Project Setup & Interface

Creating New Document

• Go to File > New or use shortcuts Ctrl+N (Windows) / Cmd+N (Mac);
• This opens a dialog box with options and presets for different types of projects (e.g., mobile, web, print);
• Free templates can be used for a quick start;
• Choose units based on the project type:
  • Pixels for digital screens (Recommended);
  • Inches, centimeters, or millimeters for print projects.
• Artboards are like blank pages. You can set the number of artboards you want. Don't forget to select the artboard orientation whether it's portrait or landscape;
• Choose the color mode:
  • RGB for digital screens;
  • CMYK for print projects.

Getting Familiar with The Interface and How to Customize Workspaces

• In modern versions of Adobe Illustrator, the user interface (UI) has been updated compared to older versions;
• The UI consists of:
  • Tools Panel on the left, containing all the tools;
  • Menu Bar at the top, with various menus and commands;
  • Panels or Panel Groups on the right, such as Properties, Layers, and Libraries;
• Panels can be customized and moved around, undocked, moved, and placed anywhere in the workspace. For example, the Properties panel can be separated or grouped with other panels. The Tools panel can even be moved to the right-hand side if preferred. Panels can also be resized, collapsed, or expanded depending on your preference;
• The customized workspace can be saved by going to Window > Workspace > New Workspace. Give it a name and save it;
• To revert to default settings, select the default workspace (e.g., "Essentials") and reset it via Window > Workspace > Reset [Workspace Name];
• The "Essentials Classic" workspace represents the older layout, which includes an application bar with tool-specific settings. But they're mostly located in the properties panel now;
• Workspaces can be deleted or managed by going to Window > Workspace > Manage Workspaces. This allows the removal of any created workspace.

Zooming & Panning:

• The entire work area in Adobe Illustrator is called the canvas;
• Access the Zoom Tool by clicking it in the Tools Panel or pressing the shortcut Z on the keyboard. Click to zoom in. Each click zooms in further;
• To zoom out, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while clicking. The cursor changes to a minus icon to indicate zooming out;
• You can also click and drag to zoom in continuously, or hold Alt/Option and drag to zoom out;
• Use the Hand Tool (shortcut H) to move around the canvas in any direction. While using any tool, hold the Spacebar to temporarily switch to the Hand Tool for panning to any direction, then release to return to the previous tool;
• To see all artboards at once, go to View > Fit All in Window;
• To focus on a specific artboard, click on it to select it and then choose View > Fit Artboard in Window.

Undo & Redo Commands

• To undo an action, go to Edit > Undo or use the shortcut Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac);
• To redo an action, go to Edit > Redo or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Z (Mac);
• These commands help revert changes step-by-step or reapply them. The History panel can also be used : access it by going to Window > History;
• The History Panel records every taken step, allowing to jump directly to any previous or next action;
• You can skip multiple steps by clicking directly on any state in the history list;
• Keep in mind that if you undo actions to a previous state and then perform a new action, all the steps after the selected state will be permanently deleted. This is because a new history path is created, and the old one is replaced. So, use the history feature carefully to avoid accidentally losing progress;
• The History Panel can be used to track actions and navigate between steps, but typically, using the regular undo (Ctrl/Cmd + Z) and redo (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z) commands is enough for most tasks.

Saving Projects

• The work can be saved either locally on your device or on the Adobe Cloud for access from other devices;
• Go to File > Save As or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + S (Mac);
• A dialog box will appear; choose "On your computer" to save locally. Rename the file and hit Save;
• An "Illustrator Options" window will appear. Select the appropriate version if you're collaborating with others using different versions of Illustrator, otherwise, leave it at the latest version and click OK;
• To save to the cloud select "Save to Creative Cloud" or click "Save Cloud Document";
• Rename the file and hit Save to store it on the Adobe Cloud. Then the file can be accessed from any device that has Adobe Illustrator, including the iPad;
• To open a saved project, go to File > Open, select the file, and click Open to continue doing the work;
• Saving in Illustrator format (.ai) will retain layers, type, and other editable Illustrator properties. It's best to save the image in Ai format while you're still working on it;
• The project can be saved as a PDF (.pdf) too and you can choose whether to preserve illustrator editing capabilities or not;
• Saving in JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png) format will save as a standard image file that can be shared, opened by other programs, and posted online. When finished editing, save a copy in one of these formats too.

Some tips for saving:

• Save often: don't wait until the full project is done to save it;
• Save early: this is especially important if you've created a new file from scratch. Because until you do save, that file hasn't been permanently saved to the system and could be lost if the computer crashes;
• You can't see ".ai" file on the web, and if you're sharing it with someone who doesn't have Illustrator, they might not be able to open the file.