Illustrator

Creating an Action with Adobe Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 19-Oct-09
Reader Level:

When creating a new action, the commands and tools you use are added to the action until you stop recording. When you play an action, Illustrator performs the entire recorded task. Find out more, join me in this tutorial.

Adding a Neon Light Effect to Live Type in Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 21-Sep-09
Reader Level:

For those of you who are familiar with Illustrator, you will realize how easy Adobe CS4 has made the process of adding effects to live type.

Adding effects to live type, you don’t have to convert your type to outlines to add an effect, if you spell the word wrong no worries just type it out.

Adding a Pencil Scribble Effect to Live Type in Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 24-Aug-09
Reader Level:

For those of you who are familiar with Illustrator, you will realize how easy Adobe CS4 has made the process of adding effects to live type. Adding effects to live type means you don’t have to convert your type to outlines to add an effect. If you spell the word wrong, no worries, just type it out.

3D Power in Adobe Illustrator
by Rafiq Elmansy - 14-Aug-09
Reader Level:

The 3D dialog box in Adobe Illustrator is a very helpful tool which enables you to convert paths into 3D objects, which is known in the 3D world as Revolving.

The 3D features in Illustrator are actually effects that are applied to the object and can be edited by double-clicking the Effect layer in the Appearance panel. However, the reality is the object is still in 2D format and Illustrator applies the 3D effects over it which is unlike actual 3D programs that build the 3D objects from full information available for each of the three dimensions of the object.

For this article I thought the best way to understand the 3D features in Adobe Illustrator would be to give real life examples about each feature which includes Extrude and Bevel and Revolve and Rotate.

Approximate download size: 1.9MB

Adding a Stroke to Live Type in Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 07-Aug-09
Reader Level:

For those of you who are familiar with Illustrator, you will realize how easy Adobe CS4 has made the process of adding a stroke to live type. Adding a stroke to live type means you don't have to convert your type to outlines. If you wish to alter the word, or it is misspelled, no worries just retype it.

Adding a Gradient to Live Type in Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 27-Jul-09
Reader Level:

For those of you who are familiar with Illustrator, you will realize how easy Adobe CS4 has made the process of adding a gradient to live type.

Adding a gradient to live type, means you don’t have to convert your type to outlines just to add the Gradient. If you spell the word wrong, no worries, just retype it.

Live Trace In Illustrator CS4
by Darren Winder - 13-Jul-09
Reader Level:

For this tutorial you will need to use a photograph, you can convert your object into Live Trace. The end product is amazing. Use the features in Live Color; have a little fun.

I will be using Adobe Illustrator CS4 for this tutorial. However if you have CS2 or CS3, you should not have any problems following along.

Creating Photoshop Floral Brushes in Illustrator
by Rafiq Elmansy - 09-Jul-09
Reader Level:

The magic behind Adobe Photoshop is not the tools themselves; it is the tricks and tips that we can do with these tools. Photoshop tools are very flexible and let you customize and create your own color palettes, patterns, action, brushes, and more. When Adobe began to focus on the integration between its products, Photoshop became more integrated with other Adobe tools such as Illustrator, Flash, After Effects,.etc.

This article hacks on the the integration between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create high resolution floral brushes that are originally built in Illustrator as vectors. We will copy the vector floral artwork and paste it into Photoshop, where we can then convert them to Photoshop brushes. Also, we will learn how to create sets of floral brushes and save them for further use.

The download files for this tutorial contain floral brush samples in both vector and brushes format to help you learn more about how to create brushes in Illustrator and then convert them into Photoshop brushes.

Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 4: Preview
by Darren Winder - 01-Jun-09
Reader Level:

Adobe CS4 has done a great job of enhancing old favorites and introducing long awaited new features; below is a list of features now available in Illustrator CS4. As you will see from the impressive list, this release of Adobe Illustrator CS4 really does have something for everyone. Long time users, I am sure will be pleased with the results.

Gradients – Enhanced
Appearance Panel – Enhanced
Smart Guide – Enhanced
Live Color – Enhanced
Clipping Mask – Enhanced
Isolation Mode – Enhanced
Type on Path – Enhanced
Key Alignment – Enhanced
File I/O – Enhancements in TIFF
Graphic Style Panel – Enhanced
Glyph Panel – Enhanced
Multiple Artboards – New
Blob Brush – New
Owl 2.0 – New
Bleed Support – New
Separations Preview – New
Color Blindness Preview – New
Create and Update Unique ID’s for assets – New
Metrics – Roman Only Kerning – New
Text Shuffling Performance – New
UI Cleanup – New
Creative Suite Services – New
Contact Now – New
Kuler 2.0 – New
Connections – New
New Sample Art, Tutorials and Libraries – New

The Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features Series:
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 1: The New Interface - Multiple Artboards
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 2: Gradients, The Gradient Panel and the Blob Brush
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 3: Live Color, Color Guide, Live Color Dialog, Type on Path, Bleed Support
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 4: Preview
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 5: Appearance and Graphic Style
Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 6: Isolation Mode & Creative Suite Services

Adobe Illustrator CS4 New and Enhanced Features - Part 3: Live Color, Color Guide, Live Color Dialog, Type on Path, Bleed Support
by Darren Winder - 21-May-09
Reader Level:

Adobe CS4 has done a great job of enhancing old favorites and introducing long awaited new features; below is a list of features now available in Illustrator CS4. As you will see from the impressive list, this release of Adobe Illustrator CS4 really does have something for everyone. Long time users, I am sure will be pleased with the results.

