Lesson 6 Transform Objects ILLUSTRATOR 1-33 FIGURE 24 Using the Transform Again command Use the Transform Again command 1. Click the Ellipse Tool in the toolbox. TIP To access the Ellipse Tool, press and hold the Rectangle Tool until a toolbar of shape tools appears, then click the Ellipse Tool. 2. Click the artboard, type 3 in the Width text box and .5 in the Height text box, then click OK. 3. Change the fill color to [None], the stroke color to blue, and the stroke weight to 3 pt. 4. Click the Selection Tool , click the center point of the ellipse, then drag it to the center point of the yellow square. (Hint: The center Smart Guide appears when the two centers meet.) 5. Double-click the Rotate Tool , type 45 in the Angle text box, then click Copy. 6. Click Object on the menu bar, point to Transform, then click Transform Again. TIP You can also access the Transform Again command by pressing [Ctrl][D] (Win) or [D] (Mac). 7. Repeat Step 6 to create a fourth ellipse using the Transform Again command. Your screen should resemble Figure 24. 8. Select the four ellipses, click Object on the menu bar, then click Group. You created an ellipse, filled and stroked it, and aligned it with the yellow square. You then created a copy rotated at 45°. With the second copy still selected, you used the Transform Again command twice, thus creating two more rotated copies. You then grouped the four ellipses. ILLUSTRATOR 1-34 Getting Started with Illustrator Create a star and a triangle, and use the Reflect Tool 1. Select the Star Tool , then click any- where on the artboard. The Star Tool is hidden beneath the current shape tool. 2. Type 1 in the Radius 1 text box, type 5 in the Radius 2 text box, type 5 in the Points text box, as shown in Figure 25, then click OK. A star has two radii; the first is from the cen- ter to the outer point, and the second is from the center to the inner point. The radius is a measurement from the center point of the star to either point. 3. Double-click the Scale Tool , type 25 in the Scale text box, then click OK. When you create a star using the Star dialog box, the star is drawn upside down. 4. Fill the star with white, then apply a 5 pt blue stroke to it. 5. Click the Selection Tool , then move the star so that it is completely within the red square. 6. Double-click the Reflect Tool , click the Horizontal option button, as shown in Figure 26, then click OK. The star “flips” over an imaginary horizontal axis. TIP The Reflect Tool is hidden beneath the Rotate Tool. (continued) FIGURE 25 Star dialog box FIGURE 26 Reflect dialog box Radius 1 text box Radius 2 text box Horizontal option button Lesson 6 Transform Objects ILLUSTRATOR 1-35 7. Use the Selection Tool or the arrow keys on your keyboard to position the star roughly in the center of the red square. Your work should resemble Figure 27. TIP Arrow keys move a selected item in 1 pt increments, known as the Keyboard Increment. You can change this amount by clicking Edit (Win) or Illustrator (Mac) on the menu bar, pointing to Preferences, click- ing General, then typing a new value in the Keyboard Increment text box. 8. Click the Polygon Tool in the toolbox. The Polygon Tool is hidden beneath the cur- rent shape tool in the toolbox. 9. Click anywhere on the blue square. 10.Type 1.5 in the Radius text box, type 3 in the Sides text box, then click OK. 11.Fill the triangle with red. 12.Change the stroke color to yellow and the stroke weight to 22 pt. 13.Position the triangle so that it is centered within the blue square. Your completed project should resemble Figure 28. 14.Save your work, then close Basic Shapes. You used the shape tools to create a star and a tri- angle and used the Reflect Tool to “flip” the star over an imaginary horizontal axis. Selecting The Select menu offers some powerful selection commands under the Same sub- menu. There you have commands to select by the same fill, the same fill and stroke, the same stroke color, and the same stroke weight, among others. When it comes to selecting multiple objects, using the Select menu is much faster than Shift-clicking! FIGURE 27 Reflecting the star horizontally FIGURE 28 The finished project LESSON 7 Using the Direct Selection Tool The Direct Selection Tool selects individ- ual anchor points or single paths of an object. Using [Shift], you can select mul- tiple anchor points or multiple paths. You can also select multiple points or paths by dragging a direct selection marquee. The