Adobe Illustrator CS4 Level 1

Adobe Illustrator CS4 Level 1 (also suitable for Cs2/Cs3 users)

Course Dates and Pricing

Duration: 2 Days.

Dates:

July Dates - 28th & 29th July 2009
August Dates - 25th & 26th August 2009

(Sale) Price: £369 (ex. vat)

Course Outline

Introduction

• Professional Workflows
• Optimising Palettes
• Productivity Secrets
• Optimum Preferences
• Essential keyboard shortcuts

Colour Characteristics

• The Illustrator Enviroment
• About Vectors and Bitmaps
• Toolbar and Palettes and Navigation
• Outline & Preview modes
• The Illustrator interface
• The Artboard
• CMYK vs. RGB

Creating New Illustrations

• Anchor points and paths
• Fill and Stroke
• The selection tools
• Creating shapes
• Grouping shapes

Objects

• The rules
• Creating primitive objects
• Combining objects
• Creating Symmetry
• Inputing numerical data
• Constraining proportions

Transformations

• Using the Transform tool
• Grouping/Ungrouping transformations
• Points of transformation
• Free transformations Guides & Grids
• Using rulers, guides and grids
• snapping and Smart guides
• Introducing the Liquify tools

Bezier Curves

• About the pen tool
• Straight and curved paths
• Anchors and handles
• Converting anchor points
• Drawing mixed paths
• Editing paths
• Using the cutting tools
• Using the Average and Join commands

Working with Type

• Typograpy theory
• Creating type and Text boxes
• Using the Character palette
• Using the Paragraph palette
• Type along/within a path
• Converting type to paths
• Fill, Stroke and Colour

Colour Models (Cmyk & Rgb)

• Applying colour to objects
• Spot and global process colours
• Working with swatches and gradients
• Using the Eyedropper and fill patterns
• Colour swatches across applications

Using LiveTrace

• Using the live trace tool
• Controlling LiveTrace results
• Applying Threshold
• Reviewing LiveTrace options
• Converting LiveTrace objects
• Saving presets

Stroking and Painting

• Stroke and fill options
• Modifying/Arranging Object strokes
• Using the Paintbrush
• Creating a fill Pattern
• Using the Gradient mesh
• Creating multiple fills and strokes

Organising Your Artwork

• Using The bridge
• Sorting and Batch Renaming files
• Using guides and smart guides
• Using the Align palette
• Using layers
• Creating complex shapes
• Creating compound shapes and paths

Importing, Saving & Exporting

• Photoshop import options
• Displaying layer comps
• Saving vs. exporting
• Saving Illustrator files
• Creating Adobe PDF files
• Exporting files from Illustrator