Gradients – Enhanced
Appearance Panel – Enhanced
Smart Guide – Enhanced
Live Color – Enhanced
Clipping Mask – Enhanced
Isolation Mode – Enhanced
Type on Path – Enhanced
Key Alignment – Enhanced
File I/O – Enhancements in Tiff
Graphic Style Panel – Enhanced
Glyph Panel – Enhanced
Multiple Artboards – New
Blob Brush – New
Owl 2.0 – New
Bleed Support – New
Separations Preview – New
Color Blindness Preview – New
Create and Update Unique ID’s for assets – New
Metrics – Roman Only Kerning – New
Text Shuffling Performance – New
UI Cleanup – New
Creative Suite Services – New
Contact Now – New
Kuler 2.0 – New
Connections – New
New Sample Art, Tutorials and Libraries – New

Adobe Illustrator CS3 for Absolute Beginners - Part 5E: Panels Overview
by Darren Winder - 23-Feb-09
Reader Level:

Welcome to Adobe Illustrator CS3 for Absolute Beginners Series. This is not a tutorial but a guided tour of the workings and descriptions of Illustrator CS3. I hope you will enjoy this brilliant software as much as I do, learning about this software will not be an overnight event, it takes time and patience to master this wonderful creative software. It will bring frustration and headache but also joy and elation; stick with it, the end product will be well worth it.

I will take you on a guided tour of Illustrator CS3 to help you get acquainted with the interface. In this part we will look at the:

Actions Panel
Flash Text Panel
Glyphs Panel
Open Type Panel
Paragraph Panel
Paragraph Styles Panel
Tabs Panel
Variables Panel.

Creating Checkers Pieces in Adobe Illustrator Using Illustrator Tools and Techniques - Part 2
by Darren Winder - 17-Oct-08
Reader Level:

Please join me in this tutorial, where I will show you how to create the Checkers pieces to go along with the Checkers Board we made in Part 1, using Illustrator tools and techniques.

The Creating a Checkers Board & Checkers Using Illustrator Series:
Creating a Checkers Board in Adobe Illustrator Using the Rectangle Grid Tool - Part 1
Creating Checkers Pieces in Adobe Illustrator Using Illustrator Tools and Techniques - Part 2

Creating a Checkers Board in Adobe Illustrator Using the Rectangle Grid Tool - Part 1
by Darren Winder - 07-Oct-08
Reader Level:

Please join me in this tutorial where I will show you how to create a Checkers board using the Rectangle Grid Tool.

The Creating a Checkers Board & Checkers Using Illustrator Series:
Creating a Checkers Board in Adobe Illustrator Using the Rectangle Grid Tool - Part 1
Creating Checkers Pieces in Adobe Illustrator Using Illustrator Tools and Techniques - Part 2

Pop Art Seamless Pattern Using Adobe Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 22-Sep-08
Reader Level:

This tutorial will give you a new creative edge to your designs or just add a little something different to the more mundane creations. Using Illustrator tools, aids, and techniques our task becomes easier. Join me in this tutorial to find out how.

Make Guidelines at an Angle in Adobe Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 10-Sep-08
Reader Level:

Have you ever wanted to draw a guideline on an angle, but could not figure out how to do it? In this tutorial you will learn a quick and helpful technique to place guidelines at an Angle in your Illustrator document.

Faking a Shape on a Path Using Adobe Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 25-Aug-08
Reader Level:

Creating a clock face can be time consuming. Adobe Illustrator comes to our aid. Using Illustrator tools, effects, and techniques our task becomes easier. Join me in this tutorial to find out how.

Importing an Illustrator File into Photoshop.
by Darren Winder - 11-Aug-08
Reader Level:

Do you have Illustrator files that you would like to convert to Photoshop files? Then this is the tutorial you need, with step-by-step instructions.

Create a Bar Code in Illustrator CS3
by Darren Winder - 29-Jul-08
Reader Level:

Create your own professional looking vector bar code (not be used instead of the real thing).

Creating a Postage/Date Stamp Mark in Adobe Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 14-Jul-08
Reader Level:

In this tutorial you will create a Postage/Date stamp mark using various Illustrator tools, effects and techniques. This will bring together two previous tutorials, an Envelope and Postage Stamp.

Illustrator Stamp
by Darren Winder - 27-Jun-08
Reader Level:

Stamps have come a long way since we had to lick and stick- what an awful disgusting taste! Thankfully you can now just peel and stick. You can also go online and create your own postage stamp design for weddings, births etc. That's too easy, you don't get the added fun of creating the stamp from a blank artboard. In this tutorial, you will learn how to create the perforation and add an image with a clipping mask. (Not to be used instead of the real thing).

Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 2: The Back of the Badge
by Darren Winder - 12-Jun-08
Reader Level:

This is Part 2 of the Pin Badge Tutorial, and you are probably thinking "no one sees the back of a badge so why bother?" You are correct, but it is the learning curve that is important, learning something new, who knows how you may find this useful in your future creations. We will be using Textures, Plastic Wrap, Blending Mode, Linear Gradient and more. I hope you find my tutorials enjoyable.

The Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator Series:
Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 1: The Front of the Badge
Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 2: The Back of the Badge

Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 1: The Front of the Badge
by Darren Winder - 02-Jun-08
Reader Level:

This Pin badge tutorial is appropriate to use to create a basis for the design of your Company Logo using Illustrator tools and effects.

The Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator Series:
Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 1: The Front of the Badge
Creating a Vector Pin Badge in Illustrator - Part 2: The Back of the Badge

Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 2.
by Darren Winder - 20-May-08
Reader Level:

An "Aqua Pill" Button, is easy and fun to make, can be used on websites as a button, or used in design work to display text, any size any shape. Follow my instructions and then play around to find your own version.

This is Part 2 of the Aqua Pill button tutorial, I will be showing you how to make your button in various colors working with Symbol Instance.

The Classic Aqua Pill Button Series:
Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 1
Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 2

Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 1 Free!
by Darren Winder - 02-May-08
Reader Level:

An "Aqua Pill" button, is easy and fun to make, can be used on web sites as a button, or used in design work to display text, any size any shape.

Follow my instructions and then play around to find your own style.

The Classic Aqua Pill Button Series:
Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 1
Classic Aqua Pill Button in Illustrator CS3: Part 2 Coming Soon

A Ribbon Adds Flair to Your Design - Created in Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 21-Apr-08
Reader Level:

A ribbon is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying. Cloth ribbons, which most commonly include silk, are often used in connection with packaging, and in this Tutorial attached to a Wax Seal. If you completed this series so far, the envelope and the wax seal, we will now complete this tutorial series by adding the ribbon to the wax seal.

The Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator Series:
Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator
Creating a Cool Vector Wax Seal in Illustrator
A Ribbon Adds Flair to Your Design - Created in Illustrator

Create a Realistic Drinking Straw (Vector) in Adobe Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 03-Apr-08
Reader Level:

My choice of a topic for this tutorial came about from the enquiring mind of a 6 year old, I was asked "How did you drink from a juice box when you were little?". My reply was through a drinking straw, just like you. This jolted my imagination also, so with the help of Illustrator we are going to create a plastic Drinking Straw.

Image Maps: Creating a Client-side Image Map with Illustrator
by Steven Seiller - 31-Mar-08
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If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an image map can be worth a thousand text links. With a client-side image map, you can provide the visitor a graphical set of links to follow. Relying less on reading and more on visual cues, image maps are ideally suited to images which provide geographic or process-oriented information.

In this tutorial, we will show the process of creating an image map in Illustrator using its built-in function. Illustrator is an ideal tool for creating image maps regions which are directly correlated to specific vector objects.

The Creating Image Map Series:
Image Maps: Creating a Client-side Image Map with Illustrator
Image Maps: Creating a Client-side Image Map with Dreamweaver
Image Maps: Creating a Client-side Image Map with Fireworks and Dreamweaver

Creating a Cool Vector Wax Seal in Illustrator
by Darren Winder - 25-Mar-08
Reader Level:

Wax Seals were applied to envelopes and parcels to indicate whether or not the item had been opened. Seals were used as a tamper proof way to identify the sender and that the item was not a forgery. When a Wax Seal is used it allows for the choice of another color to be used, other than the paper itself or envelope. To Seal a letter or package the letter writer would pour wax over the envelope flap or package joint, and then press a ring, metal stamp or device with a personalized emblem or insignia onto the wax.

During this tutorial we will create a Wax Seal with your personal emblem or insignia.

The Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator Series:
Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator
Creating a Cool Vector Wax Seal in Illustrator
A Ribbon Adds Flair to Your Design - Created in Illustrator

A Shamrock for St. Paddy's Day Free!
by Kim Dudley - 17-Mar-08
Reader Level:

A National holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world by wearing green and eating and drinking Irish food which may often be green. But every Irish celebration needs a shamrock or two, we can quickly take care of that with Illustrator.

We will use the following tools to create a shamrock:

Rectangle and Ellipse tools
Pathfinder panel
Gradient panel
Inner Glow Effect
Feather Effect
Pen tool
Scissors tool

Shamrock

Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator.
by Darren Winder - 10-Mar-08
Reader Level:

An envelope is a packaging product, usually made of flat material such as paper or cardboard. The folding sequence of an envelope is such that the last flap to be closed is referred to as a "pocket". In principle the flaps can be held in place by securing the topmost flap at a single point (for example with a wax seal), generally they are pasted or gummed together at the overlaps.

The objective of this Tutorial is to demonstrate and teach the usage of the tools in Illustrator, to create a realistic looking vector envelope.

The Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator Series:
Creating a Realistic Vector Envelope in Illustrator
Creating a Cool Vector Wax Seal in Illustrator
A Ribbon Adds Flair to Your Design - Created in Illustrator

Create A Photo Snapshot in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 04-Mar-08
Reader Level:

Adding images to a layout for the web or paper is a quick way to add interest, give information and improve the look of the layout. A fun and easy way to add photos to a design is by creating a snapshot look. This method works especially well if it is necessary to add multiple images to a page.

In this tutorial we will look at how to create the look of a snapshot photo using Illustrator. The following image shows the resulting artwork.

In this tutorial we will use a number of Illustrator's drawing tools including:

Scissors
Move command
Pathfinder panel
Offset Path command
Gradient panel
Blur Effect
Drop Shadow Effect
Rotate command

Off the Page - Using Printer's Marks in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 29-Feb-08
Reader Level:

The goal for most graphic designers is to use their creativity to create attractive layouts with images, colors, text and graphic elements. Unfortunately, those attractive layouts are not very useful unless the designer can get the designs to paper. Getting a design to paper requires the designer to correctly set up a file so the printer knows exactly how to reproduce the artwork. Although not as fun as the artistic part of graphic design, it is just as important.

