Convert Image To Mosaic In Illustrator

In this tutorial we will learn how to convert image to mosaic in Illustrator.

Neon Style Effect In Illustrator

In this tutorial we will learn how to create neon style effect in Illustrator.

Convert Bitmap To Vector In Illustrator

In this tutorial we will learn How to convert bitmap to vector in Illustrator.

Working InDesign with Photoshop Graphics

While the InDesign interface has more in common with Illustrator than Photoshop, InDesign and  Photoshop are also tightly integrated. You can import native Photoshop (.psd) files into InDesign layouts, as well as other Photoshop-generated bitmap graphics, such as TIFF, JPEG, and DCS. InDesign's support of native Photoshop files also includes several features that let you control how images are displayed and printed.

Show/Hide Layers and Layer Comps

When you import a Photoshop file that includes layers or layer comps, you can control the visibility of both within InDesign.

1. Choose File > Place.
2. Check Show Import Options in the Place dialog box, then click Open.
3. Display the Layers panel and make sure Show Preview is checked.
4. To achieve the result you want, do one of the following:

• Choose a layer comp from the Layer Comp menu.

When you import a Photoshop file that includes layers or layer comps, you can use the controls in the Layers panel of the Image Import Options dialog to adjust the visibility of the layers and layer comps in the InDesign layout.

• Click the eye to the left of a layer name to alternately show or hide the layer.

The original graphic, shown at the far right, has an opaque white background. Choosing an alpha channel and adjusting the settings in the Clipping Path dialog box produced the variation on the left. Notice how the circular shape is now visible through the background of the graphic.

Mask Portions of a Graphic

If you import a Photoshop file that contains clipping paths or alpha channels into an InDesign layout, you can use them to mask parts of a graphic or wrap text around them. To apply a clipping path or an alpha channel to a graphic:

1. Select the graphic or its frame, and then choose Object > Clipping Path.
2. In the Clipping Path dialog box, choose Alpha Channel or Clipping Path from the Type menu. If you choose Detect Edges in the Type menu, InDesign will generate a clipping path based on the light and dark areas of the image.

Display and Print Transparency

If you import a Photoshop file that includes transparency effects, such as a transparent background (instead of a clipping path) or a feathered edge, InDesign accurately displays and prints the effects.

 

Creating magazine with inDesign workflow features

Adobe inDesign is a powerful page layout program with many features. It's possible to use inDesign to do everything from creating a business card or a magazine to professional graphic designers.

Whether if you're new to page layout software or you're switching from QuarkXPress or PageMaker to inDesign you can use this tutorial to learn how to creating magazine or page layout with inDesign workflow features and many palettes. with this video tutorial.

 

With inDesign you can to be a professional graphic designers because graphic designers around the world are using inDesign to produce all types of print and electronic publications.

 

How to Preview Color Separations and Export Documents as PDF with Indesign

Adobe InDesign is a powerful page layout program renowned for its ease of use, precision, and integration with other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite. Hallmark features of InDesign include professional type and graphics handling, drawing tools, transparency, and reliable print and PDF output. With powerful creative tools and flexible workflow features at their fingertips, graphic designers around the globe are using InDesign to produce all types of print and electronic publications. From magazines, books, and newsletters to posters, CD covers, and bumper stickers, many of the publications you see are produced with InDesignoften in concert with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

As you work on a publication, you'll probably print several proofs to one or more desktop printers before the publication is completed. After you've added the final touches and the publication is ready for final output, you or your print service provider will print the finished document, probably using a high-resolution printer. If you're producing a color publication that will be printed on a printing press, final output means printing color separations that will be used to print the document on-press.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to preview color separations onscreen, how to export documents as PDF.

How to preview color separations onscreen

InDesign includes several features that let you preview and prepare documents before you print final versions or send them to a print service provider for high-resolution output. The Separations Preview palette (Window > Output > Separations Preview) is one of the most useful production tools for color publications. It lets you show or hide individual colors, display color values for objects and graphics, and show areas that exceed a specified maximum ink coverage.

