Table of Contents
Free Adobe Illustrator Course Online – Free Lesson Adobe Illustrator Graphic Design Software
Adobe Illustrator is a software tool that may be used on a Windows or MacOS computer to create drawings, illustrations, and artwork. Illustrator was first introduced in 1987 and this software is updated on a regular basis to maximise efficiency for all users. It is currently part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. Illustrator is commonly used to generate high-quality artwork by graphic designers, web designers, visual artists, and professional illustrators all around the globe. Illustrator contains a plethora of advanced drawing tools that may help you save time while creating graphics.
If you want to learn graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator then Blue Sky Graphics online graphic design course is the perfect online school for you!
Adobe Illustrator’s Usage
Adobe Illustrator may be used to generate a wide range of digital and printed graphics, such as cartoons, charts, diagrams, graphs, logos, and drawings. Illustrator will allow you to upload an image to use as a guide and trace an item in the shot. This may be used to re-colour an image or to give it a sketch-like look. Illustrator also allows you to alter words in a variety of ways, making it a wonderful tool for designing postcards, posters, and other visual designs that combine text and pictures. Another useful feature of Illustrator is its ability to apply text around a curve which is extremely beneficial for artists developing logos. Illustrator is also used to create mock-ups that depict how the website will appear when finished, as well as icons that may be utilized inside applications or websites.
The Creative Cloud and Illustrator
Illustrator is included with Adobe Creative Cloud memberships; although, it can be purchased separately if required. Illustrator artwork may be shared with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps such as After Effects, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro as it’s part of the Creative Cloud. This can be very helpful for users, as many individuals often produce an initial piece of artwork in Illustrator before importing it into Photoshop or After Effects. Illustrator users may also generate images and export them to InDesign for use in a book or magazine. Users may also export an Illustrator picture to After Effects to turn it into an animation. Similarly, artwork from Photoshop may be imported into Illustrator, where a final design can be constructed by combining text, graphics, and the imported picture.
Adobe Illustrator Vector Graphics
One of the most essential aspects of Adobe Illustrator is that the quality of artwork made with it is independent of the resolution at which it is presented. This implies that an Illustrator picture may be extended or lowered without compromising image quality. This is a characteristic of vector artwork, which use mathematical connections to describe lines, arcs, and other elements of an illustrator’s work. Photographs modified using programs like Adobe Photoshop, on the other hand, are resolution-dependent, and picture quality degrades when an image is expanded. A vector graphic is a collection of polygons that make up the picture, which are made up of vectors. Each vector travels via a node or control point, which has a specific position on the x and y axes of a plane. This node specifies the vector’s route, which may be coloured, curved, filled, shaped, or thickened. Vector positions may be coupled to one another using mathematical formulae that correctly recalculates their positions as a picture and is resized.
Vector Graphics
This aspect of vector graphics differs from that of imaging software such as Photoshop, which renders pictures using pixel grids. When this sort of picture is sufficiently enlarged, the individual pixels that comprise a bit map become apparent. This effect causes a decrease of picture quality known as pixilation, making Illustrator particularly useful for generating huge visuals such as a billboard sign.
What exactly is Illustrator CC?
Illustrator CC is the version of Illustrator that is offered via Adobe’s cloud-based subscription service, Creative Cloud. Illustrator v17, which was published in 2013, was the first version of Illustrator CC. Since then, each version of Illustrator CC has been labelled as Illustrator CC xxxx, where “xxxx” represents the year of release. We teach Adobe Illustrator CC in our online graphic design course at Blue Sky Graphics.
The ability to sync and save projects to the cloud is one of the most apparent additions in Illustrator CC. Illustrator CC can also function with Behance, a website where artists can promote their work and portfolios. Illustrator CC has improved the way typefaces are handled in the program, as well as the ability to sync and preserve colour preferences. Illustrator CC has been updated to provide the ability to utilise touchscreen-compatible tools as well as create and store bespoke brushes.
Illustrator File Formats That Can Be Saved
Because Illustrator can produce and alter vector pictures, it must also store files in vector graphics formats. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), Portable Document Format (PDF), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Windows Metafile (WMF), and Vector Markup Language (VML) are a few of these formats.
Illustrator can export files in the PDF format. It enables graphics and text to show independently of hardware, software, and operating system. It contains a detailed explanation of flat documents having a set layout, including fonts, images, and text. The PDF format features a structured storage mechanism that mixes and compresses these pieces into a single file. It also contains a PostScript subset for generating images and a method for associating fonts with documents.
EPS
EPS is a PostScript subset with extra constraints that allows it to hold graphics files. These files are typically self-contained and may be embedded into another PostScript file. An EPS file is simply a PostScript program that provides a low-resolution picture preview that certain programs can show. Earlier in Illustrator’s history, it was popular to save files in EPS format so that they could be shared with page layout software.
