Lynda.COM Illustrator CS5 One-on-One: Fundamentals

Deke McClelland

Software works on:

Mac and Windows

Topics include:

• Creating great art using basic tools
• Brushing and building organic artwork
• Scaling and rotating path outlines
• Creating and formatting text
• Drawing articulated paths with the Pen tool
• Combining paths with Pathfinder operations
• Printing and exporting to the web

Introduction
Welcome to Illustrator CS5 One-on-One           02:27
Linking AI and EPS files to Illustrator           06:48
Installing the dekeKeys keyboard shortcuts           07:43
Remapping OS shortcuts           06:56
Installing the Best Workflow color settings           04:56
The color settings explained           07:04
Preserve Numbers vs. Embedded Profiles           03:24
01:13:56 1. Making a Document
Managing artboards           01:20
The Welcome screen           03:49
Creating a new document           07:13
Advanced document controls           06:52
Saving a custom New Document profile           08:20
Modifying a document and its setup           05:05
Changing the size and shape of an artboard           05:39
Hidden artboard editing techniques           06:12
Exiting and entering the Artboard mode           03:33
Using the new Artboards panel           05:20
Auto-arranging artboards           03:42
Rulers and artboards           06:40
Saving a native AI document           07:25
Closing all open documents           02:46
01:15:27 2. Navigation and the Workspace
Getting around artwork           00:42
Zooming a document and its artboards           07:14
Using tools to zoom and pan           05:56
Navigating numerically and from a panel           07:27
Using the Page Up and Page Down keys           03:19
Scroll wheel tricks           02:13
The tabbed-window interface           06:17
Closing all but one document           03:30
Displaying and organizing panels           05:50
Saving a custom workspace           04:57
Hiding the bounding box           04:27
Keyboard increments           07:15
Type, units, and scratch disks           06:28
User interface and "rich black"           04:31
Cycling between screen modes           05:21
01:04:25 3. Opening Documents and Getting Organized
Illustrator's partner, Adobe Bridge           00:54
Opening a document           05:02
Adding copyright and metadata information           05:10
Scaling your artwork for Bridge           06:20
Aligning artwork to the artboards           05:21
Introducing Adobe Bridge           06:06
File-type associations           04:03
Navigating folders and using the Path bar           05:55
Previewing and collecting           08:17
Customizing the Bridge workspace           05:22
Thumbnails and star ratings           06:02
Filtering images and the Compact view           05:53
01:47:25 4. Basic Line Art
Everything is anything           01:14
Meet the line tools           03:30
Introducing the Layers panel           07:03
Saving large layer previews           05:50
Creating custom guides           05:31
Duplicating and positioning guides           07:35
Creating a heart using arcs           03:51
Adjusting control handles           04:13
Joining multiple paths at once           03:34
Reflecting across a vertical axis           05:04
Drawing a target with the Polar Grid tool           06:11
Pasting one drawing inside another           05:04
Drawing a line segment           04:51
Constrain, Clone, and Distribute           05:34
Reflecting across a horizontal axis           05:13
Rotate, Fill, and Stack           04:37
Using the Artboard Options dialog box           05:02
Drawing a looping spiral           04:41
Establishing a set of tracing objects           03:24
Tracing a template layer           05:01
Converting a curved path into a guide           06:50
Selecting similar objects           03:32
01:29:43 5. Geometric Shapes
The anatomy of a path           01:42
Meet the shape tools           03:32
Creating a full-blown tracing layer           05:23
Using the Ellipse and Scale tools           07:08
The Preview and Outline modes           03:20
Creating a compound path           04:29
Drawing a multi-point star           05:07
Creating and previewing a sublayer           04:01
Adding and using a center point           05:33
Drawing rounded rectangles           03:28
Using Move to "split the difference"           06:17
Aligning to a key object           03:48
The constraint axes           04:11
The Polygon tool and the Add Anchor Points command           04:42
Positioning points with the Scale tool           04:12
Previewing artwork on a non-white page           04:10
Solving strange blending problems           04:02
Transparency grid and paper color           05:19
Using the Flare tool           05:33
The top-secret tilde key trick           03:46
01:48:25 6. Fill, Stroke, and Color
Painting artwork from life           01:21
Tracing a photograph           02:41
Placing a photographic template           06:28
Draw, Move, and Duplicate           05:27
Scaling along the constraint axes           05:08
Rotating and duplicating           06:01
Using the Blob Brush tool           05:07
Pressure-sensitive input           04:24
Alternating Blob Brush and Eraser           06:07
Using the Shape Builder tool           04:57
Cleaning up Shape Builder leftovers           07:08
Subtracting with the Shape Builder           06:28
Coloring with the Shape Builder           05:52
Reflecting across an angled axis           08:26
Finishing a symmetrical design           06:52
Establishing design groups           05:54
When to rotate vs. reflect           04:55
Simulating beveled edges           06:46
Removing overlapping segments           08:23
02:33:33 7. Edit and Transform
The Three S's of Illustrator           01:06
Making a new window into a document           04:56
Assigning colors to fill and stroke           06:29
The Document Color mode           06:20
The Hide and Show commands           03:09
Introducing the Stroke panel           04:46
Cap, Join, and Miter Limit           06:42
Saving and reverting multiple views           04:05
Filling open paths, None, and Swap           06:30
