Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts

Place a File

• Command Shift P: Place (insert) a file

Duplicate Item

• Hold Option while dragging object to duplicate the item.
• Command D after that will repeat the duplication and place at same distance as the first.

Clipping mask

• Place 2 items on top of each other. Top one determines shape, bottom fills shape with image/color. Shortcut - select both, Command 7

Compound Shapes

• Cutting holes in things (compound shapes). 2 images on top of each other. Top one gets cut out of bottom shape. Shortcut - select both, Command 8

Fill/Stroke

• D colors go back to default (white fill, black stroke)
• X toggles fill/stroke to the front (front one is selected)
• Shift X swaps the fill color to stroke and leaves no fill
• Delete stroke/fill - X to toggle to the front, then / to delete stroke/fill
• Add Stroke/fill - X to toggle to the front, then , to delete stroke/fill
• , (comma) adds a fill
• / removes a fill
• . (period) adds a gradient to a fill

Font Shortcuts

• Change font size - Select text then Command Shift . (period) to increase size
• Change font size - Select text then Command Shift , (comma) to decrease size
• Change leading between lines of text - Select text then Option ↑ or ↓
• Change tracking between letters - Select text then Option ← or →

Selecting Layers Underneath Other Layers

• Using the black arrow, hold Command, click and it selects down a layer each click

Outline Mode

• Command Y : Outline Mode

Remove Anchor Points

• Command H : Remove anchor points. Sometimes this is helpful to see a design without the anchor points
• Same shortcut to turn back on

Quick Size Change

• To change something by 10x, hold shift and whatever you change will change by 10x (stroke weight, font size, etc.)

Star Tool

• Drag out star but don't release mouse, up/down arrow will add or subtract an arm on the star

Toggle Between Open Tabs in Adobe Illustrator

• Command ~ : toggles you between open tabs in Adobe Illustrator

Toggle Between Open Programs on Mac

• Command Tab : toggles you between open programs on your computer

Hide All Toolbars

• F F : hides all of the toolbars
• Works with shortcut keys
• With something selected, hover mouse over right side of screen and menus will pop out so you can use them

Spirograph

• Hold ~ while dragging a shape and it will draw them continuously like a spirograph

Print Setup Tips

• If gradient prints with banding (lines through it), go to File → Print → Graphics → ☑️ Compatible Gradient & Gradient Mesh Printing
• To save a PDF as smaller size, you can still choose High Quality Print - turn off (un-☑️) Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities
• Use this if sending file to client and no editing needed
• "Smallest file size" choice is fine for email, but not for printing

New Document Tips

• New Document
• Best to start with RGB because it has a full color range, and is easy to switch to CMYK.
• Not the same if you start with CMYK. It's limited color range does not switch to RGB in a predictable way.
• If you choose a Print Default size blank doc, it will default to CMYK, so change it to RGB before you start.
• If you choose a Web Default size blank doc, make sure to change it to 300 dpi.

Set Image as Template

• File → Place
• Then at bottom of window ☑️ Template before clicking Place
• This puts your imported image in its own layer, locks it, lowers the transparency, and creates new layer for you to work on automatically

Drawing in Adobe Illustrator

Fill stroke:

1. Select stroke icon
2. Select shape you want to change the color of
3. Select eyedropper tool
4. Shift, Left Click the stroke color already on the screen you want the stroke to be

Drawing tips:

• Left Click & Hold Space Bar: cursor turns into hand and then you can click on screen and move it around
• Scale strokes and effects in Properties panel before you select anything

Import (Place) Item

• When you import File → Place drawing from sketchbook, "place" and click on file, then ☑️ Template at bottom of file window before opening. This puts it on a new layer and locks it for you.

