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 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: 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: Use the Hand tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

This handy guide presents a complete overview of how to use the Hand tool to make your way around the Art Board when working 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 ...

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: 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: Distort text in Illustrator

When you want to distort text, make sure to have the pathfinder tab open. This tutorial will show you how to manipulate text by moving around the letters and parts of each word, and using different effects that are pre-built into Illustrator. Simple, but well explained, this tutorial is a great Illustrator basic. Distort text in Illustrator.

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: 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: Make a six pointed star using the tools in Adobe Illustrator 5

This tutorial shows you how to use the star took and a few other basic functions with Adobe Illustrator 5 to replicate the Star of David on the Israeli flag. Master a few basics of image manipulation with this tutorial.

How To: Vectorize graphics in Adobe Illustrator

Vectorizing your graphics will help improve the quality of your content. Task Tutorial helps you out in this Illustrator tutorial by showing you how to take a crappy jpeg image (a logo), clean it up and turn it into a vector graphic.

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: Place images inside text with Illustrator

Placing images inside text is nothing new. However, the old way involved converting the text to outlines first and thereby making the text uneditable. In this video you'll learn how to fill your text with an image while maintaining complete edit-ability of the text using Illustrator CS2.

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 9-slice scaling options 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 use Illustrator's 9-slice scaling options.

How To: Create a metal chain in Illustrator

This tutorial shows you how to use a pattern brush to create an interlocking metal chain. To do this, you will have to create a new custom brush.

How To: Create a reflective glass button in Adobe Illustrator

Whether you're a web developer or a blogger trying to get your name out there in the vast world of fashion design, creating an aesthetically pleasing website is indispensible these days - sort of like making your virtual resume. While fabricating a nice site may seem time-consuming, with a few easy Photoshop tricks you can have it up and looking sexy as hell.

How To: Make a rainbow in Adobe Illustrator 5

If you're having problems figuring out how to make a rainbow in Adobe Creative Suite 5, this tutorial is for you. Some users have found this to be a bit tricky to replicate, but here are a few useful shortcuts you can take.

How To: Use Adobe Illustrator to make a croqui template

If you are looking for an easy way to make croquis, but don't have the skills to draw it by hand, then try the next best thing: the computer. Using the software program, Adobe Illustrator, you can make a great looking croqui template that can be used over and over again with no problems. This is perfect for making designs of clothing and usually when drawn, they feature a fully drawn and finished character, meaning next time you'll have to draw another one from scratch. So check out the tutor...

How To: Create a comic book style cloud in Illustrator

Using this tutorial, you will learn how to make a comic book style cloud in Adobe Illustrator. 1. First, select the ellipsis tool and draw a few shapes. 2. After drawing some shapes, select them and go to window and choose pathfinder. 3. Click to merge the shapes together. 4. Next, go to the layers window. Choose layer 3 and highlight the compound shape. Then select duplicate compound shape. After create one more duplicate. 5. Hide the first duplicate layer and choose the third one. Change th...

How To: Use control handles in Adobe Illustrator CS4

Adobe Illustrator Creative Suite 4, or CS4, software is a comprehensive vector graphics environment that is ideal for all creative professionals, including web and interactive designers and developers, multimedia producers, motion graphics and visual effects designers, animators, and video professionals. But having the program isn't enough; you'll need to know how to use it. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to use control handles in Adobe Illustrator CS4. Use control handles in Adobe ...

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.

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 text outlines in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

This quick guide shows how to create outlines from text so you can manipulate letters as objects. It also allows other computers to open your files with out having any issues because a particular font is not loaded. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts 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 detaile...

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: 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 3d lego brick in Illustrator

This video demonstrates how to create a 3D Lego brick using the Illustrator. In this, first a circle is made and then, by using the "transform‚" mode, another circle is made. Then by the 3D command it is converted into a 3D image. Further you can copy these circles and make them 3D just like there are in Lego bricks. You can also use the 3D mode to do the same thing to the rectangle frame on which the circles were made. So this is how a 3 D Lego brick is made. This video is useful to people w...

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 Live Trace in Illustrator CS2

Live Trace is the hot new automated tracing capability of Adobe Illustrator CS2. In this Podcast Terry White will show you how to take a logo that was created in Photoshop CS2 and trace it using Live Trace. Because Live Traces are “Live" we’ll be able to tweak the settings to get better results.

How To: Create a navigation bar in Illustrator

First thing you need to do this is to select rectangle tool and make a shape and select the gradient fill and change the angle of gradient to 90 degree. Now color and resize it as showing in the video. Now type your navigation texts like blog, contact, gallery etc. Now size your text for your rectangle shape. Now set the texts in the bar and resize your bar.

How To: Use the Gradient Tool in Adobe Illustrator CS4 or CS5

Scouring the web for a quick primer on how to create vector-based gradients within 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 vid...

How To: Create custom 3D logos and text with Illustrator CS4

She how to use the 3D bevel and embossing tools in Adobe Illustrator CS4 to create 3D text-based logos. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector graphics editor program or a seasoned graphic arts professional looking to better acquaint yourself with the new features and functions of this particular iteration of the application, you're sure to benefit from this free software tutorial. For more information, watch this designer's guide.

How To: Refine Illustrator vector art in Flash Catalyst CS5

Whether you're new to the Adobe graphic design suite or a seasoned graphic arts professional after a general overview of CS5's most vital new features, you're sure to be well served by this official video tutorial from the folks at Adobe TV. In it, you'll learn how to take Illustrator CS5 designs into Flash Catalyst and create interactive experiences without writing code. Refine your vector art in Illustrator while preserving the structure and interactivity you added in Flash Catalyst.

How To: Create a 3D star in Illustrator

Do you have interest in creating 3D objects? Open illustrator and draw a star tool with gradient fill in it. Then go to effects>3D>Extrude/Bevel. Select preview to view the star in 3D while changing its settings. One can rotate the star in any angle as well as change the thickness of the star. Then go to object>expand appearance and then click on the gradient. Our star is ready. It will help in creating 3D objects and shapes.

How To: Blend shapes and colors in Illustrator

Learn how to blend shapes and colors in Illustrator with this tutorial. Open Illustrator and put the circle with color which you want. Put the square on the color you want. Select the object, go the title bar select the object and then select the blend. You will be shown the result on the screen. Select the square and circle where you place the object by click and drag method. Go to the object and select the blend and choose the blend options. Change in specific steps which you want in the sc...

How To: Create a clipping mask in Illustrator

1. To create a clipping mask in Adobe Illustrator, go to File menu select Place button. It will open a dialog box select any picture from there.

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.