To preview color separations onscreen, open the Separations preview palette and then choose Separations from the View menu. The color list in the palette includes process colorscyan, magenta, yellow, and black, as well as any other spot colors in the Swatches palette regardless of whether you've used them.

Separations Preview Palette

Clicking the small square to the left of a color name alternately shows and hides the color. Clicking CMYK shows and hides all process colors. You can show or hide whatever colors you want, although at least one color must always be displayed. The Show Single Plates in Black command in the Separations Preview palette menu lets you control how a color is displayed when all other colors are hidden. When it's checked, single colors are displayed as black.

As you drag the pointer over a page, the values associated with the colors in the Separations Preview palette change to reflect the color of the pixel that the pointer is over.

Because too much ink on a page can cause drying problems, you may also need to know if the colors in a layout exceed the maximum ink coverage value suggested by your print service provider. To highlight areas that exceed maximum ink coverage, choose Ink Limits in the palette menu, and then specify a maximum ink coverage value in the accompanying field. (Check with your print service provider for the suggested percentage.) Areas that exceed the specified maximum ink coverage value are displayed in shades of red. The more an area exceeds the maximum allowable ink coverage, the darker the shade of red.

When you're done previewing separations and areas that exceed maximum ink coverage, choose Off from the Separations Preview palette menu to return to normal view.

How to exporting documents as PDF

At many publishing sites, publications in progress are exported as PDF documents for electronic markup and review, and finished publications are exported as PDF for final, high-resolution output. When it's time to export an InDesign layout as a PDF file, you have many options for controlling the size and many other characteristics of the file. The choices you make when you export a PDF file depend on how the PDF will be used. For example, if you want to distribute a PDF via email to colleagues or clients for electronic review and markup using Acrobat or Reader, you should save a compact, low-resolution PDF that's ideal for electronic distribution and review but not appropriate for high-resolution output. If you intend to send a PDF file to a print service provider for high-resolution output, you should save a high-resolution file.

To export a layout as PDF:

1. Choose File > Export.
2. In the Export dialog box, enter a name for the PDF file and choose the folder in which the file will be saved.
3. Choose Adobe PDF from the Format menu (Mac OS) or Save as Type menu (Windows), and then click Save.
4. At this point, you can simply choose a PDF preset in the Adobe PDF Preset menu, and then click Export, or you can choose a preset, customize the settings in the various panels of the Export Adobe PDF dialog box and then click Export. If you change a setting, "(modified)" is displayed to the right of the preset selected in the Adobe PDF Preset menu.

Export Adobe PDF Dialog Box

When you make changes in the Export Adobe PDF dialog box. they're saved with the application and used the next time you export a layout as PDF.

One of the main advantages of page layout software is that it lets you view publications onscreen before you print them. However, displaying a publication onscreen and printing it are very different processes. InDesign includes several features for troubleshooting potential printing problems before they occur, as well as an abundance of print-related controls that help ensure you get the results you want when you print a document.

Saving a Selection as a Mask

Quick masks are temporary. They disappear as soon as you deselect. However, you can save a selection as an alpha-channel mask so that your time-consuming work won't be lost, and you can reuse the selection in this work session or a later one. You can even use alpha channels in other Photoshop image files.

To avoid confusing channels and layers, think of channels as containing an image's color and selection information; think of layers as containing painting and effects.

1. With the (Standard mode) statue selection still active in the image window, click the Save Selection As Channel button at the bottom of the Channels palette.
   
   
   
   A new channel, Alpha 1, appears at the bottom of the Channels palette.
   
2. Double-click the Alpha 1 channel, type Statue to rename it, and press Enter or Return.
   
   
   
   
   When you select the channel, Photoshop displays a black-and-white representation of the selection in the image window, and it hides all the color channels.
   
