Whats New

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4

Explore new paths with the essential vector tool
Discover new features and hidden gems that enable you to work efficiently and deliver anywhere. Multiple artboards, transparency in gradients, and a new Blob Brush tool for fluid sketching make Illustrator CS4 a must-have upgrade.
Adobe Illustrator CS4 software, available for both Mac and Windows, is a comprehensive vector graphics environment that is tightly integrated with other Adobe Creative Suite 4 software. Discover the power of editing appearances, work efficiently with new guides and panels, and deliver to developers, to printers, and across applications more easily than ever. Stay ahead of the pace of change with precisely the tools you need for mastering print, web, interactive, motion, and mobile content design. With Adobe Illustrator CS4, you can:
Adobe Illustrator CS4 is also available as a component of:
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection
Explore new features. Powerful additions such as the Blob Brush tool and transparency in gradients inspire fresh creativity. Support for multiple artboards is a highly anticipated update in Illustrator, prompting new ways of working on a wide variety of designs. Discover hidden gems. Existing features have been polished and hidden functions uncovered to expose deep capabilities, enabling you to learn new techniques quickly and take advantage of the true power of Illustrator.
Use multiple artboards to work faster across many designs, all in one file. And increase your efficiency with controls right on your objects, such as those for gradients that now include color-stop transparency.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 1
Work efficiently. Access to tools and options directly on your objects, such as with gradient editing, means interaction with Illustrator is simply faster. Innovations with Smart Guides and Isolation Mode plus new panel behaviors enable a smoother, more efficient workflow.

Top new features

Multiple artboards (Page 2) Transparency in gradients (Page 3) Gradients exposed (Page 3) Blob Brush tool (Page 4) Integration and delivery (Page 4) Enhanced user experience (Page 5) In-panel appearance editing (Page 7) Refined graphic styles (Page 8) Clipping masks demystified (Page 9) Separations preview (Page 9)
Deliver anywhere. Working in both design and development environments has never been easier. If youre a designer, you can now deliver editable files to developers for use in rich Internet applications (RIAs) and experiences. Print delivery is also more reliable with Separations Preview, and collaboration on motion and video projects is enhanced, thanks to improved cross-product integration.
Top new features of Adobe Illustrator CS4
The following are features in Illustrator CS4 that enable new ways of working so you can get the creative results youre after more efficiently and deliver designs more easily, anywhere.

Multiple artboards

Define working areas of varying sizes with complete freedom, all within one document. Work on a variety of projects in a single file and share settings and content across designs. You no longer need to use page tiling to create multipage PDF files, and you can arrange up to 100 artboards of different sizes any way you wanttiled, overlapping or freeform. You can even create an artboard inside an artboard to easily export just a piece of a composition. Multiple artboards provide the most powerful way yet to organize projects with multiple pages or diverse outputs. Sharing objects, styles, and output settings is a great time-saver, and you can apply symbols or test color variations with Live Color while viewing artwork in multiple contexts. Quickly set up bleeds and crop marks, and choose to show video-safe areas using preset profiles. Export your artboards in any supported file format as a series of files that are automatically numbered in sequence, or save as a single, multipage PDF fileyour choice.
Set options for each artboard independently.
Export any or all artboards with sequential filenames generated automatically, or choose to save as a multipage PDF.
Arrange multiple deliverablessuch as packaging, cards, and an ad layouton different artboards, all in one file.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 2
Transparency in gradients
Create a gradient of many colors and define the opacity of any or all individual colors assigned to your color stops. Transparency within a gradient simplifies creating interaction between layers and enables easy mixing and knockouts. Use transparency to create cover-up fades or to reveal underlying objects or images. For example, make a rainbow gradient on one object, and then simply set the blue gradient slider or color stop to 0% opacity level to show whats underneath.
The Gradient panel now has an opacity slider you can use with any of the gradient stops. You can also set the angle of your gradient with a slider and define the dimension of a radial gradient to get an ellipse.
You can even apply multiple fills to a single object, such as a pattern fill overlaid with transparent gradients, to create highlights and shadows that simulate the fabric of a draped garment. In the Appearances panel, simply apply additional fills and then use the Gradient tool to define opacities. And change the shape of that object as much as you wantall of your fills will follow along. Transparency in gradients also enhances work between Illustrator and other Creative Suite 4 components in which transparency and gradients behave in a similar fashion, such as Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Adobe Flash CS4 Professional, and Adobe Fireworks CS4 software.

Gradients exposed

On-object interaction plus new elliptical gradients exposes the power of gradients in Illustrator CS4. The new controls enable fast adjustment with minimum interruption of your train of thoughtno need to shift your attention to the Gradient panel. Work with gradients right on your object with immediate visual feedback. Color sliders and swatches appear on your selected object, with gradient stops that you can drag along the gradient bar. You can add and delete gradient stops and set the angle and position of the gradient by clicking directly on the controls. Radial gradients are enhanced with the new ability to set dimensions independently, to create an elliptical gradient of any proportion.
Gradient controls on your object provide instant visual feedback like never before. The precision of classic Illustrator gradient controls is preserved, while new controls provide more fluid, visual interaction.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 3

Blob Brush tool

The Blob Brush tool generates a clean, filled, vector shape while you sketch, even when strokes overlap, merging your paths naturally into a single object thats easily selected and edited. Now, when you draw, you dont get the typical jumble of paths, you get an outlined and filled shapeno expansion or Pathfinder tools required. And you can customize how your drawing flows together, choosing options for stroke character and pressure sensitivity. Drawing with the Blob brush is a truly painterly, fluid way to create vector forms, especially when used in combination with the Eraser and Smooth tools. Use these tools togetheralternately stroking and erasingto perfect your silhouette to get a single, smooth outline without ever needing to expand paths or use the Pathfinder panel.
Begin drawing a shape with the Blob Brush tool.
Perfect the shape by sketching, working strokes on top of strokes.
Use the Eraser tool to remove strokes from your shape, alternating between the Blob Brush and the Eraser tools.