Printing a project not only involves applying ink to paper, it also requires trimming and often folding. Knowing how to align the artwork, where to cut and where to fold is indicated by Printer's marks. Printer's marks are never seen on the final product but are some of the most important elements in the artwork. Printer's marks include crop marks, registration marks, color bars and fold marks, also known as center marks. Other elements that should be mentioned with respect to printer's marks are bleed and Die-lines.

In this tutorial we will take a look at the function of these items and see how to set them up in an Illustrator file. Even if you don't plan on sending a file to a printer, these marks can be quite useful for printing in-house.

Approximate download size: 2.6MB

Create a Realistic Looking Pencil Using Illustrator CS3.
by Darren Winder - 26-Feb-08
Reader Level:

This Tutorial is about one of the most used writing implements of today. We have all used this implement since childhood. It can be found in different sizes and different colors, it can be purchased in all the stationery stores, as a single item or multi colour packs. Yes, I am referring to the handwriting implement, the pencil.

A pencil is a writing, drawing or colouring implement. It consists of a very thin stick of "lead" surrounded by a thin wooden case, cylinder shape, although today plastic casing is also used, and most pencils of today include an eraser. The graphite wood cased pencil was "born" in England in 1564 after the discovery of a large graphite deposit.Today we still call the center of the pencil the "lead", although it is made of graphite.

We will create the lead, eraser, tip, text and wooden barrel, then bring them all together to create your own realistic looking pencil.

Business Material Templates for Illustrator - Part 2
by Kim Dudley - 25-Feb-08
Reader Level:

In the article Business Card Template for Illustrator I discussed a brief history of the business card as well as the purpose of business cards. I supplied Illustrator templates for setting up your own personal business cards and looked at options available for printing cards. The two Illustrator templates had a basic business card design. One template was setup for sending artwork to a printer and the other was setup for printing from your home or office.

Of course the business card is just one of many materials needed for the day to day operation of a business. As a continuation of the business card templates, this article includes Illustrator CS3 templates for matching letterhead, fax sheet, envelope and DVD label. Any of this artwork can be customized for your own use or altered for other materials.

Approximate download size: 2.3MB

The Business Material Templates for Illustrator Series:
Business Card Template for Illustrator - Part 1
Business Material Templates for Illustrator - Part 2

Business Card Template for Illustrator - Part 1
by Kim Dudley - 04-Feb-08
Reader Level:

At 2" x 3.5" there's not much room on a business card, but with the right, or wrong, design they can leave a lasting impression. Business cards are a must-have for every business and are one of the cheapest and most effective promotional items available. This article will take a look at what makes a good business card and provides an Illustrator business card template to get you started.

The two Illustrator templates have a basic business card design. One template is setup for sending artwork to a printer and the other is setup for printing from your home or office.

The Business Material Templates for Illustrator Series:
Business Card Template for Illustrator - Part 1
Business Material Templates for Illustrator - Part 2

Setting Up Color in Illustrator - Part 2
by Kim Dudley - 14-Dec-07
Reader Level:

In Part One of Setting up Color in Illustrator, I introduced the world of Full Color or Process Printing. In that tutorial I discussed the differences between RGB and CMYK, explained what separations are, and set up artwork for process printing using Illustrator CS2 or CS3. At one time, the only more economical option to full color printing was spot color printing. These days digital printing is becoming much more common and is a very viable option for lower budget projects, often providing full color products for the same price as a 1 or 2 color print job.

Although digital printing is gaining popularity, spot printing still has a place in the print world since it is often the best way to reproduce an exact color. In this tutorial we will look at:

How spot color printing works
How to convert process colors to spot colors
How to set up a Pantone color, and Predefined color libraries

Approximate download size: 4.1MB

The Setting up Color in Illustrator Series:
Setting Up Color in Illustrator - Part 1
Setting Up Color in Illustrator - Part 2

Flowing Text Around an Object in Fireworks Using Illustrator
by Jim Babbage - 29-Nov-07
Reader Level:

Creating realistic web site mock ups in Fireworks has gotten much easier with CS3, but one thing still missing from Fireworks tool set is the ability to wrap text around an image to emulate a css floated image. Kim Dudley and I have created tutorials on the subject for InDesign and for Freehand. Freehand's future is uncertain and if you purchased the Web Suite from Adobe, you don't get InDesign as part of the bundle, so in this tutorial we'll create text wrapped around an image using Illustrator.

Setting up Color in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 27-Nov-07
Reader Level:

You have the software you need and a great design but have spent so much time lately working on the web that you are rusty about how the whole print thing works. Or maybe you are new to print design, in either case setting a file up for print can be a bit of a daunting task. There are many unfamiliar terms: process, spot, pantone, separations, CMYK etc. and WYSIWYG does not really exist between your desktop and the printed page. So how can you be sure that what you send to the printer produces the results you want?

The first step is to gain a basic understanding of how the offset printing process works and how to set up color using an application such as Illustrator. This tutorial will cover these topics and get you on your way to creating press ready artwork.

Importing Native AI Files into Flash CS3 Free!
by Derrick Ypenburg - 16-Nov-07
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Importing Illustrator files is easier than ever with Flash CS3. Flash's new ability to import an AI file by its layers, sub layers and un-used objects and be able to import them on their own layers, in their own MovieClips and as flattened bitmaps, is extremely convenient for anyone who develops their interfaces in Illustrator. I always start my Flash interface development in Illustrator. Even with the new and improved drawing tools in Flash CS3, nothing beats the drawing capabilities of Illustrator.

