Course Content

Essential Illustrator Concepts

• What are Vector Graphics?
  
• Create a Custom Workspace
  
• Fill and Stroke Attributes
  
• Document Settings

The Illustrator Interface - Enhanced in CS3

• Exploring panels and workspaces
  
• Using the Control Panel
  
• Navigation
  
• Smart Guides
  
• Preview Options
  
• Grids and Guides
  
• The Bounding Box
  
• Panels
  
• Libraries - New in CS3

Drawing and Selection Essentials

• Draw Paths with the Pen Tool
  
• Shape Tools
  
• The Seletion Tools - Enhanced in CS3
  
• Methods of Selection
  
• Shapes
  
• Duplicate Objects
  
• Mastering the Pen Tool
  
• The Pencil tool

Path Editing - Enhanced in CS3

• Editing Anchor Points - Enhanced in CS3
  
• Compound Shapes
  
• Pathfinder Options
  
• Eraser tool - New in CS3
  
• Manipulating and Editing Paths
  
• Outlining Strokes
  
• Path Options

Appearances

• The Appearance Panel
  
• Object Attributes
  
• Multiple attributes
  
• Applying Live Effects
  
• Graphic Styles
  
• Appearance Panel settings

Working with Groups and Layers

• Defining groups
  
• Editing groups
  
• Working with layers
  
• Layers and object hierarchy

Working with Color

• Defining swatches
  
• Creating swatch groups and libraries
  
• Working with gradients
  
• Working with patterns
  
• Using the Color Guide
  
• Live Colour
  
• Finding colors with kuler
  
• Modifying color in artwork
  

Object Transformation and Positioning

• Moving and copying objects
  
• Rotating and scaling objects
  
• Reflecting and skewing objects
  
• Using the Free Transform tool
  
• Using the Transform panel
  
• Repeating transformations
  
• Using the Transform Each function
  
• Aligning objects
  
• Distributing objects

Brushes

• Creating a calligraphic brush
  
• Creating a scatter brush
  
• Creating an art brush
  
• Creating a pattern brush

Using Symbols

• Defining and editing symbols
  
• Editing symbols

Applying Filters and Live Effects

• Minding your resolution settings
  
• Applying the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect
  
• Applying the 3D Revolve effects
  
• Mapping artwork to 3D objects
  
• Transforming Effects
  
• Using the Stylize effects
  
• Using the Scribble effect
  
• Using the Warp effect

Basic Text Editing

• Creating Point Text
  
• Creating Area Text
  
• Text Formatting
  
• Creating Text Threads
  
• Text on a Path
  
• Using the Glyphs panel
  
• Checking spelling
  
• Using the Change Case function
  
• Convert Text to Outlines

Creating Blends

• Creating a basic blend
  
• Using a blend to create an airbrush effect

Working with Images

• Placing images
  
• Using the Links panel
  
• The Edit Original workflow
  
• Live Trace
  
• Rasterizing artwork

Specialised Tasks

• Creating graphs
  
• Using Gradient Mesh
  
• Using Envelope Warps
  
• The Liquify Distortion tools

Saving and Printing

• Saving your Illustrator document
  
• Printing your Illustrator document
  
• Using the Crop Area tool
  
• Setting up page tiling

Essential Illustrator Concepts

• What are Vector Graphics?
  
• Create a Custom Workspace
  
• Fill and Stroke Attributes
  
• Document Settings

The Illustrator Interface

• Exploring panels and workspaces
  
• Using the Control Panel
  
• Navigation
  
• Smart Guides
  
• Preview Options
  
• Grids and Guides
  
• The Bounding Box
  
• Panels
  
• Libraries

Drawingand Selection Essentials

• Draw Paths with the Pen Tool
  
• Shape Tools
  
• The Seletion Tools
  
• Methods of Selection
  
• Shapes
  
• Duplicate Objects
  
• The Pen Tool
  
• The Pencil tool

Path Editing

• Editing Anchor Points
  
• Compound Shapes
  
• Pathfinder Options
  
• Eraser tool
  
• Manipulating and Editing Paths
  
• Outlining Strokes
  
• Path Options

Appearances

• The Appearance Panel
  
• Object Attributes
  
• Multiple attributes
  
• Applying Live Effects
  
• Graphic Styles
  
• Appearance Panel settings

Working with Groups and Layers

• Defining groups
  
• Editing groups
  
• Working with layers
  
• Layers and object hierarchy
  

Advanced Drawing and Path Editing

• Creating Live Paint groups
  
• Detecting gaps in Live Paint groups
  
• Path editing with Live Paint
  
• Using Offset Path
  
• Dividing an object into a grid
  
• Cleaning up errant paths

Working with Color

• Defining swatches
  
• Creating swatch groups and libraries
  
• Working with gradients
  
• Working with patterns
  
• Using the Color Guide
  
• Live Colour
  
• Finding colors with kuler
  
• Modifying color in artwork
  

Object Transformation and Positioning

• Moving and copying objects
• Rotating and scaling objects
  
• Reflecting and skewing objects
• Using the Free Transform tool
  
• Using the Transform panel
  
• Repeating transformations
  
• Using the Transform Each function
  
• Aligning objects
  
• Distributing objects
  
• Brushes
  
• Creating a calligraphic brush
  
• Creating a scatter brush
• Creating an art brush
  
• Creating a pattern brush

Working with Masks

• Using layer clipping masks
  
• Creating opacity masks

Using Symbols

• Defining and editing symbols
  
• Editing symbols

Applying Filters and Live Effects

• Minding your resolution settings
  
• Applying the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect
  
• Applying the 3D Revolve effects
  
• Mapping artwork to 3D objects
  
• Transforming Effects
  
• Using the Stylize effects
  
• Using the Scribble effect
  
• Using the Warp effect
  

Advanced Text Editing

• Creating and using paragraph styles
  
• Creating and using character styles
  
• Taking advantage of OpenType fonts
  
• Using the Glyphs panel
  
• Wrapping text around objects
  
• Checking spelling
  
• Using the Change Case function
  
• Setting tabs and leaders
  
• Dealing with legacy text

Designing for the Web

• Using Pixel Preview
  
• Specifying web slicing
  
• Optimizing web graphics
  
• Integration with Adobe Flash
  
• Creating simple animations
  

Creating Blends

• Creating a basic blend
  
• Using a blend to create an airbrush effect
  
• Using a blend to create an animation
  
• Using a blend to evenly distribute objects

Working with Images

• Placing images
  
• Using the Links panel
• The Edit Original workflow
• Live Trace
• Rasterizing artwork

Specialised Tasks

• Creating graphs
  
• Using Gradient Mesh
  
• Using Envelope Warps
  
• The Liquify Distortion tools
  

Saving and Printing

• Saving your Illustrator document
  
• Printing your Illustrator document
  
• Using the Crop Area tool
  
• Setting up page tiling
  

Working with Other Programs

• Exporting files for use in QuarkXPress
  
• Exporting files for use in InDesign
  
• Exporting files for use in Word/Excel/PowerPoint
  
• Exporting files for use in Photoshop
  
• Exporting files for use in Flash
  
• Exporting files for use in After Effects