Eyedropper Tool

Fill Color

• Using the black arrow select the item you want to change the color of
• Select eyedropper tool from left hand panel
• Click on the fill color you want to transfer to the new item

Stroke/Line Color

• Using black arrow select the item you want to change the stroke color of
• Select eyedropper tool from left hand panel
• Press shift while using the eyedropper tool and click on the line color you want to transfer to the new item

Shape Builder Tool

Shape Builder Tool: Shift M

Combine pieces together

• First select all of the pieces you want to apply tool to
• Drag line through shapes to combine them
• Instead of just dragging through to join, hold Shift while dragging a box around all parts to join

Delete pieces

• Option/Drag through shapes to remove/delete them

Help color sections not completely closed

• (Shape must already have a fill color for this to work. Doesn't work if it is just a stroke.)
• Draw shape and select with black arrow
• Draw a line through it
• Choose a fill color
• Click in section to fill

Tips

• Star shape: select shape and then click once on screen. You will be able to choose how many points and radius.

Anchor Points

• Change the size of anchor points Illustrator → Preferences → Selection & Anchor: Here you can change the display of the anchor points
• When moving hangles for anchor points, you can hold Shift to get the handles to snap to 0º or 180º

Curvature Tool

• Curvature Tool: Shift ~
• Click once in each spot for curves
• Double click for a corner
• Click once at end to join together
• Advantage is that everything stays smooth
• Can drag anchor points around and it stays smooth
• Double click anchor point to switch back and forth from corner to curve
• Single click on line to add an anchor point
• Hold Command at end of line and click anywhere to release line while maintaining tool
• If you're using the Curve Tool, and it keeps connecting to other lines, lock the previous line before starting a new one

Pen Tool Tricks

• Pen Tool:  P 
• Turn off Smart Guides while using Pen Tool
• View → Smart Guides (Command U)
• Best to use handles on corners instead of too many anchor points
• On a corner, hold down Option and you can adjust the handles (break them around the corner)
• Command key while dragging out a handle - You can shorten/lengthen only one side of a handle by pressing Command
• If you clicked in the wrong spot, before letting go hold down Space Bar and then as you drag the anchor point also moves

Pencil Tool (desktop)

• Double click on pencil to bring up settings
• Turn off "keep selected"
• Move selector bar all the way to smooth (good for mouse and trackpad)

Create a Dotted Line

• Make a dashed line, but set first dash to 0pt, then put a number for gap (12pt)
• Change cap to rounded

Brushes

• First draw a line using pen or pencil
• Then select all lines you want effect to be added to
• Click brushes, then libraries (inside brushes)
• Choose a brush and line is converted
• Or - click brush icon, choose brush and draw on screen to see instant results

Tips

• If there is a really long line when using brush (on a corner), change join to round corner to fix it

Width Tool

• Start with .25 stroke before using width tool, or adjust end and slim it down to a point with width tool
• If you would like one side of width tool to adjust independently, click on center of width point, hold Option and then you can adjust each side independently

Create Solid Shape from Line with Width Added

• Select it with the black arrow
• Make a copy of the original before expanding because you won't be able to change it afterwards
• Object → Expand Appearance

Type & Text

• If you create a "Type Tool" text (not in a box), and want to change it to a box later, type something and then select with black arrow. Double click on the small circle handle on the right side and now it has changed. Double click to change it back.
• Command, Shift, . : increase text size
• Command, Shift, , : decrease text size
• Option, ↑ or ↓: change leading (space between lines)

Type on a Path

• Draw a line
• Copy/paste another one if you want the line to show up with the text
• Click text and then hover over the line where you want the text to start and click
• Don't click on white box at beginning/ending of text field
• Move red line to realign text
• If you want your line to show in design, copy/paste line before you begin to type

Type along a Circle

• Best to use two circles if you want text around a circle
• Use one for text on top of circle and one for text on the bottom
• Create a circle, copy/paste another one
• Click "Type on path tool"
• Click on circle where you'd like it to start - text goes the entire way around circle
• To adjust spacing of letters: Type → Type on Path → Type on Path Options → Spacing
• To get text aligned for top and bottom
• Select text, then Type → Type on Path → Type on Path Options → Align to Path →Center (for both)
• Bottom selection also needs:Type → Type on Path → Type on Path Options → Flip → ☑️ Preview

Working with Color

Make a Color Swatch

• Choose a color with the eyedropper or type in code
• Properties → Fill (or Stroke)
• Click + (in a box)
• New Swatch