Create a Scary Spider in Illustrator CS3
by Kim Dudley - 30-Oct-07
Reader Level:

That spooky time of year is here again and in just a few days there will be lots of ghosts and goblins wondering the streets. To get the "Trick or Treat" spirit started I thought I would create a Halloween graphic. Over the past few years Jim Babbage and I have created a respectable library of Halloween themed images.

The (Not So) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins Series:
(Not so) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 1 - Ghost
(Not so) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 2 - Jack-O-Lantern
(Not so) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 3 - Demon eyes
(Not so) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 4 - Spider and web
(Not So) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 5 - Bat
(Not So) Scary Ghosts 'n Goblins - Part 6 - Tombstone

The Freehand Trick or Treat Series:
Trick or Treat - Part 1 - Spider and web
Trick or Treat - Part 2 - Tombstone

Illustrator Halloween Tutorials:
Jack-O-Lantern Fun with Illustrator - Jack-O-Lantern
Spooky Halloween Type

One of my favourite graphics to use is the spider and web I originally created using Freehand. However, many of my documents are now set up in Illustrator so I thought I would recreate this artwork using Illustrator. The steps used to create this spider and web are very different then those used to draw the image in Freehand but the results are quite similar.

Reducing Colors in Illustrator CS3 Artwork
by Kim Dudley - 06-Sep-07
Reader Level:

These days it is quite common for artwork to have several different end uses. A logo, for example, often needs to be set up for multiple types of media, making it necessary to create the file as full color, grayscale and/or spot color. Depending on the artwork this could be a tedious and time consuming task but now thanks to Illustrator CS3's Live Color tool this type of work has become much simpler and much faster.

In a previous article, Illustrator CS3's Live Color - Living Up To the Hype, I discussed Illustrator CS3's new Live Color tools but I left out one of the tool's best features, the ability to reduce the number of colors in artwork. In this tutorial we will give this part of Live Color the attention it deserves.

We will look at Live Color's preset options for reducing colors as well as the custom options that can help achieve the exact results you need.

Approximate download size: 607k

Illustrator CS3's Live Color - Living Up To the Hype
by Kim Dudley - 21-Aug-07
Reader Level:

When Illustrator CS3 was launched there was a lot of talk about the new Live Color tool. Live Color's skills list is impressive:

Explore color harmonies
Interactively apply color
Control color variations
Create color groups
Reassign colors in artwork
Reduce the number of colors in artwork

However, the operation of a tool is as important as the abilities of a tool. Will it actually make experimenting, editing and changing colors in artwork easier? Will these features be useful and effective in day to day work?

In this tutorial we will take a look at Illustrator CS3's Live Color and try using it with a real world project to determine if Live Color is worth all the hype.

Approximate download size: 1.3MB

Water Drops in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 08-Aug-07
Reader Level:

Recently I was working on a design job that used water drops in the layout. The water drops created a nice effect and portrayed the refreshing look that the project called for. Drawing water drops are a lot of fun since each drop can be a unique shape, just keep them smooth and rounded.

The drops created in this tutorial are a simple vector graphic that makes use of some of Illustrator's basic drawing and effects tools. It also uses one of Illustrator's older effects, the blend tool, to create shading. In this tutorial we will using the following Illustrator tools:

Oval tool
Roughen filter
Rotate tool
Scale tool
Blend tool
Feather effect
Move tool
Transparency effect

Resulting graphic

Filters or Effects in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 24-Jul-07
Reader Level:

If you have worked with Illustrator's filters or effects you may have noticed that there is a lot of replication between the two menus. Often if you find an item under the effects menu you will also find it under the filters menu and, in most cases, both will produce the exact same look. So what's up, why does Illustrator offer the same tools under two different menus?

In this article we will look at the filters and effects and discuss the differences between the two. We will also take a general look at how to use and edit effects and filters, when you need to rasterize an object and how to use the galleries.

Draw a Lightbulb in Illustrator CS2 or CS3
by Kim Dudley - 18-Jul-07
Reader Level:

Recently many devoted Freehand users have been forced to move to Illustrator, and with the inclusion of Illustrator in the CS3 web premium bundle, many web designers are discovering Illustrator's assets. Fireworks, Illustrator and Freehand are all great applications for creating graphic elements. Although Fireworks is a bitmapped based application and Freehand and Illustrator are vector drawing applications, all three programs can achieve very similar results.

In this tutorial we will recreate a graphic drawn in a previous article called Creating a Light bulb in Freehand MX. In that tutorial I recreated a light bulb using Freehand. The original image was created using Fireworks in a tutorial by Jim Babbage titled A Bright Idea. This time, instead of using Fireworks or Freehand, we will use Illustrator's drawing tools to create the following light bulb.

The final lightbulb image

Some of the tools we will use include the:

Ellipse tool
Rectangle tool
Align palette
Pathfinder panel
Gradient Mesh
Pen tools
Move tool
Gradient panel
Inner and Outer Glow Effects

This tutorial will be beneficial to those learning Illustrator or if you are a Fireworks or Freehand user looking to discover how similar things are done in Illustrator. I will also point out any changes between CS2 and CS3 so if you have recently upgraded or are considering upgrading, you will see some of the recent changes.

