Hot Adobe Illustrator How-Tos « Adobe Illustrator

How To: Create diagrams and flowcharts in Adobe Illustrator 5

If you need to make some diagrams for a school project or a flowchart for a business proposal, you can easily use Adobe Illustrator 5, part of the Creative Suite package, to create them. This tutorial shows you a few ways to create your own customized diagrams.

How To: Create a cartoon cloud in Illustrator

A great free video training from tasktutorial on how to create a cartoon cloud in Adobe Illustrator. All the project files are available to download for free at the Adobe website. First create a background: select the rectangle tool then create a new layer and draw a rectangle across the canvas. Now select the path, go to gradient and edit the it a bit until it's a shade of blue. Lock the gradient and create a new layer. Select white fill color and 2 point black stroke and draw a few oval sha...

How To: Create a golden award badge in Illustrator

Did your child come home upset that they didn't get a gold star in class today? Well, now you can make them their own award. Watch and learn how to make a golden award badge. Be creative and make silver and bronze too! Perfect for teachers and parents.

How To: Make swooshes & swirls in Illustrator

The first thing to do is open a new document with Adobe Illustrator. Inside the document, make a box, width 200 pt, height 20 pt. Click the bottom right corner with your mouse and hit delete. Then hold down the top right with shift, and tap the down arrow once. Then, click bottom left point, hold shift, join the objects by half. Go to brushes pallet and create a new brush. Click the spiral tool. Use the up and down with the mouse to select range you would like. Select the art brush, and click...

How To: Create a web 2.0 style badge in Illustrator

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to create a web 2.0 style badge using Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor. Viewers will learn how to manipulate the Star Tool in Adobe Illustrator, how to apply a custom radial gradient to that shape and how you can create, save, and open custom swatches. This video will benefit those viewers who design websites. These web badges can be used on a website to promote a product, announce a sale, or simply draw attention.

How To: Create a road in Illustrator

Illustrator denotes how to create a road. First select the pen and draw a path. Now go to stroke. It depend 130. Deselect dash line. Now move our path a little bit upper. Now select our path. Now duplicate of our path several times. Now turn off the new layers. Focus on our first path. Turn on the second path. Change the stroke weight value to 125 and change the color to gray. Now go to the next path. Select our path and change the stroke weight value to 115 and leave the black color. Now go ...

How To: Create a skewed checkerboard pattern in Illustrator

Check out this simple Adobe Illustrator CS4 tutorial to learn how to create a skewed checkerboard pattern. This technique will save you the trouble of having to use the Option and Drag method multiple times. Veerle Pieters expertly takes you through this easy pattern technique. For more Adobe Illustrator tutorials, search for Illustrator on WonderHowTo.

How To: Use the Pixel Preview mode in Adobe Illustrator CS5

In this clip, you'll learn how to use the Pixel Preview feature when working in Adobe Illustrator CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional interested in better acquainting yourself with the new features and functions of Illustrator CS5, you're sure to benefit from this free software tutorial. For more information, and to get started using this trick in your own Illustrator projects, watch this video guide.

How To: Create sparkles in Illustrator

Want to create some cool effects in illustrator? Create a new layer. Draw the ellipse tool and add radial gradient, then go to transparency and select screen. Then create the star tool and deselect stroke. Drag and place the star shape on ellipse and group them. Then duplicate that layer to make multiple sparkles on different layers. Resize other sparkles by holding down shift key. One can change colors of other sparkles. This will help you in making a good background.

How To: Create your own fonts & types in Illustrator

In this tutorial, user CollegeTut shows you how to customize the shapes of various fonts and text, essentially creating your own custom fonts, by converting the text of any font to outlines and then editing those outlines (bezier paths/strokes). You can modify the points on the path to create different shapes for the letters in your text, or you can manipulate the strokes of the text. You'll create some cool text effects such as text that looks like it's made of bricks, by converting the stro...

How To: Create a 3D pyramid in Illustrator CS3

Corey shows you how to create a 3D pyramid using Illustrator CS3. Create a 3D pyramid in Illustrator CS3.

How To: Use the Auto Trace tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

Looking for a quick guide on how to use the Auto Trace tool when working in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5? This clip will teach you what you need to know. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a Twisted Wire in Illustrator

This Illustrator tutorial shows you a way to make a double helix or twisted wire. Using Illustrator and the powerful pattern brush, Bert takes us through the steps from a wavy line to a realistic wire effect or double helix.

