Graphic Design Basics in Illustrator

Artboard

• workspace area in Illustrator

• a type of paintbrush

• a color palette

• a tool for cropping images

Vector graphics

• made of paths, scalable without loss of quality

• composed of pixels, loses quality when resized

• limited to specific resolutions, not scalable

• requires high memory for storage

Raster graphics

• made of pixels, lose quality when scaled

• composed of paths and shapes

• can be resized without losing quality

• used primarily for vector illustrations

Choosing between vector and raster for a project

• Vector is best for photos and textures

• Raster is best for logos and illustrations

• Vector is best for logos and illustrations

• Raster is best for diagrams and charts

Pen Tool

• to create custom paths and shapes

• to erase unwanted parts of an image

• to select and move objects

• to apply filters and effects

Selection Tool vs Direct Selection Tool

• Tool selects whole objects; Direct Selection Tool selects anchor points/paths

• Tool selects only anchor points; Direct Selection Tool selects whole objects

• Both tools select whole objects only

• Selection Tool is used for text, Direct Selection Tool is for images

Swatches panel

• and applies color samples

• and creates new layers

• and adjusts image resolution

• and exports files

Using layers for complex designs

• elements on layers for easier editing and organization

• elements on layers for faster rendering

• elements on layers for better color accuracy

• elements on layers for increased file size

Applying gradients in Illustrator

• Gradient Tool to blend colors smoothly across shapes

• Brush Tool for painting textures

• Eraser Tool for removing colors

• Shape Builder Tool for creating complex shapes

Shape Builder Tool

• edits, or subtracts shapes interactively

• creates complex vector shapes automatically

• merges multiple shapes into one

• applies color gradients to shapes