Cheat Sheet Illustrator

Illustrator 1 — Object Creation and Modification Tools

Fill Color Shows the inside color of an object.

Shape Tools Creates geometric solids.

Fill Type Choose between Solid Color, Draw Gradient Mode

or None.

Choose between Normal, Draw Behind or Draw Inside.

Magic Wand Selects similar objects. Pen Tool Creates a precision shape using points

Lasso Tool Selects multiple objects.

and curve handles.

Line Tools Creates line-based objects.

Brush Tool Creates a free-form line with a brush effect attached.

Pencil Tool Blob Brush Tool

Creates a free- Builds a solid shape

form line. using a brush tool.

Smooth Tool

Width Tool Varies the width of a stroke dynamically.

Smooths out paths. Path Eraser Tool Removes paths.

Shape Builder Tool Combines or splits shapes dynamically.

Stroke Color Shows the outline color of an object.

Helpful Key Commands

Select All: ⌘ A

Deselect: shift ⌘ A

Group: ⌘ G

Ungroup: shift ⌘ G

Bring Object Forward: ⌘ ]

Bring Object to Front: shift ⌘ ]

Send Object Backward: ⌘ [

Warp Tools Warps paths dynamically.

Rotate Tool Rotates an object. Reflect Tool Flips an object.

Selection Tool Selects objects and groups.

Group Selection Tool Selects objects within groups.

Direct Selection Tool

Selects points and paths.

Eraser Tool Removes areas of an object. Scissors Tool Scale Tool

Splits a path. Scales an object.

Knife Tool Shear Tool

Slices a shape Slants an object.

into sections.

Reshape Tool Adjusts selected points while maintaining the overall detail of the path.

Send Object to Back: shift ⌘ [

Select Object Above: option ⌘ ]

Select Object Below: option ⌘ [

Illustrator 1 — Selecting and Transforming Objects

Click and drag an anchor point to resize. Hold shift to constrain proportions.

Click and drag with the option key held down to duplicate an object.

Click on a point to select it. Click and drag to change it’s position.

Click on an object’s edge, then click and drag to move the path.

Selection Tool

Direct Selection Tool

Position close to a corner point, but not on it. When the cursor changes, drag up and down to rotate.

Hold down shift to select multiple objects. Select Object > Group to group together.

Hold down shift to select multiple points. Click and drag to change their position.

Click a point on a curved path to reveal the curve handles. Drag a handle to reshape the curve.

Object Menu

Transform Commands for moving and reshaping objects.

Arrange Commands for changing the stacking order of objects.

Group Groups multiple objects together.

Ungroup Breaks a group into it’s component objects.

Lock Prevents objects from being edited.

Unlock all Unlocks all locked objects.

Hide Hides selected objects.

Show All Reveals all hidden objects.

Path Commands for altering paths and points of objects.

Clipping Mask Masks an object or group using another object.

Compound Path Combines multiple objects to behave as a single object. Different than Group in that the compound path functions as a single object, with only one fill and stroke.

Illustrator 1 — Using the Pen Tool

Convert Point

Show/Hide

Remove

Connect

Cut Path at

Isolate Converts point to a corner or curve point.

Handles

Point

Points

Selected Point

Object

Click to create a point. Each successive click joins the last point to the current point with a line, or path. Click-drag to create a curved line, defined by the position of the curve handles. Clicking on the end point of a curve retracts the curve handle, making the next line segment straight.

Closed Shape

Add/Delete Anchor Point Tool Adds or removes a point on a path

Convert Anchor Point Tool Converts a point to a corner or curve point.

Open Shape

6. Click 7. Click-drag 8. Click-drag 9. Click-drag 10. Click 11. Click. A circle appears to show the path will close

1. Click

1. Click 2. Click-drag 3. Click-drag 4. Click-drag 5. Click.

This makes the next line straight.

2. Click-Drag

3. Click point to

retract handle

shift

4. Shift-click for

5. � / Ctrl-click straight line.

outside the path to deselect it

Ctrl

Helpful Key Commands

Retract a point: Click once on an end point to retract the outgoing curve handle.

Break a curve handle: Hold down option and drag a curve handle to change it’s direc- tion independent of the other handle.

Redirect a curve handle: Hold down option and drag from a point to redirect the outgoing handle.

Illustrator 1 — Compound Shapes

Groups vs. Compound Paths Pathfinder

The Pathfinder Panel creates new paths based Groups

on the interaction of multiple objects.

Shape Modes create a special type of Compound Path that allows easy manipulation of component objects. Choose Make Compound Shape from the Pathfinder Menu instead of the Add mode to be able to edit the individual parts of the compound shape.