vChapter 1

Interface
Getting start
 Open the Adobe Illustrator icon on the desktop (or) Type Adobe Illustrator in the search box

Creating New Document

1. File > New

2. 1  Units – there are many units to measure, especially used in Myanmar in Inches
3. 2  Width and height
4. 3  Bleed - the bleed is the area to be trimmed off
What is Bleed?
Bleed is ink that prints beyond the trim edge of the page to ensure it extends to the edge of the page
after trimming. In the printing world, bleed is a very important concept that deals with the edges of paper
and how it is printed or cut.

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 5. 4  Color Mode –there are two types of color modes, RGB and CMYK.
1. RGB is used for displaying images in the electronic system.
2. CMYK is the color mode intended for printing with ink, such as business card designs.

Introduction to “Adobe Illustrator Workspace”

If there is no toolbar or any other floating palettes in the workspace, you can get these from the window
tab in the menu bar.
1. Click “Window” in the menu bar
2. Check on the “Toolbars > Advanced” and “Layers”

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Introduction to the “Toolbars”

Using the “Rectangle tool (M)”

1. Choose the Rectangle tool in the toolbar
2. Drag the click to get a rectangle
3. Press the “Shift” and drag the click to get a square

The shape is composed of fill and stroke. We can see the shape is surrounded by white points, which
are called Bounding boxes like Transform in Adobe Photoshop. The corner points of the bounding
box can zoom in and zoom out the shape. If you want to scale zoom in and out, press “shift” and
drag the corner point.
4. If you want to hide the “Bounding box”, click the View tab in the menu bar and choose Hide
Bounding Box.
5. If there is a Bounding Box in the shape, we can know the layer is active. If the layer is active, we can
change the color of the Fill and Stroke.

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Changing the color of a shape

Fill color

Stroke color

When we draw the shape with the Rectangle tool, we can see the shape with white fill color and black
stroke color, these are the default colors.
There are many ways to fill color.
1. When we click the rectangle, we can see fill and stroke in the Control Panel.

fill stroke

Click the down arrow beside the fill and stroke to choose the color.
2. We can see fill and stroke in the toolbar.

fill
Stroke

Active the layer, click Fill in the toolbar, double click Fill to show the Color Picker, choose the color you
want to change, and then click OK. If you want to change the Stroke color, Click Stroke in the toolbar,
double-click the Stroke, choose the color you want to change, and then click OK.
3. Active the layer and choose Appearance in the window.

We can change the color in the color box beside the fill and stroke.
4. If we want to change the fill and stroke in the toolbar, press X.

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 5. If we want to change the default color of fill and stroke, press D.
6. If we want to change the fill color to stroke and the stroke color to fill, press Shift +X.
7. If you don’t want the stroke in the shape, click the stroke in the toolbar and press the “/” forward
slash (or) click none in the toolbar.

none

Changing the size of the Stroke

1. Draw a rectangle shape with the Rectangle tool
2. Active the shape, we can see the stroke size in the control panel

Stroke size

Click the down arrow beside the stroke size to choose another size.

3. There are three ways to grow the size of a stroke. They are “align to center, align to inside and align to
outside”.

Click the Stroke in the control panel

Stroke to center
Stroke to outside

Stroke to inside

Stroke to center Stroke to inner Stroke to outside

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Appearance
The Appearance panel lets you make changes to properties like opacity, blending mode, stroke, and fill.
Images Created in Adobe Illustrator are composed of paths. So stroke and fill of every path are the
appearances of the object.
To get the Appearance Panel,
Click the Window -> Appearance

Using Eyedropper tool (I)

4. The eyedropper tool can copy the appearance of other objects.
5. Create a document with a width and height of -2 in
6. Draw a Square shape with the Rectangle tool
7. Fill red color in the fill and Cyan in the stroke and stroke size – 3 pt
8. Draw a polygonal shape with the Polygonal tool
9. Choose the Eyedropper tool in the toolbox,
10. Copy the appearance of the square shape with the Eyedropper tool

Before After

Selection tools
Selection tool

Selection tool

This is the most basic tool that allows the user to select and move any object by dragging or clicking on it.