tool also selects individual objects within a group, which can be very useful for modifying just one object in a complex group. Figure 29 demonstrates the Direct Selection Tool selecting one piece of a grouped object. Clicking the center of an object with the Direct Selection Tool selects the entire object. Clicking the edge selects the path only. You will know you have made this direct selection successfully if the anchor points on the object all appear white. A white anchor point is not selected. The Direct Selection Tool gives you the power to distort simple objects such as squares and circles into unique shapes. Don’t underestimate its significance. While the Selection Tool is no more than a means to an end for selecting and moving objects, the Direct Selection Tool is in itself a draw- ing tool. You will use it over and over again to modify and perfect your artwork. Adding Anchor Points As you distort basic shapes with the Direct Selection Tool, you will often find that to create more complex shapes, you will need additional anchor points to work with. The Add Anchor Points command creates new anchor points without distorting the object. To add anchor points to an object, click the Object menu, point to Path, then click Add Anchor Points. The new points are automatically positioned exactly between the original anchor points. You can create as many additional points as you wish to use. Turning Objects into Guides Guides are one of Illustrator’s many features that help you to work with precision. Any object you create can be turned into a guide. With the object selected, click the View menu, point to Guides, then click Make Guides. Guides can be locked or unlocked in What You’ll Do In this lesson, you will use the Direct Selection Tool and a combination of menu commands, such as Add Anchor Points and Paste in Front, to convert existing shapes into new designs. ▼ ILLUSTRATOR 1-36 Getting Started with Illustrator MAKE DIRECT SELECTIONS Lesson 7 Make Direct Selections ILLUSTRATOR 1-37 the same location. It is a good idea to work with locked guides so that they don’t interfere with your artwork. Unlock guides only when you want to select them or delete them. When an object is turned into a guide, it loses its attributes, such as its fill, stroke, and stroke weight. However, Illustrator remembers the original attributes for each guide. To transform a guide back to its original object, first unlock, then select the guide. Click the View menu, point to Guides, then click Release Guides. FIGURE 29 Using the Direct Selection Tool Direct Selection Tool selects anchor points and paths Direct Selection Tool selects single objects within groups ILLUSTRATOR 1-38 Getting Started with Illustrator Make guides and direct selections 1. Open AI 1-2.ai, then save it as Direct Selections. TIP Each time you save a Data File, click OK to close the Illustrator Options dialog box. 2. Click View on the menu bar, then click Smart Guides to turn this feature off. 3. Select the green polygon. 4. Click View on the menu bar, point to Guides, then click Make Guides. The polygon is converted to a guide. TIP If you do not see the polygon-shaped guide, click View on the menu bar, point to Guides, then click Show Guides. 5. Convert the purple starburst to a guide. 6. Click View on the menu bar, point to Guides, verify that there is a check mark to the left of Lock Guides, then release the mouse. 7. Click the Direct Selection Tool , then click the edge of the red square. The four anchor points turn white, as shown in Figure 30. 8. Click and drag the anchor points to the four corners of the guide to distort the square. Your work should resemble Figure 31. You converted two objects into guides. You then used the Direct Selection Tool to create a new shape from a square by moving anchor points independently. FIGURE 30 Red square selected with the Direct Selection Tool FIGURE 31 Red square distorted Objects converted into guides Anchor points are hollow Lesson 7 Make Direct Selections ILLUSTRATOR 1-39 Add anchor points 1. Using the Direct Selection Tool click the center of the light blue star, and note the anchor points used to define the shape. 2. Click Object on the menu bar, point to Path, then click Add Anchor Points. 3. Click the artboard to deselect the star, then click the edge of the star. All the anchor points turn white and are available to be selected independently, as shown in Figure 32. 