Intro to Adobe Illustrator

See how Illustrator looks and get a feel for how to navigate through the application as you work. Choose a workspace that sets up the application's panels to suit the job you're doing, or create one of your own.

Preferences let you choose such things as the units in which a document's measurements are displayed. Learn how to set and edit them.

Create and manage Adobe Illustrator documents.

Rulers help you to determine the size of elements in your artwork. Non-printing grids and guides aid in aligning and placing objects.

Learn about this unit of measurement that print designers use.

Anatomy of vector objects.

Learn how to draw rectangles and squares.

Apply color to an object; combine several objects so they can be selected and transformed as one.

Objects are arranged one on top of another, or "stacked." Learn about this, and how to move an object's position.

Change the angle of an object.

Create ovals and circles, learn how to draw objects from the inside out, and add an outline to an object.

Illustrator has a tool that allows you to create stars, easily.

Learn how to make shapes with three or more sides.

Here's a chance to apply what you've learned. If you get stuck, don't worry. You'll find the solution here, too.

This feature lets Illustrator help you position objects precisely as you work.

The Align Panel allows you to line up objects exactly, with one click.

A swatch lets you specify a color's mode and breakdown, give it a name, and apply it with a single click.

A global swatch lets you change a color by editing the swatch used to apply it, even in multiple objects at once.

Use the Swatches Panel to add and delete color swatches.

Learn how to access and use the PANTONE® swatch library. PANTONE® is a company that is recognized as the global foremost authority on color and producer of color systems and technology. For more, see the link under External Resources.

We'll explore the Gradient Panel to create and manage gradients.

See how to create a swatch for a gradient, and apply it to an object's stroke.

All documents have one layer by default. We'll use the Layers Panel to add more and edit them.

Layers are very useful to manage complex artwork. Here, we'll see how to select and change the stacking order of objects using the Layers Panel.

Learn the basics of using type and specifying its attributes.

Good letter- and word-spacing is a sure sign that your artwork was done by a pro.

Congratulations, you've reached a milestone!

See how to import text from another file type, such as .docx (Microsoft Word), and edit its formatting.

Type can be rotated, scaled, and sheared, just like objects.

Make vector outlines out of any font loaded in your system.

Use the Paintbrush Tool and create artwork in a painterly style.

Just like an art supply store, Illustrator has plenty of brushes to choose from, and it also lets you create your own.

Use the Pencil Tool to draw lines with a hand drawn feel.

See an example of a complex illustration, created entirely with the Pen Tool, and explore its anatomy.

How to add anchor points and draw segments with the Pen Tool.

Close a path to form a shape.

A heart shape is a perfect one to practice with, because it combines corner and curve points.

Tracing shapes that aren't geometric is how to master the Pen Tool. We'll work with a simple one to get you started.