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Group Selection tool
Group Selection tool

The Group Selection Tool is used to modify individual objects in a group without having to first ungroup.

Direct Selection tool

Direct Selection tool

The direction selection tool allows a user to select individual points and control the points and handles in
the path of any object.

Lasso tool (Q)

The lasso tool allows the user to select many shapes or vector points at once by freely drawing around the
objects you want to select.

Subtracting Unnecessary Parts From The Shape

Eraser tool (shift+E)

Eraser tool

We can use the eraser tool when we want to erase the brush stroke, pencil path, or vector shape. Select
the Eraser tool from the toolbox or press shift+E and brush on the areas you want to erase.
To get the Eraser tool options box, double-click on the Eraser tool in the toolbox,

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We can adjust the angle, roundness, and size of the brush in the eraser tool options box.

Before After
When we erase the object with the eraser tool, the object is broken up into individual layers by filling strokes in the
open path.

Scissors tool (C)

Scissors tool

We can divide and delete the paths, cut a shape in half, or make a closed path open path by using the Scissors tool.

Click two points on the path or anchor as you need. It cut out objects without a closed path.

Shape Builder tool (Shift+M)

Shape builder tool

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The shape builder tool is used in combining shapes and subtracting unnecessary parts from the combined
shapes.

Combining shapes with the Shape Builder tool

1. Create a new document with a width and height of 3 inches
2. Create three-circle shapes with pink color in the fill and black stroke with the Ellipse tool

3. Select all the layers with the selection tool

4. Drag the layers with the Shape Builder tool

Removing unnecessary parts of shapes with the Shape Building tool

1. Create a square shape with the Rectangle tool and 4 circle shapes with the Ellipse tool

2. Select all the shapes with the Selection tool

3. Press the “Alt” key and cut out unnecessary parts with the Shape Builder tool to get a diamond
shape

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Assignment -1

Creating Emojies

Using Pencil tool (N)

The Pencil tool lets you create freeform shapes and lines in your artwork.

Pencil tool

Double-click the Pencil tool icon on the toolbox to get the pencil tool dialog box.

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Fidelity
Fidelity is used when we need to smooth the line we drew. The Fidelity setting determines how close the vector path
is drawn in relation to the movement of your mouse or input pen. A lower Fidelity setting results in a path that more
closely matches the exact movement of your mouse.

In the Pencil tool options,

1. If we check on the keep selected, the path will be active with points along the line we drew.

path

Anchor points

2. Check on the Alt key toggles to smooth Tool to smooth the path by pressing the “Alt” and dragging the
mouse on the path as we need.

Width tool (shift +W)

The width tool allows adjusting the width of the stroke.

Width tool

We can adjust the width of the stroke by putting the points on the and dragging the mouse.

Creating Floral Swirl using a Pencil, Width, and Pen tool.

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Creating 3D effect

To create 3D effect,

1. Create a document with a width and height of inches.

2. Type 3 with impact font by using the Type tool
3. Set the blue color to the text
4. Select the text with the Selection tool and choose Effect > 3D and Materials> 3D > Extrude & Bevel

5. Click OK.

6. Resize the text to a large size with the Selection tool

7. Select the text and click 3D Extrude and Bevel in the Appearances
8. Resize the Extrude depth to 135pt, Blend step – 107, and give the rotation and surface plastic Shading as you
like by surface position.
9. And then click OK.

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3D Mock-up Cup Illustration

Rotate tool (R)

Illustrator's "Rotate" tool is used to rotate a selected path or series of paths in a standard 360° circle around a
central "origin" point.