Integration and delivery

Collaborate with your team, work across products, and deliver anywhere, using integrated tools and extensive format support. Illustrator CS4 enables export of editable, workable content for web, interactive, and RIA projects. And moving smoothly among Adobe tools is easier than ever, thanks to cross-product feature support and common interface elements. Flex integration Enrich your Flex applications more easily and take advantage of further support for designer-developer efficiency with Adobe Flex 3 integration. Flex Skin Design extensions for Illustrator enable reliable creation of vector skins with export in native Flex format.
The Blob Brush tool works with the calligraphic brushes in Illustrator CS4 or you can create custom brush shapes.
Smooth send and receive Send your artwork anywhere with broad support of even more file formats and across Adobe products. Enjoy cross-product feature support such as the ability to import multiple artboards from Illustrator into both Flash and Adobe InDesign CS4 software. Work across multiple applications Streamline your work among multiple applications with more tool commonality, increased consistency of tool behavior, and new user-interface enhancements across the components of Creative Suite 4.

Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 4

Enhanced user experience

Stay in the creative groove, thanks to significant interface improvements. Work faster and smarter with the following features that help reduce clicks and make interacting with Illustrator easier and more productive. Options where you work Choose tool options, stay precisely oriented, and make complicated edits to your artwork without interrupting your train of thought. New features in Illustrator CS4 help focus your attention where you need it moston your artboard and on your objects.
Gradient controls on the object
Smart Guide readouts at your pointer
Appearance editing in the panel
Tabbed document view With multiple open documents in a tabbed view, you can bring windows to the front with one click. Tabbed documents are also spring-loaded for easy copying and pasting. Simply drag a selection from your window onto a document tab, and that document pops to the front so you can paste your selection where you want. And, you can arrange multiple document windows in a tiled or cascaded view for easy visual comparison and even faster copying across documents. Spring-loaded panels Get to your panels even more quickly with springloading. Panels now expand automatically when you drag an object on top of the panel icon.
Multiple Illustrator documents are accessible via clickable tabs and can be viewed side by side or top to bottom by selecting a preset arrangement or dragging a tab.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 5
Practical Smart Guides Smart Guides are more intuitive and practical, with an unobtrusive look and new behaviors, such as alignment to objects on the artboard rather than to the cursor. New on-object readouts tell you exactly where you are, without your having to shift focus away from your work.
Smart Guides readouts are set up in the Preferences panel. View rotation angles in degrees, along with guides that show you relationships with nearby objectscontinuously, while you transform your selection.
Isolation Mode advances Isolation Mode now supports more object types, including compound paths, gradient mesh objects, images, and clipping masks. You can isolate a single object as well as top-level layers. Control your view while in Isolation Mode with new support for Outline View and with quick locking and hiding of objects. Its now easy to add new objects to a particular place in a stacking order, reducing the need for the Paste In Front/Back and Arrange commands. Check the new iconic breadcrumbs to see at a glance what type of object youre editing. The icons symbolize Layer, Group, Symbol, Path, and Image. The labels in the breadcrumbs are clickable so you can quickly navigate through your layers and objects. When youre finished working in Isolation Mode, exit using the Escape key.

Breadcrumb icons in Isolation Mode
Use Isolation Mode to work on an object that may be otherwise difficult to isolate.
Edit object attributes in the Appearance panel while youre in Isolation Mode.
Exit Isolation Mode to see the results of your edits in context.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 6
In-panel appearance editing
Edit multiple object characteristics directly in the Appearance panel. This improved panel shows attributes for single and multiple objects, such as fill or stroke color, which you can edit by simply clicking on the attributeeven when its shared among objects. Another new function in the Appearance panel is the ability to control the display of individual attributes. You can simply click the eye icon to turn off a complex effect that must be re-rendered with every move, so that you can work faster and keep your creative momentum going.
Edit an effect such as Distortion in the Appearance panel and choose to view just that attribute while you edit. Turn off attributes using the eye icons
And if you wish to select all objects in your artwork that have certain attributes, you can use a new Same Appearance Attribute option in the Select menu. Once you have selected objects with at least one common attribute, you can edit that attribute in the Appearance panel and see immediate results on all the objects at once. The power of the new Appearance panel lies in centralization of control and streamlining of your workspace. You no longer need to keep multiple panels open to apply and edit fills, strokes, complex attributes, and more. You can even copy and paste within the panel, so adding attributes to any object is fast and simple.
To edit an attribute, simply click on a fill or stroke in the Appearance panel to access the corresponding options.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 7

Refined graphic styles

Apply sets of attributes to objects and text as a single graphic style, layering and combining styles for unique effects. The Graphic Styles panel provides new functionality that includes an option to preview all your styles on the seleted object or group of objects. Its now easy to choose a style without having to actually apply it.

