Difference between revisions of "Adobe Illustrator Tips"

Latest revision as of 20:35, 18 February 2025

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Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.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

Adobe 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

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 (7:23 mins)

Alternatives

AFFINITY Designer — alternative to Adobe Illustrator

The Best Illustrator Alternatives — alternativeto.net

Additional Help

Links to related PPM Wiki pages:

Adobe Photoshop Tips

Adobe InDesign Tips

Adobe Bridge Tips

CorelDRAW X6 Tips

Inkscape Tips

SVG File Format Tips

Canva Tips

Blender Tips

Computers — Windows

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Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) is dedicated to supporting our maker community in their creative process by providing shared space, shared tools, materials and a knowledge base to turn their ideas into&nbsp;reality.
+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 subscription for the complete Adobe Creative Cloud, and it is installed on our (Windows) Design Workstations 2 and&nbsp;3.'''
 <br>
-'''Adobe Illustrator''' is a commercial vector graphics software package for Windows and Macintosh (but not Linux).
+<br>
+{{Template:Contact Us}}
-Adobe Illustrator is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud software suite.
+<p style="padding:0.2em 0.4em; background:#ff6c00; color:#FFFFFF; font-size:15%;"> &nbsp; </p>
+<br>
+[[File:Burst.png|alt=burst of white rays on orange background|link=https://wiki.pikespeakmakerspace.org/index.php/About_PPM|right|frameless|250x250px]]
-Pikes Peak Makerspace has a license for the complete Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, and it is installed on our [https://wiki.pikespeakmakerspace.org/index.php/Computers#Equipment_Lists Design Workstations 2 and 3]
+==Tips==
+'''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] ===
+===[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>
-<br>
+'''Adobe Illustrator shortcuts for View Menu:'''
-==Developer Link==
-:'''https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html'''
+::{| class="wikitable"
+|'''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:'''
+:'''[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]'''
+==Hand-Curated Links==
+'''Links to member-recommended external sites:'''
+:[https://www.vecteezy.com/blog/design-tips/illustrator-tutorials '''Illustrator Tutorials Covering the Basics'''] — on vecteezy.com
+:'''[https://www.avery.com/templates Avery Templates]''' — design and print using Illustrator
+'''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
-== Classes and Training ==
+:'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAbjajnLZY0 John Warnock: Bezier Tutorial]''' — (1987) on YouTube (7:23 mins)
-===Classes===
+==Alternatives==
-:Pikes Peak Makerspace announces its  [https://www.meetup.com/pikespeakmakerspace/events '''Upcoming events, including classes, on Meetup''']
-===Training -- PPM Trainer(s) needed ===
-:'''[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html Illustrator Get Started course] -- Adobe'''
+:'''[https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/ AFFINITY Designer]''' — alternative to Adobe Illustrator
-:'''[https://www.udemy.com/course/illustrator-cc-masterclass/ Illustrator 2022 MasterClass] -- Udemy class ($20) recommended by Mathew P.'''
-:'''[https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/adobe-illustrator-keyboard-shortcuts-cheat-sheet/ Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet]'''
-==Tips==
+:'''[https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-illustrator/ The Best Illustrator Alternatives]''' — alternativeto.net
-:[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/automation-actions.html '''Use actions to automate tasks in Illustrator - Adobe Support''']
-:'''- [https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/sharing-basics.html Share your artwork with others using the Package command.]'''
-:'''- [https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/create-efficient-illustrator-files-improve.html Create efficient Illustrator files | Improve print performance]'''
-:'''-''' If large format printer reports "Print Head Path Error 2" on a PPM Large Format Printer,
-:check the Illustrator file to see if it has elements that need to be trimmed to fit within the artboard.
-===For Additional Help===
+==Additional Help==
-:Use the PPM Slack channels #computers or #general
+'''Links to related PPM Wiki pages:'''
-==See Also==
+:'''[[Adobe Photoshop Tips]]'''
-Links to other PPM Wiki pages (internal links):
+:'''[[Adobe InDesign Tips]]'''
+:'''[[Adobe Bridge Tips]]'''
-:[[Inkscape Tips|'''Inkscape Tips''']]
+:'''[[CorelDRAW X6 Tips]]'''
-:[[Adobe Photoshop Tips|'''Adobe Photoshop Tips''']]
+:'''[[Inkscape Tips]]'''
-:[[Adobe InDesign Tips|'''Adobe InDesign Tips''']]
+:'''[[SVG File Format Tips]]'''
 :'''[[Canva Tips]]'''
-:'''[[Computers]]'''
+:'''[[Blender Tips]]'''
-== Curated Links==
-Links to other sites (external links):
-:[https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/illustration-techniques.html '''Essential techniques for beginners''']
+:[[Computers|<span style="color:#000000; background:#D0DD27">&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Computers — Windows'''&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>]]
-:[https://www.vecteezy.com/blog/design-tips/illustrator-tutorials '''35 Adobe Illustrator Tutorials to Master Vector Design''']
-:[https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/open-ai-files-without-illustrator/ '''How to Open AI Files Without Illustrator''']
-== Other Fun Stuff==
+:Use the PPM Slack channel #computing
-<gallery>
+:[[How To Slack#PPM Channel Names and Descriptions|'''List of all PPM Slack channels''']]
-File:Illustrator Review June 1987.pdf|alt=Illustrator 1.1 Review June 1987|<center>'''Illustrator 1.1 Review<br>by Warren Jokinen<br>(June 1987)'''</center>
+:Note that we have a Slack channel (#job-board) for members to post, discuss, or accept job opportunities either within PPM or from the&nbsp;community.
-</gallery>
-<br>Links to other sites (external links):
-:[https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Publishing-Revolution-Adobe-Story/dp/0321115643 '''Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story''']
-:'''[https://adobe.fandom.com/wiki/Adobe_Wiki Adobe Fandom Wiki]'''
-<br>
-<hr>
 {{Template:Footer}}
+<p style="padding:0.2em 0.4em; background:#ff6c00; color:#FFFFFF; font-size:15%;"> &nbsp; </p>
-[[Category:Incomplete]]
 [[Category:Software]]
 [[Category:Volunteers Needed]]