Rotate tool

Repeating an object
1. Create an oval shape with the Ellipse tool,

2. Choose the Rotate tool and select the corner point of the oval by pressing the “Alt” key

3. Give the angle to 15 and click copy.

4. And then repeat the oval by pressing ctrl+D until it full of a circle

5. Select all the shapes and give the fill to none.

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Live Paint Bucket Tool (K)

Live Paint Bucket is a powerful tool that gives you the ability to apply color attributes to shapes based on their
appearance. It fills the color within the closed path. It is not based on the way they were actually built. You'll find the
Live Paint Bucket tool nested under the Shape Builder tool, or you can get there with the K on your keyboard.

Live Paint Bucket

Live Paint Selection tool (shift +L)

The live paint selection tool is used when we want to select, fill colors, and delete the path in the area created by
the live paint bucket tool.

Live Paint selection

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Gradient tool (G)
The Gradient Tool works with the Gradient Panel. The panel is where the gradient type and colors are specified. The
tool is used to adjust the appearance of the gradient.

Gradient

When we use the Gradient tool in a shape, we need to fill the solid color in the shape and select the fill color box.
To practice the gradient tool,
1. Create a shape with the rectangle tool
2. Select the gradient tool in the toolbox
3. Click inside the fill area

Color stop Color stop

location

4. Click the color stop to get the setting

menu

Color switch

Color picker

5. Click the menu to change the RGB setting

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Gradient tool option
Radial gradient

Freeform gradient

Color stop Color stop

location

Assignment
Creating a detergent design

Creating Bubbles
1. Create a document with a width – 6in and a height -4in
2. Create a rectangle shape as the size of the document
3. Fill the shape with a gradient color

#F2F6ff #315BA0

#8fa9cf
4. Set (#F2F6FF) to 1st color stop, (#8Fa9CF) to 2nd color stop, and (#315BA0) to 3rd color stop
5. Change the gradient type to radial

6. Create a circle shape with the Ellipse tool

7. fill the shape with the radial gradient – set the 1st color-stop(#0000) and 2nd (#FFFFF)
8. copy the layer and drag the bottom point to the center with the Direct Selection tool
9. change the linear type and reverse the gradient
10. copy this layer and reflect it with horizontal

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 11. and then move to the bottom
12. copy the most underlayer and reverse the gradient and transform this layer
13. put this layer on the surface
14. and copy this layer and change the colors in the white place
15. select all layers and make a group layer
16. and then copy this layer to many layers

Creating Light with the Gradient

Saving the gradients to the Symbol

1. Create a circle with the Ellipse tool

2. Fill the shape with the radial tool -1st color-stop (#FFFF) and 2nd color-stop(#0000)
3. To save the shape as a symbol – active the shape, window-> symbols

New symbol
4. click the new symbol in the symbol panel

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 5. give the name and then click OK.

Using the Simple Sprayer tool (Shift+S)

The Simple Sprayer tool lets you spray a simple to your artwork.

Symbol sprayer tool

To pratic the simple sprayer tool,

1. Open the bubble exercise

2. Open window > symbols

3. Choose the Simple Sprayer tool or press Shift+S

4. Choose a symbol in the symbols panel
5. Spray the symbol on the document

Using the Simple Sizer tool

We can resize the symbols sprayed with the Symbol Sprayer tool with the simple tool.

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 Simple Sizer tool

To practice the simple sprayer tool,

1. Open an exercise done in the Simple Sprayer Tool

2. Select the Simple Sizer Tool
3. Select the symbols to resize
4. Click on the symbol to big zoom out the size
5. Press Alt and drag on the symbols to zoom in on the size
6. Change the blending mode of the symbol layer to the color dodge

Using the Shear tool

The shear tool allows you to be creative as you transform an object. It creates a slanted image of an object.