How To: Use pathfinder to cut text in Illustrator CS2

In this Illustrator CS2 video tutorial you will learn to use pathfinder to remove text from the background. In a sense, we create shapes by cutting from others. All text must be changed to shape before we can use the pathfinder subtract command. Make sure to hit "play tutorial" in the top left corner of the video to start the video. There is no sound, so you'll need to watch the pop-up directions. Use pathfinder to cut text in Illustrator CS2.

How To: Use the Artboard tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

Looking for a quick guide on how to use the Artboard tool within Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5? This clip will teach you everything you'll need to know. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Saving a PDF-compatible AI file in Illustrator CS5

Need help figuring out how to save PDF-compatible AI files from Illustrator CS5. This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional interested in better acquainting yourself with the new features and functions of Illustrator CS5, you're sure to benefit from this free software tutorial. For more information, and to get started using this trick in your own Illustrator projects, watch this video guide.

How To: Draw artwork in perspective in Adobe Illustrator CS5

Whether you're new to Adobe's Creative Suite or a seasoned graphic design professional after a general overview of Adobe Illustrator CS5's most vital new features, you're sure to be well served by this from the folks at Lynda, which presents a detailed, step-by-step overview of how to draw artwork in perspective in Adobe Illustrator CS5.

How To: Draw flames using Illustrator

If your graphic requires a little fire, check out this tutorial and learn how to draw very cool looking flames in Illustrator.

How To: Create simple silhouettes in Illustrator CS4

Creating a silhouette from a photo is nothing new, but with Illustrator CS4’s new Blob Brush tool, it has become a lot easier. Corey demonstrates how to use the Blog Brush tool to create a silhouette, and how to create some quick background effects using the Gradient Mesh tool.

How To: Redraw a pixelated image into a high quality vector image in Adobe Illustrator

If you're a graphic designer, you've probably dealt with clients who sent you the wrong files, like JPG and BMP "source" files. You need to the EPS vector files, but they don't know what that is, and they don't care. They want that image or logo they sent you blown up to poster size for a billboard or something.

How To: Create a lens flare in Illustrator

Ever wondered about the flare hitting your eyes from reflective surfaces (vehicle mirrors)? Let's create one. Open Adobe Illustrator with an image and embed it. Take the flare tool from tool palette. Draw the first shape and then second shape. To change settings, go to flare options. You can change the brightness, opacity and diameter of the flare which will add life to the image(open sky). This will help bring out some cool effects as well as realism to the image.

How To: Convert an image to mosaic in Illustrator

Illustrator is a great tool for creating individual artwork. Creative and clever, it has many functions, one of which is mosaic. If you want to make your illustration or design appear to have a myriad of tiny 'squares' like a Roman mosaic, this guy can help you do it. The short clip explains clearly how to bring the chosen effect to your design. You can see on screen exactly how to do it, so you're not left in the dark, searching every menu for the right tool.

How To: Use the area type tool in Illustrator

If you want to be serious about using Adobe Illustrator, then learning how to use type is an essential part of your skill set. Type can help you with a wide range of assignments, from designing logos to image building and much more. There are a number of settings and functions when using Type, so it's important to know all of the options that are available to you. This video tutorial will teach you how to use the area type tool in Illustrator.

How To: Use Adobe Illustrator with a Wacom tablet

Every good illustrator knows the advantage of using a Wacom tablet with Adobe Illustrator. When you plug in a Wacom tablet it doesn't automatically set your tools to be pressure sensitive. Terry White will show you how to set your brushes to really take advantage of your new tablet.

How To: Make a leaf using vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator 5

This tutorial starts with a blank project and shows you how to use vector graphics to create a simple leaf in Adobe Illustrator 5. Master many of the basics, such as the pen tool, gradients and path finder, whth this easy tutorial.

How To: Use the Eye Drop and Ruler tools in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

In this clip, you'll learn how to use the Eye Drop and Ruler tools when doing design work in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editing software or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a Helix in Adobe Illustrator

This is a 3 part tutorial. Be sure to click on Chapters 2 & 3 to get the full tutorial. In Part 1 of this 3 part Adobe Illustrator tutorial series, Vincent Rosati explains how to use the free transform tool to take the first step in creating a helix with AI.

