Illustrator CS4: Beyond the Basics

Overview/Description
Of the many digital illustration applications available on the market, few have robust vector manipulation toolsets equal to that of Illustrator CS4. This course explores ways of transforming and arranging elements in your artwork from rotating and scaling to organizing artwork in layers and arrangement stacks. The course also describes how to use reusable symbols to speed illustration time, how to add and manipulate type in an Illustrator project, and how to add wow to your projects using styles and effects.

Target Audience
The intended audience is expected to be a range of in-training or established Graphic Design and IT professionals needing to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator CS4 without any experience with the specific product. Students can be expected to have basic computing and word-processing skills, familiarity with some web and design terminology, and experience working in a Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh environment.

Prerequisites
None

Expected Duration (hours)
2.5

Lesson Objectives

Illustrator CS4: Beyond the Basics

recognize how to use the Transform panel

distinguish between the various transform tools in Illustrator CS4

group objects in Illustrator CS4

use the Layers panel in Illustrator CS4

combine objects using the Pathfinder panel

use the symbol sprayer

edit symbols

manipulate shapes, objects, and symbols in Illustrator CS4

arrange objects in Illustrator CS4

create compound objects using the pathfinder

create symbols for use with the symbol sprayer

distinguish between point type and area type

format text in Illustrator

recognize how to apply graphic styles in Illustrator CS4

add effects to graphics in Illustrator CS4

recognize how to save an Illustrator file in various formats

recognize how to print graphics

apply styles to text objects in Illustrator CS4

export artwork from Illustrator CS4