Adobe Illustrator CS4

Duration: 2/3 days
Time: 10am - 5pm. Breaks are scheduled throughout the day and lunch is typically scheduled between 12-1pm
Course Materials: Vendor Authorized Courseware provided
Locations: Reston, VA / On-Site
Related Courses: Photoshop - InDesign - Dreamweaver
Download Course Outline (PDF)
Cost: $1295
Registration: Click Here to Register

Explore new paths with the essential vector tool
Adobe® Illustrator® CS4 software is a comprehensive vector graphics environment with new transparency in gradients and multiple artboards that invite you to explore more efficient ways to design.

Course Synopsis

Discover high quality drawing and illustration with Adobe Illustrator . You will start with an overview of Illustrator and work on lessons that will step you into a greater skill level. Discover the unique features of Illustrator, including how to create logos, professional type effects, complex airbrush effects and color control. We also recommend this course for those planning to obtain the Adobe Certified Expert status.

Who Should Attend

Graphic professionals who need an essential understanding of vector illustrations. Experienced users will also benefit from the many tips and tricks and special exercises.

Prerequisites

Because of the amount of material we cover in class, we do require students to be comfortable using a mouse, opening and saving files, and the general operations of computers. While we will make every reasonable effort to help, students with insufficient skills may be required to observe the class lessons or do their best to keep up without slowing down the rest of the class.

What You Will Learn

Lines and shapes
Selection Tools
The Pen Tool
Using the Live Trace Tool
Type Basics
Transform Tools
Fill and Stroke
Gradients
Using Layers
Using Blends
Transparency
Exporting to EPS and PDF

Lesson 1: Adobe Illustrator CS4 Jumpstart

* Starting up
* Creating the background
* Taking advantage of graphic styles
* One object, multiple fills and strokes
* Saving a graphic style
* Creating a symbol from the circle art
* Creating the text logo
* Applying the graphic style to the text logo
* Warping the text logo
* Using the Color Guide
* Incorporating an image into your artwork
* Erasing vector paths and shapes
* Creating a 3-D object

Lesson 2: Getting to Know the Workspace

* Starting up
* Opening Illustrator
* Choosing a workspace
* Opening a file
* The document window
* Switching screen modes
* Changing your view
* Preview versus Outlines
* Zooming and scrolling
* Scrolling with the Hand tool
* Changing views with the Navigator panel
* Panels and workspaces
* The Tools panel
* Using tools and panels
* The Control panel
* Moving the Control panel
* Panel groups and the dock
* Custom workspaces
* Saving workspaces
* Using the Manage Workspaces dialog box
* Customizing keyboard shortcuts
* Custom shortcuts
* Saving shortcut sets
* Deleting shortcut sets
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 3: Illustrator CS4 Essentials

* Starting up
* Using the shape tools
* Repositioning and visually resizing the rectangle
* Finding or changing the shape’s dimensions using the Transform panel
* Rotating and shearing using the Transform panel
* Constraining a shape
* Entering exact dimensions
* Selecting artwork
* Helpful keyboard shortcuts for selections
* The selection tools
* Isolation mode
* Using shape and transform tools to create artwork
* Using the transform tools
* Adding a fill color
* Entering a shape size in the Transform panel
* Viewing in Outline view
* Rotating the shape
* Changing the color of the triangles
* Using layers when building an illustration
* Creating a new blank layer
* Cutting and pasting objects
* Creating bubbles
* Cloning the bubble group
* Repeating a resize transform
* Moving objects from one layer to another
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 4: Adding Color

* Starting up
* Basics of the Appearance panel
* Fills and strokes
* Saving swatches
* Global colors
* Saving a set of colors as a group
* Using the Color Guide panel
* Coloring objects
* Live Paint
* Live Color
* Creating a gradient swatch
* Creating a pattern swatch
* Loading Pantone colors
* Applying spot colors to the logo
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 5: Working with the Drawing Tools

* Starting up
* Working with the Pen tool
* Drawing straight lines
* Drawing curved lines
* Drawing hinged curves
* Drawing curved lines to straight lines
* Drawing straight lines to curved lines
* Tracing images
* Placing an image as a template
* Other drawing tools
* Using the Line Segment and Arc tools
* Using the Pencil, Smooth, and Path Eraser tools
* Using the Eraser tool
* Editing existing paths
* Adding and removing points
* Refining a curve
* Cutting and joining paths
* Working with Live Trace
* Using the tracing presets
* Understanding tracing options
* Expanding Live Traced artwork
* Working with Live Paint
* Creating a Live Paint group
* Setting Gap Detection options
* Using the Live Paint Bucket tool
* Using the Live Paint Selection tool
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 6: Working with and Formatting Text

* Starting up
* Formatting type
* Paragraph formatting
* Formatting imported type
* Paragraph and character styles
* Text wrap
* Advanced techniques with text
* Text on a path
* Warping text
* Text in a shape
* Creating outlines
* Check spelling
* Find and Replace
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 7: Organizing your Illustrations with Layers

* Starting up
* Getting to know the Layers panel
* Using layers to organize your illustrations
* Using the Layers panel to make selections
* Creating new layers and moving items between layers
* Paste Remembers Layers
* Template Layers
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 8: Working with Symbols

* Starting up
* Cleaning out the symbol library
* Creating symbols
* Editing symbols
* Importing a symbol library
* Using the symbolism tools
* Editing nested symbols
* Replacing symbols
* Saving symbol libraries
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 9: Using Effects and Transparency

* Starting up
* Working with the Appearance panel and effects
* Applying effects
* Editing effects
* Using graphic styles
* Creating and saving graphic styles
* Applying and modifying graphic styles
* Working with object transparency
* Working with multiple opacity
* Working with blending modes
* Saving and importing graphic styles
* Applying graphic styles to layers and symbols
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 10: Exporting and Saving Files

* Starting up
* Saving using the AI file format
* Saving an illustration with layers
* Make a template layer
* Using the Transform Eff ect
* Duplicating a Stroke
* Saving diff erent versions of the logo onto separate layers
* Expanding appearance
* Save the fi rst version
* Using Live Paint
* Using the Color Guide panel
* Saving the third version
* Using Recolor Artwork
* Saving a layered PDF
* Integration with other applications
* Exporting for Photoshop
* Integrating with InDesign
* Integrating with Flash
* Integrating with Premiere and After Effects
* Saving as EPS
* Save for Web & Devices
* Making a Flash animation
* Exporting a Flash animation
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 11: Advanced Blending Techniques

* Starting up
* Using the Blend Tool
* Applying a gradient
* Applying Radial Gradients
* Applying gradients using Illustrator’s Gradient Mesh options
* Adjusting the Mesh
* Revisiting Blend Options
* More mesh work
* Overlapping images
* Applying a gradient mesh using the Mesh tool
* Finishing up with the Mesh tool and automatically adding a Highlight
* Using the Symbol tools
* Creating a symbol
* Modifying a Symbol’s appearance
* Self study
* Review

Lesson 12: Illustrator CS4 New Features

* Starting up
* The new user interface
* Application bar
* Application Frame
* Document tabs
* Document groups
* Arranging documents
* Screen modes
* Smart Guides
* Multiple artboards
* New Artboard tool
* Printing and PDFs with artboards
* The new Appearance panel
* Enhanced Gradient tool