Must Know Illustrator Skills
Must know Illustrator skills for new designers.
How’d you choose these…
For some more context on this list jump over to this article here, but in short, I was thinking about the old questions “what would I tell myself or new designers when starting in design?”. So over a few months, whilst assisting some junior designers & working myself, I took note of the skills that were most valuable & required.
Learning on the job vs already knowing
Lots can be learnt on the job but some things are required for a productive professional designer. The Adobe Suite is a behemoth of tools & options so knowing which ones to master first is useful for new designers. This list focuses on tools & options mostly as processes differ, but knowing your tools is an important foundation.
Feedback ~ Think I’ve missed something or don’t agree with anything? Let me know, I’d love to refine this & am open to changes.
Alright, onto the list
Each has a brief explanation & a quick checklist for each.
Master Spot/Pantone Colours
Pantones are mostly used as brand colours so a company can keep control over their brand colours across print media.
However, they are also useful for 1 and 2 colour printing jobs as they can be cheaper than CMYK printing.
Having organised and set colours is a great way to keep a controlled and consistent design, using CMYK global colours is good practice also.
You’ll need to be able to:
- Add the correct Pantone from the swatch library
Export Images For The Web
Exporting images for the web is an important skill as digital design becomes a larger part of the average Graphic Designers role.
Unlike print design the file size of images for the web is very important for good load performance. although as we compress an image it’s a balance between file size & visual quality.
The key here is to firstly select the correct file type, be it .jpg, .gif or .png & then adjust it’s compression without too much visible loss of quality.
You’ll need to be able to:
- Export all web files type (JPG, PNG & GIF)
- Effectively compress images to their lowest possible file size.
- Name them correctly without spaces or capital letters
Expand Objects
Having a good understanding of how closed vector paths and strokes behave & how they can be manipulated is important to achieve whatever design you require.
Expanding an object turns strokes and other effects into solid vector shapes. This is mainly done to strokes to convert them to apply effects that strokes cannot handle.
You should be able to:
- Expand stroke & other effects
- Expand a gradient.
Master the Offset Path options
The Offset Path tool creates perfect reductions or expansions of a vector path which has many applications.
Adding a stroke to a shape doesn't always produce the perfect outline as there are limited options to manipulate the corners, you may adjust where the stroke sits on a path (inside, outside or center) but for complex shapes this can cause bad stroke areas.
The Offset path tool follows & adjusts the chosen path perfectly, whether it's inside or outside the shape. There are also further corner options to adjust as needed.
You'll need to be able to:
- Create an offset path inside a shape
- Create an offset path outside a shape
- Adjust the joint options & mitre width.
Utilise the Direct Selection tool
The Direct selection tool is a super useful tool when navigating around a design & inside grouped elements or compound paths.
It's basic function is, like the main selection tool, however it only selects individual anchor points & ignores any groups or solid objects.
You'll need to be able to:
- Directly select individual anchors
- Select elements inside group & compound path
- Drag select many individual points.
Create compound path vectors
Compound paths are vector shapes with multiple elements that act as one combined shape.
They can be useful in complex layouts or for clipping images into interesting shapes. Once you've mastered these compound paths move onto the using clipping masks& the skies the limit.
Compound paths help gain a more complete understanding of house closed vector paths behave and how they can be utilised.
You'll need to be able to:
- Create a complete compound path vector
- Release an existing compound path
- Identify an existing compound path.
Master the Gradient panel
Gradients provide many options for your layout from a bold visual to more subtle effects.
Gradients can seem straightforward, adding a few colours together and gradients between them can be effective but there are more options to explore.
Combining a gradient with layer effects like "multiply" & a simple black and white gradient an be an effective visual tool. For example using a gradient like this can help better contrast text over an image without diminishing the impact of the image.
Another great option available int he gradients panel is the ability to adjust an individual colours opacity within the gradient itself. This allows for some flexible designs even before you utilise the layer effect options.
Pro tip: If you gradient a colour with itself (instead of black, white or another colour) and set one side to 0% opacity this makes it's transition from colour to clear nice and smooth.
You'll need to be able to:
- Set gradient colours, just 2 or multiple
- Adjust spacing of colours & their individual gradient relationships
- Use Pantone & global colours in a gradient
- Use transparent colours in a gradient.
Master stroke options
Once you've got a hand on creating clean & professional vectors adding strokes to them opens up even more design possibilities.
Strokes can be styles with any colour or gradient inside your swatch palette and in combination around a shape or on their own to create effective designs.
You'll need to be able to:
- Add a stroke to a path & adjust it's width
- Adjust where the stroke sits on, inside or outside the path boundary
- Select the end shape
- Create a dashed line & adjust it's attributes.
Master Type on a Path tool
Not every design needs the type on a path tool but when you do it's both effective but a bit fiddley.
It allows for some creative type options, which should be conservatively implemented, but can also get a bit unruly.
You'll need to be able to:
- Create a vector path or shape to use
- Set the type on the path & adjust it's start & finish & it's vertical orientation
- Adjust the type styles
Create, delete & adjust Artboards
Setting your document up correctly at the beginning & double checking your specifications is super important.
We've all accidentally flipped a portrait document to landscape but double checked the specifications later only to realise we got it wrong... so it's worth being double sure at the start.
Below are few scenarios where multiple artboards can be very useful in Illustrator.
Scenario 1
You setup a brands full stationery & marketing material in one document for a comprehensive overview.
Scenario 2
If you're are working on large format signage that needs to be supplied/printed in multiple pieces you can setup multiple artboards with no space between them & export your file all at once with bleed included for each.
Scenario 3
Photoshop has traditionally been the program for exporting web ready images but using multiple artboards in Illustrator can be an efficient way to create web ready imagery. Using the save for web export option for individual artboards can be a smooth process & easy to update ongoing.
