Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
When you add additional strokes or fills to a Live Rectangle via the Appearance
panel, even if you add effects, all will maintain the same corner radii as the original
rectangle when the object is edited using either widgets or the Transform panel.
—
Gary Ferster
Tracing with strokes
To trace line art (like that found in a children's coloring book), using the “centerline”
model (so you have a single path defining a stroke, and not paths on either side of a
stroke), make sure that your art is easily translated by stroked (not filled) paths, and
choose Line Art as a preset. This can be great for tracing logos or hand lettering.
Artboards can mask artwork
Illustrator artboards can themselves act as cropping masks for the artwork that
extends beyond the artboard. Create as many artboards as you wish to define detail
areas (overlapping is fine). On placing the .ai file into InDe-sign or Photoshop,
enable “Show Import Options,” choose your desired artboard (Page), and in Options
choose Crop To> Media.
Whether illustrating or designing, Illustrator CC's enhancements help remove
complexity, freeing you to concentrate more than ever on being creative.
GLITSCHKA
Pattern Making
Navigating the Pattern Options Panel
Overview:
Create a pattern or edit an existing one; work in Pattern Editing Mode with the
Pattern Options panel to adjust pattern repeats, varying spacing, offset, and overlap; create
copies of patterns and experiment with offsets and settings to create and save pattern varia-
tions to the Swatches panel.
Adobe commissioned Von Glitschka to produce a set of pattern swatches that would
ship with Illustrator CS6. For each pattern he drew key elements for one tile, scanned
and placed the sketch into Illustrator, and then hand-traced the elements as vector
objects. Selecting the vector objects, he then used the Pattern Options panel to
experiment with offset and spacing possibilities, getting instant feedback with each
change. This lesson uses his “Diadem” pattern, which you can find in the Swatch
Libraries menu under Patterns> Decorative> Vonster Patterns.