Tips & Tricks for Illustrator: Guides and Measuring Tools
by Kim Dudley - 09-Jul-07
Reader Level:

I am lucky to have a job that I enjoy doing but I still don't want to spend any more time working than is absolutely necessary, so I love learning any little tricks that can speed up my day-to-day tasks. When you have worked with an application, such as Illustrator, for a long time you learn many shortcuts and handy little tools along the way. On the other hand, sometimes when you do something a certain way you keep doing it that way, not knowing there may be an easier and quicker method.

In this tutorial I will highlight some of the tips and tricks I use almost every day. I will focus on tips and tricks that involve guides and measuring. Some of them are specific just to Illustrator, while others can be used in some of the other Adobe applications. The following list is an outline of the topics we will cover.

Entering Measurements
Change the Units of Measurements
Changing the 0, 0 Position
Any Guide from any Ruler
Custom Guides
Restore a Dialog's Defaults
Hide and Show Guides
Aligning Guides
The Control Palette as a Calculator
Resizing Images and Text

Why Illustrator?
by Kim Dudley - 14-Jun-07
Reader Level:

Illustrator comes bundled with Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium, Design Standard, Production Premium and Creative Suite Web Premium. Having Illustrator included with the Design packages is expected since most designers often use a drawing application such as Illustrator for laying out artwork or creating graphics such as logos. But why is Illustrator included with the Web premium suite? How can Illustrator benefit web designers and do they really need it if they have Fireworks?

In this article we will look at the strengths and weaknesses of Illustrator and discuss if and when Illustrator can benefit a web designer even if they have Fireworks.

Making Acrobat Press-Quality PDFs from InDesign and Other Creative Suite Programs
by Bevi Chagnon - 21-May-07
Reader Level:

This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to make press-quality PDFs from Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop (versions CS2 and CS3) with the correct job options for your particular type of document.

When made correctly, a press-quality PDF will sail like a breeze through your print shop’s prepress section. The PDF has the correct color and resolution settings, your print shop is able to make their technical adjustments to it such as separations and trapping, and the finished printed product is just as you expected. Plus…it gets printed on time and within your budget without any problems.

Sound like a graphic designer’s Utopia?

Nah! Once you master Bevi Chagnon's 3-step method, making perfect PDFs is as easy as pie.

Audience: Graphic designers, publishers, desktop publishers, ad designers, prepress technicians, publication production managers, and others who are involved in print media. This tutorial is especially helpful for those sending electronic files to a print shop for either offset-, web-, or digital-printing presses. (Note: I mean web printing presses, not the World Wide Web or Internet.)

Topics covered in this tutorial:

Acrobat presets: which one to use
Press-quality vs. print-quality vs. PDF/X
Customizing the job options
Compatibility levels and how they affect your PDF
Printer's marks and bleeds
Compression and downsampling settings for photos and bitmapped images
Color conversion settings
Reviewing color breaks (separations)
Embedding fonts
Security settings

The Adobe PDF Series:

Acrobat PDF 101: What’s a PDF and What Do I Use to Make One?
Acrobat PDF 102: PDF Ground Rules for Press, Print and Web
Press-Quality PDFs: Making Acrobat PDFs from InDesign and Other Creative Suite Programs

From Illustrator CS3 to Fireworks CS3
by Tom Green - 10-May-07
Reader Level:

Every now and then, life gets easier for us. The latest iteration of Fireworks CS3 reduces the import of multi-layered Illustrator CS3 documents into Fireworks CS3 to nothing more than a couple of mouse clicks.

Approximate download size: 4.6MB

The New and the Improved in Illustrator CS3 Free!
by Kim Dudley - 29-Mar-07
Reader Level:

Adobe Illustrator is a vector drawing tool that has always been quite flexible in terms of creating artwork. Using Illustrator's drawing tools and effects, an unlimited variety of graphics can be created and saved or exported for use in many different mediums. In addition, Illustrator's layout, typographic and prepress tools make it possible to create complete layouts within the application.

With the introduction of Illustrator CS3 Adobe expands Illustrator's flexibility and most importantly, streamlines the way you work in Illustrator. This upgrade is all about productivity and the updates are a welcome enhancement to Illustrator's existing toolset.

Illustrator CS3 has many updates and additions, in this article we will look at 10 of my favorites.

Reflecting in Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 21-Feb-07
Reader Level:

Sometimes artwork that looks quite complicated is really very easy to create when using the right tools. One such effect is the reflection effect that started appearing all over the web about a year ago. The technique creates a reflection of the object so it appears like the object is sitting on a reflective surface.

In this tutorial we will create this type of graphic using Illustrator. Illustrator's Opacity mask makes this effect quick and easy to do and will help you gain some insight into the possibilities of Illustrator's masking tool.

Christmas Ornament Free!
by Kim Dudley - 26-Dec-06
Reader Level:

The glass ball is a staple when it comes to Christmas tree ornaments. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors and are often embellished with beads or other sparkly bits. With the Christmas season in full swing I thought it would be a nice time to do a little holiday decorating. In this tutorial we will use Illustrator to create a traditional glass ornament.

Final Christmas ornament

To create this glass ornament we will use some of Illustrator's basic drawing tools, the 3D mapping tool and the Photoshop Glass Effect.

Snowflakes in Illustrator Free!
by Kim Dudley - 13-Dec-06
Reader Level:

One of the easiest ways to add a wintery feel to a design or layout is to add a few snowflakes. Using Illustrator we can quickly create some unique snowflakes that can be added to almost any artwork. The snowflakes created in this tutorial are easy to make and are a lot of fun to play around with.