Create New Color Group

• If color is outside of color group, you can click and drag into group

Add Color to Library

• Click the + with small downward triangle to right of it and add the color currently selected to library

Advanced Color Tips

HSB vs RGB

• Hue Saturation Brightness vs Red Green Blue
• HSB is easier to manipulate colors with than RGB

Pantone Colors

• These are premixed colors guaranteed to show up correctly when commercially printed
• Coated: shiny paper colors
• Uncoated: regular paper colors

Clipping Masks

Place an image inside a shape and have the shape clip it

• Place image as the back layer
• Place shape on top of image
• Select both the image and the shape
• Either: Right click - make clipping mask, or go to Properties and at the bottom click "Make clipping mask"
• To move image after adding clipping mask, use white arrow
• Click on shape, click off shape - now an X appears on image and you can adjust it
• Either: Right click - Release clipping mask, or select shape and then go to Properties and at the bottom click "Release clipping mask"
• If you're using multiple shapes with image as clipping masks, first have to convert all shapes to a compound path
• Select all shapes, then Object → Compound Path → Make
• Then add image behind compound shape and make clipping mask

How to Use Color Guides

• Have nothing selected, then choose a foreground color
• Window → Color Guide
• Click on first swatch
• Click on down arrow to choose different color combos from color wheel
• Helpful for choosing background colors for icons that are complementary
• Helpful for skin tones - choose one color and then it will show shades of it below

Compound Path

To create a hole in a shape

• If one shape is on top of another, select all, Object → Compound Path, and the top shapes will be deleted and now you can see through it

Tips

• If you download an image and you can't ungroup it, try releasing the compound path

Drop Shadow

• Effect → Stylize → Drop Shadow
• If it's not working like you want, undo, group all parts together and then add the drop shadow again

Libraries

• You can create a library for each client
• You can drag in assets - logo, symbols, shape, etc.
• To add a graphic, color swatch, etc. to library: Select it on screen, then go to library you want to add it to. At bottom click + and add in specifc item, or everything related to it
• You can also add text, character style, etc. to library
• If you use a shape from the library it is connected to your library. If you change a coor, or anything else, it will also change wherever you used it (any Adobe program)
• If you change any instance of the item on the screen, on any page, it will also update the library item and all instances
• If you want to break the link to the library, press Option while dragging the image out of the library to the page

Effects

Special Effects under Width Tool

• Warp Tool
• Twirl
• Pucker
• Bloat
• Scallop
• Crystalize
• Wrinkle
• You can change their settings (especially intensity) by double-clicking on tool

• You can add effects to shapes simply by choosing the tool and then clicking on shape you want to apply it to
• To apply it to text, first (using black arrow) select text, then Right click → Create outlines

Bend & Warp Shapes & Text

• Group items first (no "group" needed for text), then select the group, Effect → Warp → Choose one of the choices
• To edit later: Properties → Appearance → fx (click to edit)
• To finalize effects so they cannot be change in the future: select item, then Object → Expand appearance

Repeating Shapes

• Create a shape and select it
• Object → Transform → Transform each
• If you want each one to be a different size, change scale
• Rotate - Each one will be at a different rotation
• Click "copy", not OK
• Shortcut: Command D, Object → Transform → Transform again - This will remember all of the settings and will copy repeatedly

Seamless Repeating Patterns

• Create a shape and select it
• Optional: Create a reflection of the shape
• Window → Pattern Options
• On panel, click on Hamburger and choose "Make pattern"
• Creates the pattern. It can be manipulated with options
• You can also drag the original around and change the pattern instantly
• Final OK/Cancel is at top bar to save

Pattern Printing Websites

• Spoonflower.com
• Print fabric & wallpaper
• Society6.com
• Print everything

Vectorizing an Image

Image Trace

• Place an image (jpeg/png)
• Properties → Image Trace (at bottom) → Choose an option
• Try different options until you find one you like
• Click "Expand" when done making changes

Change Fill Color

• This option changes the image quickly, and simply
• Using the white arrow, select only one section of image
• Select → Same → Fill Color
• Change fill color
• Works really simply with "3 Color" option

