Illustrator CS5 Essentials

Introduction
Welcome
What is Illustrator CS5?
Using the exercise files

1. Key Concepts
What are vector graphics?
Path and appearance
Stacking

2. Creating New Documents
The Welcome screen
Creating files for print
Creating files for the screen
Using prebuilt templates
Adding XMP metadata
Exploring the panels
Using the Control panel
Using workspaces

3. Working with Documents
Navigating within a document
Using rulers and guides
Using grids
Using the bounding box
Using Smart Guides
The Hide Edges command
Various preview modes
Creating custom views
Locking and hiding artwork

4. Making Selections
Using the basic selection tools
Using the Magic Wand tool
Using the Lasso tool
Selecting objects by attribute or type
Saving and reusing selections
Selecting artwork beneath other objects
Exploring selection preferences

5. Drawing and Editing Paths
The importance of modifier keys
Drawing closed path primitives
Drawing open path primitives
Understanding anchor points
Drawing straight paths with the Pen tool
Drawing curved paths with the Pen tool
Drawing freeform paths with the Pencil tool
Smoothing and erasing paths
Editing anchor points
Joining and averaging paths
Simplifying paths
Using Offset Path
Cleaning up errant paths

6. Building Shapes
The Draw Inside and Draw Behind modes
Creating compound paths
Creating compound shapes
Using the Shape Builder tool
Using Pathfinder functions
Splitting an object into a grid
Using the Blob Brush and Eraser tools

7. Working with Text
Creating point text
Creating area text
Applying basic character settings
Applying basic paragraph settings
Creating text threads
Setting text along an open path
Setting text along a closed path
Converting text into paths

8. Quick Project: Building a Logo
Create a logo mark
Add type to your logo

9. Applying Appearances and Effects
Using the Appearance panel
Targeting object attributes
Adding multiple attributes
Applying Live Effects
Expanding appearances
Appearance panel settings
Copying appearances
Saving appearances as graphic styles

10. Using Color in Illustrator
Applying color to artwork
Creating process and global process swatches
Creating spot color swatches
Loading PANTONE and other custom color libraries
Organizing colors with Swatch Groups
Finding color suggestions with the Color Guide panel
Loading the Color Guide with user-defined colors

11. Applying Fills and Strokes
Creating gradients with the Gradient panel
Modifying gradients with the Gradient Annotator
Applying and manipulating pattern fills
Defining your own custom pattern fills
Applying basic stroke settings
Creating strokes with dashed lines
Adding arrowheads to strokes
Creating variable-width strokes
Working with width profiles
Turning strokes into filled paths

12. Using Groups and Layers
Creating and editing groups
Adding attributes to groups
The importance of using layers
Using and "reading" the Layers panel

13. Managing Multiple Artboards
Creating and using multiple artboards
Modifying artboards with the Artboards panel
Copy and paste options with Artboards

14. Transforming and Positioning Art
Moving and copying artwork
Scaling or resizing artwork
Rotating artwork
Reflecting and skewing artwork
Using the Free Transform tool
Repeating transformations
Performing individual transforms across multiple objects
Aligning objects and groups precisely
Distributing objects and spaces between objects

15. Working with Images
Placing pixel-based content into Illustrator
Managing images with the Links panel
Converting pixels to paths with Live Trace
Making Live Trace adjustments
Controlling colors in Live Trace
Using Photoshop and Live Trace together

16. Working Efficiently with Symbols
Managing repeating artwork with symbols
Modifying and replacing symbol instances
Using the Symbol Sprayer tool

17. Working with Masks
Cropping photographs
Clipping artwork with masks
Clipping the contents of a layer
Defining masks with soft edges

18. Drawing in Perspective
Defining a perspective grid
Drawing artwork in perspective
Moving flat art onto the perspective grid

19. Printing, Saving, and Exporting
Printing your Illustrator document
Saving your Illustrator document
Creating PDF files for clients and printers
Exporting Illustrator files for use in Microsoft Office
Exporting Illustrator files for use in Photoshop
Exporting artwork for use on the web
Exporting high-resolution raster files

Conclusion
Additional Illustrator learning resources
Goodbye