Custom Illustrator and Photoshop tips for Designers

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ContentsPhotoshop....................................................................................................................3

Reducing File Weight:....................................................................................................3

Pattern Fill Layer............................................................................................................3

Content Aware Fill / Delete............................................................................................4

Clone Tool for Highly Textured Prints............................................................................5

Quick Selection Tool.......................................................................................................5

Refine Edge....................................................................................................................6

Illustrator......................................................................................................................8

Shape Builder Tool ........................................................................................................8

Select Behind................................................................................................................. 8

Using the Magic Wand to Select Like Features..............................................................9

Variable Width Stroke..................................................................................................10

Gradient Mesh.............................................................................................................11

Paragraph (text) Styles.................................................................................................15

Customize Illustrator....................................................................................................16

Create Pattern Brushes with Corners, Start and End Pieces........................................17

Symbol Overview.........................................................................................................18

Art Boards:...................................................................................................................18

Kuler.............................................................................................................................19

Document Color Mode.................................................................................................20

Types of Color Swatches..............................................................................................20

Understanding Swatch Panel Icons ............................................................................20

Import Swatch Libraries...............................................................................................21

Search for Swatches.....................................................................................................21

Merging Duplicate Swatches........................................................................................21

Cleaning up the file & file Size Reduction.....................................................................22

Place Linked Files in Illustrator.....................................................................................22

Live Trace.....................................................................................................................22

Illustrator Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts...........................................................................24

Handy Mac Tip.............................................................................................................28

Photoshop

Reducing File Weight:Sometimes when you place an image or pattern swatch into Illustrator, you will find that it is much larger than is actually needed. Although you can resize the image in Illustrator, you cannot reduce the file weight.

To reduce the file weight:

Decide how large the image will appear on the final document.

1. Open the image in PhotoShop.

2. Click the “image” menu >> image size

3. Enter in new file dimensions. >> OK

4. Save import into Illustrator.

Note: if you’re updating a previously placed (linked) image, you’ll have to update the link on the Links panel.

Exercise file: PSD-LG FILE EX.tif

Pattern Fill Layer Normally, you can fill with a pattern in PhotoShop (EDIT >> FILL), but you are locked into the original size the pattern was defined with. Also “fill” will only fill the existing canvas size.

Using a Pattern Fill layer allows you to size the pattern, and the pattern will continue to fill the whole canvas, regardless of canvas resize.

To add a Pattern Fill Layer:

1. Define a pattern (select a rectangular area >> edit >> define pattern)

2. Add an adjustment layer >> pattern

You can change scale:

Content Aware Fill / DeleteThe content aware Fill tool allows you to remove image elements like they were never there!

1. Use a selection tool, such as the lasso tool, to isolate the area that you would like to remove.

Be sure to include a little extra area around the edges.

2. Click Edit >>Fill >> and choose Use: Content Aware >>

Magic!

You can also use the Content Aware “Patch tool” to drag the selection to a targeted fill area.

Clone Tool for Highly Textured PrintsSometimes a small scan of fabric is not in repeat or the edges are damaged. This technique takes a scan and puts it into repeat.

1. Filter >> other >> Offset >>

Slide the sliders until the image edges are moved to the center.

1. Fix the centered edges with the content aware fill or patch tools.

2. Create a pattern!

Sample File: “Nep Texture.tif”

Quick Selection Tool The Quick Selection Tool is somewhat similar to the Magic Wand in that it also selects pixels based on tone and color. But the Quick Selection Tool goes far beyond the Magic Wand’s limited abilities by also looking for similar textures in the image, which makes it great at detecting the edges of objects. The Quick Selection Tool works more like a brush, allowing us to select areas simply by "painting" over them.

To use the quick selection tool:

1. Click the tool, or press the letter W on your keyboard:

2. You will “paint selection”, so adjust your brush so it is smaller than your target area.

3. Paint on the area you wish to select. You do not usually have to get close to edges.

4. Remove selection by paining while holding alt/option.

Refine EdgeThe Refine Edge tool can be used to smooth any selection

Select your target object.

1. Click the “Select” Menu >> Refine Edge2. In View: choose the target background (black, white, or on layers)

3. Adjust (in order) 1) smooth, 2) contrast, 3) edge shift, 4) feather.

4. Under “Output” choose if you would like to create a selection, or a new layer with a layer mask.

Illustrator Shape Builder Tool The Shape builder tool is a great replacement for the Pathfinder tool. Simply drag across selected shapes to join them.