Export Files for Printer

First check settings

• Check for RGB vs. CMYK
• File → Doc Color Mode → Choose one to change
• Check raster settings
• Effect → Doc Raster Effect Settings → Resolution (Recommended: 300 ppi)

High Quality Print

• File → Save As → Adobe PDF (drop down menu)
• Then on next screen:
• Adobe PDF Preset: High Quality Print
• Turn off "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" (if file size is too large, probably forgot to turn this off)

Smaller File (Website or Email)

• File → Save As → Adobe PDF
• Smallest file size
• Turn off "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities

Archive or Send to Someone Else to Work on It

• File → Package
• Copies the images that are linked
• Copies the fonts (not CJK or Typekit fonts)
• Save
• Next find the file in the folder you save it in and, right click on folder, select "compress" (.zip) and now you can email, share, or archive it.

Export & Save for Web

Export Entire Artboard

• File → Export → Export As
• Choose location, choose file type, mark artboard you want with a ☑️, specify range
• Click Export

JPG options

• Choose color mode, quality (keep quality around 8-10)
• Baseline → keep for compression
• Resolution: medium for screens, high for printing
• ☑️ Embed ICC Profile

Export Separate Assets

• Window → Asset Export
• Drag and drop assets into window
• Rename each one by double clicking on default name
• Make sure asset is grouped together, or it will bring in each separate piece individually
• Select all (click & shift) in window where you dragged them
• Once selected, choose format from drop down menu
• PNG/SVG will give a transparent background
• JPEG will give it white background
• Can choose two formats at once by clicking " + Add Scale" - choose new format and "Export"

Global Edit

If you have multiple instances of an item in one document, or even across multiple artboards in one document you can edit them all at once (no linking required).

• Select one, choose Properties → Start Global Edit and then edit.
• All changes will show on all instances
• If global edit selects more than you want it to, go to drop down menu on global edit and choose Match: Appearance Size on Artboards and range of numbers. Also option to choose objects on canvas

Gradients

Gradients

• Set fill to gradient from Properties → Fill to start
• Click Gradient Tool and you can click and drag in any direction you want gradient to be on shape

Add Gradient to Strokes

• Window → Gradient : can change the type of gradient

Freeform Gradient

• Using the black arrow, select item for gradient
• Click the gradient tool or Window → Gradient, then choose Freeform Gradient from the Type section
• Properties → Freeform Gradient

Apply Gradient with Points

1. Made sure Points is selected in the Gradient panel
2. Double-click a color stop to open the color swatch and add a new color

Apply Gradient with Lines

1. Use the white arrow to select a section of your image
2. Choose the Freeform Gradient
3. Choose lines in the Gradient panel
4. Click to add points to the path. Pess Esc when you're finished
5. Double-click a color stop and add colors to different poings along the path

Tips

• Click on a color stop and drag to reposition it
• Drag the circle on a color stop to change the spread of the gradient
• Double-click to add color stops
• Select a color stop and press Delete to remove it

Puppet Warp Tool

• Using the black arrow, select shape
• Click Puppet Warp Tool on left hand column
• It creates a mesh on your object with big black dots
• Click and drag on black dot to move object around to morph it
• Can add/delete new points
• Can also spin point around using dotted line around point
• Stretch things out inside another shape - and it always stays vector!

Blend (So cool!)

These look like linocut or wood cut designs!

• Create two curved lines that touch or almost touch
• Can add width with width tool to both lines
• Select both lines with black arrow
• Object → Blend → Blend Options
• Specified steps - choose how many lines you want to fill in with
• Specified distance - choose how many pixels they are spaced apart

Presentation Mode

• View → Presentation Mode
• Makes everything else disappear from your screen other than your selected artboard
• You can use arrows to move between artboards
• It can be used as a presentation instead of PowerPoint, etc.
• Esc gets you out of it

Trim View

• If you have bleed set on your artboard, then View → Trim View
• It trims it so it will look like the finished product