You'll need to be able to:
- Setup multiple artboards
- Adjust artboard sizes inside a document
- Adjust document bleed & margin settings
- Export all artboard or specific artboards in various formats
Master the Pathfinder toolset
The Pathfinder palette is the Elderwand & Lightsaber combined in the designers toolkit.
Allowing you to combine, intersect, subtract, divide vector graphics it's one of the most useful palette in Illustrator.
Playing around with the various options using overlapping shapes & colours is a great way to get to know exactly how the pathfinder works. While most designer are comfortable adding & subtracting shapes the other options allow for some useful & creative shapes.
You'll need to be able to
- Correctly position vectors for the pathfinder palette
- Ungroup or release compound path after using the pathfinder
Master the Direct Select tool
The white arrow or "direct selec%tion" tool is a super useful tool for quickly manipulating design elements.
Designs with many elements and layers can become annoying to navigate which is why we separate them using layers for major sections and group elements for certain sections although accessing these isn't always a smooth process.
The direct select tool allows you to, unsurprisingly, directly select a shape, image or individual anchor point.
They can be particularly useful for selecting elements inside a clipping mask & then switching to the regular selection tool to utilise it's transformation properties, rotation, scale etc.
You need to be able to:
- Directly select individual anchor points
- Directly select linked images
- Directly select vector shapes
Utilise Keyboard Shortcuts
All designers know a few of these but getting to know all the useful shortcuts, and there are many of them, is important for workflow & efficiency.
It's a simple equation, Time = Money &/or Scope.
Either being fast at executing your ideas means you earn more money for yourself or your studio or the faster your are the more design ideas you're able to explore giving your project a larger scope & more opportunity to find the right solution.
Use Tabs effectively
Tabs can be an effective layout tool for smaller sections of content.
While tabs are mostly used in InDesign where more text based documents are usually designed smaller designs like flyers can be done in Illustrator & still need structured typography.
Tabs can also be used to create smaller tables that need more variation in their layout. Also unlike tables they can be more flexible & easier to update.
They are also very useful for content like the contact details of a business card when you have details such as "P:, E:, W:" & where you can left align the actual contact details but the prefixed letters can then be centre aligned. when left aligned the "P" & "W" can look misaligned as they are different widths, so vertically aligning them created a much more balanced design.
You'll need to be able to:
- Set tabs & adjust it's alignment points & their spacing
- Adjust the text justification of each tab point
- Create tab settings for an entire text box & also for specific text lines inside a text box.
Embed or Link Assets
Linking external graphics like we do in InDesign is useful to keep native files sizes down but sometimes embedding an image inside an Illustrator file can be very useful.
This is mainly useful for smaller files as each embedded file is saved inside the native .ai file itself so they can quickly add up to a computer crashing monster file. Although for smaller images mostly likely at web based sizes can be embedded for a smoother workflow & simpler asset management.
Use Clipping Masks
Clipping masks are a very flexible tool in the designer's tool belt or tool clutch depending on your preference.
"Clipping masks" are simple vectors or compound paths that have an image or other design elements masked inside their shape. They can be as simple as a square or rectangle shapes or as complex as a texture or pattern.
While the more complex version might be best created in high resolution with Photoshop, clipping masks are extremely useful in the creative development phase of a project or cropping images in a layout.
You'll need to be able to:
- Create a clipping mask
- Release an existing clipping mask
- Manipulate an existing mask via the isolation selection or using the direct selection arrow tool
Master the Pen tool
Creating professional vector graphics is arguably the most important skill for a graphic designer to master. Not just important for logo design but for illustrative design elements as well as typography.
High quality vector shapes require attention to detail using as few points as possible for clean and controlled forms.
To master this you'll need to be able to:
- Use a few anchor points as necessary
- Ensure paths are closed
- Manipulate anchor handles when linked or angled independently.
Utilise Select > Same Options
The select same options allow you to target objects based on simillair settings which can sometimes save lots of manual edits.
Whilst your files would obviously be meticulously organised using layers primarily the select same options give you a short cut to selecting a group of objects based on some useful attributes such as stroke & fill, fill colour, opacity, stroke colour, graphic style, shape etc
You'll need to be able to:
- Select a group of desired objects based on their attributes.
- Edit the selection as you need.
Utilise the Free Transform Tool
The perspective tool can create some engaging designs, either through free form perspectives or more structured applications.
You can effect the perspective of an element with rigid X & Y axes independently or manipulate individual corners.
You'll need to be able to:
- Manipulate vector elements perspective on multiple axes.
- Manipulate vector elements perspective with a rigid X or Y axis.
Utilise Envelope Distort
The Envelope Distort tool & set of options allows for some impressive designs, allowing to manipulate vectors in presets such as Flag, Fisheye, Bulge & many more.
The most useful part of this tool is that it's a live distortion applied to a vector shape, meaning you're able to not only edit the original vector but also adjust rhe settings of the envelope disort.
This is particularly useful and something to keep in mind while working as some effects change the original vector for good so you cannot come back later, so keeping a copy before those.
You'll need to be able to:
- Apply an Envelope Distort to a vector shape or group
- Adjust the original vector once applied
- Adjust the Envelope settings once applied
Set & Use Global Colours
Setting global colour swatches in Illustrator, like we do in InDesign, can be very useful for a number of project tyres.
From setting a brands colour pallet to keep consistency throughout your files to managing an illustrations colours to make easy adjustments or complete colour shifts for new versions.
This process is also very similar to creating & selecting a Pantone colour swatch to use in your project
You'll need to be able to:
- Create a custom colour & set it as Global.
- Give the colour a custom name if necessary
- Make changes to an existing global colour.