3. Choose Select > Deselect to deselect the statue.
4. Choose File > Save to save your work.

Changing font size

Changing font size

1. If the text is not active, use the Type toolto insert the cursor in the text area and choose Select > All.
2. In the Control panel, choose a preset size from the Font Size pop-up menu, or click and drag over the present size and enter a value in points. If the font size is not 12, choose 12 now.
   
   Changing the font size in the Control panel.
   
   

Changing font color

In this next section, you'll change the font color; you can change both the fill and/or the stroke of selected text. In this example you will change the fill.

1. Click and drag to select the first paragraph in the text area, or click three times.
2. Click the Fill color in the Control panel. When the Swatches panel appears choose White. The text fill changes to white.
   
   
   
3. While you still have the first line of text selected, change the font size by selecting 14 from the Font size pop-up menu in the Control panel.
4. Change the font style for the selected text by selecting the Font Style pop-up menu in the Control panel and choosing Bold.
   
   

Changing additional text attributes

By clicking the Character panel link in the Control panel you can change many other attributes that are worth investigating but not covered in this particular exercise.

A. Set the font family.
B. Set the font style.
C. Font size.
D. Kerning.
E. Horizontal Scale.
F. Baseline Shift.
G. Underline and Strikethrough.
H. Language.
I. Leading.
J. Tracking.
K. Vertical Scale.
L. Rotation.

Changing paragraph attributes

Just like with character attributes, you can set paragraph attributes (such as alignment or indenting) before you enter new type, or reset them to change the appearance of existing, selected type. If you select several type paths and type containers, you can set attributes for them all at the same time.

Now you'll add more space before all the paragraphs in the column text.

1. With the Type tool, insert the cursor anywhere in the text area and choose Select > All.
2. Click the word Paragraph in the Control panel. This links you to the Paragraph panel.
3. Type 6 in the Space Before Paragraph text field (in the bottom left corner) and press Enter. Spacing before paragraphs, rather than pressing the Return key, is recommended when creating large text areas.
   
   Enter a space before the paragraphs.
   
   

Changing text attributes

In this section, you'll discover how to change text attributes, such as size, font, and style. Fortunately, with this version most attributes can be changed quickly and easily in the Control panel.

1. With new project, select the Type tool and insert the cursor anywhere in the text area created earlier.
2. Choose Select > All, or Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac OS). All text becomes selected.
   
   In this next section, you will discover two different methods for font selection, both using the Control panel.
   
3. Change the font of selected text from the Font menu in the Control panel. Click the arrow to the right of the menu and scroll until you find the font Times, or Times New Roman.
   
   Choose fonts using the Control panel.
   
   
   
4. With the text still selected, choose from the menu items Type > Font to see the font display to the right of the font name. This may take a little more time because of the display, but scroll to change the selected font to Arial Regular or Helvetica.
   
   
   
5. This next method is the most dynamic method for selecting a font. Make sure the text is still selected and then follow these instructions:
   
   * Click and drag over the Font Name in the Font text field in the Control panel.
   
   Select the font name in the Control panel.
   
   
   
   * Now, begin typing the name, "Myriad Pro," an OpenType font. Illustrator will filter through the list.
   
6. Font styles are specific to each font family. Though you may have the Myriad Pro font family on your system, you may not have condensed and italic styles of that family. Find the available styles by choosing them from the Font Style pop-up menu.

Working with overflow text and text reflow

Each area type object contains an in port and an out port, which enable you to link to other objects and create a linked copy of the type object. An empty port indicates that all the text is visible and that the object isn't linked or overflowing. A red plus sign in an out port indicates that the object contains additional text. This remaining unseen text is called overflow text.



Note that since the text area created is too small, there is a plus sign in the out port.

There are two main methods for remedying overflow text.

• Thread the text to another text area.
• Re-size the text area.

