Adobe Illustrator is such a function rich software, even if you've used it for years, there is always so much more you can learn. When you know the right shortcuts and functions to use, your efficiency will definitely improve!
That has been the case for me several times, and once you know some of these you can't go back to the way you were working before. The following are some tools that I use frequently and once I discovered them, really quickened my process.
01 Pathfinder
USE THIS TO CREATE SHAPES FROM OTHER SHAPES
Window > Pathfinder
Play around with the different shapes and options and see what you get! It's the best way to become familiar with this tool.
02 Blend
USE THIS TO CREATE INTERESTING PATTERNS OR GRADIENT COLOUR PALETTES
Object > Blend (Alt + Ctrl +B)
You can change the type of blend (steps, smooth, distance) under Object > Blend > Blend Options. I've used this one a lot for creating colour palettes. Try blending different shapes or even lines in different colours to create interesting patterns and background designs.
03 Appearance Panel
CONTROL MULTIPLE FILLS, STROKES AND ADD EFFECTS
Window > Appearance
The Appearance Panel can be used for both shapes and text. No more expanding the text only to apply the different effects to different layers. Once you have applied a design to your text, you can just type whatever you need and the effect will be applied to it too.
04 Edit Colour
RECOLOUR AN ENTIRE ARTWORK OR CERTAIN ELEMENTS
Edit > Edit Colours
This example uses edit colors > recolor with preset > color harmony. You can also have a look at other edit colour options such as selecting a premade colour group to colour your entire artwork. Once you've selected a colour group, you can also click on the 'New' colours to change specific colours.
05 Transform Again
REPEAT THE LAST TRANSFORMATION ACTION
Object > Transform >Transform Again (Ctrl+D)
This function is handy when you want to have a series of items that are equally spaced apart from each other.
I hope you found these useful and it speeds up your work flow! Here are the 5 tools that were mentioned above:
Pathfinder
Blend
Appearance Panel
Edit Color
Transform Again
Let me know in the comments below what are some of your favourite Illustrator tools!
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