How To: Blend gradients in Illustrator CS3

How do you make a gradient bend to the shape you are creating? The answer is in Illustrator’s under-used Blend tool. See how to blend vector gradients in this creative and useful Illustrator CS3 tutorial. Blend gradients in Illustrator CS3.

How To: Make a gel button using Illustrator

This tutorial uses vectors to show you how to create a gel (or glassy) button in Adobe Illustrator. Vectors are an important component of Illustrator and allow for the most flexibility with other programs.

How To: Create a text based logo in Adobe Illustrator 5

Take a regular font, type the name of your business or website into a text box, and then follow along with this tutorial. Break it apart and manipulate the layers so you can end up with a classy and eye catching logo.

How To: Use the Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator for Vector Portraits

Illustrator's gradient mesh tool is a powerful one for vector artists... if you know how to use it. This tool can help create beautiful and vivid mesh-based vector portraits, as long as your skills are up to par. If not, try out some of the beginner tutorials on WonderHowTo for using the mesh gradient tool in Adobe Illustrator, then move onto mastery...

How To: Create a cool blend text effect in Illustrator

In this tutorial, we learn how to create a cool blend text effect in Illustrator. First, open up Illustrator and draw a path, then change the color to black. After this, click on the line and type in your desired text. Increase the font size to 36 points, then select the red color. After this, copy your path and select the duplicate button. Now, move the duplicated path and change the background color to yellow. Now, scale the path and resize, then place on to of the red path. When finished, ...

How To: Use the Pathfinder tool in Adobe Illustrator CS5

Learn how to use the Pathfinder tool in Illustrator CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional interested in better acquainting yourself with the new features and functions of Illustrator CS5, you're sure to benefit from this free software tutorial. For more information, watch this video guide.

How To: Improve your text by using Illustrator text effects

In this video, we learn how to do basic text effects in Adobe Illustrator. First, open up Adobe Illustrator and make a new document. Now, type in your desired text and change your font to one that you prefer. To make your text turn into a radiant, you will click "file" then "type" then "create outline". Now you will click on your text then click your radiant swatch. Then, go to "gradient" and adjust your colors to which you prefer. You can now put a stroke on it using the "stroke" tool and ch...

How To: Create a paper scroll in Illustrator

If you aren't familiar with Illustrator software it is very similar to the photo-editing software Photo Shop. This video is a guide on how you can make a paper scroll by using Illustrator. You can follow along with the video and make the basic shapes and then re-size the pieces to look almost exactly like an ancient paper scroll. This would be something really neat to make if you needed a background for an old-timey looking photo or if you needed to make up invitations for a church function.

How To: Create a 3D monitor effect in Illustrator

This Adobe Illustrator tutorial shows you how to create a 3D monitor effect with moving streamers on it. If you are creating a graphic layout or web design that needs a flat screen monitor and moving images on that monitor, this tutorial will teach you how to impose your own image in a flat screen monitor and integrate streamers all within Illustrator.

How To: Scale, skew, and rotate objects in Illustrator CS3

Like to draw in Illustrator? This video shows you how to use the Scale, Shear, and Free Transform tools in Illustrator CS3. You also learn how to use the options and modifiers for these tools. Scale, skew, and rotate objects in Illustrator CS3.

How To: Convert a sketch to a vector drawing with Illustrator

This video shows you how to convert a hand-drawn sketch to a vector drawing using the Live Trace Tool in Illustrator CS3. You learn how to manage tracing options, fill in gaps, and convert a Live Trace object to traditional Illustrator shapes or a Live Paint group. Check out this video by Matthew Richmond now! Convert a sketch to a vector drawing with Illustrator.

How To: Place and crop images with Adobe Illustrator

If you're using Adobe Illustrator CS4, you know that cropping an image can be less than a simple task. This how-to walks you through the steps, not only showing how to place and move the image, but also how to crop it to the desired sized. Unlike Photoshop which allows you to work directly with pixels, Illustrator treats all images as whole objects. SO, watch this video and end the frustration that Adobe Illustrator can bring when you're cropping an image.

How To: Use the Eraser, Scissors and Knife tools in Adobe Illustrator

This is a quick little tutorial that will show you how to use these three versatile tools in Adobe Illustrator. They all involve getting rid of some part of the image you're working with, but each one goes about it in a different way. To get the most out of your Illustrator project, you'll need to be aware of the differences between these tools so you make sure that you always use the right one for the job at hand.