4. Move the top anchor point on the star to align with the top point of the guide that you made earlier. 5. Working clockwise, move every other anchor point outward to align with the guide, creat- ing a ten-point starburst. Your work should resemble Figure 33. 6. Select and move any of the inner anchor points to modify the starburst to your liking. You used the Add Anchor Points command and the Direct Selection Tool to create an original ten-point starburst from a generic five-point star. FIGURE 32 Star selected with Direct Selection Tool FIGURE 33 Completed starburst Making a direct selection marquee When you create a marquee selection with the Selection Tool, any object the mar- quee touches is selected in its entirety. You can also use the Direct Selection Tool to create selection marquees. A Direct Selection Tool marquee selects only the anchor points and the paths that it touches. A Direct Selection Tool marquee is very useful for selecting multiple points or paths in one step. ILLUSTRATOR 1-40 Getting Started with Illustrator Select paths 1. Click the edge of the yellow circle. The yellow circle is comprised of four anchor points and four line segments, as shown in Figure 34. Clicking the edge selects one of the four segments. 2. Copy the segment. 3. Click Edit on the menu bar, then click Paste in Front. A copy is pasted directly on top of the selected segment. 4. Change the fill color to [None]. 5. Change the stroke color to dark blue and the stroke weight to 14 pt. 6. Moving clockwise, repeat Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 for the next three line segments, choosing different colors for each. Your finished circle should resemble Figure 35. You selected individual segments of a circle, copied them, and then pasted them in front. You then created a special effect by stroking the four new segments with different colors. FIGURE 34 Viewing the path of the circle FIGURE 35 Completed circle Clicking the edge of an object with the Direct Selection Tool selects one line segment of the entire path Lesson 7 Make Direct Selections ILLUSTRATOR 1-41 Create a simple special effect utilizing a direct selection 1. Click the Selection Tool , then overlap the large orange and blue squares so that they resemble the small orange and blue squares, then deselect. 2. Click the Direct Selection Tool , then select the top path of the orange square. 3. Copy the path. 4. Select the intersecting path on the blue square. 5. Paste in front, then save your work. Your work should resemble Figure 36. 6. Close the document. You learned a classic Illustrator trick. Selecting only a path, you copied it and pasted it in front of an intersecting object to create the illusion that the two objects were linked. FIGURE 36 Completed linked squares CHAPTER SUMMARY Illustrator is a sophisticated drawing pro- gram. Using Illustrator, you can create artwork to be printed, such as a postcard or a CD cover, artwork for the Web, or artwork that can be used in a multimedia slide show. Your ability to succeed with Illustrator is to master its interface. Understanding the document window, organization of palettes and the toolbox will get you on your way to creating art- work without frustration. As you become more familiar with Illustrator, you'll want to memorize some of the quick keys for commonly used tasks, such as copying and pasting, saving and selecting all. What You Have Learned • How to create a new document • How to change document size and page orientation • How to save documents • How to switch from Preview mode to Outline mode • How to zoom in or zoom out the document window using quick keys • How to show and hide the Bounding Box • How to create basic shapes using the shape tools • How to apply color to the fill and stroke of an object • How to select objects • How to use Smart Guides • How to move objects on the artboard • How to scale and rotate objects • How to reflect objects • How to use the Direct Selection Tool Key Terms Artboard The artboard is the area, bound by a solid line, in which you create your artwork. Scratch area The scratch area is the area outside the artboard where you can store objects before placing them on the artboard; objects on the scratch area will not print. Zoom text box The Zoom text box in the lower-left corner of the Illustrator window displays the current magnifica- tion level. Palettes Palettes are windows contain- ing features for modifying and manipulating Illustrator objects. Vector graphics Vector graphics are created with lines and curves and are defined by mathematical objects called vectors. Smart Guides Smart Guides are tem- porary guides that can be turned on and off on the View menu. Smart Guides help you move and align objects in relation to other objects or in relation to the artboard. ILLUSTRATOR 1-42 Getting Started with Illustrator [...]