Adobe Illustrator CS5 is a vector graphics program that was released by Adobe Systems in April 2010. Illustrator's vector graphics can be used with print media, online media and even mobile application development. Included in the updates of this version of the program are "Beautiful Strokes" and a perspective grid. If you have never used Adobe Illustrator before, you may want to enroll in a tutorial or class in order to learn it. Adobe graphics programs are complex, designed for use by professional designers. You will need to have some basic graphic design experience in order to get started with this software. Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator CS5.
Method 1 of 2: Basic CS5 Features
1Install the Adobe Illustrator program. Most people gain access to Illustrator when they or a company purchase the Adobe Creative Suite. With the release of Adobe Illustrator CS6 in May of 2012, you can only download the newest version from the Adobe website.Ad
2Open Adobe Illustrator by clicking on the "Ai" icon. Give it some time to load. This program will yield the best results on a new computer with a mouse.
3Open a new document. Click the "File" tab and select "New" when the program opens. You can also choose "New from Template" to access some of Adobe Illustrators pre-made documents.
- Choose the size of your new document. Name your new document. These columns are labeled "Width" and "Height."
- Choose whether you want to measure in inches, pixels, picas, points, mm or cm. Choose the measurement format you are used to unless otherwise instructed by your employer.
- Create a bleed at this time according to the same unit measurement.
- Click on the "Advanced" tab at the bottom to choose RGB colors over CMYK colors. You can also select your raster effects dots per inch.
4Become acquainted with the toolbar on the left hand side of the document. This is where you will access most of the drawing and selection tools. If you know you will be using 1 kind of tool a lot, you can drag it into the center to create an easily accessible dialog box for that tool.
5Click through the panels on the right hand side. You should have several panels available when you open the document, such as "Swatches" and "Brushes."
- If you do not see a certain panel window that you use frequently, go to "Windows" in the top bar and click on the item in the drop down menu.
- Click on a panel that you use frequently and drag it away from the bar. Many graphic designers choose to keep their "Pathfinder" or "Brushes" outside the panel bar nearer to the document.
6Save your workspace with your preferences. When you have moved all of your tools where you like them, go to "Windows." Scroll down to the "Workspace" arrow, click "Save Workspace" and name your workspace.
7Become familiar with the hot keys that can help you to use Adobe Illustrator more efficiently.
- Hold your space bar down as you move your mouse to move the entire document from side to side or up and down. You will be able to move from 1 area of the document to another very easily this way.
- Click on a shape. Click "Shift" and click on another area to copy the shape.
- Press on the "Control" button and press "1" to make the document 100 percent of its size. Use "Command" and the plus or minus keys to make the document larger or smaller. You can also press "Alt" and use your mouse wheel to make the document larger or smaller.
- Hold down the "Shift" key as you make new shapes so that you can make perfect shapes.
Method 2 of 2: New CS5 Features
1Learn to use the new feature "Perspective Grid." Each document that you create can contain 1 perspective grid.
- Select the perspective grid tool in the tools panel. It looks like a grid or group of windows. You can also press "Shift" and "P."
- Zoom out so that your document is smaller, either 90 percent or less. You should see a grid and several diamonds around the document that control the grid.
- Choose the horizon level by moving the top side diamonds. This changes the eye level of the horizon as if you were looking up, looking forward or looking down. Experiment with horizon height by moving it with your mouse. Make the grid bigger by moving the top diamond up and down.
- Use the 3 dots at the bottom of the grid to adjust the bottom, left and right panels. The right dot moves the left panel, the left dot moves the right panel and the bottom dot moves the ground level.
- Change the vanishing points in the left and right panels using the small dots on the left and right. These points are tied to the horizon, so you can only move them along the horizon height.
- Change settings on the perspective grid by choosing "Perspective Grid" in the "View" menu. Choose the "Define Perspective Grid" option to change elements of the grid, such as the opacity.
- Draw and create objects in your document. Align them with your grid so that you will create a uniform perspective.
2Learn to use the new "Beautiful Strokes" function. Open your "Strokes" panel by going to the "Window" menu and clicking the "Strokes" option.
- To create dashed lines, click on the objects on which you will use a dashed line border or stroke. Click on the "Dashed Lines" box in the panel. Then choose the size of your dashes.
- Create variable widths in your strokes. Instead of simply changing how wide the stroke by choosing the size of pt. you prefer in the top strokes bar, you can use the width tool to make it a variable width along the stroke. Click on the width tool on the left or press "Shift" and "W." Then, return to the outline and change the size with your mouse, making wider or narrower at any point.
- Go to your "Brushes" panel. You will see that there are new ways to adjust your brush so that it can appear more like a painter's brush. Choose the width, style and other features in the top brush bar.
3Save your file before closing. As with earlier versions of Illustrator, you can save in numerous different formats and edit graphics in different formats.Ad
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Things You'll Need
- Adobe Creative Suite 5
- Adobe CS classes/tutorials