Create new graphic styles by selecting multiple attributes in your Appearances panel.
Thumbnail previews show you the style on your selected object, even on live text. Change style attributes in the Appearance panel and text still remains editable.
The Graphic Styles panel and the Appearance panel work hand in hand, supporting creation of complex styles that can be quickly applied without destroying an objects original appearance. Add a new style while pressing the Option key (Mac) or the Alt key (Windows) and observe that it doesnt replace the objects existing appearance. To see all the attributes that make a graphic style, click on the style and find its attributes listed in the Appearance paneleach easily edited.
Edit attributes of a graphic style in the Appearance panel, then quickly redefine your style or create a new one. New style
Illustrator CS4 makes graphic styles even more attractive with a new library of prebuilt styles to jump-start your creative exploration. New libraries include sets of effects such as pre-set blurs and drop shadows that you can add without affecting fills. And, of course, you can generate your own libraries of graphic styles that you can use again and again.
In this example, see how only four steps can create a soft, mixed shape. Use the Blob Brush tool to draw a red-filled object. Click a Graphic Style such as Airbrush 2 while pressing the Option key (Mac) or the Alt key (Windows). Draw a blue-filled blob. Click Airbrush 2 again while pressing Option or Alt.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 8
Clipping masks demystified
Work with masks more easily, thanks to true WYSIWYG behavior. Now, when the clipping object or group is selected, you will see only the clipped area (the visible parts of your objects). Edit the masking object in Isolation Mode or choose to make it visible using the Clipping Path menu options. Plus, with the buttons in the Control panel for Edit Clipping Paths and Edit Contents, you have truly intuitive choices for viewing and editing both your masks and masked objects.
Quickly switch from editing mask to editing contents. Clipping path is easily edited, with clipped area visible.

Clipped contents or masked group
Clipping path or mask object

Separations preview

Help ensure flawless printing using the new Separations Preview panel. Avoid color output surprises such as unexpected spot colors, unwanted overprinting, overprints that dont overprint, white overprinting, and CMYK blacks in text and placed files. The Separations Preview panel displays a list of spot and process colors; you can choose to display individual colors for previewing color separations onscreen. Illustrator CS4 continues the tradition of improving print support so you can deliver artwork that prints more reliably than ever.
Check how your color separations will look using the Separations Preview panel. See the preview on your artboard while you work.
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 9
Whats new in Adobe Bridge CS4
Adobe Bridge CS4included with Illustrator CS4 is a visual file browser that helps you search, view, and sort through many assets to quickly find the ones you want. New features and enhancements include: Faster performance from startup to browsing, including an option to display previews embedded in raw images Easier access to task-based workspaces A new List view with rich data and familiar sorting controls Built-in preview and creation of HTML and Flash web galleries, and PDF contact sheets One-click full-screen previews Collections for organizing related assets in freeform or search-based virtual groupseven when assets are spread across multiple folders Fast, detailed search results thanks to tight integration with Spotlight in Mac OS X and Desktop Search in Windows Vista New review modes, such as Carousel View for quickly cycling through assets Smart analysis and auto-stacking of High Dynamic Range (HDR) and panoramic images for handoff to Photoshop New support for previewing 3D images Camera Raw improvements, including non-destructive application of dodge, burn, sharpen, and other adjustments
Connect to the power of the online community through your creative desktop. New online services accessed from within Adobe Illustrator CS4 let you search for help and get answers from the online community; share your screen with colleagues or clients in a few quick clicks; get color inspiration from your peers, and more. With new online services in Illustrator CS4, you can take your ideas to the next level. Adobe Community Help. Get the power of an online search engine within your Illustrator CS4 software, but with more targeted results thanks to Adobe Community Help. Searchable content includes the comprehensive product-specific Help that Adobe has always delivered, plus additional Adobe and third-party content chosen by experts at Adobe and in the design and production communities. With Adobe Community Help, you can find the focused answers you need, fast. (Internet connection required for extended content.) Acrobat.com. Acrobat.com is a set of online servicesfile sharing and storage, PDF converter, online word processor, and web conferencingthat you can use to create and share documents, communicate in real time, and simplify working with others. Thanks to the connection between one of the Acrobat.com services, Adobe ConnectNow, and Illustrator CS4, you can meet live over the web to share your screen, present creative concepts and ideas, and brainstorm with up to two online guests for no additional service charge. To share your screen with colleagues and clients, choose File > Share My Screen. Guests can then see your desktop on their screens as you work. You can exchange ideas using the chat pod, add a live video or audio feed, or use the Whiteboard feature to enable guests to comment on content. You can even temporarily hand over control of the screen to a guest to collaborate on a file. Additional Acrobat.com services, such as Share, Create PDF, My Files, and Adobe Buzzword, are accessible via your web browser. (Internet connection required.) Adobe Kuler. Explore, create, and share color themes with Adobe Kuler. Kick start your creative projects with color inspiration from the online Kuler community. Browse thousands of themes by newest, most popular, or highest rated; or search themes by tag word, title, or creator. Themes can be downloaded and moved to your Swatches panel with a single click. You can also upload colors from your Swatches panel to share with others. (Internet connection required for community functionality.)

Creative Pro Online Services
Illustrator CS4 includes a Kuler panel, which enables browsing and searching Kuler themes from inside Illustrator. Download themes from the online Kuler community directly to your Swatches panel.
Adobe Bridge Home. Visit Adobe Bridge Homean online channel available in Adobe Bridge CS4and stay up to date with whats new from Adobe and the design, web development, and video and audio production communities at large. Watch the latest video tutorials for Illustrator CS4, listen to a podcast interview with a leading designer, or learn about the next training event in your community. Discover tips and resources that can help you work smarter and faster. (Internet connection required.)
Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 10

