Illustrator CS5.5 Syllabus

Getting to Know the Work Area

• Overview

• Working with panels

• Working with the tools panel
  

• Understanding rulers
  

• Finding resources

Selecting and Aligning

• Selecting objects
  

• Aligning objects
  

• Working with groups

• Arrange objects
  

• Distributing objects
  

Creating and Editing Shapes

• Working with basic shapes

• Creating ellipses and polygons
  

• Changing stroke width and alignment
  

• Joining paths
  

• Combining and editing shapes
  

• Working with the Pathfinder
  

• Using Live Trace
  

Transforming objects

• Working with artboards
  

• Scaling, reflecting, rotating, distorting and shearing objects
  

• Working with rulers and guides
  

• Changing perspective
  

• Using free distort
  

• Transforming content
  

Drawing

• Using the pen tool
  

• Using the pencil and brush tools
  

• Drawing curves
  

• Editing a path
  

Coloring and Painting

• Color modes
  

• Editing a swatch
  

• Using patterns
  

• Working with Live Paint
  

• Using gradients
  

Working with Type

• Threading text
  

• Changing fonts size and color
  

• Using styles
  

• Warping text
  

• Text on a path
  

• Creating outlines
  

• Wrapping text around an object
  

• Sampling text
  

Working with Layers

• Creating layers

• Moving objects and layers
  

• Creating clipping masks
  

• Merging layers
  

Working with Brushes

• Using calligraphic brushes
  

• Editing a brush
  

• Using art brushes
  

• Creating a pattern brush
  

• Creating custom brushes
  

Using Effects, Appearance Attributes and Graphic Styles

• Using and editing effects
  

• Using appearance attributes
  

• Creating and saving graphic styles
  

• Applying an appearance to a layer
  

• Applying a photoshop effect
  

Working with Symbols

• Creating symbols
  

• Editing symbols
  

• Using symbol tools
  

• Symbols and Flash