Shear tool

To Practice the Shear tool,

1. Choose the type tool and write “Power Clean” with Arial black font type

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 2. Select these two layers and choose the Shear tool in the toolbar
3. Shear these two layers by dragging the right top corner a little up

Changing the type layer to the path layer,

1. Select the type layers “Power Clean”

2. Choose Object > Expand

3. Check on the fill and stroke and then click OK.

Combining the path layers,

1. Select the “Power” layer

2. Choose object > Compound path > make (or) Ctrl+8

Adding Gradient to the Power layer,

1. Select the power layer and select the Gradient tool

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 2. Click on the power layer and set the linear gradient
3. Set the 1st color stop -#f4d30b, 2nd -#8e4204, and 3rd -#e03405
4. Change the direction from top to bottom

5. Select the clean layer and select the gradient tool

6. Click on the Clean layer and set the linear gradient
7. Set the 1st -#0651f9, and 2nd -#031872
8. Change the direction from top to bottom

Using the Offset path,

Offset Path moves the stroke away from the selected object. Offset Path can look like stroke outlines, the difference
is that it duplicates the original object and add a path from the duplicate, instead of adding a stroke to the selected
object.

1. select the layer and choose object > path > offset path
2. give the 0.05 inches in offset and choose Round in joins and then click OK.

3. Change to white solid color in the offset path layer

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Using the Mesh tool (U)
The Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator breaks up any given shape into a grid of rows and columns. Inside this
grid, any mesh points or rows and columns can be assigned to any color you would like! You can even set the
number of rows and columns created to your needs.

Mesh tool

To practice the Mesh tool,

1. Create a new document and draw a shape with the rectangle tool
2. Select the Mesh tool or press U
3. Click a point in the center of the shape

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 Handles
Anchor points

When we click on the shape anywhere, it will output one verticle line and one horizontal line with points and
handles. But if we click on the horizontal line, it will output only a verticle line with points and handles.

Realistic illustration (1) by the Mesh tool

Realistic illustration 2

Chapter -3
Editing tools
Warp tool (shift+R)
The Warp tool lets you mold and reshape objects by making freeform adjustments to paths. Select the object using
the Selection tool. Select the Warp tool or press Shift + R. Drag the paths or edges to reshape the object. Double-click
the Warp tool to open the Warp Tool Options dialog box.

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 Warp tool

The warp tool is a member of the Width tool.

Double-click on the Warp tool icon to open the Warp tool option dialog box.

Width  the width of the brush

Height  the height of the brush

Angle  the angle of the brush

Intensity  the intensity of the warp

We can also adjust the width and height of the brush by dragging the (mouse+alt).

Twirl tool
The twirl tool allows you to twirl the object by pressing the click. If you select multiple objects on the canvas, you can
twirl them together.

Twirl tool

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To open the Twril option dialog box, double-click on the Twirl tool.

The tool option of the Twirl tool same as the setting of the Warp tool.

Pucker tool
The Pucker tool draws multiple points on a path together. The tool gathers the points together and, in the process,
shrinks the total area. Pucker draws points together and it will continue to do so when you drag the brush across an
image.

Pucker tool

To get the pucker tool options dialog box, double-click on the pucker tool icon.

The setting of the pucker tool option dialog box same as the Twirl tool.

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Bloat tool
The Bloat tool is similar to Warp in that it can be used to shape objects, except that it “bloats” outward or inward,
almost as if someone put a magnifying glass up to the object and captured the resulting image.

Bloat tool

The bloat tool works as if the center point of the brush is inside the shape, the path bloats outward the shape as the
shape of the brush, and if the center point in outside of the shape, the pathe bloats inward the shape.

Scallop tool
This tool allows you to create scallops-like shapes above your path as you click and drag. As you double-click over the
tool you will find similar settings like brush dimensions and scallop settings.

Scallop tool

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Crystallize tool
The crystallize tool adds random spiked details to the outline of an object.

Crystallize tool

Wrinkle tool
As the name suggests this tool will apply wrinkle over your stroke or shape. If you got a shape with a uniform edge
then this tool is very useful if you want to get a rough-out edge look or a hand-drawn edge look.

Wrinkle tool

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Assignment 1

Wrapping Potato text

Assignment 2

Creating Comic Words

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Assignment 1

Lollipop illustration

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