Pro Illustrator Techniques for Next-Level Designs
Adobe MAX 2024 - Session by Adobe Design Evangelist,
Kladi Vergine
Packed with practical Illustrator tips and features for efficient design.
Speaker: Kladi Vergine, illustrator and design evangelist. (Instagram: @IAMKLADI)
More Resources: Find Kladi’s full presentation at iamkladi.com/max2024.
File Sharing & Updating Tips:
When you Publish Online, the document link remains consistent, so changes made in the source file will reflect without a new link.
Useful for teams needing up-to-date guidelines accessible from one URL.
Toolbar Customization
Access Hidden Tools: Click the three dots at the bottom of the toolbar to reveal and remove unused tools.
Save as Custom Workspace: Once customized, save the toolbar layout as a new workspace for easy access.
Advanced Drawing and Editing Tools
Curve Pen Tool: Smooth lines like a brush tool to create even, natural linework.
Pen Tool Shortcut: Hold Shift while clicking to remove anchors without affecting the line.
Mirror Tool: Use Repeat to create mirrored elements for symmetrical designs.
Fun Design Techniques
Tilde Key: Press and hold while moving shapes to create spirograph effects.
Non-Destructive Pathfinder: Hold Option with Pathfinder tools to combine shapes but keep them editable.
Appearance Panel Tips
Adding Multiple Fills: Apply multiple fills to text or shapes. Right-click to convert any fill to a rectangle.
Offset Path with Appearance Panel: Create offset paths or additional shapes using the Transform effect to adjust size, scale, or position.
Generative Fill & Intertwine Features
Generative Shape Fill: Use reference images to auto-generate shapes that match your theme or palette.
Intertwine Tool: Group items into an editable collection, allowing for intuitive positioning and adjustments.
Text Alignment & Touch Type Tools
Advanced Alignment: More alignment options, including Glyph Bounds and Point Align, offer precision.
Touch Type: Use Shift + T to adjust characters individually within a text box, accessible from the Appearance Panel.
Creative Recoloring with Scripts
Random Swatches Fill: Quickly recolor objects by selecting all shapes and running the Random Swatches Fill script.
Find Script on Kladi’s Site: Download and try out this recoloring script at iamkladi.com/max2024.
Using the Tilde Key for Spirographs:
Select a shape and hold the Tilde (~) key while moving it to generate intricate, repeating designs.
Great for creating dynamic patterns or abstract backgrounds quickly.
Using Touch Type for Custom Text Adjustments:
Select the text object, press Shift + T, then click any individual character to adjust size, rotation, and position.
Ideal for creating dynamic, customized typography within Illustrator.
Setting Up Global Colors:
In the Swatches panel, select “New Swatch” and check “Global.” This enables quick adjustments across the design by changing one swatch, applying edits uniformly.
Using Pathfinder Non-Destructively:
Select shapes, hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), and use Pathfinder. This keeps the shapes editable in case future changes are needed.