In this tutorial we will create 3 different snowflakes using 2 different methods. These snowflakes have a bit of a graphic or modern feel but using the same techniques you can create hundreds of different looks. To create these snowflakes we will use Illustrator's Ellipse, Star and Scale tools as well as the Zig Zag and Pucker and Bloat effect.

traditional snowflake

graphic snowflake

modern snowflake

Extruding and Bevelling Fun
by Kim Dudley - 13-Nov-06
Reader Level:

Illustrator has some great effects that make it very easy to create complicated looking artwork. One such effect is Illustrator's Extrude & Bevel Effect. This effect not only produces very cool results, it is also a lot of fun to use.

In this tutorial we will use the Extrude & Bevel effect to create two 3D graphics from simple paths. When using this effect many options such as lighting, shading, bevel, rotation and depth can be controlled to change the appearance of the 3D objects.

the final bow

Approximate download size: 1.4MB

Spooky Halloween Type
by Kim Dudley - 30-Oct-06
Reader Level:

Illustrator is great for drawing spooky Halloween graphics but it is also great for creating spooky Halloween text. In this tutorial we will use Illustrator's text tool and Live Raster Effects to create some scary Halloween text. After completing this simple text effect you will learn how you can go back and customize the effect to suit your own layout.

the finished product

Approximate download size: 811k

Converting Bitmaps to Vector Art with Live Trace
by Derrick Ypenburg - 27-Oct-06
Reader Level:

The Live Trace feature in Illustrator CS2 is hands-down my favorite new feature. It was around in the last couple of versions but there is no comparison to what it can do now.

The ability to convert a bitmap to a vector image gives you a whole new set of design tools and ideas. Further, there are times I have been stuck not having a high-quality logo from a client that needed to go to print. Only low res/quality logos were available. These low quality logos were able to be converted to vector images using Live Trace and re-colored and scaled with exactness to the original logo.

If you are a better sketcher on paper than you are drawing in illustrator, why don't you make a skecth, scan it and then trace it with Live Trace and colorize it and modify it how you want to. Your pencil strokes also get tarced as thick and thin paths so it maintains the "pencil drawn" look. The list goes on.

The best thing with Live Trace is that you can play for hours and create a whole whack of stock art, textures and symbols

Jack-O-Lantern Fun with Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 17-Oct-06
Reader Level:

On a recent shopping trip it was hard to miss the aisles filled with treats, scary masks and spooky decorations. Halloween is quickly approaching and the preparations are under way. So let's get in on the fun with a little Halloween decorating of our own.

In this tutorial we will dive into some of the deepest darkest corners of Illustrator to create one of the most popular Halloween symbols, Jack-0-Lanterns. We will use Illustrator's drawing tools, Pathfinder tool, Raster Effects and Graphic Style Libraries to create a somewhat friendly Jack-O-Lantern.

Approximate download size: 1.4MB

A Text Effect Using Illustrator and Masks Free!
by Kim Dudley - 03-Oct-06
Reader Level:

Illustrator and its masking tool can create some very nice effects. Like other applications Illustrator's masking tool uses shapes to hide or mask other artwork. In this tutorial we will use text as the masking object. Once the mask is created Illustrator's drop shadow effect will be applied to produce artwork suitable for web page banners or page headers.

Fireworks to Photoshop - Rebuilding the CMX Orlando JumpStart as a PSD (and AI) File
by Jim Babbage - 14-Jul-06
Reader Level:

I love Fireworks. As I progress through these articles on converting FW PNG files to PSD files, I am quickly learning just how versatile and powerful Fireworks is for design, creation and optimization. The Orlando JumpStart is a perfect example. As you will see, depending on the design you need either Photoshop or Illustrator (and sometimes both) to do what Fireworks does easily in one application. That's not to say either of these other Adobe products is weak; they are designed to do specific things and they do them quite well. You can certainly add vectors to Photoshop or Bitmaps to Illustrator. It just seems to me that this workflow is handled best by Fireworks.

In this continuing series, I supply you with an editable PSD version of the main Orlando JumpStart PNG file. For details on most of the conversion process, make sure to read Fireworks to Photoshop - Rebuilding the CMX Vienna JumpStart PNG as a PSD file .

NOTE: These articles are based on using the most current versions of Fireworks, Photoshop and Illustrator. Older versions of the software may behave differently or may not even include some of the features/tools listed here.

As with any of these conversions, there will be some differences to how I approach the process. In the case of Orlando, it's all about vectors. Complex, custom vectors.

In my first conversion (Vienna), I ungrouped all my grouped objects, made sure each object had a name, then saved as a PSD. From there, I tweaked several things in Photoshop, including the re-creation of a few vector shapes. You may recall that saving as a PSD in Fireworks rasterized all vectors except for fonts.

With Orlando it is very easy to do the same thing. And assuming your aren't going to use/edit any of the amusement park vector art, clouds or the paths that make up the words Orlando JumpStart, the conversion is quite simple. The PSD file includes all the artwork as flattened bitmaps by default.

However, for those of you who still want scaleable vector art, a different approach was taken. Not only did I save the file as a PSD, but I also saved it as an AI file. This preserves all the vector paths. Once both files are created, (PSD and AI), I can work in either Photoshop OR Illustrator. We're going to look at both options here and in fact, you will find both a PSD file and an Illustrator file in the support documents. With this particular JumpStart, there are pros and cons to working in either program. A big part of the decision factor is your comfort level with Photoshop or Illustrator. So let's have a look at both scenarios.