Simplify Path

• If you draw a picture on paper, take a photo, "place" it in file, and then Image Trace (black and white logo), it might have hundreds of anchor points on your lines
• To fix this, select all using the white arrow
• Object → Path → Simplify
• You can choose Auto Simplify on window that pops up (looks like a little line segment above a capital A)

Recolor

Option 1

• Create a shape with colors, and then select using black arrow
• Properties → Recolor
• Click advanced options at bottom if not already showing long color boxes
• Go to Edit tab, turn on link (two circles stacked with line inbetween)
• Then you can drag any one of the colors around the color wheel and they will all change
• Small box looking symbol below link in Edit tab allows you to choose color presets to change color wheel

Option 2

• Create a shape with colors, and then select using black arrow
• Properties → Recolor
• Click advanced options at bottom if not already showing long color boxes
• Find color you want to change - double click small box next to it under "New" heading
• Choose new color, Click Ok
• Play around with different settings to play with color (randomly change color order, randomly changes saturation & brightness)
• Go to Edit on Recolor screen

Recolor Using Colors from a Photo

You can now use a pixel-based image (photo) to set the colors for a document/item

• Create a shape with colors, select with black arrow
• Properties → Recolor
• Place an image/photo
• Reselect shape with black arrow
• Click on Color Theme Picker, click on photo and colors will automatically be place on your shape
• Three boxes with straight line underneath - choose color randomly button - switch colors randomly from photo
• Three boxes with curved lines crossing underneath - change saturation and brightness randomly
• Can slide prominent colors around to change the overall look

Unlock a Locked Layer

• Hover mouse over locked layer, hold Option, Right Click, top choice is unlock
• Illustrator → Preferences → ☑️ Select and Unlock Objects on Canvas
• Now after you lock a layer it will show a small lock on its outer edge in a circle. If you click on it, it will unlock it.

Area Type

• Type → Area Type Options
• You can now align to center, bottom, etc.
• ☑️ Auto Size
• Now box will resize instead of always giving a little red box to show you that there is text not showing (Have to do this for every single area type box - does not stay checked)

Align to Glyph

Align shapes to text characters instead of the text box

• Properties → Align → ...(More Options) → Click on hamburger → Align to Glyph Bounds → Point Text

Snap to Glyph

• Window → Type → Character → (Hamburger) Show Options → Snap to Glyph (at bottom)
• Check all options to turn on
• View → ☑️ Snap to Glyph
• When this is turned on, items will snap to text

Glyphs

Some fonts have different glyphs available for their letters

• Example: Viktor font
• Type ndq, highlight q, small q with highlight appears at bottom of letter (this means there is more than one option for the q in this font)
• Window → Type → Glyphs, allows you to see all of the options for that font

Customize Font without Using Outlines

• Type word, choose font
• Pen tool, hover over letter and anchor points will appear. You can change the font without destroying it with outlines.

Font Height Options

• Window → Type → Character → Click Hamburger → ☑️ Show Font Height Options
• Now you can type in size of font in mm or in instead of em's

3D Effects

• Type text and select with black arrow
• Effect → 3D & Materials → Extrude & Bevel
• 3D & Materials - under Object - you can choose your view - Plane, Extrude, Revolve, Inflate
• 3D & Materials - under Lighting - you can turn on shadows and use the controls to move and change the shadow
• If 3D isn't looking good you have to change the raster settings
• Effects → Document Raster Effects Settings → Resolution → 300 ppi

Mastering Corners with the Corner Widget

• With the black arrow, drag on a corner widget and all of the corners move
• With the white arrow, select only one corner (of Shift/click to get more than one) and drag to move only select corner(s)
• Hold Option and click on widget after dragging it in - cuts the corner out - click again and it's a flat cut from corner to corner
• White arrow, select corner, double-click on widget you get corner options box
• Black arrow, select corner options box pop-up - only for "regular" shapes
• Window → Transform

Select All

• Select item or text
• Select → Same
• Choose font option you want

Connecting Photoshop & Illustrator

• File → Place → Open Cloud Document
• When Photoshop document is updated you can go to Window → Links → Click circle with two arrows inside of it to update your Illustrator file