WMF
WMF is a file format that was first used by Windows in the 1990s and that Illustrator could export to. This format can hold vector graphics as well as bitmaps, enabling it to be utilized similarly to the SVG format. WMF files store a list of function calls used by the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) to show a picture. Because certain GDI functions handle errors, a WMF may contain executable code.
VML
This was an XML-based vector graphics format that was part of the Office Open XML standards. As of 2012, Internet Explorer no longer supports it, while it is still included in Office Open XML for legacy uses and was formerly supported by Illustrator.
SVG
Since 1999, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has maintained the SVG specification as an open standard. This format is based on Extended Markup Language (XML), and it allows two-dimensional graphics for animations and interactive visuals. SVG pictures are described in XML files, making them compressible, indexed, scriptable, and searchable. SVG files may be modified with any text editor as well as a variety of drawing tools. Adobe, as a W3C member, supports this file format in Illustrator and other products.
Illustrator can save or export files in a variety of formats.
Adobe Illustrator’s Evolution
Illustrator’s first version was launched in 1987 for the Apple Macintosh. At the time, Adobe was focused on designing typefaces and delivering PostScript, a language that computers could use to connect with office printers. Illustrator also aided Adobe’s typeface creation efforts and functioned as a companion product for Photoshop, which Adobe did not create but sold and bought. The first version of Illustrator did not include a preview mode, thus users had to open a second window to see their work.
Illustrator Version 2 was published in 1989, and it was the first version to support the Windows operating system. During the early 1990s, Adobe also published Illustrator versions for a variety of other operating systems, including NeXT, Silicon Graphics, and Sun Solaris. However, these versions were abandoned, as the operating systems failed to acquire mainstream popularity. Illustrator 4 was the second version to support Windows, and it was also the first to offer editing while in preview mode. This functionality, however, was not accessible for Macintosh until version 5, which was published in 1993.
Macintosh-focused version
Illustrator Version 6 was the last Macintosh-focused version since the interface in following versions changed considerably to allow more interoperability with Windows. Path editing was also implemented by Adobe in 1997 with version 7, largely to make the interface more akin to that of Photoshop. This would be repeated until the two interfaces for dealing with pathways were almost equivalent. Another notable development in Illustrator 7 was the inclusion of TrueType font support, thereby putting an end to the battle between TrueType and PostScript Type I fonts. Version 7 was also the first Adobe Illustrator version to include plug-ins, which substantially expanded Illustrator’s capabilities by enabling third-party developers to add features that were not part of the core Illustrator.
Illustrator offered several features that assisted Web publication
In the early 2000s, Illustrator offered several features that assisted Web publication, such as the ability to save to the PDF and SVG formats, as well as providing a rasterization preview for artwork saved in a bitmap (non-Vector) format. Adobe also released the Adobe SVG Viewer (ASV) in 2000, allowing users to see SVG in a variety of browsers. Adobe terminated ASV in 2009, even though Illustrator had native SVG support for all major browsers by 2011, rendering the standalone viewer obsolete.
Illustrator CS, or Creative Suite
Illustrator CS, or Creative Suite, was touted as the release of version 11 in 2003. Other graphic design software included in the Adobe Creative Suite (CS) were InDesign and Photoshop. This was also the first version to facilitate the construction of three-dimensional objects. In 2005, Illustrator CS2 was launched. A unique workspace and control palette were among the new features included to Illustrator CS2. Adobe purchased Aldus, which included a competitive drawing program FreeHand. Adobe ended support for FreeHand in 2007 and started creating tools to help FreeHand users transfer to Illustrator. Illustrator CS3 was introduced in 2007, and it included new capabilities such as live colour, multiple crop zones, and a colour guide panel.
Adobe Illustrator CS4 was launched in 2008, and it improved existing tools while also introducing certain FreeHand capabilities including the ability to keep numerous art boards. Each art board may keep its own version of a picture, enabling users to save numerous copies of the image in a single document. In Illustrator CS5, new tools were added, including an improved gradient tool that gives the user more flexibility when changing colours over a route. This version also included a Blob Brush function, which enables the user to blend overlapping brushstrokes more quickly.
Illustrator CS5, which was launched in 2010, included the Bristle Brush, which gives more natural-looking strokes. Other new features in this edition include Freehand’s Perspective Grid and many enhancements to existing capabilities. Many new features were incorporated in version CS6, which was launched in 2012. These included a redesigned interface and layer panels. Changes to the colour ramp and RGB coding, as well as a number of bug improvements, all helped to enhance Illustrator CS6’s speed.
Adobe Illustrator CC was launched after Illustrator CS6 as part of the Creative Cloud. Adobe Illustrator CC 2022 is the most recent version.
What Does Illustrator Cost?
Illustrator CC may be purchased straight from Adobe. It needs a subscription for either the standalone program or the Creative Cloud package of products. The Adobe Illustrator software may be licensed for £19.99 per month on a monthly basis or £17.99 per month on an annual basis. The fee for accessing the whole Creative Cloud app is £49 per month, with pre-paid users getting a 20% discount.
