visual information for
positioning objects precisely in relation to the
artboard or other objects.
• When activated, smart guides appear
automatically when you move objects.

13. Work with Objects and Smart Guides
Smart guides aligning the top edges of two objects.

14. Create Basic Shapes
• Bitmap Images are created using a square or
rectangle grid of colored squares called pixels.
• All digital images are composed of pixels.

15. Create Basic Shapes
• The number of pixels in a given inch is referred
to as resolution.
• Bitmap images are resolution-dependent.

16. Create Basic Shapes
Bitmap image
Pixels
Enlarging
bitmap
images
negatively
impacts
image
quality.

17. Create Basic Shapes
• Graphics created in Illustrator are vector
graphics.
• They are created with lines and curves.
• They are defined by mathematical objects
called vectors.

18. Create Basic Shapes
• Vector graphics consist of anchor points and
line segments, together referred to as paths.
• They can be scaled to any size.
• They are resolution-independent.

19. Create Basic Shapes
Vector graphic

20. Select, Move, and Align Objects
• Grouping objects allows them to be selected
with one click of Selection tool
– To group:
• Select objects
• Click Object on Application bar
• Click Group

21. Select, Move, and Align Objects
• A marquee selection is a dotted rectangle
created when you drag the Selection tool
around an object or objects.
• Any object a marquee touches before the
mouse button is released will be selected.

22. Select, Move, and Align Objects
Marquee selection
around two objects

23. Transform Objects
• Fundamental transformation tools:
– Scale tool: resize objects
– Rotate tool: rotate objects
– Reflect tool: flip objects over an imaginary axis

24. Transform Objects
• Transform an object using the desired tool or
enter precise numbers in its dialog box.

25. Transform Objects
• You can repeat transformations using the
Transform Again command found on the
Object menu.
• Copying and repeating transformations allows
you to create complex geometric shapes from
basic objects.

26. Transform Objects
Reflected text
examples

27. Make Direct Selections
• Use the Direct Selection tool to select
individual anchor points or single paths of an
object.
• Drag a marquee or press and hold [Shift] while
using the Direct Selection tool to select
multiple anchor points or multiple paths.

28. Make Direct Selections
• Clicking the center of an object with the Direct
Selection tool selects the entire object.
• Click the edge to select the path only.

29. Make Direct Selections
• The Add Anchor Points command creates new
anchor points without distorting the object.
• To add anchor points:
– Click Object on the Application bar
– Point to Path
– Click Add Anchor Points

30. Make Direct Selections
Direct Selection
tool selects
single objects
within groups
Direct Selection
tool selects
anchor points
and paths

31. Make Direct Selections
• Any object you create can be turned into a
guide.
– Select object
– Click View on the Application bar
– Point to Guides
– Click Make Guides

32. Make Direct Selections
• When an object becomes a guide, it loses its
attributes, such as fill, stroke, and stroke
weight.
• Illustrator remembers its original attributes.
• To transform a guide back into an object, click View on
the Application bar, point to Guides, then click Release
Guides.

33. Make Direct Selections
• The Draw Behind Drawing Mode and the
Stacking Order refer to the order of how
objects are arranged in front of and behind
other objects on the artboard.
• This is not the same concept as layers in a
document.

34. Make Direct Selections
• You can manipulate the stacking order of
objects with the Arrange commands on the
Object menu or these shortcut keys.

35. Work with Multiple Artboards
• The artboard is your workspace in an
Illustrator document.
• Sometimes the size of it is important;
sometimes it is not.

36. Work with Multiple Artboards
• You can set up multiple artboards of different
sizes.
• You can choose the number of artboards in
the New Document dialog box.

37. Set number
of artboards
Work with Multiple Artboards

38. Multiple
artboards in a
document
Manage multiple
artboards using the
Artboards panel
Work with Multiple Artboards
Clicking the
Artboard tool
changes the
screen to Edit
Artboards mode

39. • Click the New
Artboard button on
the Control panel,
then move cursor
over other artboards.
• You will see a
transparent board.
• Click to place it.
Work with Multiple Artboards

40. Select
individual
artboard to
reposition
or resize
Work with Multiple Artboards

41. Paste artwork
in the same
location on
another
artboard using
the Paste in
Place
command on
the Edit menu
Work with Multiple Artboards

42. Paste artwork
in the same
location on
multiple
artboards
using the
Paste on all
Artboards
command on
the Edit menu.
Work with Multiple Artboards

44. Chapter 2
Creating Text and Gradients

45. • Create and format text
• Flow text into an object
• Position text on a path
• Create colors and gradients
• Apply colors and gradients to text
• Adjust a gradient and create a drop shadow
• Apply gradients to strokes
Objectives

46. • To create type:
• Select the Type tool
• Click the artboard and start typing or click and
drag the Type tool to create a text box.
Create and Format Text

47. • Use the Vertical Type tool to create vertical
type.
• Type is positioned on a path called the
baseline.
Create and Format Text

48. • The Character and Paragraph panels contain
all classic commands for formatting.
• The Character panel modifies text attributes
such as font and type size, tracking, and
kerning.
Create and Format Text

49. Font family
Character
Rotation
Tracking
Vertical
Scale
Baseline shift
LeadingFont style
Font size
Kerning
Horizontal
Scale
Underline
Strikethrough
Create and Format Text