Mac OS

PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel processor Mac OS X v10.4.1110.5.4 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended) 2GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on flashbased storage devices) 1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card DVD-ROM drive QuickTime 7 software required for multimedia features Broadband Internet connection required for online services
Adobe Illustrator CS4 is integral to the Adobe Creative Suite 4 family of products, providing a vector graphics environment that serves as the foundation for design across media. Illustrator complements the other components of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium software for creating resolution-independent graphics that easily move among products and out to print, web, interactive, and mobile media. Design Premium provides all the tools you need to deliver your designs across media in a unified, intuitive environment. Also a component of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium software, Illustrator CS4 is the key for building rich vector assets for use on the web and in interactive experiences, and for creating lightweight assets for mobile content. Web Premium provides a complete solution for creating and maintaining interactive websites, applications, user interfaces, mobile device content, presentations, and other digital experiences. For film, video, audio, and interactive media, get Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium software, which includes Illustrator CS4 as the foundation for building creative assets for use in video and film. Production Premium is a total post-production solution, with tighter-than-ever integration between video, audio, and design tools for a smooth workflow from concept to delivery. Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection software is your premier solution for professional creative work, including, of course, Illustrator CS4the key to creating the vector graphics that are the basis of your designs. Master Collection combines the best of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, Web Premium, and Production Premium editions, giving you advanced productivity features so you can create content for virtually all media using one value-packed offering. Adobe Illustrator CS4 will be available in North America for an estimated street price of US$599, directly from Adobe or through Adobe Authorized Resellers. To order directly from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com or call 1-800-833-6687. Licensed owners of Illustrator CS3, Illustrator CS2, or Illustrator CS can upgrade to Adobe Illustrator CS4 for US$199. Licensed owners of Illustrator CS3, Illustrator CS2, or Illustrator CS are also eligible for special upgrade pricing to certain editions of Adobe Creative Suite 4. Owners of FreeHand 9, 10, or MX, and owners of CorelDRAW can switch to Illustrator CS4 for US$199. A complete description of upgrade eligibility and pricing is available in a separate Pricing Overview document. For volume licensing information, contact an Adobe Licensing Center or go to www.adobe.com. Estimated street prices do not include taxes, shipping, handling, or other related expenses. Information on pricing and support policies outside of North America and for Education customers will be available separately. Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and informationanytime, anywhere, and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Part of the Adobe Creative Suite 4 family

Windows

2GHz or faster processor Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit Windows XP and Windows Vista) 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended) 2GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on flash-based storage devices) 1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card DVD-ROM drive Broadband Internet connection required for online services For updates to system requirements, visit www. adobe.com/products/illustrator/systemreqs.

Availability and pricing

Expected ship date

Fourth quarter 2008

For more information
For more details about Adobe Illustrator CS4, visit www.adobe.com/illustrator.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe Systems Incorporated 345 Park Avenue San Jose, CA 95110-2704 USA www.adobe.com
Adobe, the Adobe logo, ConnectNow, Creative Suite, Fireworks, Flash, Flex, Illustrator, InDesign, Kuler, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Mac, Mac OS, and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. QuickTime is a trademark used under license. Intel and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This product may allow you to access certain features that are hosted online (online services), provided you have a high-speed Internet connection. The online services, and some features thereof, may not be available in all countries, languages and/or currencies and may be discontinued in whole or in part without notice. Use of the online services is governed by separate terms of use and by the Adobe privacy policy, and access to these services may require user registration. Some online services, including services that are initially offered at no charge, may be subject to additional fees. For additional details and to review the terms of use and privacy policy, please visitwww.adobe.com. 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed Adobe Illustrator CS4Whats New 11 in the USA. 08/14/08

Control object attributes in the Appearance panel.
In Illustrator, you can place both graphic and text files; placed graphics can be either linked or embedded into the document and are accessible from the Links panel. Integration across Adobe Creative Suite components allows you, for example, to choose layer comps when you place Photoshop files into Illustrator.
FreeHand to Illustrator Migration GuideKey Terms 6
FreeHand Term Illustrator Term Transform Handles Bounding box When you select objects with the Selection tool, Illustrator displays a bounding box around them. The bounding box lets you move, rotate, duplicate, and scale objects easily by dragging the object or dragging a handle (one of the hollow squares along the edge of the bounding box). To view the bounding box, choose View > Show Bounding Box. Keyline View Outline By default, Illustrator displays all artwork in color. However, you can choose to display artwork so that only its outlines (or paths) are visible. Viewing artwork without paint attributes speeds up the time it takes to redraw the screen when working with complex artwork. To view artwork as outlines, choose View > Outline. To view artwork in color, choose View > Preview.
The bounding box in Illustrator helps you apply transformations to selected objects.
Live Vector Effects Effects Effects in Illustrator are live, which means that you can modify them even after they are applied. You can apply effects to any object and then modify its vectors or the effects options, or you can remove the effect entirely using the Appearance panel. Once you apply an effect to an object, the Appearance panel lists the effect and enables you to edit, move, duplicate, or delete it, or save it as part of a graphic style. Extrude Tool 3D effects 3D effects enable you to create three-dimensional objects by either extruding or revolving two-dimensional objects. You can control the appearance of threedimensional objects with lighting, shading, rotation, and other properties. Edit In External Editor Edit Original Illustrator is highly integrated with Photoshop. Edit a linked bitmap using Photoshop by selecting the placed image and choosing Edit Original in the Control panel or Links panel, or from the Edit menu. Attach to Path Type on a Path In Illustrator, you select a path and type text on that path using the Type on a Path tool. You can then move or flip text along the path by dragging handles on the sides of the text. You can also choose to apply options such as Skew and 3D Ribbon while text remains editable.