In the above example, shapes are joined.

OR you can use the Shape Builder Tool to punch pieces out by holding ALT and dragging or just clicking while holding Alt.

Example File: foulards.ai

Select BehindThere is an easy to select an object behind another object. Using the selection tool, cmd+click an object (2x). The object below will be selected. Continue clicking to select lower objects.

Using the Magic Wand to Select Like FeaturesThe magic wand can be used as a faster alternative to Select >> Select Same

1. Double Click the Magic Wand in the tool panel

2. In the Magic Wand options, select the attribute you’re trying to select. Set Tolerance: 0

3. Click the desired attribute on the art board.

TIP: On a round up (with lots of items), the magic wand is not very useful, as it will select elements on other items. However, you can isolate one item in a round-up, which will

allow you to use the magic wand: Example file: “ROUND_UP EX.ai”

To Isolate an Item (lock all other items):

1. Select the item with the select tool.

2. Lock all other objects: (Cmd + Opt + Shift + 2)

OR: “select” menu >> inverse >> lock (cmd + 2)

Note: Cmd + Opt + 2 = Unlock all

Variable Width StrokePreviously, if you wanted to vary a stroke width you’d have to expand the stroke, but then wouldn’t be able to treat it as a line. Now, you can vary strokes as you go.

To create a variable width stroke:

1. Create a line or shape with a stroke

2. Click the stroke “Width Tool ”

3. Hover over the line >> click the width handles to drag wider or narrower

To delete a width point select the point and press delete.

To set exact dimensions for each side of the line: double-click on the point.Selecting “Adjust Adjoining Width Points” will affect neighboring width points as

well.

Holding SHIFT key while adjusting a width point will adjust all width points on the path.

Gradient MeshThe Gradient Mesh tool allows you to control gradients with a wire frame.

Shapes still utilize anchor points to control the shape boundary. When a gradient mesh is added, new vector points are added that control the way the gradient is shaped.

Mesh Points control color. Each Mesh Point has a color assigned to it. That color gradates out until it is absorbed by neighboring colors. In the following example, the mesh point with the arrow pointing to it is yellow. The mesh points to the left and down are orange.

Mesh Lines can be adjusted to alter the shape of the gradient. Both mesh points and lines can be adjusted with the direct selection too.

Creating a Gradient Mesh:

Method #1

You can create mesh points and mesh lines with the help of the Mesh Tool (U). Simply click with the tool at the place where you want to create the first mesh point. You can click on the edge or the interior of a shape.

The rectangle has become a gradient mesh. Now, you can add new mesh line where needed.

Creating a Gradient Mesh:

Method #2

You can convert an existing linear or radial gradient into a gradient mesh. This is sometimes easier. Let’s create a rectangle with a linear gradient fill and a circle with a radial gradient fill as it is shown in the picture below.

1. Select the object >> click Object >> Expand >>choose “Gradient Mesh” option in the dialog box.

Now we can continue with the Mesh Tool.

Coloring a Gradient Mesh

You can color mesh points in 3 separate ways:

Select a fill color before adding a mesh point with the Mesh Tool.

Select a mesh point and select a fill color.

To color all mesh points in a patch: Select the center of the patch and choose a color, or drag a swatch to the center of a mesh patch.

Paragraph (text) StylesThe same text style is often applied repeatedly in a document.

Example file: “ROUND_UP EX.ai”

Instead of remembering how you formatted text, using the eyedropper, or copying text boxes, you can create paragraph styles. Paragraph styles remember all aspects of text formatting, so you can easily apply the formatting to any text.

To Create Paragraph Styles

1. Place and format text to base the style on.

2. Highlight the text

3. Open the Paragraph Styles Panel (Window >> Type >> Paragraph Styles Panel)

4. In the panel menu, choose “New Paragraph Style”

To Apply Paragraph Styles:

To apply the style, simply select the text you wish to format and choose the style you made in the Paragraph Styles Panel.

To Edit Paragraph Styles:

When you update a style, all text affected by that style updates, too.

1. Select text and apply the style you want to update.

2. Change the text formatting.

3. In the Paragraph Styles panel, click the panel menu >> Redefine Paragraph Style.

Customize IllustratorReset the Workspace

Sometimes panels end up all over the workspace or get lost. When things get messy, you can automatically reset the workspace by clicking: Window >> Workspace >> Reset [Workspace Name]|

Customize the Workspace

You can create a custom workspace that will define visible panels and their locations.