50. • Tracking inserts uniform spaces between
characters.
• Kerning affects the spaces between any two
characters.
Create and Format Text

51. Examples of kerning and tracking
Create and Format Text

52. • Leading inserts vertical space between
baselines.
•
• Applying a horizontal or vertical scale
compresses or expands selected type.
Create and Format Text

53. © 2011 Delmar Cengage Learning
Leading
Baseline
50% horizontal
scale
50 % vertical
scale
Examples of text formatting
Create and Format Text

54. Align buttons
Left indent
text box
First-line left indent
text box
Right indent
text box
Space before
paragraph
Space after paragraph
Paragraph panel modifies text alignment,
paragraph indents, and vertical spaces
Create and Format Text

55. • Hide objects while working with text to avoid
accidental deletions and modifications.
• The Hide/Show All Selection commands are
on the Object menu.
Create and Format Text

56. • Fill an object with text:
• Use the Area Type tool and Vertical Area Type
tool to flow text into any shape you create.
• Format text in object as usual.
• Manipulate object just like any other.
Create and Format Text

57. © 2011 Delmar Cengage Learning
Flow Text into an Object

58. • Using the Path Type Tools:
• Type along a straight or curved path using the
Type on a Path tool or Vertical Type on a Path
tool.
• Move text along path.
Flow Text into an Object

59. • ‘Flip’ text to make it run in the opposite
direction – on opposite side of path.
• Change the baseline shift to modify distance
the text’s baseline is above or below path.
Flow Text into an Object

60. Text on a path Text flipped across a path
Position Text on a Path

61. • A gradient is a graduated blend between
colors.
• Create and adjust gradients in the Gradient
panel.
Create Colors and Gradients

62. Type list arrow
Location text box
Gradient slider
Opacity text box
Stops
Two color
gradient
Rotation text box
Create Colors and Gradients

63. • The Gradient panel
• Gradient slider represents the gradient being
created.
• Gradients contain at least two colors.
– Leftmost color is the starting color.
– Rightmost color is the ending color.
Create Colors and Gradients

64. • House-shaped icons called stops represent the
colors in the gradient.
• The point at which two colors meet in equal
measure is called the midpoint.
• The midpoint is represented by the diamond
above the slider, which is called the Gradient
Slider.
Create Colors and Gradients

65. • The midpoint need not be positioned evenly
between start and end.
• Change the look of the gradient by moving
Gradient Slider.
• Swatches panel contains standard gradients
that come with Illustrator.
Create Colors and Gradients

66. You can create and apply linear or radial gradients
Radial gradientLinear gradient
Create Colors and Gradients

67. • Linear gradients can be positioned:
• Left to right and up or down
• On any angle – change angle in Angle text box
on Gradient panel
• Radial gradient start at center of gradient and
blend out to ending color.
Create Colors and Gradients

68. • The Color panel is where you move sliders to
mix new colors for fills, strokes, and gradients.
Current fill
and stroke
colors
CMYK
Spectrum
Slider
CMYK values
Create Colors and Gradients

69. • Color panel has five color modes:
– CMYK
– RGB
– Grayscale
– HSB (hue, saturation, brightness)
– Web Safe RGB
• The default is CMYK or RGB (depending on the
mode selected).
Create Colors and Gradients

70. • Add colors and gradients to the Swatches
panel that you define by dragging them into
the Swatches panel.
• To name a swatch, double-click it, then type a
name in Swatch Options dialog box.
Create Colors and Gradients

71. Create Colors and Gradients

72. • By default text is generated with a black fill
and no stroke.
• Use the Type tool to change the fill or stroke
of individual characters in a text object.
• Use the Selection tool to select text as a single
object and to change text globally.
Apply Colors and Gradients to Text

73. • To fill text with a gradient you must convert
the text to outlines.
• Select text, then click the Create Outlines
command on Type menu.
• Letterforms become standard Illustrator
objects with anchor points and paths.
Apply Colors and Gradients to Text

74. Each outline
is filled with
the gradient
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

75. • Creating outlines makes it possible to create
documents with text without fonts.
• Once text is converted to outlines, you can no
longer change the typeface.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

76. • Use the Gradient tool to manipulate gradient
fills.
– Select an object with a gradient fill.
– Drag the Gradient tool over the object.
– Where you begin dragging and where you end
determines length of blend from starting to
ending color.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

77. Gradient control bar
• The gradient control bar appears in the object
itself.
• You can change the direction, length, and
angle of the gradient control bar by dragging
it.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

78. • For linear gradients, the angle you drag
determines the angle that the blend fills the
object.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

79. • If you select multiple objects, each object is
filled with entire length of the gradient from
beginning color to end color.
• When you convert text to outlines and apply a
fill, the gradient automatically fills each letter
independently.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

80. Examples of
different angles
and lengths of a
gradient fill
created with
the Gradient tool.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

81. • To apply a drop shadow to text:
• Copy text.
• Paste copy behind it.
• Fill copy with darker color.
• Use keyboard arrows to move it so it is offset
from original.
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

82. Drop shadow created using the Paste in Back command
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

83. • Use the Gradient panel to apply a gradient to
the stroke of an object
• Three options:
– Within
– Along
– Across
Apply Gradients to Strokes

84. • Within Stroke Option Applied
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

85. • Along Stroke Option Applied
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow

86. • Across Stroke Option Applied
Adjust a Gradient and Create a Drop Shadow