The Color panel

FreeHand to Illustrator Migration GuideKey Terms 8
CONVERTING MACROMEDIA FREEHAND DOCUMENTS
Converting Macromedia FreeHand documents
Illustrator can open FreeHand files up to version 10 and FreeHand MX (version 11). Artwork from FreeHand versions 7 and 8 will open with fewer options than later versions. FreeHand allows you to import both CMYK and RGB image files. If you open a FreeHand document that contains both CMYK and RGB images in Illustrator, youll be prompted to choose a specific color space (see Setting up a New Document on page 15). If the original FreeHand document contains more than one page, these will become separate artboards in the Illustrator document; multiple artboards in Illustrator CS4 can be printed and saved separately or as a multipage PDF. You also have the option import only a specific page from a FreeHand file (see Multiple Artboards on page 17). Other import features include: Import of FreeHand swatches, defined in the Swatches palette in FreeHand, as swatches in Illustrator CS4. Import of FreeHand symbols as symbols in Illustrator CS4. Import of FreeHand raster effectsdrop shadow, basic and feather transparencyas live effects in Illustrator CS4. Import of FreeHand Envelopes as Envelope effects in Illustrator CS4. Import of FreeHand custom guides as Illustrator CS4 guides. The ability to outline text upon import so that text appearance in FreeHand is preserved in Illustrator CS4. Proper positioning of FreeHand text, including text alignment, text wrap, vertical text, and text inset, upon import into Illustrator CS4.
Multiple pages from FreeHand 9, 10, and MX will be imported into Illustrator CS4 as multiple artboards. You can import any and all pages at once. You can also convert text to outlines to preserve FreeHand appearances. Illustrator can work in either CMYK or RGB color mode. You will be prompted to choose one or the other when you open a FreeHand 9, 10, or MX document that contains objects that use both CMYK and RGB color modes.
FreeHandtoIllustratorMigrationGuideConvertingMacromediaFreeHanddocuments 9
T H E I L LU S T R ATO R W O R K S PAC E
The Illustrator Workspace
Illustrator shares the same user interface with Photoshop, InDesign, Fireworks, and Flash Professional CS4, so you can quickly access familiar tools. You can dock panels in your favorite configuration, pull them out to float free anywhere on your screen, and collapse them to an icon view. You can save custom workspace configurations and move between files easily with tabbed and tiled views of multiple documents. The basic workspace in Illustrator consists of an illustration window where you draw and lay out your artwork, a Tools panel that holds the tools for drawing and editing artwork, and panels to help you monitor and modify your artwork. Panels include a context-sensitive Control panel across the top or the workspace that displays controls based on your selection. The status bar (at the lower-left edge of the illustration window) displays the current zoom level, the current artboard with an artboard navigation menu, and current tool. It shows date and time, number of undos and redos available, document color profile, and more.

All panels, including the Control panel, have a pop-up menu that offers additional tool options and panel viewing options.
Panels can be collapsed into an icon view to optimize your screen space.
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Context-sensitive menus

You can quickly access many commands using context-sensitive menus that display commands relevant to the active tool, selection, or panel. To display a context-sensitive menu, right-click in the document window or panel (or Control-click on Mac OS).
Right-click (or Control-click, Mac) on an object to display a menu providing fast access to contextual commands.

On-object controls

A number of tool control panels appear directly on your selected object. For example, when you click the gradient tool and then select an object, gradient panel controls appear on the selection so you can quickly edit your gradient and more easily stay focused on your work.
The gradient panel appears right on the selected object for instant feedback as you adjust the characteristics of your gradient.

Keyboard shortcuts

Tip: To print the list of keyboard shortcuts from within Illustrator, choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts to open the dialog box, and click Export Text.
Illustrator lets you assign keyboard shortcuts for many operations. The Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box (choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts) serves as your shortcut editor, and includes all commands that support shortcuts, some of which arent in the default shortcut set. For a list of keyboard shortcuts, see page 40.
FreeHandtoIllustratorMigrationGuideTheIllustratorWorkspace 13

Preferences

Before you begin creating artwork with Illustrator, familiarize yourself with the programs default settingsspecifically the options available in the Preferences dialog box (in Mac OS, choose Illustrator > Preferences > General, or in Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > General). You can customize these settings to suit your needs, creating a work environment thats both productive and comfortable. As you look through the panes in the Preferences dialog box, youll see that many of the options are identical to those in FreeHand. Youll also find several unfamiliar but useful options, such as the option to use the clipboard to transfer selections between an Illustrator file and other Adobe applications. The clipboard is particularly useful for moving paths from one application to another because paths are copied to the clipboard as PostScript language descriptions. Artwork copied to the clipboard is pasted in PICT format in most applications. However, some applications, such as InDesign, accept PDF or AICB (Adobe Illustrator Clipboard) data. PDF preserves transparency; AICB lets you specify whether you want to preserve the overall appearance of the selection or copy the selection as a set of paths (which can be useful in Photoshop and InDesign).

When you create a new document, you can determine number of artboards, multiple artboard arrangement, document size, units of measurement, and bleeds. You can also choose a color mode.
The Illustrator Welcome screenyour starting point for a new project.
You can change raster effects settings at any time by choosing Effects > Document Raster Effects settings. To change the color mode, choose File > Document Color Mode.
FreeHandtoIllustratorMigrationGuideSettingupaNewDocument15
SETTING UP A NEW DOCUMENT
Wheres the Document panel? In FreeHand, you use the Document panel to target and select pages and to choose page dimensions, orientation, bleed settings, and printer resolution. In Illustrator, choose File > Document Setup to access artboards options and choose settings for type and transparency at the document level. You can also define the dictionary used for spell-checking and hyphenation, the position of superscripts, the scale for small caps, or how to copy transparency effects over to the clipboard for use within Illustrator or in other applications. Bleeds are also defined and edited in the Document Setup dialog box.

Document templates

You can use templates to create new documents that share common settings and design elements. The template can also contain symbols for common design elements (such as logos) and specific sets of color swatches, brushes, and graphic styles. Save your artwork in Adobe Illustrator Template (AIT) format and when you select a template using the New From Template command, Illustrator creates a new document with identical content to the template.
You can change the document setup at any time by choosing File > Document Setup.

