Difference between revisions of "Adobe Illustrator Tips"

Latest revision as of 17:07, 3 December 2024

Adobe Illustrator is a commercial vector graphics software package used to generate illustrations(!)

Illustrator is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. It is available for Windows and macOS, but not Linux.

Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) has a license for the complete Adobe Creative Cloud, and it is installed on our (Windows) Design Workstations 2 and 3.

Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.

burst of white rays on orange background

Tips

Links to adobe.com:

Illustrator vs. InDesign

When to use which design application.

Essential techniques for beginners

Measure and add dimensions

Use actions to automate tasks in Illustrator

Shortcuts for View Menu:

Shortcut	PC
Zoom In	Ctrl++
Zoom Out	Ctrl+-
Fit Artboard in Window	Ctrl+0
Fit All in Window	Alt+Ctrl+0
Actual Size	Ctrl+1
Rulers > Show Rulers	Ctrl+R

Open Illustrator Files Without Illustrator:

☐ Change the file extension .AI to .PDF, and open in your default PDF viewer.

☐ On a Mac, use Preview.

☐ Upload Illustrator files to Google Drive.

External Training

Links to adobe.com:

Illustrator Get Started course

Adobe Illustrator Product Home Page

Learn Adobe Apps

All Products — Adobe

Related Pages

Links to related PPM Wiki pages:

CorelDRAW X6 Tips

Inkscape Tips

SVG File Format Tips

Adobe Photoshop Tips

Adobe InDesign Tips

Adobe Bridge Tips

Canva Tips

Blender Tips

Computers — Windows

Hand-Curated Links

Links to member-recommended external sites:

Illustrator Tutorials Covering the Basics — on vecteezy.com

Avery Templates — design and print using Illustrator

Links to other external sites:

Adobe Firefly — A.I. image generation

Adobe Illustrator icons — WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

John Warnock: Bezier Tutorial — (1987) on YouTube

Alternatives

AFFINITY Designer — alternative to Adobe Illustrator

The Best Illustrator Alternatives — alternativeto.net

For Additional Help

Use the PPM Slack channel #computing

List of all PPM Slack channels

Note that we have a Slack channel (#job-board) for members to post, discuss, or accept job opportunities either within PPM or from the community.

Search the PPM Wiki — include Content pages as well as Multimedia.

Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.

Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) is dedicated to supporting our maker community in their creative processes by providing shared space, shared tools, materials, software, and a knowledge base to turn their ideas into reality.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Adobe Illustrator''' is a commercial vector graphics software package for Windows and macOS (but not Linux).
+Adobe Illustrator is a commercial vector graphics software package used to generate illustrations(!)
-<br>
-Illustrator is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud.
+Illustrator is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. It is available for Windows and macOS, but not Linux.
-Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) has a license for the complete Adobe Creative Cloud, and it is installed on our Design Workstations 2 and 3.
+'''Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) has a license for the complete Adobe Creative Cloud, and it is installed on our (Windows) Design Workstations 2 and&nbsp;3.'''
 <br>
 <br>
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 <p style="padding:0.2em 0.4em; background:#ff6c00; color:#FFFFFF; font-size:15%;"> &nbsp; </p>
 <br>
-[[File:Ai.png|alt=Adobe Illustrator desktop icon|150x150px|thumb|'''Adobe Illustrator desktop icon''']]
+[[File:Burst.png|alt=burst of white rays on orange background|link=https://wiki.pikespeakmakerspace.org/index.php/About_PPM|right|frameless|250x250px]]
 ==Tips==
-[https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/illustrator-vs-indesign.html '''Illustrator vs. InDesign''']
+'''Links to adobe.com:'''
+===[https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/illustrator-vs-indesign.html Illustrator vs. InDesign]===
 :When to use which design application.
-[https://creativecloud.adobe.com/en/learn/illustrator/web/illustration-techniques '''Essential techniques for beginners''']
-'''View Menu Shortcuts'''
+===[https://creativecloud.adobe.com/en/learn/illustrator/web/illustration-techniques Essential techniques for beginners] ===
+===[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/tool-techniques/dimension-tool.html Measure and add dimensions]===
+===[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/automation-actions.html Use actions to automate tasks in Illustrator]===
+<br>
+'''Shortcuts for View Menu:'''
 ::{| class="wikitable"
 |'''Shortcut'''
@@ Line 41: / Line 48: @@
 |}
-:'''[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/automation-actions.html Use actions to automate tasks in Illustrator - Adobe Support]'''
+'''Open Illustrator Files Without Illustrator:'''
-:'''[https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/adobe-illustrator-keyboard-shortcuts-cheat-sheet/ Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet]''' — makeuseof.com
+:☐  Change the file extension .AI to .PDF, and open in your default PDF viewer.
-:Open
+:☐  On a Mac, use Preview.
-:In Windows, you need to change the AI file extension to PDF. Highlight the file and hit '''F2''' on your keyboard. Add '''PDF''' to the end of the filename and confirm the change when prompted. Now, double-click the file and it will open in your default PDF viewer.  On a Mac, you can view AI files in Preview without any changes.  You can also upload AI files to Google Drive and view them there.
+:☐  Upload Illustrator files to Google Drive.
-==Training==
+==External Training==
-Links to adobe.com:
+'''Links to adobe.com:'''
-:'''[https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/generative-recolor.html Adobe Firefly]''' — Generative Recolor in Illustrator
 :'''[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html Illustrator Get Started course]'''
 :'''[https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html Adobe Illustrator Product Home Page]'''
+:[https://creativecloud.adobe.com/learn/ '''Learn Adobe Apps''']
 :'''[https://www.adobe.com/products/catalog.html All Products — Adobe]'''
-Links to other external sites:
-:'''[[wikipedia:Adobe_Illustrator|Adobe Illustrator]]''' — on Wikipedia
-:[https://www.vecteezy.com/blog/design-tips/illustrator-tutorials '''35 Adobe Illustrator Tutorials to Master Vector Design''']
 ==Related Pages==
-Links to related PPM Wiki pages:
+'''Links to related PPM Wiki pages:'''
 :'''[[CorelDRAW X6 Tips]]'''
 :'''[[Inkscape Tips]]'''
@@ Line 72: / Line 75: @@
 ==Hand-Curated Links==
-Links to member-recommended external sites:
+'''Links to member-recommended external sites:'''
-:[https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/open-ai-files-without-illustrator/ '''How to Open AI Files Without Illustrator'''] — makeuseof.com
+:[https://www.vecteezy.com/blog/design-tips/illustrator-tutorials '''Illustrator Tutorials Covering the Basics'''] — on vecteezy.com
-:'''[https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-illustrator/ Adobe Illustrator Alternatives]''' — alternativeto.net
 :'''[https://www.avery.com/templates Avery Templates]''' — design and print using Illustrator
-Links to other external sites:
+'''Links to other external sites:'''
 :'''[https://firefly.adobe.com Adobe Firefly]''' — A.I. image generation
 :'''[[commons:Category:Adobe_Illustrator_icons|Adobe Illustrator icons]]''' — WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
 :'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAbjajnLZY0 John Warnock: Bezier Tutorial]''' — (1987) on YouTube
+==Alternatives==
+:'''[https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ AFFINITY Designer]''' — alternative to Adobe Illustrator
+:'''[https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-illustrator/ The Best Illustrator Alternatives]''' — alternativeto.net
 ==For Additional Help==
@@ Line 88: / Line 96: @@
 {{Template:Ideas into reality}}
 <p style="padding:0.2em 0.4em; background:#ff6c00; color:#FFFFFF; font-size:15%;"> &nbsp; </p>
 [[Category:Software]]
+[[Category:Volunteers Needed]]