Lifting a color and creating a swatch           05:30
Managing color swatches           04:55
Assigning a swatch with the Eyedropper           06:12
Filling paths inside groups           06:24
Adjusting the stacking order           07:44
Paste in Front and Paste in Back           03:54
Working in the Group Isolation mode           07:29
Trapping colors with rich blacks           07:32
Combining multiple fills           05:29
Creating a tile pattern           09:02
Aligning dashes to endpoints and corners           06:22
Defining a two-stroke dot pattern           03:26
The new CS5 arrowheads           05:44
Creating a callout line           07:01
Varying line weight with the Width tool           07:36
Width tool tips and tricks           08:47
Saving a variable-width profile           06:23
02:27:43 8. Working with Type
Next-generation text           01:19
Making a margin guide           05:07
Offsetting flush-left text           04:47
Moving and duplicating guides           06:23
Placing and threading text           06:19
Selecting words and lines of text           06:35
Working with point text           07:10
Tips for previewing and assigning fonts           04:07
Incrementally adjusting type size           05:49
Leading a paragraph indent           05:06
Pair kerning and tracking           07:02
Laying down base formatting attributes           04:59
Hanging indent and paragraph spacing           03:52
Creating a paragraph style           05:08
Redefining paragraph styles           06:42
Using the Glyphs panel           06:41
Spell-checking text           04:24
The stuff Check Spelling doesn't catch           03:24
Copying and applying a graphic style           04:42
Selecting through text objects           06:59
Offset Path and Scribble effects           05:46
Updating a graphic style           05:43
Creating type on a path           07:26
Attaching type to a closed path           06:05
Adjusting baseline shift           04:19
Tracking and kerning border elements           08:21
Filling and duplicating a border           03:28
02:44:42 9. Using the Pen Tool
Connecting the dots           01:00
Drawing a straight-sided path           06:53
Moving and deleting points           07:46
Editing a path as you go           07:05
Switching arrow tools on the fly           04:27
Dragging, nudging, and marqueeing           04:28
Faking a spline curve           05:54
Adding corners to a spline           07:15
Introducing Be'zier curves           08:09
Drawing perfect smooth points           09:24
How control handles work           10:17
Tracing a smooth path outline           09:52
Connecting smooth and cusp points           05:22
Combining different varieties of points           09:14
Finessing points and segments           05:32
Aligning open paths           05:38
Splitting and joining paths           08:51
Converting a spline curve to Be'zier           10:09
Cusp points and miter limits           06:45
Using the Convert Point tool           04:42
Drawing one path inside another           04:20
Stacking clipped paths           04:28
Copying and repurposing segments           09:57
Grabbing and transforming a whole layer           07:14
02:11:39 10. Pathfinder Operations
Building art upon art upon art           01:34
Introducing Pathfinder operations           06:35
Unite closed, join open           04:46
Creating a dynamic compound shape           04:50
Switching shape modes           04:43
Adding to a compound shape           05:32
Creating a static compound path           04:14
Comparing compound shapes with compound paths           05:03
Drawing limbs with the Line tool           06:20
Establishing hierarchical strokes           05:24
Filling "elbow gaps" and tapering limbs           07:17
Outline Stroke and Unite           03:37
Making a guide in the shape of a tree           06:16
The Blob Brush goes organic           07:05
Painting in the foliage           05:23
Filling in and erasing away           06:31
Painting more precise holes           05:17
Adding in rough edges           07:54
Contouring roots and limbs           08:56
Filling in the limbs           04:19
Uniting a compound silhouette           06:55
Using the Divide operation           05:46
Creating nested compound shapes           07:22
02:03:12 11. Printing a Document
The pleasures of printing           00:55
Working with specialty fonts and effects           06:54
Converting type to outlines           08:55
Linking and embedding images           08:06
Setting trim size and bleed           06:22
Stroking a placed image           04:54
Filling in your bleeds           05:34
Assigning automatic crop marks           08:32
Spot color and Separation Preview           05:07
Troubleshooting weak blacks           06:36
The General Print options           05:20
Placement, scale, and tiling           06:39
Trim and printer marks           06:23
PostScript-only output options           06:43
The obscure Graphics options           06:02
Managing the CMYK conversion process           08:16
Predicting how colors will print           02:48
Managing the RGB conversion process           06:10
Overprint and Transparency Flattener           07:35
Warnings and document raster           05:21
01:51:32 12. Exporting to the Web (and Elsewhere)
Illustrator goes international           01:02
Saving a PDF-compatible AI file           06:52
Saving a PDF file with printer marks           06:49
Saving an illustration for the web           08:31
Aligning paths to the pixel grid           05:55
Making better type for the web           08:23
Saving a continuous-tone JPEG image           07:41
The artwork anti-aliasing options           06:32
Optimizing a low-color graphic           06:11
Saving a high-contrast GIF           07:18
The versatile PNG format           06:33
Saving a full-color PNG           04:47
Saving a scalable SWF graphic           05:40
Rasterizing AI files in Photoshop           06:46
Placing an AI Smart Object           07:38
Exporting to Photoshop layers           07:35
Exporting to Microsoft Office and PowerPoint           07:19
01:33 Conclusion
Until next time           01:33