The Illustrator document

Artboards represent the areas that can contain printable artwork. They can be of any dimension, as can your page size. For example, one artboard may be 15x15 inches, while your print settings specify 81/2x11-inch paper. You can view page boundaries by showing page tiling (View > Show Page Tiling). When page tiling is on, the printable and nonprintable areas are represented by a series of solid and dotted lines. You can move the printable area by using the Page tool. The canvas is the 227square inch area outside of all artboards. This is the total area available for arranging and working with your artboards. You can create, edit, and store elements of artwork in the canvas, but they will not print.
Printable area Nonprintable area (printer margins) Artboard Canvas
FreeHandtoIllustratorMigrationGuideSettingupaNewDocument16

The color selection area in the Tools panel
The Color Picker and the Color panel

Working with swatches

Swatches are named colors, tints, gradients, and patterns. The swatches associated with a document appear in the Swatches panel. In addition, you can open libraries of swatches from other Illustrator documents, and access various color systems. Swatch libraries appear in separate panels and are not saved with the document until you drag and drop specific swatches to the Swatches panel. Swatches can be organized into groups and viewed in organized hierarchies. In FreeHand, swatches are global (meaning that when you modify the swatch, all items colored with it change accordingly); in Illustrator, you can choose whether or not swatches are global. You can save your own swatch libraries to use in other Illustrator documents by saving in Illustrator format (AI). You can also share solid swatches between Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign by saving a swatch library for exchange (ASE, Adobe Swatch Exchange). The colors appear the same across applications as long as your color settings are synchronized. You can also create and share color group swatches by using the Kuler panel or the Kuler website. How do I access Pantone Libraries? To open a specific swatch library, including PANTONE HKS, Trumatch, FOCOLTONE, , DIC, TOYO, and Web, choose it from the Window > Swatch Libraries submenu or from the Swatch Libraries menu in the Swatches panel. When you open a swatch library, it appears in a new panel (not in the Swatches panel as in FreeHand).
The Swatches panel lets you view and organize named colors in groups. A.Color Group B. Swatch Libraries C.Show Swatch Kinds D.Swatch Options E. New Color Group
Tip: Note that with artwork selected, double-clicking on a Color Group icon will recolor the selected artwork using the new colors in that color group. And a Recolor Artwork dialog box will open automatically for fine-tuning.
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WORKING WITH GRAPHICS

Live Paint
Live Paint lets you fill vector graphics intuitively by automatically detecting shapes and correcting gaps. You can use Live Paint on any group of shapes, or try it on a traced image. Select the traced vectors, and click the Live Paint button in the Control panel to convert them to a Live Paint group. Select the Live Paint Bucket tool and click to fill regions with color or gradients, using the arrow keys to choose which color swatch to apply. A red outline indicates regions that you can fill in individually. Or, drag the bucket across multiple regions to select them and fill them at once. Live Paint enables location and repair of gaps where color leaks through open edges into adjacent regions by clicking the Gap Options button in the Control panel.

Tip: Triple-click with the Live Paint Selection tool to select all regions in a Live Paint group that are filled with the same color.
Convert vectors to a Live Paint group.
Paint with the Live Paint Bucket.
Control gaps in your artwork.
The Kuler panel is your portal to groups of colors, or themes, created by the online community of designers. You can use it to browse thousands of themes on Kuler, and then download some to edit or to include in your own projects. You can also use the Kuler panel to share your themes with the Kuler community by uploading them. Open the Kuler panel by selecting Window > Extensions > Kuler. Search for color themes by keywords and add selected themes to your swatches panel. You can also save your search terms and quickly save themes that catch your eye to your own Kuler list of saved themes.
Use Kuler inside Illustrator to browse and search for Kuler themes. Add colors from the Kuler community to your Swatches panel with a single click.
You will need an internet connection to access the Kuler community from within Illustrator. You can also work with Kuler in any standard browser by visiting http://kuler.adobe.com.
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Live Color

Live Color is a complete color exploration environment within Illustrator CS4. If you have ever been frustrated by having to color objects individually, you will appreciate this interactive way to create and apply color schemes. Live Color lets you work with color in a variety of ways. Discover new and unique color combinations that you can save and reuse. Interactively apply color to multiple objects at once, test color schemes quickly, and re-color artwork according to specific schemes such as PANTONE or any custom library. Live Color includes the Color Guide panel, which invites exploration of color groups without affecting your artwork. Use the Color Guide panel to find compelling colors and save them to organized color groups in your Swatches panel. You can create color schemes based on 23 classic color-harmony rules such as Complementary, Analogous, Monochromatic, and Triad, or you can create custom harmony rules. Choose a base color, and then see what variations you come up with according to rules you choose. You can also limit color schemes to existing libraries such as PANTONE solids or any set of colors you may have saved in a previous project. Live Color is also ideal for presenting color options to clients. Quickly change the entire look and feel of a logo, a piece of collateral, or an illustration to present likely color schemes in the comp phase of a project. And saving color variations is easier than ever, so moving from comps to final production is efficient, thanks to quick application of saved schemes.

