Graphic Design Bootcamp 2027: Photoshop, Illustrator & AI

Design a poster as a practical starter project, using Photoshop to create an 11 by 17, 300 dpi, cmyk file and save as a psd.

Gather assets by sourcing photography and poster ideas, then build a Photoshop poster layout with layers and folders. Save images to an ideas folder and set a brief inspiration timer.

Explore poster design in Photoshop through layers, masking, layer styles, and quick selections to isolate the subject. Use the pen tool and layer masks to refine edges and create composites.

Master hair selection in Photoshop by refining edges with select and mask, using quick shortcuts, rasterizing layers, and invert selections to create clean masks for composite designs.

Explore the new Photoshop 2015.5 selection and masking space, with select and mask, onion skin view, refined brush, and decontaminate colors for clean edges.

Refine text using the type tool, adjust letting and font size in Helvetica, and manage layer order and text boxes to control readability, composition, and background ideas.

Polish a poster in Photoshop by refining text, image composition, and layout; adjust contrast, use shapes and color for legibility, alignment, and overall design.

learn how to prepare and export artwork for clients and print, including converting to cmyk, flattening layers, saving as psd or a jpeg, and creating print-ready files with bleeds.

Learn to build believable Photoshop composites by cutting people or objects from multiple photos, aligning with guides, applying smart objects, shadows, and color adjustments to create depth and realism.

Master Photoshop compositing by perfecting selections with tools like quick selection, magic wand, lasso variants, and the pen tool, then layer and transform to create believable first composites.

Refine photo cutouts by perfecting selections, deleting unwanted pixels, and ensuring correct layers, then blend the cutout into a new background using edge refinement, feathering, and the blur tool.

Learn to composite images in Photoshop using non-destructive layering, camera raw adjustments, levels, and masking to create realistic shadows and color balance.

Push your Photoshop composite skills by adding atmospheric elements, refining blends with layer masking, blend-if, dodge and burn, color correction, and cohesive color with adjustment layers.

Lock the top layer, group and link layers, and use content‑aware move and quick selection tools to refine a dangling character, then export a JPEG of your edited image.

Master shapes, colors, and graphics to craft a cohesive background; align elements with smart guides, manage layers and anchors, and explore color and transparency to produce multiple boards.

Create multiple poster variations by using artboards, masking with clipping mask, the shape builder tool for waves, and imported images, then align typography and export named artboards.

Learn to import and edit text in Illustrator with the type tool, adjust font, size, leading, kerning, and tracking, sync fonts from type kit, and convert text to outlines.

Learn to finalize a design by embedding assets, applying masks and blend modes, organizing layers, and exporting all artboards versions as jpegs at 300 dpi.

Create your first logo by using yourself as a client, blend theory with logo design, and build a personal brand using a mood board to generate ideas.

Start with research and development to define your target audience and your freelance voice. Gather logo inspiration, save ideas in a folder, and build a mood board to guide design.

Create a mood board in Illustrator by importing and embedding images from your assets, then explore color schemes to frame design ideas for client-ready visuals.

Bring your logo text to life by selecting fonts, creating three to four looks, duplicating outlines, and refining spelling to deliver client-ready typography.

Discover Illustrator tools for creating shapes and logos, including the pen tool, shape builder, type on path, blob brush, and width adjustments. Refine vector designs with fills, strokes, and reflections.

Practice a hands-on logo workflow with vector tools to mock up monogram ideas, refine shapes, and apply color. Pause to let your mind solve design problems and generate options.

Explore logo idea generation in Illustrator through mockups, precise paths, and guides to create a unique logo. Learn how to refine concepts into client ready visuals for presentation.

Learn how to craft client-ready presentation boards by transforming mood boards into clean comps, creating color and black-and-white variations, aligning logos, and packaging two design looks.

Export logo comps as v1 and v2, save in RGB with medium screen quality, and share via messenger or base camp to present first looks and manage revisions.

