Adobe Illustrator 5.0



Author: Denise L. Jesus

Date: December, 1993

Keywords: Adobe Systems software program application review graphics
art

Text:
A few weeks ago, Post-It pad in hand, I began the challenge of learning
Adobe Illustrator 5.0 as a rank beginner. Now, with the pages of my
tutorial & user guide literally blanketed with yellow pieces of paper,
I'm ready to tell you about Adobe's newest Illustrator upgrade.
As with most graphics programs, the more RAM, speed, and hard disk
space that you have, the better off you are. The program runs under
System 6.0.7 or higher (System 7 is recommended, 32-bit Quick-Draw is
required for System 6) and Adobe recommends that you have 5 MB of RAM
(although the December '93 MacUser recommends a minimum of 8 MB of 
RAM). You'll also need a hard disk with 9.3 MB of free space, and a
PostScript printer.
If your cpu doesn't have a math  co-processor, as was the case with my
LC III, then you won't be able to access the Pathfinder filters (and
believe me, you'll WANT to access the Pathfinder filters). Thankfully
there is a software solution. The shareware control panel, ''Software
FPU'' (available on the SMUGgler's BBS!), when installed prior to
installing Illustrator, solves the problem.
Adobe Illustrator 5.0 comes on seven disks, with four manuals (Getting
Started, Tutorial, User Guide, & Beyond the Basics), as well as Quick
Reference, Read Me First, Support, and Registration Cards.  I found
that installing was simple until I came across the FPU problem and had
to start over, reinstalling  the program.  I also ended up moving
Illustrator to an external drive where it would have more elbow room
(leaving an alias on my startup drive).  Please note that if
Illustrator isn't on your startup disk that you'll need to make sure
that the fonts and translators are in your Systems Folder.  These
housekeeping tasks behind me I was ready to have some fun.
Fun?  That's right!  Even though Illustrator is a ''high end'' program
for graphics professionals it comes with an excellent five-part
tutorial that makes learning the features of the program 
exciting AND fun.
In ''Learning the Basics'' I learned how to use the Illustrator Work
Area, an electronic artwork board that can be sized up to 10 square
feet, a new feature of version 5.0. The ToolBox has default tools and
additional tools that can be accessed by double-clicking the selected
tool (for example, double-clicking the Brush Tool leads to width &
shape options) . Some tools also have arrow   indicators that can be
dragged to reveal even more options (for example, dragging the arrow
next to the Freehand Tool leads to the Auto Trace Tool).
While designing a logo (part of Lesson One's tutorial) I learned that
you can work in Preview View (a new 5.0 feature), Artwork View, or
Zoom, and if you make a mistake, Illustrator 5.0 allows up to 200 Undo
& Redo levels  (you set the desired level in the General Preferences
dialog box). Guides can be created, and locked, and the Selection Tool
arrow will change from solid to hollow when objects are aligned with
the guide. Three Selection Tools (Selection, Direct Selection, & Group
Selection) are used to select & move objects, a segment of an object,
or groups of objects. The Paste in Front/Paste in Back command from the
Edit menu allows you to change the painting order of objects.
In ''Painting''  you create a circus poster and learn many of the new
features of Illustrator 5.0.  Among Adobe's upgrades is a new Paint
Style Palette that contains a customizable set of swatches that you can
create and store on a document by document basis. The Paint Palette
(see page 9) allows you to select fill & stroke colors, adjust the
stroke weight, the saturation of a color (for example, you can use it
to create a lighter tint of a selected color), and create custom CMYK
process colors (you use CMYK sliders to add more magenta, less yellow,
etc.). New floating palettes allow you to move quickly between the
palette and your artwork. And the new Eyedropper Tool picks up any
color (or fill) and applies it to another object. Fills can be edited
even after they are applied (for example, you can add a deeper red to a
gradient).
A new Gradient Fill feature allows you to fill any path with a linear
or radial gradient of as many as 32 colors and the new Gradient Fill
Tool allows you to adjust the angle of the fill (in the tutorial this
was used to apply a gradient fill across a path of type... a VERY cool
effect). You can also set the beginning and ending points of a gradient
fill to adjust the midpoint of the fill (the point at which the colors
are at 50%).
Another major innovation in Illustrator 5.0 is the addition of plug-in
filters (first introduced in Adobe PhotoShop). Plug-in filters are used
to create objects and simplify complicated tasks that had to be done
manually in earlier versions of Illustrator. For example, choosing
Pathfinder from the Filter menu lets you access the Mix filters, these
can be used to mix colors where objects intersect. In the tutorial I
used the Hard Mix filter to create a transparent effect, changing the
color of a shadow as it fell across a checkered floor. The plug-in
