Introduction to Adobe Illustrator - Live online training

Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to produce extraordinary graphics for print, video, the web, and mobile devices.

In this two-day Introduction to Illustrator online course, you learn how to:

• Use Adobe Illustrator's powerful drawing tools to work with shapes and layers, and apply effects and styles.
• Create sophisticated artwork and graphics for print, web, mobile and motion designs.
• Create logos with special type effects.
• Use Illustrator's Live Trace and Live Paint tools.

The course also investigates the most effective ways for integrating Illustrator into your workflow. The training is suitable for both Mac and Windows users.

Illustrator training is hosted by experts in the application, with vast experience of using Adobe Illustrator professionally.

Our approach to live online training

You participate in the same course as in-class delegates, and we do everything possible to make your experience as close as possible to actually being in the classroom…

• Your course is hosted by an Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) with vast experience of using the application professionally.
• You can see and hear our trainer and the other delegates, and see our trainer’s screen.
• Our trainer and the other delegates can see you (via your webcam) and hear you.
• We’ll post you a printed training guide, and make the course files and resources available for you to download.
• Your training is hands-on: you’ll practice and carry out exercises throughout.

• If you're learning to use an application and don’t have access to the software, we’ll send you a link to fully-functional trial software that you can download and install.
• If you need assistance, you can share your screen with our trainer, and pass control to them.

• You'll receive an e-certificate and are entitled to 30 days’ email support from your trainer.

You can also attend this Adobe Illustrator training in-class, at one of our centres in Bromsgrove (near Birmingham/Worcester), Bristol, Sheffield, Reading, Manchester, Nottingham and Milton Keynes.

Certificate of completion

Digital certificate - Included

• Course outline - download

During our two-day Introduction to Adobe Illustrator course, you will cover the following sessions:

Introduction

• Vector vs. bitmap graphics
• Image resolution
• Interface – tools/control panel/panels)
• Preferences – units/increments/guides/ Undos

Painting

• Paint tools – Paintbrush/Pencil/Eraser…
• Tool presets – saving tool settings
• Working with pen and tablets
• Patterns
• Gradients – linear/radial/angled

Basic Selection techniques

• Selection tools – Marquee/Lasso/Magic wand/Quick Selection
• Modifying selections
• Colour range – making selections based on colour

Working with layers

• Introduction – layer concepts
• Creating, modifying and controlling
• Transparency – opacity and blend modes
• Layer styles – layer specific styles such as patterns/gradients/fills…
• Layer groups – organising layers
• Aligning/distributing layers
• Positioning/smart guides
• Clipping masks – masking using layers

Working with colours

• Colour theory – RGB/CMYK
• Gamut – identify non-printing colours
• Saving colours – swatches
• Eyedropper tool

Saving your work

• File formats – benefits and uses of formats: psd/tif/jpg/png…

Sizing

• Transforming – scale/rotate/skew/distort/ perspective/ warping
• Image and canvas size
• Crop tools
• Content Aware scaling

Identifying colours/selections

• Channels
• Alpha Channels – saving selections/areas of colour

Cutouts

• Refine edge – cutting out hair/fur/foliage

Working with External files

• Place linked
• Place embedded

Correcting and enhancing images

• Auto adjustments – tone/colour/contrast
• Histograms – understanding information
• Colour balance
• Replace colour
• Hue/saturation
• Levels – adjusting tonal balance
• Black and white

Intermediate-level layers

• Layers – transparency/blend modes
• Layer Masks – non-destructive/paintable masks
• Smart Objects – combine layers to create non-destructive
• Layer Adjustments – apply non-destructive edits such as levels, Hue/Saturation…
• Layer control – merge, flatten

Type

• Type formatting – Character and Paragraph

Effects

• Applying filters – watercolour/ solarisation, etc.
• Filter gallery – combining filters
• Blur filters – for effect
• Puppet warp
• Liquify filters – distorting images

Retouching images

• Content aware – move/fill/scale
• Retouching tools – clone stamp/spot/healing brush/patch tool
• Retouching techniques

Adobe Bridge

• Previewing files – and contents
• Reviewing and rating files
• Photomerge
• Loading images as layers

Integration with other Adobe apps

• Adobe Stock
• Adobe Fuse

This course is ideal for new and novice Adobe Illustrator users.

Typical delegates include graphic/ Web designers, and people transitioning into design-related jobs who need to create illustrations, logos, diagrams, advertisements or other graphics.

No prior Illustrator knowledge is necessary.

Delegates need access to either a Windows PC, or a Mac, to use throughout out the course, running Adobe Illustrator. If Illustrator is not installed on the computer, Armada can provide details of free trial software to download prior to the course commencing.

You will also need a webcam, as this build the interactive environments and aids learning.