Creating a Mask in Adobe Illustrator CS3 or CS5

Masking lets you create a stencil effect. You can cover an object with a masking object, so that the image only looks through the shape of the masked item. You can have many paths as masks and can have multiple masks on a page, although, multiple or complex masks could cause printing problems.

Making a mask:

Draw the item you want to mask

Now place on top of these objects your masking object (or mask)

Select both the objects and the mask.

Go to the Object menu and choose Clipping Masks, Make:

You can use your selection tools to move your mask or the objects around and change how the mask looks.

Interlocking Shapes & Letters in Adobe Illustrator

You can use the Pathfinder filter to create interlocking shapes and letters. Here are the instructions to do this:

Draw your stroked only paths or enter your type. (Note: if you are using text remember to create outlines first) For strokes, go to Object, Path, Outline Stroke. Overlap the shapes.

Select all the overlapping objects. Go to the Pathfinder palette (under the window menu) and choose Divide. Now any overlapping areas are defined as separate objects which can be individually filled in.

Use the direct selection tool (the arrow that is filled in white under the main selection tool on the pallet) to select areas to fill in to create an overlapping effect. Remember to change the fill, not the stroke color.

Gradients in Adobe Illustrator are easier than you thought

Adobe Illustrator CS3 has built in so many tools so that you don’t have to waste time trying to create your own techniques anymore.  One of the ones I love is the built in gradients.  If you have a vector art image that you pull in to Adobe Illustrator simply click on the image.  Go to Window, Swatch libraries, and choose gradients.  There are a bunch to choose from so I would start with “Earthtones.”

While the image is highlighted simply click on one of the gradients and viola! You have a great gradient for your image.  If you want to change the direction the gradient is moving in, then choose the Gradient tool from the tool bar and drag your mouse from any direction on the image after you have picked a gradient and you’ll be able to have a more precise design.

Also, if you want to change more specifications of the gradient, then go to Window, appearance, and you can change each individual attribute of the gradient.

Quick Adobe InDesign Tip on photo and illustration effects for designers

Adobe InDesign CS3 has tools in it that are great for a designer. If you don’t have time to use Photoshop or Illustrator but want to just learn InDesign, there are some ways to manipulate a photo or illustration within the software.

CS3 and CS4 allow you some awesome abilities to blend a photo with a background color.  In this instance I have a Orange-ish background that I created using the “Eyedropper” tool.  I then chose to right click on the photo and click “Effects”.

From the Effects pallet that pops up on the screen you have sooo many options of what to do next.  I like to add a directional feather and a basic feather. My feather widths are set at .2 all around to create the illusion that the photo blends perfectly with the background color.

Click okay and your done! Yep, it’s that easy! Gotta love the help that Adobe InDesign CS3 and CS4 bring us!