1. Arrange panels as you would like them to be by default.

2. Click: Window >> Workspace >> New Workspace

Customize Shortcuts

You can re-map previously existing keyboard shortcuts, or create your own.

1. Click: Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts

2. Choose between menu shortcuts or tools:

3. Find the command and create or edit the shortcut

Create Pattern Brushes with Corners, Start and End Pieces This is the normal way a pattern brush looks in the brush panel:

Note the empty spaces? Those spaces are for corner pieces and beginning /end elements.

To add an element to a pattern brush, simply hold alt/option and drag the element to its appropriate area.

The above zipper pattern will always begin with a zipper head!

1. use alt to drag corner pieces

2. maybe useful for zippers (start and end pieces)

Example file: Zipper Brush.ai

Symbol Overview Example File F15 BC DUFFEL SS XL.ai

Symbols can be used for repeating design elements like footers, logos, buttons, or sketches that appear more than once (like the duffle on the first 2 art boards in the example).

If the original symbol is edited it will change all existing symbols in the document. It is not possible to partially update but not change a property (color, ect).

It is not possible to link symbols between documents, although this effect could be achieved by creating a parent document up with a different Artboard for each item you mean to place. When importing, you will chose the Artboard to place. If the parent document changes, the children would change—provided they were updated in the Links Panel.

Symbol Details

To create a symbol, drag artwork to the symbols panel (Window >> Symbols)

To edit a symbol, drag it to the Artboard and double click it.

To edit a single instance of a symbol, expand it first (Object >> Expand)

Art Boards: Copy Art Boards

Using the Artboard Tool hold alt/option and drag an art board. This is very useful for comping out different ideas.

Rearrange Art Boards

In the Artboards panel, you can use the Up and Down Arrows at the bottom of the panel to reorder the artboards for printing and PDF save. However, reordering artboards in the Artboards panel does not reorder the artboards in the work area.

To rearrange artboards, do the following:

1. Click the Artboards panel menu (flyout menu) and select the Rearrange Artboards option.

2. In the Rearrange Artboards dialog box, select the layout.

KulerKuler is a web-based panel that enables you to view and use the color themes that designers have created in the Kuler application.

For the Kuler panel to work, Internet connectivity is required.

1. Click Window > Extensions Kuler, to open the Kuler panel.

2. Search for a keyterm (

All themes available in your Kuler account when Illustrator was launched are displayed in the Kuler Panel.

3. If you have added a theme in Kuler after you started Illustrator, click Refresh in the Kuler panel to include the latest theme.

A. Theme search by name B. Theme folder icon C. Theme marked Favorite on Kuler.adobe.com G. Theme name

You can add a swatch or the entire theme to your Swatches panel

To add a swatch:

In the Kuler panel, select a swatch, and then click the flyout menu > Add to Swatches.

To add multiple swatches:

In the Kuler panel, hold the Cmd key and select multiple swatches, and then click the flyout menu > Add to Swatches. You can also use the Shift key to select multiple swatches.

To add a theme:

In the Kuler panel, select the entire theme by clicking the theme's folder icon. The entire theme is added to the Swatches panel.

Document Color Mode Use CMYK when design may be printed (File >> document color mode)

Types of Color SwatchesSpot: A spot color is a specially mixed ink using in printing. Spot color printing does not utilize the 4-color process, and is usually used on packaging and other brand sensitive items.

Process: A swatch created by mixing other colors together (RGB, CMYK). Usually process refers to colors to be printed with the 4-color CMYK process.

Global: Global color can be spot or process colors. Elements colored by a global swatch remain linked to the swatch in the Swatches panel. If you modify the swatch, all objects using that color are automatically updated. 

Understanding Swatch Panel Icons

Import Swatch Libraries Example File: “F15 Color Palette_EQ.ai”

Before you import a swatch library, you may want to select all unused swatches (in panel menu) and delete.

To import:

Click the Swatch Panel menu >> Open Swatch Library >> Other Library >> Navigate to .ai or .ase file.

Search for Swatches You can search for swatches by name after you turn on the find field (Swatch Panel menu >> Show Find Field)

Merging Duplicate Swatches Global and spot color swatches are imported when their assigned element is copied from another document. This can sometimes lead to duplicates.

