Here are just a few essential Illustrator tool tips and techniques for Graphics Designers/Artists/Illustrators. Do you have some cool tool tips, tricks, tutorials or work arounds you want to share? Let me know  Don Ledarney

Adobe Illustrator CS  - these tool tips are somewhat hidden features in illustrator but they can enhance your performance with illustrator and expand your skill set whether your skills with illustrator are at the newbie, intermediate or professional level.

1. Illustrator CS - Selection skills with the Lasso

The Lasso tool is a quick way to select an object (s) from the artboard its advantage compared to the Direct Selection tool is because the selection area is drawn (as opposed to selecting all the points with the Direct Selection tool. In other words the Lasso tool can be utilized to select unusual shaped objects and exclude other.

2. Illustrator CS - Warping Experiments

The Effects>Warp is great for distorting type unfortunately most designers use only the default settings. Try some experimenting by playing around with the values in bend and distortion settings.  Try experimenting on other objects. Get creative with these Warp effects.

3. Illustrator CS - Dividing Objects

Using the Knife tool cuts an object into pieces. This cut is slightly random and can't be predicted; however, the designer by holding down the Alt key in Windows (Option key on a Mac) can be sure that it cuts in a straight line.

4. Illustrator CS - Simplifying Objects (files)

The designer/artist should always try to keep illustrator files as small a possible.  One way to help accomplish this is to reduce the number of points in complex artwork. Using the simplify command (Object>Path>Simplify) can help for example if your have used Streamline scans. Simplifying objects can be used to create shapes of a "cartoon nature" - a distorted mirror of the original shape.

5. Illustrator CS - Path Features  (attributes)

If you have created a stroked path and want to stroke the edges or create an object out of the it all you have to do is create an outline of the path. By expanding the path in illustrator (Object>Expand) you will LOSE some of the path attributes for example if you have used Round Caps the will be gone BUT by creating an outline of the path (Object>Path>Outline) will maintain the path's attributes.

6. Illustrator CS - Glyphs Insertion

OpenType fonts offer great flexibility and choice with the inclusion of a large character sets Illustrator has a very useful Glyphs palette (Type>Glyphs). There are man substitute characters and dingbats.  Note that by double clicking on the Type to0l the glyph will be inserted into the text  displayed.

7. Illustrator CS - Scribbling Effects

With the Scribble Effect the impression of a quickly hand coloring with a pen is feasible. From the menu choose Effect>Stylize>Scribble. The Scribble options dialog may seem confusing (play around with setting - experiment) so you may want to use some of  presets in the dropdown menu.

8.Illustrator CS - Magic Wand Tool

The Magic Wand tool behaves differently than its counterpart found in Photoshop. It allows the designer to select or deselect objects based on the same or similar Fill color, Stroke Color or by Stoke weight.  By double click the tools you can adjust is options.

9. Illustrator CS - Spraying Symbols

The Symbolism tool is one of Illustrator's very powerful effects. Select a symbol for the Palette and utilizing the Symbolism tool spray instances of the object selected. The designer/artist can adjust with the a variety of tools found by holding down the Symbolism icon found on the tool palette.

10. Illustrator CS - Converting Paths or Objects to Guides

Utilizing the ability to drag rulers onto a document is very handy, however the designer also can convert virtually any path or object into a guide. Select the path (object) you want to make a guide and choose View>Guides>Make Guides from illustrator's menu. You should also note that this is reversible by selecting the path (object) and from the menu View>Guides>Release Guides.

more tool tips to come...
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