How to use Illustrator on PC and Mac
If you are reading this tutorial, you probably want to know how to use Illustrator on PC and Mac. Before explaining it to you, however, I would like to inform you that, since it is a program used in a professional context, it is paid for: to use it, you must subscribe to the service Adobe Creative Cloud, which starts from 24,39 euro / month. However, by downloading the free trial version, you can test all its features for 7 days. Great news, right?
Illustrator download
download the Adobe Illustrator trial on your computer, first connected to the Adobe website, press the button Free trial version located at the top right and wait for the download of the installation file to start (it takes a few seconds). When the download is complete, open the file you obtained and complete the setup by following the instructions that appear on the screen.
If you use a PC Windows, then start the file .exe you downloaded and then presses the button Yes. I invented, I used a Mac, open the file .dmg you obtained from the Adobe website and then double-click the icon of Illustrator installer located in the window that appeared on the screen.
Then, on the button Subscribe present in the new window that has opened and, if you do not already have an Adobe account, create one (otherwise press the button Log in and log in with your credentials). To do so, fill out the registration form providing all the required data (name, last name, date of birth, email address e Password) e pigia sul pulsating Registration. Then put the check mark on the box I have read and accept the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy (UPDATED) and click sul bottone Continue.
At this point, answer the short questionnaire that is proposed to you on the screen indicating, through the appropriate drop-down menus, your level of competence in the use of Illustrator, your current occupation and the reason why you intend to use the software. Once this step is also completed, press the button again Continue, click on your bottone Start installing and wait for the installation to complete (it could take several minutes, since it is a rather large download). Once the installation is complete, the program should start automatically.
Using Illustrator
After installing and starting Illustrator, press the button Create new ... present in the main window of the program and, in the panel that opens, click on one of the tabs at the top of the same to choose the type of file you want to create: Recent, to use a recently used model (when the software is first started, this tab will be empty for obvious reasons); Mobile device, to create a project concerning the graphics of files optimized for mobile devices (eg. iPhone 6 / 6s, App Icon Kit 1, etc.); Web, to create graphics suitable for websites; Graphics and illustration, to access the models through which to create logos, illustrations, etc.
After choosing the type of project you want to create, modify (if necessary) the characteristics of the document (Width, Height, Orientation, etc.) through the drop-down menus located on the right (under the heading DEFAULT DETAILS) and, as soon as you are ready, press the blue button Crea located at the bottom right to start working on your project. In the window that opens, then, choose whether to read the tutorial that is shown at the first launch of Illustrator to guide the user in the use of the software or whether to skip it by pressing the button Skip tour.
As you can see, the Illustrator workspace is basically divided into three blocks: on the left there is the toolbar containing the various drawing tools (through which to create the actual illustrations); on the right is the panel dedicated to the management of the levels and in the center is the worksheet on which to draw with the brushes and other tools available.
To create a drawing with Illustrator, you must first select one of the tools located in the toolbar on the left (eg. Brush tool, Pen tool, etc.), modify its properties by clicking on the tab Property located at the top right and adjust its characteristics (e.g. the colore, the stroke thickness,opacity, fill pattern, etc.) via the menus Appearance e Brush.
Once you have chosen the tool to use and the properties to assign to it, start drawing on the worksheet which, as I mentioned earlier, is located in the center. If you make a mistake, then, select it Eraser tool from the toolbar located on the left and delete the stroke you drew by mistake, or use the function cancels (Ctrl + Z/cmd + z) to undo the last action performed.
One of the main uses of Illustrator is in creating logos. To create one, select the entry New… from the menu Fillet (top left), presses on the card Graphics and illustration, select the size you want to use by filling in the fields Width e Height and presses the button Crea located at the bottom right (essentially you have to follow the instructions I gave you a few lines above).
Then select the shape you want to use as the basis of the logo and modify it according to the project you have in mind to create. To choose a shape, right-click on the icon rectangle located in the toolbar on the left and choose the shape you want to use (eg. rectangle, rectangle with rounded corners, ellipse, polygon, star, etc.). Then choose the fill color you want to give to the chosen shape using the foreground pane located at the bottom left and the border color via the box placed in the background, also located in the lower left.
Now, modify the shape to your liking - use it Width tool and Rotation tool to change the width and position of the selected shape, respectively, and use it Text tool (the icon of the "T“) To add text inside the logo (you can change the font and size of the inserted text by selecting the item Font / Size from the menu Text). If you want more information on how to create a logo with Illustrator, feel free to consult the in-depth study I posted on my blog.
To save the work you have done, then, select the item Save with name ... from the menu Fillet and, if you want to export the design or logo created in vector format (which, as you probably already know, allows you to enlarge an image without graining it), save it in the format SVG selecting the appropriate item from the drop-down menu Save eat:. Finally, type the name you want to assign to the file in the text field File name e pigia sui pulsnti Save e OK per portare to finish l'operazione.
Did you see that Illustrator was not complicated at all? Of course, the more you practice, the easier it is to use this software. If you want to further speed up your progress, then, I invite you to consult the interactive tutorials that you find on this page of the Adobe site: I am sure that even these "extra" resources will be of great help to you to use the full potential of the program.
How to use Illustrator on smartphones and tablets
want use Illustrator also on smartphones and tablets? Regarding Illustrator for iPad, there is not much to add: since the app in question is very similar to the desktop one, you can follow the instructions I have already given you in the previous lines to use it.
If you want, you can also use Adobe Cool, a sort of "lite version" of Adobe Illustrator, available for iOS / iPadOS, which is basically free but requires in-app purchases starting from € 10,99 to unlock all its functions.
After installing and launching the app, log in with yours Adobe ID or, if you prefer, with your account Apple, with your account Google or with your account Facebook, by pressing on one of the buttons you see on the screen and, once accessed, presses the button Create new and choose the format of the worksheet (ex. Square), based on your needs.
To start drawing, tap on one of the brushes placed on the toolbar located on the left, make another tap on it and choose the one you want to use (eg. Charcoal, Ink, Painting, etc.). You can then adjust its characteristics using the box next to it. In the toolbar there are also other tools, such as the one for adding text (T), adding shapes (the symbol of the triangle with circle), The rubber, etc. While on the right there is the layer management panel, through which you can add / remove them according to your needs.
When finished, press on the symbol of freccia rivolta verse l'alto located at the top right and select the export or share option you prefer to use.
How to use Illustrator