Use the Color Guide panel to quickly redefine color schemes based on a selection or by limiting the colors to a specific swatch library.
Access Live Color via the Control panel or via the Swatches and Color Guide panels.
Open Live Color's Edit Colors and Recolor Artwork dialog boxes that enable creative color scheme experimentation and fast recoloring of selected artwork.
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Transparency in Gradients
In Illustrator, you apply gradient fills to objects using the Gradient tool that features on-object controls for easy editing. When you click the Gradient tool, the default gradient or last-applied gradient will be immediately applied to your selected object. You can then edit the gradient and see results as you work, right on your object. Gradients can also be added and edited using the Gradient panel. You can save gradients to the Swatches panel for quick application to other objects and you can adjust the transparency of any color in your gradients. You will find that Illustrator gradients are smoother than those you create in FreeHand (without visible linear or radial steps) and output exactly as you have created them. Gradients are defined by a series of stops in the gradient slider (a minimum of two). A stop is the point at which a gradient changes from one color to the next, and is identified by a square below the gradient slider.
The Gradient panel has an opacity slider you can use with any gradient stop to create transparent colors. Opacity is indicated by a checkerboard pattern in the gradient bar. You can also set the angle of your gradient with a slider and define the dimension of a radial gradient to get an ellipse.
Gradient controls on your object provide instant visual feedback. Add and edit color stops, adjust the location and angle of a gradient, and even change the shape of an ellipitical gradientall right on the object.
Transparency in gradients enables quick and easy experimentation with blending and mixing colors among layered objects.
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Patterns

Illustrator comes with many patterns that you can access in the Swatches panel and in the Illustrator Extras folder on the Illustrator CD. Patterns in Illustrator can be much more intricate than the patterns offered in FreeHand, and you can also design patterns from scratch with any of the Illustrator tools, customize existing patterns, and see the resulting patterns onscreen as you work. Patterns tile from left to right from the ruler origin (by default, the bottom left of the artboard) to the opposite side of the artwork. To adjust where all patterns in your artwork begin tiling, change the documents ruler origin. Patterns intended for filling objects (fill patterns) differ in design and tiling from brush patterns. For best results, use fill patterns and brush patterns on the objects the way they were intended. Brush patterns can consist of up to five tiles (for the sides, outer corners, inner corners, and the beginning and end of the path). The additional corner tiles enable brush patterns to flow smoothly at corners.

Drag vector graphics into the Swatches panel and use them as patterns that you can apply to fills and strokes.

Symbols

Working with symbols is similar to working with graphic elements in a FreeHand Library. A symbol is an art object that you can reuse in a document. For example, if you create a symbol from a leaf, you can then add instances of that symbol multiple times to your artwork without adding the complex art itself. Each symbol instance is linked to the master symbol in the Symbols panel or a symbols library. Using symbols saves you time and greatly reduces file size. You can make a symbol from any vector, raster, or type object in your document or use Illustrators built-in Symbols library. To create a symbol, drag and drop a graphic element into the Symbols panel. After you place a symbol on the artboard, you can edit the symbols instances and, if you want, redefine the original symbol.
Use the symbolism tools to add and manipulate multiple symbol instances at once. You can spray, shift, scrunch, size, spin, stain, screen, or style symbols using styles from the Graphics Styles panel.
Stained with another color Screened to become transparent
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WORKING WITH APPEARANCES AND STYLES
Working with Appearances and Styles

The Appearance panel

In FreeHand, you determine the properties of your objects in the Object Properties panel. In Illustrator, you use the Appearance panel to view and adjust the appearance attributes for an object, group, or layer. Appearance attributes are properties that affect the look of an object without altering its underlying structure. Appearance attributes include fills, strokes, transparency, and effects that you can apply to one object or multiple objects. You can then edit, remove, or toggle the visibility of attributes from within the Appearance panel in Illustrator CS4. You can even copy and paste inside the panel, so adding attributes to any object is fast and simple. In the Appearance panel, fills and strokes are listed in stacking order; top to bottom in the panel as they correlate to front to back in the artwork. Effects are listed from top to bottom in the order in which they are applied to the artwork. To display, choose Window > Appearance.

Edit an effect such as Free Distort from within the Appearance panel. Use the eye icons to toggle attribute visibility
If you wish to select all objects in your artwork that have certain attributes, you can use the Select menu to choose Same Appearance Attribute. Once you have selected objects with at least one common attribute, edit that attribute in the Appearance panel and see immediate results on all objects at once. The power of editing attributes in the Appearance panel lies in easy control of advanced effects without interacting with multiple panels. You can work in a more centralized manner, manipulating styles and complex combinations of attributes across many objectsall from one place.
Edit an attribute by simply clicking on a fill or stroke in the Appearance panel to access the corresponding options.
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Graphic styles

As in FreeHand, graphic styles in Illustrator are combinations of fills, strokes, and effects that are saved together as a style. In Illustrator, combinations of attributes can be applied to objects or text as a single graphic style, and you can layer and combine multiple styles for unique effects. The Graphic Styles panel includes an option to preview all your styles on the selected object or group of objects. See how a style will look without having to actually apply it. The Graphic Styles panel and the Appearance panel work hand in hand. To see all the attributes that make up a graphic style, click on the style and find its attributes listed in the Appearance paneleach easily edited individually. And you can add a new style to an object while pressing the Option key (Mac OS) or the Alt key (Windows) and observe that it doesnt replace existing appearances.
Change style attributes in the Appearance panel and text remains editable.
Thumbnail previews show you the style, even on live text.
Illustrator CS4 includes a new library of prebuilt styles to jump-start your creative exploration. It includes sets of effects such as pre-set blurs and drop shadows that you can add without affecting fills. And, of course, you can generate your own libraries of graphic styles that you can use again and again.

Use Isolation mode to edit clipping paths without disturbing surrounding artwork.
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WORKING WITH TEXT

Working with Text

Text composition methods

The appearance of type on the page depends on a complex interaction of processes called composition. Using the word spacing, letter spacing, glyph scaling, and hyphenation options youve selected, Illustrator evaluates possible line breaks and chooses the one that best conforms to the specified parameters. Illustrator offers two composition methods: the Adobe Every-line Composer and the Adobe Single-line Composer.
The Paragraph panel and the menu options.
The single-line composer offers a traditional approach to composing typeone line at a time. This option is useful if you want manual control over how lines break or if you are working with legacy text that you do not want to reflow. The every-line composer considers a network of break points for a range of lines, and can optimize earlier lines in the paragraph in order to eliminate especially unattractive breaks later on. To choose one of these methods use the Paragraph panel menu. If you select your type object with the Selection tool, Illustrator applies the method to all paragraphs that are contained in it; if you click the text insertion point in a paragraph the option will be applied only to that paragraph.