Threading text

Thread, or connect, one text area to another to create a dynamic connection between the areas by following these steps:

1. Use the Selection tool to select the type area.
2. With the Selection tool, click the out port of the selected type area. The cursor changes to the loaded text icon.
3. Click and drag on an empty part of the artboard.
   
   Click on the out port of the overflowed text area. Click and drag to create a threaded text area.
   
   

Resizing the text area

For this next, you will see how to re-size the text area to make room for additional text.

1. If you have created additional text areas using the threading method, switch to the Selection tool and click to select and delete all but the original text area. Make sure the overflow text icon is still visible.
2. Use the Selection tool to drag a handle on the bounding box. Drag the handle on the middle of the right side so that the text area changes in size only horizontally. Click and drag to make the text area larger.
   
   Resizing the text using a middle handle.
   
   
   
3. Grab the lower right corner handle to see how dragging a corner handle will increase the size of the area both horizontally and vertically.
   
   Resizing the text area using a corner handle.
   
   
   
   Adjusting the type path using the Direct Selection tool is easiest when you're in Outline view.
   
   
   
4. You have completed the text flow. Choose File > Close. In the Adobe Illustrator alert window, choose not to save this file. This returns you to your original project.

Understanding text flow

For this next section, create a new blank document in addition. The purpose is to find out more details about flowing text in Adobe Illustrator CS3.

1. Choose File > New. In the Document Setup, choose Inches for Units, and keep other defaults the same. Click OK.
2. Create a fixed type area by selecting the Rectangle tool and clicking once on the page...do not click and drag! The Rectangle dialog window appears.
3. Type 2 inches into both the Width and Height text fields. Click OK.
   
   A square appears. It may have a fill or stroke color. Both fill and stroke will change to None when the shape is converted into a type area.
   
   Setting the dimensions
   
   
   
   Result
   
   
   
4. Select the Type tool and cross it over the edge of the square. The text insertion point swells, or becomes curved, indicating that when you click, the text cursor will appear inside this shape.
   
   The text insertion point when crossed over an edge of a shape
   
   
   
   Result The text cursor is inside the shape, strokes and fills are changed to none
   
   
   
5. With the cursor still active in the square, choose File > Place and navigate to the folder hard drive. Select the file and then click Place. You are placing a native Microsoft Word document, so you will have additional options to choose from.
6. In the Microsoft Word Options dialog window, leave the default settings and click OK.
   
   The text appears in the square. Text remembers the last used settings, so the type may appear slightly different from that in our example; this is not a problem.
   
   
   

Creating text outlines

When creating artwork for multiple purposes, it is wise to create outlines of text so the recipient doesn't need your fonts to create, open, and use the file correctly. Note that you will want to keep an original of your artwork, as you cannot change outline text back to editable text.

1. Select the Type tool. Click off to the left in the scratch area (away from the poster art).
2. Type WALK! RUN! DANCE!
3. Double-click the Rotate tool. The Rotate Options window appears, type 90. Click OK. The text is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.
   
   Rotate text 90 degrees.
   
   
   
   
   
4. With the Selection tool, position the text so it is in the lower left corner of the poster art.
   
   
   
5. Select the Selection tool. While holding down the Shift key, click and drag the upper right handle of the text's bounding box. This enlarges the text proportionally to the height of the poster.
6. With the Selection tool, Shift-click to select the world and the Sammy's World text. Choose Object > Arrange > Bring to Front.
   
   Enlarge a text area using the bounding box.
   
   
   
7. With the Selection tool select the "Walk! Run! Dance!" text again, click the Fill color in the Control panel and select White in the Swatches panel.
8. Click once on the word Opacity in the Control panel to link to the Transparency panel. From the Blend Mode pop-up menu choose Soft Light. Change the Opacity to 75% in the Opacity text field.
   
   
   
9. With the text area still selected, choose Type > Create Outlines. The text is no longer linked to a particular font, but has become artwork, much like any other vector art in your illustration.
10. Choose File > Save.

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial.

