User manual ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR 6.0

List of topics Menu commands Toolbar Index How to use this guide List of topics Basic concepts Viewing and setting up documents Drawing Moving and aligning objects Modifying shapes and applying special effects Painting Creating custom colors, gradients, and patterns Using layers Using type Using graphs Importing and exporting artwork Printing documents Producing color separations Error messages and troubleshooting What's new in 6.0 Basic Concepts Bitmap images and vector graphics Opening documents Saving documents Setting preferences Using the toolbox and the plug-ins toolbox Using the status bar Using the Shortcuts palette Correcting mistakes Reverting to an earlier version of your document Using plug-in modules Bitmap images and vector graphics Computer graphics fall into two main categories--bitmap images and vector graphics. Understanding the difference between these two types of graphics is useful when you're creating and editing digital illustrations. (For more information on using these formats with Illustrator, see About graphic file formats.) See also Bitmap vs. Vector graphics jump to art Bitmap images Bitmap images, such as those created in Adobe Photoshop, consist of a grid, or bitmap, of small squares, known as pixels. For example, a bicycle tire in a bitmap image is made up of a collection of pixels in that location, with each pixel part of a mosaic that together gives the appearance of a tire. When working with bitmap images, you edit pixels rather than objects or shapes. Bitmap images are best used for working with continuous-tone graphics, such as photographs or images created in painting programs. Bitmap images are set at a fixed resolution--they are resolution dependent. This means that objects can appear jagged and lose detail if they are scanned or created at a low resolution (for example, at 72 pixels per inch) and then enlarged or printed at a higher resolution. jump to art Vector graphics Vector graphics, such as those created in Adobe Illustrator, are made up of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects called vectors. For example, a bicycle tire in a vector graphic is made up of a mathematical definition of a circle filled with a specific color and set at a specific location. When you move, resize, or change the color of the tire, the program changes the mathematical definition of the shape or location of the tire, or the tire's color. Vector-based programs are best for type (especially small type) and drawings that require crisp, clear lines regardless of the size to which they are scaled. Graphics created in vector-based programs such as Illustrator always appear at the maximum resolution of the monitor or printer on which they are output-- they are resolution independent. jump to art Bitmap vs. Vector graphics Click on artwork to jump to information on that format. 4:1 zoom 16:1 zoom Bitmap 4:1 zoom 16:1 zoom Vector Opening documents When you start Adobe Illustrator, the program automatically opens a new document. You can also create a new document at any time, once Illustrator is running. In either case, a new document appears with the name Untitled art in its title bar. You can open existing documents as well as create new ones. An existing document appears with its name displayed in the title bar. See also Opening and placing artwork. To open a new document: Choose File > New from the Illustrator menu bar. To open an existing document: 1 Choose File > Open. 2 Select the name of the document you want to open, and click Open. Saving documents You can save a document under its current name, location, and file format by using the Save command. If you are saving the document for the first time, the Save dialog box appears, enabling you to specify how and where you want to save the document. By using the Save As command, you can save a copy of a document under a different name, location, or file format. For information on saving a document in a different file format or with a special preview option, see Exporting artwork. To save a file: 1 Choose File > Save or File > Save As. If you choose the Save As command, or if the document has not been saved before, choose any of the following options: · Select the folder in which you want to save the document. · Create a new folder by clicking New. · Enter the name of the document in the Save This Document As text box. · From the Format pop-up menu, choose the file format in which you want to save the document. 2 If you save the document in EPS format, you can add Fetch® information. Fetch is a program that searches for and retrieves files based on information about the file. Choose any of the following options: · Select the Include Document Thumbnail option to create a thumbnail preview for the file when viewed by Fetch. · Enter the author's name in the Author text box. · Enter any search keywords, separated by commas, in the Keywords text box. · Enter any identifying information about the document in the Description text box. 3 Click Save. Setting preferences After you have used Illustrator for a while, you may develop preferences for the way in which various commands and tools work in the program. To accommodate different styles of working, Illustrator lets you set and save a wide variety of preferences. Any time you work in Illustrator, your saved preferences take effect, and tools and commands work the way you have specified. To set preferences: 1 Choose File > Preferences and then choose the type of preference you want to change: · The General Preferences dialog box contains preferences for how various commands and tools work. · The Color Matching dialog box lets you coordinate the colors displayed by your monitor with the color system you choose. · The Hyphenation Options dialog box defines which language dictionary is used and lets you specify any words you don't want Illustrator to hyphenate. · The Plug-ins dialog box lets you indicate where the plug-in modules are located. General Preferences dialog box Click on any option for information on that option. return to text Using the toolbox and the plug-ins toolbox The first time you open a document, the toolbox appears on the left side of the screen. The toolbox contains the set of working tools with which you can create, select, and manipulate objects in Illustrator. A further set of tools is available on the plug-ins toolbox. This second toolbox contains tools that can be provided by third-party developers. For more information about plug-ins, see Using plug-in modules. To show or hide either toolbox: Choose any of the following options: · Choose Windows > Show Toolbox to display the standard tools. · Choose Windows > Show Plug-in Tools to display the plug-in tools. · Choose Windows > Hide Toolbox to hide the standard tools. · Choose Windows > Hide Plug-in Tools to hide the plug-in tools. To move either toolbox: Drag it by the title bar. See also · Selecting tools · Using the tool pointers · Toolbox overview Using the tool pointers Many of the tools change the mouse pointer to an icon that indicates the function of the selected tool. For example, choosing the brush tool changes the pointer to a brush. You can also change any painting or editing tool pointer to a cross hair. To change the pointer to a cross hair: Choose one of the following options: · While the tool is selected, press the Caps Lock key on the keyboard. · Choose File > Preferences > General, select the Use Precise Cursors option, and click OK. jump to art Selecting tools Select a tool from the default toolbox by clicking the tool. Select a hidden tool by positioning the pointer on the current tool in the toolbox and dragging to highlight the tool. Click on any tool to jump to information on that tool. Selection Hand Pen Brush Oval Measure Rotate Reflect Paint Bucket Gradient Graph Directselection Zoom Scissors Freehand Rectangle Type Scale Shear Eyedropper Blend Page Group-selection Add-anchor point Delete-anchor point Convert-direction point Autotrace Rounded-rectangle Path-type Area-type Twirl Star Knife Spiral Polygon None jump to art Toolbox overview Click on any artwork to jump to information on that tool. The selection tool selects entire objects. The direct-selection tool selects points or segments within objects. The group-selection tool selects objects and groups within groups. The hand tool moves the Illustrator artboard within the document window. The zoom tool increases and decreases the view in the document window. The pen tool draws straight and curved lines to create objects. Toolbox overview, continued Click on any artwork to jump to information on that tool. The scissors tool splits paths. The add-anchor-point tool adds anchor points to paths. The delete-anchor-point tool deletes anchor points from paths. The convert-anchor-point tool changes smooth points to corner points and vice versa The brush tool draws freehand lines of varying thickness. The freehand tool draws freehand lines. Toolbox overview, continued Click on any artwork to jump to information on that tool. The autotrace tool traces the outline of objects in a template. The oval tool draws circles and ovals. The rectangle tool draws squares and rectangles. The beeboppers the bellow the blues in B-flat on the bassoon, baritone bass and The rounded rectangle tool draws squares and rectangles with rounded corners. The measure tool measures the distance between two points. The type tool creates individual type and type containers and lets you enter and edit type.