• Getting familiar with Illustrator

  • The Illustrator Workspace.
  • About Vector graphics.
  • How to create documents for print or screen.
  • Working with Artboards.
  • Using Guides, Grids and other techniques to create accurate artwork.

• Creating and editing artwork

  • Creating basic shapes - rectangles, ellipses,polygons etc.
  • Using the Pencil, Brush and Blob Brush.
  • The Line Segment tool.
  • Selection techniques.
  • Duplicating elements.
  • Grouping elements.
  • Changing stacking order.
  • Aligning elements.
  • Working with layers.
  • Using the Pen tool to create accurate paths.

• Working with type

  • Character and paragraph formatting.
  • Defining type styles.
  • Text within shapes and on paths.
  • Converting to paths.

• Fills and strokes

  • Using Process, Spot and Global colours.
  • Specifying Tints.
  • Creating new colours.
  • Working with colour libraries.
  • Sampling colours from existing artwork.
  • Colour schemes with the Colour Guide.
  • Modifying paths using Stroke attributes- creating dashes and dots.
  • Defining gradients and pattern fills.

• Transformations

  • Scaling, rotating, reflecting and other transformations.
  • Free distortion.
  • Envelope distortion
  • Step and repeat - tips and tricks.

• Special features

  • Working with Symbols.
  • Using Blends.
  • Using pathfinders to combine and calculate elements.
  • Converting images to Vector artwork

• Live Trace

  • Using Live Paint to colourise artwork.
  • Using Effects and Appearances.
  • Creating 3D elements.

• Production

  • Placing images and other artwork.
  • File formats and integration with other

• Software - Photoshop, Flash and others

  • Printing from Illustrator.
  • Exporting web graphics.
  • Defining a Crop Area.
  • Creating a Template.

The Advanced level covers a range of sophisticated techniques aimed at making the most of Illustrator. Real world artwork and design projects are used to demonstrate efficient production methods. As with all our advanced courses, the course content is flexible, and delegates are encouraged to ask questions and explore specific areas of interest. We make sure that any gaps in your knowledge are filled before moving onto more advanced topics.

• What's new in this version.

  • Using Adobe Bridge.
  • Choosing colour settings and ensuring compatibility with Photoshop, InDesign and Acrobat.
  • Working with multiple Artboards.
  • Creating Artwork
  • Compound paths.
  • Envelope distortion techniques.
  • Working with Bezier curves - understanding the principals, tips and tricks for efficient creation of complex paths.
  • Transparency effects.
  • Clipping and Transparency Masks: creating and editing.
  • Using Pathfinders to generate complex elements.
  • Expanding complex elements and appearances.
  • Transformations - tips and tricks, scaling, strokes and effects, creating perspective effects.
  • Creating graphs (optional).

• Colour and attributes

  • Creating Colour Groups.
  • Working with Live Colour: recolouring artwork, working with colour schemes.
  • Transparency and Blending modes.
  • Understanding Global colours.
  • Complex patterns and gradients.

• Layers

  • Making the best use of layers.
  • Copying and moving elements between layers.

• Effects and special features

  • Using Live Trace - selecting tracing styles,

• Production

  • Creating web graphics - slicing layouts and exporting images.
  • Transparency flattening options.
  • Creating Templates.
  • Integration with Flash, Photoshop and other applications.

• Customising output

  • Effects - applying to elements and Layers.
  • Live Paint - colouring artwork, gap detection options.
  • 3D elements - creating from complex objects, lighting and rendering properties, transparency, mapping artwork, transforming.
  • Working with Blends and Gradient Meshes.
  • Appearances - managing multiple effects, fills and strokes.
  • Working with Styles.
  • Rasterizing and filtering artwork.