Cool Capabilities
- Can create images for laser cutter
- Laser cutter stencils can be used for embossing
- Can use laser cutter without induction
Vectors
- What is a vector?
- An algorithm
- Can be scaled up or down without losing quality
- Vectors online can look rasterized
- Object → make pixel perfect
- Align vector to the pixel grid
Opening a Document
- Artboards
- Can have multiple
- can adjust how you see them (up, down, z-shaped) viewing
- Size
- Adjust size accordingly
- Bleed
- 3 mm
- Color mode
- RGB
- CMYK
- Raster effects
- Non-pixel based objects
- Can apply photoshop effects
- Pixel preview mode
- Sometimes what can happen is that there is a gradient
- Snap to pixel would be useful for web
Starting Work
- Open the document
- Set workspace to essentials classic
- More than one way to do the same thing
- Customize panels and workspaces with the windows option at the top
- The top
- Useful properties speciifc to the tool
- Artboard tool
- Can make boards bigger or smaller
- Move artwork with artboard
- Can make portrait or landscape
Shapes
- Click to create different sizes
- Three elements of a vector
- Anchor points
- Handles (element that controls the curve)
- In a circle, the directional handle controls the direction of the curve until the middle of that curve
- Can also change the tension of the curve
- If you click ALT you can change only one handle
- Paths
- Selection tool
- Scale
- Rotate
- Direct selection tool
- Change the anchors, handles, and paths
- You can change only one corner
- If you click on shape at the top on the properties panel, you get a shortcut to the properties
- Can change the corners
- Can scale strokes and effects
Colour
- Option for swatches
- There are presets
- You can also get your own colours
- Pantone palattes
- More swatches
- Adobe kuler
- Good for colour combinations
- If you double click on the swatches, you get the CMYK, RGB, and Hex Codes
- Colours which are safe for web may not be safe for print
- Super bright ones
- You can move swatches to the normal colour palette
- Gradients
- Double click on the gradient panel
- Change colour
- Rotate the gradients and change its size with the slider
Making a Pattern
- Transform
- Constrain proportions
- Duplication
- Click alt and drag
- Or use the move tool and input numerical values
- Click copy and it will copy to that specified distance
- Command D does the last thing you have done
Drawing
- You can always modify
- Make sure you zoom in and check that it is correct
Building Shapes
- Shapebuilder tool
- Add
- Subtract with alt
- Pathfinder tool
- Divide
Layers
- Can collapse and expand
- Organize your layers
- If you click on something, the sqaure next to it will indicate if it is clicked
- To move objects
- Drag
- Object → move to front
- To move to different layer
- Make new layer
- Move indicator from one layer to another
- Can move layers up and down
Brushes
- The color is achieved through the stroke colour
- Brush
- If you draw, you will be able to manipulate a path
- Select anchor points and use the scissor tool to delete
- Blob brush
- Creates an area, like a shape
- Eraser can delete parts of the shape
- Can use the knife tool to slice a shape
- Add brushes and effects with brushes panel
Tracing Images
- When you bring in an image, you can see exactly what it is at the top
- File type
- Dpi
- Image trace
- You can open the image trace panel and alter the threshold of the image
- Expand and make it a vector
The Pen Tool
- You can open the grid to draw better
- Change the grid in preferences
- If you press P, the pen tool will stop
- Click on the last anchor and keep drawing
- Click once, instruct for a straight line
- Click and drag, instruct for a curve
- Release the mouse and give the instructions for the next path
- Press alt and do not release the path to change direction of the curve
- Shift will make it 90 or 45 degrees
Shortcuts
- Command – for zoom out
- Command + for zoom in
- Command Y for outline view
- Command J to join two paths
- Command F for paste to front
- P to stop the pen tool
Helpful Practice
- https://bezier.method.ac
- Try tracing the Villa de Sevoy in illustrator
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