Creating text on paths and shapes

With the Type tools in Illustrator CS3, you can type on paths and on shapes.

1. With the Selection tool, select the wavy path crossing the silhouette artwork.
2. With the Type tool, cross the cursor over the left side of the path to see an insertion point with an intersecting wavy path. Click when this cursor appears. The stroke attributes of the stroke change to None and a cursor appears. Don't type yet.
3. In the Font Size text field in the Control panel, type 36 and press the Enter key.
4. Type Don't just stand there... Note that the newly typed text follows the path.
   
   Type on a path.
   
   
   
5. With the Type tool, click and drag over the text you just entered (or click three times on the text). Click the Fill color in the Control panel to link to the Swatches panel. Then choose the White swatch.
   
   Now you will put text on a closed path.
   
6. With the Selection tool, select the small black circle in the lower left corner of the poster.
7. Switch to the Type tool. Holding down the Alt (Windows) or Opt (Mac OS) key, cross over the left side of the circle. The type on a path icon appears. Click, but don't type.
   
   Cross over the closed shape with the Type tool and the Alt/Opt key.
   
   
   
   After clicking, the text cursor appears.
   
   
   
   The fill and stroke attributes of the circle are changed to None, and you have a cursor on the path.
   
8. From the Font Size pop-up menu in the Control panel, change the text size to 24. From the Font menu choose Myriad Pro (or Myriad), and from the Font Style menu choose Bold.
9. Click the Align Center button to the right of Paragraph in the Control panel.
10. Type SAMMY'S SHOEWORLD in capital letters. The text flows on the circular path.
11. To adjust the placement on the path, select the Selection tool. The type object is selected. A bracket appears at the beginning of the type, at the end of the path, and at the midpoint between the start and end brackets. These brackets look like lines.
12. Position the cursor over the type's center bracket until a small icon appears next to the cursor, and drag the center bracket along the path. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) to prevent the type from flipping to the other side of the path. Position the text so it is centered across the top of the circle.
    
    

 

Reshaping text with a warping text

Warping text is fun because it allows you to use an effect on your text to give it a more interesting shape, while also giving you the ability to edit the text and warped shape at any time.

1. Choose Select > Deselect and select the Type tool. Before typing, change the Font in the Control panel to Myriad Pro (if it is not already selected), the Font Style to Bold and the Font Size to 85.
   
2. Use the Selection tool to select the silhouette of the people and choose Object > Lock > Selection. Reselect the Type tool and then click once on the poster art slightly above the silhouette of the people. Exact placement is not important. A text cursor appears.
   
3. Type the words KICK IT UP! Then select the Selection tool again and reposition the text so it is centered over the silhouette art.
   
   
   
4. With the text still selected, choose Effect > Warp > Arc Upper. The Warp Options window appears. Check the Preview checkbox. The Text stays flat on the bottom and arcs only in the upper part.
   
   Using the Settings and Style pop-up menu, you can experiment with many different combinations. Click OK when you have finished with this window. Use the Selection tool to reposition your text if necessary.
   
   The Arc Upper Effect options window.
   
   
   
   The Result.
   
   
   
5. With the Type tool, click and drag to select the words "KICK IT UP!".
   
6. In the Control panel, click Fill color and choose White from the Swatches panel.
   
7. Click Stroke Color and choose Pumpkin.
   
8. Choose 2 pt from the Stroke Weight pop-up menu in the Control panel. Notice that additional attributes are applied easily to the warped text.
   
   Easily apply new text attributes to text warped with an Effect.
   
   
   
   Next you will add a Drop Shadow Effect to the warped text.
   
9. Click the Selection tool and select "KICK IT UP!".
   
10. Choose Effects > Stylize > Drop Shadow. In the Drop Shadow Options window, leave the defaults and choose OK.
    
11. Choose Select > Deselect and File > Save. Leave the file open.
    
    The Result.
    
    

 

Illustrator CS3 Wrapping Text Around

Wrapping text around a graphic

Create interesting and creative results by wrapping text around a graphic.

