Adobe Illustrator

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• Adobe Illustrator is a program which is used to make vector graphics with help different drawing tools.
•   To start a new project press Ctrl+N, New Document dialog appears.
•   In the dialog box, under size dropdown menu select size, usually A4/A3 sizes are preferred.
•   In Advanced menu, under Color format option RGB is selected (preferred).
•   All the work is done on the Art board.

  The Toolbox, which is on the left side of the Art board consists of many tools for drawing. Some of the tools are:

1. Selection tool: This tool is generally used for selecting the shapes drawn and to move them and for resizing. This tool can activated by pressing key V.
2. Pen Tool: This tool is used for drawing various shapes like line, curve…..etc., this tool can be activated by pressing key P.
3. Textbox Tool: This tool is used for making text boxes to type text in them.
4. Line Tool: This is used for drawing simple lines. 
5. Rectangle Tool: This tool is used for drawing simple rectangles. By long-pressing the button a menu with options for drawing Ellipse, Rounded Rectangle, Polygon appears.     o   One can draw a shape by selecting the option and dragging the mouse pointer across the Art Board. 

o   Using the Shift key, one can vary the attributes of a shape in a linear fashion.

o   Using the Alt key, one clone a shape by dragging shape simultaneously with the Alt key pressed.

o   One can rotate the shape to any angle taking the mouse pointer to the re-sizing points of the shape until it turns into this curved line with two arrows and rotate the shape by clicking left mouse button and moving the pointer.

Different Tools:

There are different tools in Adobe Illustrator, they are shown as below

One can create as many artboards as they want, using Artboard tool, you can make artboards the same as you can create rectangles. Look at the screen shots given below.

Step 1: Open new file. Select Artboard tool.

Step 2: Drag the pointer until you get the desired size.

Step 3: Now you will get a new Artboard of desired shape.

Using the above tools mentioned, one can fill the shape with color (or no color), can design the border of the shape ....etc.,

 To add arrow heads to a line 

•  Go to window > select Stroke option.
•   Now a panel will be visible. Select  option , the panel expands revealing the options to add arrow heads to line.
•   One the increase the opacity of a color of a shape by setting percent in the Opacity present in toolbar.
•   One vary the attributes like its position, angle with the x axis, height, width…. …etc., with the help of Transform option (which can be clearly seen below).

• One can get the reflection of a shape, by right clicking on that shape and going to Transform option and select Reflect, select corresponding options.
• Similarly on can Rotate and Move using the same method.
• One can bring a shape above/below other by right clicking on the shape > go to Arrange > select Bring Forward/Bring Backward.
• In order to use the desired color, get the HTML code of the color and double click on the Fill option and insert the Color in the box shown below.

 

• One can export the drawing to the desired format with the help of Export option in File menu.
• If one want to one want to make many figures in one file and export each figure seperately follow the following steps:

1. First create as many ArtBoards as many Figures you want to draw, in the workspace using Arboard Tool.
2. Draw the Figures you want to in different Artboards.
3. While exporting the images to PNG or desired format select the option Use Artboards which is present below the Save as type Box.
4. Finally click on Save button, you find the different figures saved with the names A-01, A-02, ......, A-n (where n represents Artboard number).

Example:

1. I made two diagrams in one file using different Artboards (as you see below):

 
2. Next, inorder to export them seperately into two files, select 'Use Artboards' option.



3. Then you can see two PNG files generated from one Adobe Illustrator file.

1. First start with a point (this can be created by clicking left mouse button) and make another point at the required distance and drag the cursor in different directions until desired shape is obtained.
2. Next Anchor the point by pressing on the point and proceed to the next point.
3. Like this make desired number points and finally join the last two points to make a closed figure.

v  With the help of this one can make any shapes closed or open or any diagram with the help of it.

v  For Example, we have to make the diagram of Stick man with the help pen tool, and other tools.

•   First place the downloaded picture in the ArtBoard, with the help of Place option in File menu.
•   Divide the diagram into different number of parts.
•   Change the color of the pen tool.
•   Start tracing the different parts of the diagram on it.
•   Start filling the different parts of diagram.
•   Bring the required components of diagram to surface/send them backward by right clicking on the shape > go to Arrange > select Bring Forward/Bring Backward.
•   Finally by resizing to the desired shape and export it to desired format.

                 In detail:

o   In the example of Stick man, first divide it into different parts i.e... Body, Heart, Hands, Legs … etc..,

o   Change the color of the pen other than the border color of the picture.

o   Then trace the parts with help of pen tool (as given in previous instructions).

o   Bring the required parts to front and backward i.e. Eyes should in the front, Tail & Hair should be at the back …etc., with Arrange option. Right one we don't such things .

o   Fill them with desired colors, do the detailing.

o   Set the height and width of it with Transform option.

o   Set the size of ArtBoard using ArtBoard tool.

o   Export it to the desired format using Export option.

Above steps with pictures:

• Open a new file.
• Name the file same as the figure number. (For ex: Fig.1, filename will be 1.ai.)
• Draw the diagram using the tools described above.
• Mention the figure number in every diagram. Suppose if any diagram has two parts (namely Fig.1(a), Fig.1(b)), then use different artboards for different figures in the same illustrator file (1.ai).
• Draw a nice figure (clear, interactive). For resolution refer to content layout.
• Then export the image to PNG format.
• While exporting, click on use artboard option always. It will export all the images made in different artboard into different PNG files.
• Make sure your adobe illustrator files should be in Adobe Illustrator folder and all PNG files in PNG folder.