Adobe

Adobe Illustrator CS2 Tutorial
University of Texas at Austin
School of Information IT Lab Jin Wu Fall, 2006 Introduction: Illustrator is a vector-based imaging program. Unlike PhotoShop, which deals in pixels (raster images), this one deals in lines and algorithms for various shapes. It functions by generating curved paths connected by modifiable anchor points. These anchors, with theirhandles, are ultimately editable and never "leave" the structure of the file. What are vector graphics? Computer graphics fall into two main categories -- vector graphics and bitmap images. Understanding the difference between the two helps you create, edit, and import artwork. In Illustrator, the type of graphic image can have important effects on your workflow. For example, some file formats onlysupport bitmap images and others only vector graphics. Graphic image types are particularly important when importing or exporting graphic images to and from Illustrator. For example, linked bitmap images cannot be edited in Illustrator. Graphic formats also affect how commands and filters can be applied to images; some filters in Illustrator will only work with bitmap images. Adobe Illustrator createsvector graphics made of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects called vectors. Vectors describe graphics according to their geometric characteristics. For example, a bicycle tire in a vector graphic is made up of a mathematical definition of a circle drawn with a certain radius, set at a specific location, and filled with a specific color. You can move, resize, or change the color of thetire without losing the quality of the graphic. A vector graphic is resolution-independent -- that is, it can be scaled to any size and printed on any output device at any resolution without losing its detail or clarity. As a result, vector graphics are the best choice for type (especially small type) and bold graphics that must retain crisp lines when scaled to various sizes - for example,logos.

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Interface Overview: If you are coming from Photoshop to Illustrator, you’ll find familiar faces in the Tool bar and floating palettes. Whether you’re new to the Photoshop/Illustrator interface or just need to acclimate to Illustrator’s set of features, it’s worth taking some time to get familiar with the interface.

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Palettes Illustrator features are found both in the “Window”menu or the floating sets of tools called palettes. In many cases, the function that you find on the menu structure can overlap the palettes. You can access a feature by clicking “Windows” from the menu bar. As you select a palette, it appears on the screen.

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By clicking the different tabs on the palettes, you can access the different features of function.

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Tool Bar

Theillustrator Tool bar includes selection tools, editing tools, drawing and painting tools, viewing tools, etc. We will learn how to use different tools later in this tutorial. • • Click the Tool Bar to select a tool. By clicking and holding down the mouse button on the toolbox with a triangle at the bottom right corner, you can find the additional hidden tools.

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Understand Paths, Anchor Points Eachversion of Adobe Illustrator has new tools, effects, and techniques for manipulating curves and fills. The tools can be pretty overwhelming for beginners to understand. But one thing we need to keep in mind is that all the tools in Illustrator essentially manipulate paths, anchor points, and fills. Paths are lines, which can be straight or curved. Closed paths are objects such as circles or stars,in which the start and end of the path are the same point. Open path objects do not have the same start and end points. Anchor points are the points that control the direction and curvature of that path as well as the start and end points.

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Creating curved paths In this section, we will learn how to draw a curve with the Pen tool. By setting anchor points and dragging direction handles,...