Illustrator CS4 Advanced Techniques

Illustrator CS4 Advanced Techniques is a blended learning course that combines 1 day of instructor led classroom based advanced Illustrator training with a range of online training modules covering various advanced Illustrator techniques and topics.

The classroom based modules can either be completed at our fully equipped London training centre or at your own facility, whilst the online modules combine high quality flash video presentations produced by our instructors, backed up with instructor led course discussion forums, exercises files, real world samples, and loads more.

Summary of Topics Covered

Using Illustrator within CS4

• How to use Illustrator with Photoshop CS4
• How to use Illustrator with InDesign CS4
• How to use Illustrator with Flash CS4

Using the Appearance panel

• Hide/Show attributes
• Editing multiple object characteristics
• Same appearance attribute
• Copy and paste attributes

Creating Complex Illustrations

• Create Shapes Using the Pathfinder Commands
• Create Compound Paths
• Offset Paths
• Creating Symbols
• Organize Objects with Layers
• Envelope distort
• Creating 3D Shapes
• Clipping paths
• Using isolation mode

Effects and Styles

• Applying Effects
• Graphic styles
• More on the Appearance panel

Colour

• Global Colors
• Spot Colours
• Colour and Kuler

Brushes

• Customising brushes
• Creating Custom Pattern Brushes
• Creating Custom Art brushes

Tracing graphics - Live Trace Advanced

• Live Trace
• Adjust the Results of a Tracing
• Apply a Custom Preset
• Convert a Tracing Object to Paths

Coloring Artwork Using Live Paint

• Apply Paint Using Live Paint
• Correct Gaps in Objects
• Convert Objects to Live Paint Groups

Symbols - Advanced

• How to create your own symbol
• Symbol tools and their preferences
• Editing symbols

More about paths

• Simplify Paths
• Create Clipping Masks
• Create 3D Effects
• Share Graphic Styles

Color

• Decide When to Use Color Management
• Set Up Color Management
• Separations preview
• Colour proofing

Outputting Documents

• Printing a Composite Proof
• Creating Color Separations
• Transparency issues
• Preflighting

Blending shapes

• Blending shapes
• Blending colour
• Blending paths
• Examples

Exporting Graphics for the Web

• Convert Colors to Web-Safe Colors
• Create Slices
• Add Interactivity
• Export Web Graphics

Gradient Mesh tool

• Using the Gradient Mesh tool
• Creating sophisticated shading with the gradient mesh tool
• Examples of the Gradient Mesh tool at work
• Fruit and the gradient mesh
• Leaves and the Gradient mesh
• Other examples

Using Illustrator for Flash

• Creating a simple Illustration
• Setting up the layers properly
• Setting up the symbols
• Exporting to Flash
• Using the file within flash
• Finished result

Creating an Interactive PDF

• Buttons
• Links
• Exporting to PDF