Duplicates can be avoided when first using an imported swatch. If the swatch color already exists, illustrator will ask if you want to merge or add (choose merge)

You cannot merge global swatches with non-global swatches. If duplicates of the same type exist, do the following to merge them:

1. Decide which you want to keep. >> click it in the swatches panel

2. Cmd click the other swatches

3. Click the panel menu >> merge swatches

Cleaning up the file & file Size ReductionStray Points

Illustrator has a special feature just for cleaning up stray points.

Object >> Path >> Clean up

Removing unneeded elements

Removing unneeded elements reduces file size, and improves neatness!

Remove:

Extraneous artwork, and unnecessary layers

Delete all unused swatches, brushes, and symbols:(panel menu >> select all unused >> trash):

Place Linked Files in IllustratorMost people know you can place images and text in Illustrator. You can also place Illustrator files. If the original changes, the placed document will change, also. Make sure to update on the links panel so the new changes display.

Live Trace Live Trace transforms bitmaps into vectors!

Example File: bc duffel-solo.jpg

1. Select the image you want to trace.

2. On the options bar, choose the initial trace type. It’s okay to guess. The object will render.

3. On the options bar, click the Trace Options button.

4. Uncheck preview at the bottom or it will render with every little change.

5. Click the “Advanced”, and set “Method” to the second option.

6. Adjust number of colors, paths and noise.

7. When finished, click “expand” on the options bar.

8. The traced image can be edited by ungrouping or using the direct selection tool.

TIP: Sometimes tracing with fewer colors doesn’t look right, but tracing too many looks weird, too. Solution: Trace with more colors (10 or so), and replace some of the shades with the same color later.

Illustrator Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts

Change the Unit SettingYou can quickly change the Artboard unit measurement setting by right-clicking on the ruler.

Activate Tool OptionsWith the tool selected, (e.g. Blend Tool), press the Enter key to open up the Blend Options window. Another way to open up the tool option panel is to double-click on the tool icon.

Duplicate a Series of ObjectsSelect the object, hold down Option key and drag. You now have a copy of the object. Each time you press Cmd + D (Transform Again) you distribute more copies.

Draw Shape with OptionsSelect any shape tool, (e.g. Star Tool), click anywhere on the Artboard, it will let you draw a shape with options.

Zoom With Mouse WheelHold down Option key & scroll the mouse wheel up or down to zoom in/out

Switch Color ProfileHold down Shift key and click on the color bar will let you toggle through the color profiles: Grayscale, RGB, HSB, CMYK, Web Safe RGB.

Layer VisibilityCmd + Click Visibility Icon = toggle view mode (Outline/Preview)Opt + Click Visibility Icon = hide other layers (Opt + click again will show all)Click Visibility Icon & Drag = toggle multi layers

Select All Objects on LayerTo select all objects on a particular layer, hold down Option key and click on the layer name.

Fill and Stroke ColorD = Default color (white fill & black stroke)X = Toggle between fill and strokeShift + X = Swap fill and stroke color/ = None (transparent)> = Last gradient fill used< = Switch back to Color fill

Saturate or Desaturate ColorHolding down Cmd key and dragging the color slider will saturate or desaturate a mixed color.

Close Pencil or Brush PathTo close a Pencil path manually, hold down Option key when you are about to finish drawing the path.

Resize or Rotate a Pattern Manually

1. Select the rotate or scale tool.

2. Then hold down the Tilde (~) key while dragging to resize or rotate a pattern.

Lock and Unlock ObjectsCmd + 2 = Lock selected object(s)Cmd + Opt + Shift + 2 = Lock all deselected objectsCmd + Opt + 2 = Unlock all

Switch Between Move and Selection ToolCmd + Opt + Tab = Switch between Move and Direct Selection Tool.Option (Direct Selection Tool selected) = toggle to Group Selection Tool.

Hide and Show ObjectsCmd + Opt + Shift + 3 = Hide all deselected objectsCmd + Opt + 3 = Show all objects

Eyedropper - Sample Photo or Gradient ColorTo sample intermediate color from a gradient or photo: with the Eyedropper tool selected, hold down Shift key and click on the photo.

Font Shortcuts Cmd + Shift + > or < = Increase/decrease font sizeOpt + Up or Down = Increase/decrease leadingOpt + Left or Right = Increase/decrease kerning or trackingCmd + Opt + Q = Reset kerning/tracking to zero

Handy Mac TipTo add folders or files to your favorites, simply drag them into the favorites while holding Cmd!