Package a finalized logo with a details page and color details for client delivery, including single-color and full-color versions, color sampling, hex values, and clear space rules.

Set up artboards for quick export and establish a solid file structure. Learn to batch export and organize AI, EPS, JPEG web, and JPEG print files.

Export logos from Illustrator as eps, pdf, png, and jpeg, preserving artboards and transparency, package fonts with licensing in mind, and deliver client-ready final files via Basecamp.

Learn to create a magazine advertisement using real location assets and established branding, following ad specs and dimensions for a vertical or full-page layout.

Create a magazine ad file in Photoshop with bleed, trim, and live safety margins, set at 8.625 by 11.125 inches, 300 dpi, CMYK, and lay out guides.

Gather and organize client assets, sourcing high-quality images and logos while ensuring print-ready resolution. Identify brand fonts like Oswald using a font extension and prepare visuals in a library.

Gather photos and text to rough-in a family-friendly ad layout, license images, and place typography with Oswald for a clean, ready-to-finalize design.

Refine a magazine ad by selecting Oswald font variants, adjusting tracking and leading, and shaping a clear headline and bullet list with proper hierarchy, spacing, and Font Awesome icons.

Create and style bullet lists in Photoshop using Font Awesome icons, including installing the font, using the cheat sheet to select glyphs, and pasting icons into bullets with alignment tips.

Refine ad layouts by adjusting text placement, adding photos with masks and shapes, and using blend modes and layer styles to produce standout final ads.

License the image to remove the Adobe stock watermark, flatten the image, and export a print-ready ad with a color profile, then review design decisions and hierarchy for press guidelines.

Learn how to package and share editable Photoshop files by embedding or packaging linked assets, creating a links folder, and including fonts to ensure complete visuals.

Explore Adobe InDesign basics by creating a digital ebook, set up an iPad-sized document, configure margins, save work, and apply master pages with page numbers and branding.

Place text and assets in InDesign, fix overset text by linking text boxes, apply body and h1 paragraph styles, and add a cover with a logo on every page.

License and organize images in Creative Cloud libraries, create master pages, adjust margins and guides, and export a packaged, interactive pdf with fonts and linked assets.

Design a custom 9x12 tri-fold brochure for a Montana stand up paddle board rental, inspired by catalogs, using printer file settings, and preparing files to print for rec cards.

Plan with the end in mind by designing a 9 by 12 trifold brochure for rack cards in hotels and the Chamber of Commerce, highlighting paddleboard and evaluating printing options.

Learn to set up brochure files from scratch or from templates, establishing bleed, canvas size, trim, and panel layout with guides and layers for a print-ready design.

Design the front cover and back panel of the outside layout for paddleboard rentals, masking images, blending skies with gradients, and positioning a two-inch title within bleed and trim guidelines.

License the photo to remove the watermark and push the brochure design forward using Proxima Nova Extra Bold for titles, centered alignment, and a white left panel for visual hierarchy.

Create the inside layout of the brochure by placing photos and rental text, organizing layers, and applying bold headings and paragraph styles.

Apply finishing typography and layout tweaks, mask backgrounds for readability, and export print-ready files with flattened layers, bleed, and trim marks for professional brochure production.

Create a two-page InDesign export with fold marks, crop marks, bleeds, and a slug to guide printers, then apply the same process in Illustrator for consistency.

export a brochure from illustrator with printer marks and fold guides by creating two artboards, setting bleed, placing linked files, and exporting a print-ready pdf with folds.

Create a custom business card on a 3.5 by 2 inch canvas, 300 ppi, CMYK, with a 1/8 inch bleed, trim and safety guides, and save as a Photoshop file.

Design a business card by applying typography tips, sizing text to seven points (six and a half for all caps), and using a 2x2 inch square with guides and bleed.

Explore finishing touches for business cards—spot UV, spot gloss, foil, dye cut, and embossing—and learn to prepare layered files and export separate spot files for printers.