today learn about four different illustrator tools or functions that you
probably don't use enough in your graphic design workflow and also how to
use them properly and today's video has been made possible by template monster
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so check out template monster via the links in description below the first of
four different tools or functions that you don't use in Illustrator is the path
eraser tool now often if we have a pen tool path that we want to cut up and
dissect we will press C for the scissors tool or you can locate it here you then
it would go along clicking and cutting the path but to actually remove the
sections on the path you would need to use a selection tool and then go around
clicking and deleting things but to save time simply use the path or ate a tool
which you can find here all you need to do is click and draw over the areas that
you wish to remove it's a lot easier and a lot quicker than using the scissors
tool so next time you want to remove parts of a pencil path just use the path
arrays at all the next illustrator tool that you probably don't use enough is
the blend tool now I don't mean the blend function I mean the actual blend
tool itself which has the keyboard shortcut of W on your keyboard
often designers will come up to the top drop-down menu and use the blend
function and object and then blend but to save time just grab the blend tool
you can also hold down the alt/option key to access the blend tool settings so
when you have some object selected in illustrator click them both with the
blend tool an illustrator will perform the blend function with the blend still
selected hold down the alt option key and access the settings menu from here
you can adjust the blend of X and C the results in real time again this just
saves time and it's a lot easier your workflow a third tool or function
that you don't use enough is a compound shape function this might get a bit
heavy and a bit advanced but follow along because it is useful and to
demonstrate I've got two different circles here but also I have the layers
window open and also the Pathfinder window too first I'm going to make a
compound path which is different to a compound shape because a compound path
is essentially any shape in Illustrator that has a hole inside of there in the
layers window you can see that the two circles have been made into one single
shape and the middle has been cut out all of the top row functions in the
Pathfinder window are actually compound path functions however we can create the
same situation with the middle of a shape cut out but without the two shapes
being merged together in one shape for that you need to use a compound shape so
once you've done that double-click the middle circle to isolate it and then in
the Pathfinder window hold down the alt option key and then click the minus for
an option now we've cut out the middle circle but as you can see in the layers
window the design hasn't been merged into one shape this now means we can
move and edits the cut out section really easily in the illustrator using
compound shapes allows us to perform non-destructive workflow and you should
try to use them whenever possible so lastly today the function that you don't
use enough other designer is the layers window I've said this before but it
really is essential that you use this you might think that Photoshop is the
only program where layers are useful but you'd be wrong in Illustrator you can
see your design very easily by tracking the layers as well as editing the names
so you can keep things organized and simple
this is especially useful for busy designs and using the layers window
makes your life that much easier as a designer
I've actually got a video linked in the top right corner where you can explore
the layers window that much more so there was today's video guys I hope you
find it useful and if you did let me know in the comment section below
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PayPal anyway guys enjoy your weekend and until next time design your future
today peace
you