About this Course

You will use Adobe Illustrator CS5 to create illustrations that include graphics and text. You will create complex illustrations, manage color across a range of devices, work with graphs and variables, control how illustrations appear on print and the web, and preview them on mobile devices.

Audience Profile

This course is intended for designers, publishers, pre-press professionals, marketing communications professionals, or people switching to a design job or taking on design responsibilities and who need to use Illustrator to create illustrations, logos, advertisements, or other graphic documents.

At Course Completion

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• get acquainted with the Adobe Illustrator CS5 application.
• create shapes in a document.
• create custom paths.
• work with text in an Illustrator document.
• work with objects.
• enhance documents.
• proof documents to make them more accurate.
• save images for web and print.
• create complex illustrations.
• enhance complex illustrations.
• create a vector version of a raster graphic.
• create special effects.
• work with graphs.
• work with variables.
• prepare documents for composite and commercial printing.
• export graphics for the web and mobile devices.

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, students should be familiar with the basic functions of their computer's operating system such as creating folders, launching programs, and working with windows. Students should also have basic Windows application skills, such as copying and pasting objects, formatting text, saving files, and so on. Familiarity with basic design terminology, such as palettes, color modes, shapes, text, and paths is highly recommended.

Course Outline

Day 1: Adobe® Illustrator® CS5: Level 1

Lesson 1: Getting Acquainted with Adobe® Illustrator® CS5

• Topic 1A: Examine Imaging Concepts
• Topic 1B: Explore the Interface
• Topic 1C: Customize the Interface

Lesson 2: Creating Shapes in a Document

• Topic 2A: Create a Document
• Topic 2B: Draw Basic Shapes
• Topic 2C: Save a Document

Lesson 3: Creating Custom Paths

• Topic 3A: Draw Paths
• Topic 3B: Modify Paths

Lesson 4: Working with Text

• Topic 4A: Insert Text
• Topic 4B: Flow Text on a Path
• Topic 4C: Import Body Text
• Topic 4D: Format Text with Styles
• Topic 4E: Thread Text
• Topic 4F: Apply Hyphenation
• Topic 4G: Insert Typographic Characters

Lesson 5: Working with Objects

• Topic 5A: Import Graphics Topic 5B: Manipulate Objects

Lesson 6: Enhancing Documents

• Topic 6A: Format Objects
• Topic 6B: Apply Strokes
• Topic 6C: Apply Gradients
• Topic 6D: Apply Graphic Styles
• Topic 6E: Apply an Envelope to Text

Lesson 7: Proofing a Document

• Topic 7A: Wrap Text Topic
• 7B: Find and Replace Text
• Topic 7C: Fix Spelling Errors

Lesson 8: Saving Images for the Web and Print

• Topic 8A: Export Images for Print
• Topic 8B: Save Images for the Web
• Topic 8C: Save Images as PDFs

Appendix A: Organizing Assets Using Adobe® Bridge

Appendix B: New Features in Adobe Illustrator CS5

Day 2 Adobe® Illustrator® CS5: Level 2

Lesson 1: Creating Complex Illustrations

• Topic 1A: Create a Custom Shape Using Simple Shapes
• Topic 1B: Create Perspective Drawings
• Topic 1C: Create Compound Paths
• Topic 1D: Offset Paths
• Topic 1E: Erase Shapes

Lesson 2: Enhancing Complex Illustrations

• Topic 2A: Organize Objects with Layers
• Topic 2B: Create Symbols
• Topic 2C: Create a Pattern Swatch
• Topic 2D: Create a Mesh
• Topic 2E: Create Custom Brushes
• Topic 2F: Apply Color Using Live Paint
• Topic 2G: Recolor Artwork

Lesson 3: Creating a Vector Version of a Raster Graphic

• Topic 3A: Trace Artwork
• Topic 3B: Adjust the Results of Tracing
• Topic 3C: Create a Custom Preset
• Topic 3D: Convert a Traced Object to Paths

Lesson 4: Creating Special Effects

• Topic 4A: Apply Effects
• Topic 4B: Create Masks
• Topic 4C: Simplify Paths
• Topic 4D: Create Blends
• Topic 4E: Share Graphic Styles
• Topic 4F: Create 3D Effects

Lesson 5: Working with Graphs

• Topic 5A: Create a Graph
• Topic 5B: Format a Graph

Lesson 6: Working with Variables

• Topic 6A: Create Variables
• Topic 6B: Create Data Sets

Lesson 7: Outputting Documents

• Topic 7A: Set Up Color Management
• Topic 7B: Preview an Overprint
• Topic 7C: Apply Spot Colors
• Topic 7D: Print a Composite Proof
• Topic 7E: Create Color Separations
• Topic 7F: Create an Adobe PDF File

Lesson 8: Exporting Graphics for the Web and Mobile Devices

• Topic 8A: Convert Colors to Web-Safe Colors
• Topic 8B: Work with Actions
• Topic 8C: Export a File as an SWF File
• Topic 8D: Create Slices
• Topic 8E: Add Interactivity to an SVG File
• Topic 8F: Preview an Illustration for Mobile Devices

Appendix A: New Features in Adobe Illustrator CS5

Appendix B: Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) Objectives Mapping