1. With the file, choose File > Open. In the Open dialog window, choose the file you want.
2. With the Selection tool, select the on the page and choose Edit > Copy, then File > Close.
3. Return to the file, and choose Edit > Paste. The graphic is placed on the page.
4. Position the graphic so it is in the middle of the two columns.
5. With the graphic still selected, click the Fill color in the Control panel. When the Swatches panel appears choose the White swatch.
6. Using the Opacity text field in the Control panel, change the opacity to 30%. The Graphic positioned between the columns.
   
   The Graphic positioned between the columns.
   
   
   
7. With the graphic still selected, choose Object > Text Wrap > Make. The text wraps around the graphic.
8. If you still have text flowing in areas that you would rather close off, choose Object > Text Wrap > Text Wrap Options. In the Text Wrap Options window, change the Offset to 16. Click OK.
   
   You can increase or decrease the Offset in the Text Wrap Options window.
   
   
   
   
   
9. With the Selection tool, reposition the graphic to create a better text flow. For this example, it is OK if some of your text overflows out of the text area.
10. Choose File > Save. Keep the file open.

Assign colors to your artwork

The Assign tab of the Live Color dialog box lets you assign colors from a color group to your artwork. You can assign colors in several ways, including using a new color group chosen from the Harmony Rule menu. In this next section of the lesson, we will practice assigning new colors to the color bar and "Aquo Life" text at the bottom of the poster.

1. Choose View > Fit in Window.
2. Choose Select > Deselect and with the Selection tool, click and drag to select the blue bar and "Aquo Life" text at the bottom of the poster.
3. Choose Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork to open the Live Color dialog box.
4. From the Harmony Rule menu, choose the Complimentary harmony rule. This will pick a set of colors that is complimentary to the green color. Leave the Live Color dialog box open.
   
   Notice in the Live Color dialog box that the green color has a new green color assigned and the blue color has a new purple color assigned. The white color has no new color assigned because the complimentary color group that was chosen only had two colors.
   
   Artwork selected.
   
   
   
   From the Harmony Rules menu choose Complimentary.
   
   
   
   The result.
   
   
   
5. With the Live Color dialog box still open, click and drag the purple color on top of the green color in the New column. This will swap the green and purple colors. Leave the Live colordialog box open.
   
   Drag to swap the new colors.
   
   
   
   The result.
   
   
   
6. From the Colors menu, choose 1.
   
   Notice that in the Colors menu, some of the numbers are dimmed. You can select up to the number of colors originally found in the object. In this case it is three (green, blue, and white).
   
7. At the bottom of the Live Color dialog box, make sure that the HSB sliders are showing. If they are not, select HSB from the Color Mode menu by clicking on the Color Mode button to the right of the sliders.
8. Change the HSB values to H=360, S=87, and B=84. This will edit the purple color to a red.
   
   Notice how the new purple color has changed to red. Also notice how the blue and green colors are merged in the Current Colors column. The red color in the New column is split into 3 different sections (The 3 sections are subtle because one section is a tint of the red). This indicates the new red color (the top half) and the tints of the new red beneath it. The darkest color in the row (the blue) is replaced with the specified new color (the red). Other current colors in the row (the green) are replaced with a proportionally lighter tint of the red because you chose to use 1 color.
   
   

   Change the number of colors to 1.
   
   
   
   Change the HSB values to red.
   
   
   
   The result.
   
   

9. Click on the Show Color Group Storage icon on the right side of the Live Color dialog box to show the Color Groups list if it isn't already showing. Click New Color Group to create a color group from the colors you edited. The color group called Color Group will appear in the Color Groups list.
10. Double-click on the new color group name in the Color Groups list to open the Edit Name dialog box. Change the name of the group to LogoBar and click OK.
11. Click OK in the Live Color dialog box and click Yes if a save dialog appears. The new color group should appear in the Swatches panel.