filters are organized into eight categories: Color filters, Create
filters, Distort filters, Object filters, Pathfinder filters, Select
filters, Stylize filters, and Text filters. Each category has a
submenu, for example, the Create filter includes a submenu that
contains Mosaic, Polygon, Spiral, Star, & Trim Marks filters. There is
a dialog box for each filter, and as you change the values, you can see
immediately how those changes will effect the attributes of the object.
     In ''Creating a Line Drawing'' I learned about creating curves, a very
challenging skill to acquire.  Curves are complicated, but the
Illustrator tutorial is excellent. To help you along, Adobe includes a
practice template to guide you as you work on an illustration of a
stylized cat on a fence. Working with the template is like working on
tracing paper over a pattern.  Detailed directions for creating each
curve are on the template. I can't imagine an easier way to learn to
make curves, however you should plan to put in a lot of practice if you
want creating curves to become second nature. 
Another new feature is the ability to save different views of the same
document. These ''custom views'' allow you to move quickly from one
section of your document to another without scrolling or magnifying
each time that you want to see a specific area.
In Illustrator 5.0 the Pen Tool displays symbols to indicate the status
of the path. For example, a different symbol is displayed when a new
path is created, when a path is closed, or when new segments are added
to an existing path. A new Brush Tool can create closed paths of
varying widths. You can paint with the Brush Tool on the screen, or you
can use a Wacom Tablet with a pressure sensitive stylus (definitely on
my wish list).
In ''Working With Layers'' Illustrator introduces a new layers function
that allows you to create and organize your artwork on an unlimited
number of layers. The layers function simplifies editing your artwork.
The Layers Palette allows you to move back and forth to different
layers, or between layers. You can hide & lock individual layers and
isolate the portion of your artwork that you wish to edit. Layers, and
the points & segments on them, can be assigned a color code to make
editing complex drawings easier.
The Info Palette adds another significant new feature to Illustrator
5.0. The Info Palette provides constant feed back about the active tool
by displaying quantitative information. For example, displayed on the
Info Palette is the angle of rotation, or the measurement of an object,
which changes as you edit the object.
In ''Working With Type'' I created the cover page for a health journal
while learning how to align type; create, edit & format text; create
type objects (shapes that can be filled with text); import & link text;
create initial capitals; wrap text around objects; paint text; and
create text on a path.
In Illustrator 5.0 the type functions have been expanded to include: 
automatic hyphenation; the ability to set hyphenation exceptions; the
ability to fit headlines precisely into a desired space; and the
ability to display greeked text (text displayed as grey bars) in a
specific font size.  Another new feature is the Character & Paragraph
palette which allows you to select font, size, leading, baseline,
shift, horizontal scale, and tracking (kerning) all from a floating
palette.
Even though Illustrator 5.0 is laden with features, it does have some
minor flaws. The tutorial misnames some of the gradient fills, which
left me hunting for ''blue to gold'' when I wanted ''sky'', and a
''gold radial'' when I needed ''sunset''. A more serious omission is
that Illustrator 5.0 still does not import TIFF images, a standard for
graphics professionals. Another problem, (reported via OneNet &
CompuServe), is that some users have had trouble printing gradient
fills to an image setter, (using the gradient vector), unless they save
their document in an older Illustrator 3 format. Adobe has responded
that this is a high priority problem and they're working on solving it.
 I also found Adobe support very helpful when I came across the FPU
problem and they suggested a shareware solution.
Even with it's minor quirks, Adobe Illustrator 5.0 is an exceptional
graphics program. MacWorld (Nov. 93) gave Illustrator 5.0 four stars,
calling it the ''most dependable draw program on the Mac'' and adding
that now ''it's also the most powerful''. MacUser (Dec. 93) awarded
Illustrator 5.0 four and a half mice, and called it the ''ultimate
illustration tool for graphics professionals''. As for me... Adobe
Illustrator 5.0 knocked my socks off!...What else is there left to say?
Well... for even more features you could buy the CD-ROM version of
Adobe Illustrator 5.0. It adds QuickTime tutorials, 40 additional
typefaces (80 total), the complete Adobe Collector's Edition Patterns,
and demos of other Adobe programs.
Illustrator 5.0 sells list price for $595 (CD-ROM $695), is also
available from mailorder houses such as MacZone for $364.98 (CD-ROM
$428.98).
Adobe Illustrator 5.0 is published by:     
     Adobe Systems, Inc.
     P.O. Box 7900
     Mountain View, CA 94039        800-833-6687 

Copyright © december, 1993 by Denise L. Jesus