In Adobe Illustrator CC For Dummies, I draw on my “long strange trip” (to borrow from the Grateful Dead) with Illustrator. I’ve drawn bus maps in Los Angeles (yes, they have buses in LA), designed infographics, and created architectural renderings for commercial real-estate developers. I’m not an artist, but I’ve collaborated with fine artists to port their work to giclée prints. I’ve conducted seminars for commercial printers and artists, and designed logos and icons for app and web navigation. And every day I discover or explore some new way to use Adobe Illustrator in the rapidly evolving world of illustration and design.

Along the way, I’ve written or co-authored more than a dozen books on Illustrator and other apps in Adobe Creative Suite, and created course materials on Illustrator for Adobe. Still, I’m fully aware that my own experience only scratches the surface of everything Illustrator can do.

I’ve learned from colleagues, competitors, and experts in different realms of Illustrator. Most of all, I’ve learned from decades of teaching Illustrator at community colleges, university extension schools, online courses syndicated around the world, and boutique design consulting agencies. More than anything, I’ve drawn on my teaching experience in putting together this book.

About This Book

Illustrators use Illustrator for an incredibly wide range of projects, but they all experience one thing in common: Illustrator is not easy to get your head around.

Illustrator’s massive array of tools is both a treasure chest and a treasure hunt. Even with the substantial online documentation that Adobe provides, finding your way to understanding and wielding Illustrator requires a guide.

That’s where this book comes in.

This book is a reference book, not a tutorial, but I’ve endeavored to weave in a variety of examples and from-the-trenches experiences that I think readers will find helpful.

I spent a lot of time and thought on organizing the material here so that you can find the buried treasure in Illustrator that will unlock your creativity and enhance your ability to solve whatever illustration and design challenges you confront.

I haven't included a lot of links to websites, but I have a few. Some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending that the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you have it easy: Just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

I’ve written Adobe Illustrator CC For Dummies for three levels of Illustrator users: those who are new to Illustrator, those who have been using it for a while, and those who are experts in some realm of the Illustrator universe but need a guide to other realms.

How do I juggle all three audiences? I don't assume any starting point as far as your knowledge of Illustrator. But I do assume that you’re no dummy, so this book is fast-paced, covers a lot of ground in under 400 pages, and emphasizes problem-solving methods in Illustrator over memorizing specific techniques. I also point you towards resources where you can dig deeper into areas that are a particular focus for your work.

Icons Used in This Book

I scatter tips, reminders, and an occasional warning throughout this book.

When you see a tip, I’m sharing a time-saving or stress-saving technique that might help you complete a project more quickly or easily.

I use this icon to emphasize meta-concepts and points that are widely applicable in Illustrator.

To my knowledge, no one has ever died by choosing an unfortunate and inappropriate tool or menu option in Illustrator. But when the stakes are high, such as when you might ruin your project and not be able to restore it, I issue a warning with this icon.

Beyond the Book

An online cheat sheet provides quick, basic answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about handing off Illustrator files to game coders, animators, and digital designers. Even though the material is drawn from the book, you may find it valuable as a quick guide to Illustrator-to-web problem-solving.

To see the cheat sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type Adobe Illustrator CC For Dummies in the search box.

Where to Go from Here

The chapters are non-sequential, so you can dive in anywhere. That said, I've arranged the chapters so that starting at the beginning and ending at the end is a good pathway for beginners. If you know what you’re looking for, go to the table of contents or index. And keep the book handy for the next challenge you encounter.