3D Graphs Using Illustrator
by Kim Dudley - 13-Jul-06
Reader Level:

A bunch of facts and figures on a page can be pretty boring to look at. Why not make them a bit more interesting using Illustrator's graph tools. Graphs are great for presenting complex information and numerical data in a simple and compact layout that is quick and easy to understand.

In this tutorial we will use Illustrator's Pie graph tool to create a colorful 3D pie chart. Use it in a layout for a brochure or on a web page and quickly spruce up that page full of numbers.

Create a Woven Graphic in Illustrator CS2
by Kim Dudley - 27-Jun-06
Reader Level:

In this tutorial we will use an the Live Paint Bucket tool to create a 3D woven graphic. New to Illustrator CS2 the Live Paint Bucket allows you to work with vector artwork in a whole new way. We will take a quick look at how the Live Paint Bucket works and use it to simplify the creation of a woven graphic.

By the end of this tutorial you will create the following graphic,

and see how the Live Paint Bucket tool can simplify and speed up the creation of artwork.

Dashed Line in Photoshop
by Kim Dudley - 09-Jun-06
Reader Level:

We all know those people who do everything in Photoshop and although it is possible to create almost anything in Photoshop it's not always the best option. For example some tasks, such as drawing graphics, may be more difficult to do in Photoshop then in other vector-based applications, such as Illustrator or Freehand.

Often Photoshop artwork may include a combination of photos and graphic elements. With the integration between Photoshop and the other Adobe applications this is now easier then ever to do.

In this tutorial we will add a dashed line to an image that has been created in Photoshop. Creating dashed lines in Photoshop can be a bit tedious so we will export a path from Photoshop then use Illustrator to create the customized dashed line. We will then place it back into Photoshop creating the final graphic with much less time and frustration.

Sorting Out Illustrator's Selection Tools
by Kim Dudley - 26-Apr-06
Reader Level:

When working with artwork in Illustrator you will likely find yourself spending a lot of time selecting parts of that artwork. This is not surprising since you must make a selection before you do almost any type of modification. With so much time spent on this task, and so many ways to make selections in Illustrator, I have written this tutorial to give an overview of Illustrator's selection tools.

In this tutorial we will look at Illustrator's five selection tools, select menu and the layers palette selection options. I will discuss when it is best to use each tool or method and also include some tips and tricks for using some of the selection tools. A little practice using Illustrator's selection tools can really speed up your work and decrease your frustration when working with artwork in Illustrator.

Flash Printing Tasks - Part 1: Building a Certificate Template in Illustrator and Flash Free!
by Robert Reinhardt - 18-Apr-06
Reader Level:

More and more Flash content creators are discovering the power of printing from the Flash Player. Since Flash Player 4, you've had the tools to print content from a Flash movie. Starting with Flash Player 7, a powerful ActionScript class named PrintJob has been on the scene to enable exacting control over printed output from a Flash movie. In this multi-part series, you learn how to build a printable certificate from a Flash movie. In this first installment, you learn how to create the certificate template in Adobe Illustrator CS2 and Flash 8.

The Flash Printing Task Series:
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 1: Building a Certificate Template in Illustrator and Flash
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 2: Basic Printing of the Certificate
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 3: Adding Dynamic Text to the Certificate
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 4: Creating a Form for Certificate Information
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 5: Building a Preview for the Certificate
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 6: Creating a Color/Grayscale Toggle for the Certificate Preview Window
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 7: Printing Alpha and Color Mode Effects
Flash Printing Tasks - Part 8: Printing Filter Effects Coming Soon

Using Illustrator and Photoshop to Age Artwork
by Kim Dudley - 14-Apr-06
Reader Level:

From t-shirts to web pages, the "I've been around for 100 years" look has become quite popular. On web pages, the effect can be used to add some texture and interest to graphics; on t-shirts it creates that favorite old t-shirt feel right off the rack. Whatever the resulting artwork will be used for, this method is easy to do and can be customized to suit any application.

The first time around in Wear it Out - Create a Worn Out Look Using Freehand, I demonstrated this technique in Freehand. In this article, I will use Illustrator and Photoshop to show a different method of producing a similar result.

Illustrator and Photoshop streamline this process, allowing you to create great results in just minutes. Included with this tutorial are four textured images which can be used to create aged artwork or you can use the Photoshop steps provided to create your own textures.

Approximate download size: 1MB

Comparing Illustrator and Freehand
by Kim Dudley - 22-Mar-06
Reader Level:

Illustrator and Freehand have worked hard to outdo each other over the years. If one of these applications added a new tool or feature to its resume the other would soon follow with a similar update. Therefore it's not surprising these programs are able to produce very similar results. Both applications specialize in producing vector based artwork for print or the web. As well, both can work with multiple color modes, many different file types and offer drawing tools for producing complex artwork.

Although Illustrator and Freehand have the ability to produce similar results the steps to acheive these results may be quite different. Understanding the different terminology and location of tools in a new application can be frustrating and time consuming. This article will help reduce that frustration by demonstrating how to complete the same basic tasks in each application. In addition we will compare the panels in Freehand to the palettes in Illustrator. If you are a Freehand or Illustrator user and have had the need or interest to use the other application, this tutorial will get you started.

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