Instructions from Robin Ballance on using the creative program
Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator is a powerful drawing package that compliments both Photoshop (image manipulation) and Indesign (desktop publishing) – part of the Creative Suite package.
As with all Adobe products, you should find some familiarity with their toolboxes and palettes so navigating your way around them should be quite easy.
Tool panel overview
see pdf view of panel
When you start Illustrator, the Tools panel appears at the left side of the screen. You can move the Tools panel by dragging the title bar anywhere on the page. You can also show or hide the Tools panel by choosing Window > Tools. The palette menus are all found on the right hand side of the screen, and can be maximised and minimised by clicking on the double triangle at the top of each palette window. To close a palette window, click on the “X” on its tab. To open, select Window > and the palette you want to open.
You use the Tools panel to create, select, and manipulate objects in Illustrator. Most tools have a number of other options that appear when you click on the small black triangle situated on the bottom right of the tool box corner and include tools that let you use, for example, type in different ways, or to select, paint, draw, sample, edit, and move images.
Selecting a tool
see pdf of selection tools
see pdf of pen tools
Click the tool in the Tools panel. If there is a small triangle at a tool’s lower-right corner, by holding down the mouse button you can view the hidden tools, and then click the tool you want to use. Alternatively, hold down Option (Mac OS), and then click a tool to cycle through and select other tools.
Press the tool’s keyboard shortcut. The keyboard shortcut is displayed in its tool tip. For example, you can select the Move tool by simply pressing the V key, or select the P for the Pen tool.
Drawing a Square or Rectangle
see pdf of drawing tools 1
see pdf of drawing tools 2
Select the Rectangle tool or the Rounded Rectangle tool.
Do one of the following:
To draw a rectangle, drag diagonally until the rectangle is the desired size.
To draw a square, hold down the Shift key while you drag diagonally until the square is the desired size.
To create a square or rectangle using values, click where you want the top-left corner to be. Specify a width and height (and a corner radius for a rounded rectangle), and click OK.
Changing the radius corners of a “rounded Rectangle”
The corner radius determines the roundness of the rectangle’s corners.
To change the default corner radius, choose Edit> Preferences > Illustrator > Preferences > General, and enter a new value for Corner Radius.
Alternatively, select the Rounded Rectangle tool, click in the document window, and enter a new value for Corner Radius. The default radius applies only to new rounded rectangles you draw, not to existing rounded rectangles.
To change the corner radius while dragging with the Rounded Rectangle tool, press the Up Arrow key or Down Arrow key. When the corners are the desired roundness, release the key.
To create square corners while dragging with the Rounded Rectangle tool, press the Left Arrow key.
To create the most rounded corners while dragging with the Rounded Rectangle tool, press the Right Arrow key.
Drawing polygons
Select the Polygon tool. This will create an equal sided object.
You can either drag until the polygon is the desired size. Drag the pointer in an arc to rotate the polygon. Press the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to add and remove sides from the polygon.
Click where you want the centre of the polygon to be. Specify a radius and number of sides for the polygon, and click OK.
Drawing arcs
Select the Arc tool (found under the line tool)
Position the pointer where you want the arc to begin, and drag to where you want the arc to end.
Click where you want the arc to begin. In the dialog box, click a square on the reference point locator to determine the point from which the arc is drawn. Then set any of the following options, and click OK.
Length X‑Axis Specifies the width of the arc.
Length Y‑Axis Specifies the height of the arc.
Type Specifies whether you want the object to be an open path or a closed path.
Base Along Specifies the direction of the arc. Choose X Axis or Y Axis depending on whether you want to draw the base of the arc along the horizontal (x) axis or vertical (y) axis.
Slope Specifies the direction of the arc’s slope. Enter a negative value for a concave (inward) slope. Enter a positive value for a convex (outward) slope. A slope of 0 creates a straight line.
Fill Arc Fills the arc with the current fill colour.
Drawing Spirals
Select the Spiral tool
Drag until the spiral is the desired size. Drag the pointer in an arc to rotate the spiral. Click where you want the spiral to begin. In the dialog box, set any of the following options, and click OK. Radius specifies the distance from the centre to the outermost point in the spiral. Decay specifies the amount by which each wind of the spiral should decrease relative to the previous wind. Segments specifies how many segments the spiral has. Each full wind of the spiral consists of four segments. Style specifies the direction of the spiral.
Drawing straight line segments with the Pen tool
The simplest path you can draw with the Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen tool to create two anchor points. By continuing to click, you create a path made of straight line segments connected by corner points.
Clicking the Pen tool creates straight segments.
Position the Pen tool where you want the straight segment to begin, and click to define the first anchor point (do not drag).
Note: The first segment you draw will not be visible until you click a second anchor point.
If direction lines appear, you have accidentally dragged the Pen tool; choose Edit > Undo, and click again.
Click again where you want the segment to end (Shift-click to constrain the angle of the segment to a multiple of 45°).
Continue clicking to set anchor points for additional straight segments.
The last anchor point you add always appears as a solid square, indicating that it is selected. Previously defined anchor points become hollow, and deselected, as you add more anchor points.
Complete the path by doing one of the following:
To close the path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small circle appears next to the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly. Click or drag to close the path.