... palette for future use FIGURE 22 FIGURE 23 Gradient palette Color palette Type list arrow Gradient Fill box Location text box Angle text box Midpoint Stops Lesson 4 Create Colors and Gradients Current fill and stroke colors None CMYK color values Sliders CMYK Spectrum ILLUSTRATOR 2- 21 Create a gradient and a color FIGURE 24 Adding and deleting stops 1 Show the guides 2 Create a 4" circle at the center... until you see 50% in the Location text box in the Gradient palette as shown in Figure 24 10.Verify that the new stop is selected, press and hold [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac), click Squash in the Swatches palette, then compare your circle to Figure 25 (continued) ILLUSTRATOR 2- 22 Creating Text and Gradients FIGURE 26 You must select a stop in order to change its color Black starting and ending colors... object, then clicking the edge of the square with the Area Type Tool before you pasted the text into the square ILLUSTRATOR 2- 12 Indicates overflow text Creating Text and Gradients Format text in an object 1 Select all of the text in the rotated square FIGURE 12 Centered text in an object 2 Click the Align center button Paragraph palette in the TIP When filling an object other than a square or a rectangle... object, then pressing [Ctrl] [2] (Win) or [2] (Mac) Make it a point to remember the quick key 8 Save your work You created a horizontal and a vertical guide that intersect at the center of the artboard You then aligned the center of the diamond text object with the intersection of the guides, and locked the diamond text object Lesson 2 Flow Text into an Object ILLUSTRATOR 2- 15 L E S S O N 3 POSITION... represented in the Gradient palette by small house-shaped icons called stops The Gradient palette, shown in Figure 22 shows a two-color gradient In this lesson, you will use the Color palette, the Gradient palette, and the Swatches palette to create, name, and save colors and gradients ILLUSTRATOR 2- 20 The point at which two colors meet in equal measure is called the midpoint of the gradient The midpoint is... CREATING TEXT AND GRADIENTS 2- 1 C S 2 1 Create and format text 2 Flow text into an object 3 Position text on a path 4 Create colors and gradients 5 Apply colors and gradients to text 6 Adjust a gradient and create a drop shadow I L L U S T R AT O R 2 A D O B E chapter chapter 2 CREATING TEXT AND GRADIENTS Working with Text When it comes to creating compelling... Text ILLUSTRATOR 2- 7 Track and kern text FIGURE 6 Kerning and tracking applied to text 1 Select the text, if necessary -30 pt tracking 2 Using the Character palette, click the Tracking text box, then type -30 TIP Click the Character palette list arrow, then click Show Options, if necessary 3 Click the Type Tool , then click the cursor between the B and the E -40 pt kern -20 pt kern 0 pt kern - 120 pt... a path In this lesson, you will explore the many options for positioning text on a path ILLUSTRATOR 2- 16 Creating Text and Gradients FIGURE 15 Text on a path FIGURE 16 Text flipped across a path Text flowed along a sharply curved path often presents kerning challenges Lesson 3 Position Text on a Path ILLUSTRATOR 2- 17 Flow text on a path 1 Click the Ellipse Tool , press [Alt] (Win) or [option] (Mac),... Figure 17 You created a 2. 9" circle from its center, then typed along the circle’s path using the Type on a Path Tool You changed the font and font size using the Character palette ILLUSTRATOR 2- 18 Creating Text and Gradients FIGURE 18 Move text along a path Moving text on a path 1 Click View on the menu bar, point to Guides, then click Hide Guides FIGURE 19 Flipping text across a path 2 Using the Selection... artboard if you have trouble dragging the bracket FIGURE 20 Modifying a baseline shift Center bracket of copied text 6 Click the Baseline text box in the Character palette, type -21 , as shown in Figure 20 , then press [Enter] (Win) or [return] (Mac) 7 Click the Type Tool , highlight three rivers at the bottom of the circle, then type symposium FIGURE 21 Flipped text positioned below the path 8 Click the . artboard. ILLUSTRATOR 1- 42 Getting Started with Illustrator