Illustrator Workshop

Illustrator required for Digital Fabrication

Art boards = pages

bleed: extend of picture over edge for printing purposes

colour mode: CMXK

Raster effects = 300 ppi –> some effects use bitmap –> require high resolution

window –> control –> topbar

command + 0 (zero) –> centralise artboard

black arrow (selection tool) – move, rotate, scale

white arrow (direct selection) – double click to change points, or pick more points by group selecting (box around all points)

shape tool – click once to type size

to make triangle use star or polygon shape –> points –> 3

pen tool –> close off shape or ‘esc’ to leave open, click and hold to curve

pen tool + option = > remove handle

window – swatches –> change colour on left in colour fill; in small window drag small fill box onto swatch board panel

library symbol for more colours

eye drop tool for fill colour

hold spacebar to move canvas with mouse

selection tool + option –> click on object to copy

window –> pathfinder

combine shapes –> select two shapes at the time –> pathfinder –> different ways to join two shapes

window –> layers –> arrow – see what’s in front/back, can be dragged

scale tool –> file scale strokes and effects

object –> pattern –> make –> save a copy –> done

use ‘export as’ to change saving format