I HATE ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

[AAO]

ok, so i just got adobe illustrator cs, and boy is it a jump from paint...its confusing as hell. paint is so simple, i can probably do better work with the combination of paint, irfan view, and microsoft word than illustrator, as of right now. I kinda figured out how to use the pen tool pretty good, but how the hell do i get my work to fill correctly? i made a sail for a ship, and it filled around the outsides, not the insides. Why the hell can't i customize wordmarks? i get to the part where you select 'create outlines' so it breaks everything apart so it appears you can adjust it, but it doesnt when i try to. Also, how do i add an outline/outlines to a wordmark?

illustrator is really frustrating and i dont know how im gonna get used to this...i need the pros' help...

[hubsportsfan17]

removed

[Mings]

when using the pen tool, leave your path open at the end, and then select the path, go to objects - path - join and it will join them and your fill will be good

[AAO]

thanks

[slapshot]

What type of stuff are you trying to do with the outlines? If you want to modify a specific point, use the open-arrow tool, click on the line segment or point, and you can move it around.

If you want to do stuff like arching text or putting type on a circle, you can do some of that before you create outlines. Type in your text, do up to Effect, then Warp, then choose the different styles to modify the text. Once the text is the way you want, you can then go to Object, then Expand Appearance. Now the text is editable outlines.

For more in depth stuff, look for some online tutorials, or go buy a Visual Quickstart book for Illustrator CS.

[pcgd]

Also on fills, there are two boxes in your tool bar. One is the fill and one is the outline. Double click the fill one and BAM you got your color.

Also a tip on outlines, if you just give an object an outline, that outline will go halfway on the path. Copy the object, and the paste it behind. Then you can make a really thick outline without distorting the object. Do this again and again for multible outlines. Another way to do it is the ofset path option. There you can expand the object a pixel or 10 or 100. There is a cutoff, but I've never gotten to it. They'll be grouped after you do this, so you'll have to ungroup them.

That's a tip someone told me a few years ago that has come in really really handy. Esspecially for team logos.

Also, to start off practicing, import images and logos. Then trace over them with the pen tool. That way you can learn which directions you have to go to get the lines to do what you want. Before long you'll be making logos from complete scratch!

don't worry man, you'll get the hang of it. Nobody learned it overnight. You'll be cursing paint before long!

[rmered]

Free Illustrator Training courses here.

Introductory stuff, but it got me to at least use it.

[AAO]

thanks guys, getting better already, skater20's been helpin me out too

[swisherHOU]

Stick with it. Paint is like driving a car, Illustrator is like flying a plane.

[JQK]

I HATE ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

Blasphemer!!!

[rmered]

That's the thing I like about this place.

There's no serious, win at all costs, mentality, people are willing to help each other get better, and to contribute from whatever level they are at currently, with a view to everyone getting better.

[STL FANATIC]

I had to buy a book...but it worked.

[slapshot]

I HATE ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

Blasphemer!!!

I just pretended not to read that line.

[AAO]

hahaha...well thanks for the tips guys im getting better with every piece of advice, cant thank you all enough

[fiasco!]

i know JP said to use the warp effect for your wordmarks, but i'd like to suggest using the envelope distort function.....much more control over the way you want your text to look...

you certainly don't want your work to BBS, do you?

[winters in buffalo]

I try to learn one new thing at a time. Obviouslty you have to try to figure out several functions when you first get started, but if you master the basics, then you can start trying new functions.

Interestingly, sometimes there's more than one way to get a desired effect.

[mjrbaseball]

There is also an excellent on-line tutorial that is mentioned in the TFAQ above. ... And the Quickstart book is excellent, as someone mentioned. (Even though I've been using Illustrator for years, I still refer to it for help.)

[iDonovan]

MY $0.02....is Coreldraw. I know both very well and for the most part speed wise and user friendly Corel is better. Almost all my logos are done in Corel. It is also very easy (now) to jump back forth. Don't get me wrong Illustrator is the better program...but they make things difficult and time consuming.

[FeenVol]

AAO...I know it is a hard program to learn and master, but remind yourself that there are people on this board who have been working with Illustrator for many, many years that still learn new things. I have been working with it since I was in college (a/b 7 years) and the only way I learned was from doing what you are doing...asking for help. Keep pluggin' along and before you know it things will come around...

By the way...to expand your stroke for larger outlines go to:

OBJECT ~ PATH ~ OFFSET PATH

This will enable you to expand the selected path to whatever size you want. It will take a few times to figure out the size you need, but it is a great thing to know.