This document provides an overview of common graphic editing and illustration tools and techniques in Adobe Illustrator, including how to use the selection tools to select parts of an image, transform objects using free transform tools like rotate and scale, apply fills and strokes to shapes, use the pen tool to create and modify paths, and work with symbols, patterns, and text. Key topics covered include how to select objects, transform selections, apply shears, work with layers and panels, combine objects with the pathfinder, and align or distribute selections.

1. Objec&ve 102.04 20%
U&lize appropriate tools and methods to produce digital
graphics.

2. Free Transform
q Change by using rotate, scale, skew,
distort, or perspec&ve in one
con&nuous opera&on. Instead of
choosing different commands, you
simply hold down a key on your
keyboard to switch between
transforma&on types.
q Rota&ng an object turns it around a
fixed point that you choose.
q Hold ShiL while resizing to keep the
propor&ons or use Scale instead.

3. Shear
q Shearing objects will slant or skew the object. This
is great for cas&ng shadows.

4. Common Graphic Editing Terms
q Selec&on
☐ Surrounding specific part(s)
of a graphic to make
individual adjustments.
q Feathering/Blending
☐ Smoothing or blurring the
edges of an image to help
transi&on into the
background or into another
image.

5. Selection Tools
q Allows you to choose a specific part of the image.
There are several selec&on tools each work in a
different way.
☐ Marquee
☐ Lasso
☐ Quick Selec&on Tool
☐ Magic Wand

6. Marquee Selection
q Selects in the shape specified. The marquee shows
the following op&ons:
q Rectangle
q Ellip&cal
q Single Row
q Single Column

7. Lasso Selection
q Three versions of lasso selec&on tool all enable
a free-hand draw around image to be selected.
q Lasso
☐ Lasso tool is great for drawing freeform segments of
a selec&on border.
q Polygonal Lasso
☐ The polygonal lasso is best for straight-edged
segments of a selec&on border.
q Magne&c Lasso
☐ The magne&c lasso tool snaps to the edges of
defined areas (color) in the image.

8. Other Selection Tools
q Quick Selec&on
☐ Use the quick selec&on tool to quickly “paint” a
selec&on using a round brush &p.
q Magic Wand
☐ The magic wand will allow you to make
selec&ons by color, pa_ern and stroke weight.

9. Spot Healing Brush Options
q Content Aware Patch
☐ This allows you to replace unwanted parts of the
image with pixels near it.
q Content Aware Move
☐ Select and move a part of a picture. The image is
recomposed, and the hole leL behind is filled
using matching elements from the picture.

10. Straighten Tool
q In the crop tool, you can straighten the image.
q Choose Straighten Tool by clicking on its icon in the
Op&ons Bar or press CTRL/CMD while the crop tool
is ac&ve.

11. Brush Tool
q Apply and draw with brushes to
create ar&s&c elements.
q Many op&ons in op&ons bar for
brushes.
q Art History Brush allows you to
use stylized strokes from a
previous ac&on.

12. Panels in Illustrator Workspace
q Workspace is same as PhotoShop with a few new
tools and panels.
q Op&ons Bar
q Document Panel
q Tools Panel
q History Panel
q Color Panel
q Layers Panel

13. Tools Panel
q Tools grouped and
hidden similar to
PhotoShop.
q Note new
Illustrator tools.

14. Pathfinder Panel
q Use to combine objects into new shapes.
q Use the top row of bu_ons in the panel to make
paths or compound paths.

15. Align Panel
q Align or distribute selected objects along the axis
you specify.
q Can use either the object edges or anchor points as
the reference point, and you can align to a
selec&on, an artboard, or a key object.

16. Vector Images
q Use mathema&c equa&ons and geometric elements
(points, lines, and shapes) to create art.
q Can be scaled infinitely, without any loss of quality
or fidelity.
q Watch this video:
h_ps://helpx.adobe.com/
illustrator/how-to/what-is-
illustrator.html?
set=illustrator--get-started-

17. Symbols
q A symbol is an art object that you can reuse in a
document.
q If you create a symbol from a leaf, you can then
add instances of that over and over again without
actually adding the image mul&ple &mes.
q Each symbol instance is linked to the symbol in the
Symbols panel or to a symbols library.
q Using symbols can save you &me and greatly reduce
file size.

18. Pen Tool
q Use the pen tool to add and delete anchor points.

19. Anchor Point
q A point on a path that indicates a change of
direc&on.
q You can add anchor points or delete anchor points
to change the shape of a path.

20. Paths
q Open Path
☐ Open paths do not end.
They don’t connect back to
the original anchor point.
q Closed Path
☐ A closed path has the same
beginning and ending point.
☐ It forms a complete shape
than can be filled with color
or text.

21. Fill and Stroke
q Stroke is the outline of a shape,
text or image.
☐ Weight
☐ Color
☐ Style
q Fill is the inside color of a
closed shape.

22. Patterns
q A repea&ng pa_ern fills the image with a unique
assortment of shapes and colors.

23. Image Trace
q Use the Image Trace to automa&cally trace an
image.

24. Area vs. Point Type
q Area type fills the text in a
closed path.
q Use this when you want text to
appear inside a shape or
object.
q Point type begins right where
you click and does not
automa&cally wrap to the next
line.
q Area vs. Point Type video

25. Type on a Path
q The text flows along an open or closed path.
☐ Horizontally, the characters are parallel to the
baseline.
☐ Ver&cally, the characters are perpendicular to
the baseline.