Single-line Composer

Every-line Composer
FreeHand uses a text composition engine that is very similar to the Adobe Single Line Composer; if you notice unwanted text-reflow in a converted document, try changing the composition method.

Type tools

In FreeHand, you use the Text tool to enter text, either into fixed size or auto expanding text blocks, and then flow it into a shape or attach it to a path. In Illustrator, there are three methods for creating type: at a point, inside an area, and along a path.
Type tools in the Tools panel
Point type is a horizontal or vertical line of text that begins where you click on the artboard with the Type tool and expands as you enter characters. This method is useful for adding a few words to your artwork. Point type resizes when you drag the handles of the bounding box. Area type uses the boundaries of a selected vector object to control the flow of characters. When the text reaches a boundary, it automatically wraps to fit inside the defined area. This method is useful when you want to create one or more paragraphs, such as for a brochure. Create a container for area type by clicking and dragging a rectangular shape with the Type tool, or use the Area Type tool to select any closed path to contain your text. You can also create a text area by clicking and dragging on the artboard with the Type tool. You can modify the shape of the type area by dragging handles of the bounding box; text will reflow in the new shape. Type on a path flows along the edge of an open or closed path. The text flows in the direction in which points were added to the path. In addition to typing text in your artwork, you can import it from a variety of text file formats (for example Microsoft Word, RTF format, or plain text documents) by choosing File > Place.

Advanced and Basic SWF options

Blend options

In this example, the star in the center has a Warp effect applied to it.

Exporting

If you need to use your file in workflows that do not support native Illustrator file formats, you can export the artwork into many alternate file types, including AutoCAD Drawing (DWG), Flash (SWF), or TIFF. These formats are called non-native because Illustrator doesnt include all of the data necessary to reopen the file in Illustrator. For this reason, it is recommended that you save artwork in AI format until you completed it, and then export the artwork to the desired format.
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PRINTING

Printing
Illustrator CS4 output for print is reliable and accurate, thanks to features such as transparency flattening and overprint preview, whether you are sending your artwork directly to a printer or exporting as Adobe PDF. You can be confident that your work will print just as you have created it.

Separations Preview

Deliver reliably to print using Separations Preview to check your colors. Avoid color output surprises such as unexpected spot colors, unwanted overprinting, overprints that dont overprint, white overprinting, and CMYK blacks in text and placed files. The Separations Preview panel displays a list of spot and process colors; you can choose to display individual colors for previewing color separations onscreen.
Check how your color separations will look, individually or in combination, by turning on the visibility of each color in the Separations Preview panel. See the preview on your artboard while you work.
The Separations Preview panel shows spot colors as well as CMYK separations.

Overprint setup

Tip: Ensure all your blacks are the same and set them all to overprint at once. Select your black swatch or a black object and choose Select > Same > Fill Color. Add to your selection if needed. Then click Overprint Fill in the Attributes panel. Check your work using Separations Preview.

Creates a tracing object and converts it to paths.

Alt-click button

Option-click button
Enters Isolation mode when using the Selection tool. Exits Isolation mode when using the Selection tool.
Double-click a path or a group Double-click outside the isolated path or group

Document control

Switches between open Illustrator documents.

Ctrl+Tab

Command+tilde (~)
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Additional Resources
This guide is not meant to replace documentation that comes with Illustrator CS4 or to be a comprehensive reference for the features in Illustrator CS4. To that end, this guide has mentioned many documents that offer more information on specific topics. In addition, Adobe offers many other useful resources for anyone who wants to learn more about Illustrator features, tools, and techniques. Illustrator Help Choose Help > Illustrator Help to explore Adobe Community Help, which aggregates the best learning and support content available for Illustrator CS4, and features a powerful new online search that pulls the most current resources from Adobe and from today's experts in the Adobe community. Adobe Bridge CS4 Adobe Bridge CS4 is a powerful, easy-to-use media manager for visual people, letting you easily organize, browse, locate, and view creative assets. Available in all six editions of Adobe Creative Suite 4 software and in most of Adobe's professional creative applications, Bridge provides centralized access to project files and global settings, as well as to XMP metadata tagging and searching capabilities. Open Bridge from within Illustrator CS4 by clicking the icon located in the Application bar. Find out more about Bridge by visiting http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/bridge. Adobe TV For training, techniques, and a creative jump-start, watch videos on Adobe TV. Choose from tutorials, demos, tips and tricks, and inspirational programs. See how tools work between Adobe applications and get step-by-step instruction on what it takes to achieve certain effects. Check out profiles of industry-leading designers who present how-to's and let you in on their secrets to great design. Visit http://tv.adobe.com, and find videos on a huge array of topics and for every level of expertise. Illustrator Design Center Find a wealth of artist galleries, design ideas, links, plug-ins, actions, and instructional content by visiting http://www.adobe.com/designcenter. See how todays designers engage with
technology and what their experiences mean for design, design tools, and society.

Adobe Illustrator product pages Go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/products/illustrator for complete information about Illustrator CS4 and for links to useful documents. Navigate to the Features pages to learn, in detail, about all the features in Illustrator CS4. Support Center The Support Center on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support offers a searchable knowledgebase, user forums, and other timely information about all Adobe products.
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