Adobe Illustrator Trial Version
Adobe offers a free trial edition of Adobe Illustrator that covers all the features and capabilities of the full version. The free trial period begins when the user installs the software and begins using the application and lasts one week.
Classes, Training, Books, and Tutorials to Help You Learn Illustrator
Classes, online training, and books are the most prevalent ways to receive Illustrator instruction. The key benefits of Illustrator lessons include the instructor’s rapid feedback while working in a typical classroom environment. Many students study Illustrator online to avoid having to drive to a distant place. Self-paced lessons and Illustrator books are useful for those who wish to study Illustrator without leaving their workplace or home, or who work best on their own.
Illustrator Mac vs. Illustrator Windows Distinctions, compatibility, and file transfer
Adobe’s products employ a file format that is cross-platform compatible between Mac and Windows, enabling Illustrator files to be transferred between Illustrator on Mac and Windows without the need for conversion. The transfer procedure is sped up if Mac users use the ai file extension, which tells the Windows system that the file is from Illustrator. This is included by default, but it may be added manually as well.
Outside of the program, the differences between using Illustrator on a Mac and a Windows machine are noticeable. The keyboard layout differs somewhat, with keys such as the Control key on Windows being named the Command key on MacOS and the Alt key on Windows being called the option key on MacOS.
Raster vs. Vector
Vector graphics and raster graphics are the two basic types of computer graphics. Understanding the distinction between the two allows you to develop, edit, and import artwork more effectively.
What exactly are vectors?
Vector graphics are created using drawing applications such as Adobe Illustrator and are made up of lines and curves described by mathematical objects known as “vectors”. Vectors define a visual based on its geometric properties. In a vector graphic, for example, a bicycle tyre is generated using a mathematical calculation for a circle with a certain radius, put at a specified location, and filled with a specific colour. Because the underlying calculations adapt for your movements, you may move, resize, or alter the colour of the tyre without compromising visual quality.
A vector graphic is resolution-independent, which means it may be scaled to any size and printed at any resolution on any output device without losing detail or clarity. Therefore, vector graphics are the greatest solution for text (particularly tiny type) and bold visuals that must preserve sharp lines when scaled to different sizes.
Everything You Need and More
Illustrator’s menu and toolbox structure is comparable with those of its Adobe Suite siblings. If you’ve ever used Photoshop or PageMaker, utilizing Illustrator should be second nature. However, if you’ve never used an Adobe software before, the UI may be a little confusing.
Illustrator’s UI may be readily divided into simple groups that are easier to understand. We’ll start with the primary toolbox on the left side of the screen and work our way around the workspace from there.
The Toolkit
By default, the primary toolbox is situated on the left side of the screen and many of the tools you’ll need are kept in the toolbox. Illustrator has a total of 53 tools, however not all of them are immediately apparent. Additional, related tools are available for tools indicated with a little triangle in the bottom right-hand corner of their icon. Click and hold on a tool’s icon to access these related tools. Please keep in mind that the actual position of these tools varies from version to version of Adobe Illustrator, but tools never vanish.
Tool Menus That Extend
The first tool set we’ll go through is the Selection tool set. These tools enable you to alter just the things you require, rather than the whole artboard.
The main Selection tool (the “black arrow” tool) is used to select whole artboard items. Typically, one of the Draw tools is used to construct these things. Once the item has been picked, it may be modified. When you use this tool to choose an item, the object is usually surrounded by a rectangle known as a “bounding box.”
Then there’s the Direct/Group Selection tool (the one with the white arrow). Almost every Illustrator object is built out of “anchor points.” These anchor points are essentially dots on a plane that form a line, with the exception that these anchors also assist define how the line will bend. The Direct Selection tool enables you to alter one or more of those anchors to change the geometry of your item.
The following two Selection tools are both “lasso” tools that function identically to their “arrow” equivalents. The main difference is that they may pick more random forms when choosing objects and anchors, rather than only rectangles and squares.
Pen tool
The Pen tool is the first tool in this tool set, don’t be fooled by its name! The Pen tool indeed makes lines, but it does it in an unusual way. The Pen tool is one of the most essential, but also one of the most difficult to use, tools in Adobe products. Marking two points on the artboard using the Pen tool makes a straight line, but you may also manipulate the anchor points to create a curve. You may add and delete anchor points for an item using the expanded Pen tools. The “caret arrow” is used to transform a corner point to a curve or vice versa.
Type tool
The Type tool is the second Draw tool. It enables you to position text wherever on the screen, but the extended Type tool provides many more options for text placement. The first expanded tool restricts the text inside a produced entity. The second instructs text to follow a route that you choose. The route might range from a basic square to a sinuous line dancing all the way around the artboard. The last three enlarged Type tools perform the same functions as the previous three, with the exception that the produced text is vertical rather than horizontal.
The Shape Tool
When you use these tools, clicking and dragging instantly makes the suggested shapes, however clicking once brings up a selection of choices that may be adjusted to build an item that is more to your liking.
