Illustrator/InDesign Tips

[Loopy Lisa]

Ok ok, so I have all the books, and gained some experience and do freelance on the side (which, depending, leaves me a perameter of time to work on things cause I work full time elsewhere).

Is there literature that any of you would suggest I read to gain some cool tips to use in the above stated programs?

Also, I have not been able to master the pen tool in Illy. Indesign, no problem. But with llustrator, the nodes/achors are sometimes "unavailable" to grab and thus when I try to create something as a locked drawing I cannot fill it with colour. GGRR.

Any suggestions?

[obesebee]

The pen tool in Indesign and Illustrator are pretty much the same, in fact as far as I can tell they are identical, if you've mastered one you have, by association, mastered the other.

Perhaps you have unintentionally locked the object or layer? Also I'm not sure what you mean by creating a locked drawing, could you expand on your description and maybe we can get to the bottom of this quandary?

[Zendada]

This is one of the things I dislike about Illustrator. If you don’t click exactly on the point you will deselct the object or you will get a pop-up warning to select a point yadda yadda.

This drives me nuts because while you have to be super precise with selections you can’t be super precise with guides or measurements like with Quark.

My advice is to zoom in as close as you can manage.

[PrintDriver]

Locked drawing?
Can't fill with color?

[obesebee]

Illustrator is just as precise as Quark, I can't abide the Quark pen tool. Also, if you're having trouble, put smart guides on and it will tell you exactly what your pen is hovering over ie anchor, handle etc.

[Loopy Lisa]

Smart guides??

Anyhoo when I said locked drawing, I meant the actual drawing itself, because you know how you draw something, then go to grab an achor and it grabs the whole selection. Locked drawing, my bad. Forget I said that but that's how it was to me; locked. I was unable to grab the anchor points.

*but* I did figure out how to grab an anchor point: use the pen tool and when the icon beside it turns to a plus sign instead of a dash, I can add an anchor point and use the selection tool to grab other points...have I lost anyone? LOL.

The one thing about me is, I usually end up answering my own question (or quandry if you will, lol) 5 minutes after I ask which makes me look retarded. I also figred out how to fill the drawing. I was creating a leaf, if you must know.

Anyways, thanks for all the tips ya'll.

[urstwile]

Hmm, hope I'm interpreting what might be going on correctly.

The only time that grabbing an anchor point grabs the entire selection when I do it is if I've maybe inadvertently option clicked on a segment of the object, which turns all the anchor points solid dark blue, or whatever the selection color of your layer is set to, meaning that the entire object is selected. If the anchor point is hollow (white with a blue or selection color outline), then only the individual point will move.

Or perhaps you've inadvertently selected the selection tool (black arrow), vs. the direct selection tool (white arrow). Using the selection tool, clicking on an anchor grabs the whole selection, using the direct selection tool grabs just the anchor point, unless the anchor point is a solid color, which indicates that the entire object is selected.

Clear as mud, right? :D

[cjoe]

Hmm, hope I'm interpreting what might be going on correctly.

The only time that grabbing an anchor point grabs the entire selection when I do it is if I've maybe inadvertently option clicked on a segment of the object, which turns all the anchor points solid dark blue, or whatever the selection color of your layer is set to, meaning that the entire object is selected. If the anchor point is hollow (white with a blue or selection color outline), then only the individual point will move.

Or perhaps you've inadvertently selected the selection tool (black arrow), vs. the direct selection tool (white arrow). Using the selection tool, clicking on an anchor grabs the whole selection, using the direct selection tool grabs just the anchor point, unless the anchor point is a solid color, which indicates that the entire object is selected.

Clear as mud, right? :D

These are very important details, they catch people out all the time, esp. me!

[urstwile]

I'm addicted to the keyboard shortcuts for the selection tools (V for selection, A for direct selection), but sometimes I hit one when I mean to hit the other.

Anyway, hope that is an answer to the problem she's having. :rolleyes:

[cjoe]

i find that when you have the convert point tool that using option click to turn it into the direct selection tool is very handy. and of course space bar is a life saver.

[Loopy Lisa]

Clear as mud, right? :D[/QUOTE]

Yes clear as mud, thanks! LOL

[style]

http://www.indesignsecrets.com/
for some more tips. i recieved the link from computer arts project magazine in the uk