More Templates, Please


For repetitive work, use templates, which allow you to set up a file with certain settings and attributeseven actual artwork and layersto create more consistent files in less time. Illustrator templates are really just regular Illustrator files with one differenceyou can't save them. You can only perform a Save As function with them (so you don't overwrite the template).

In order to create a template file, you start by creating a new Illustrator document. When you're ready to save your template, choose File > Save As and specify the Illustrator Template format (AIT) in the dialog. Template files contain a flag in them so that when they are reopened in Illustrator, they open as Untitled documents.

Illustrator actually ships with hundreds of professionally designed templates, which you can access by choosing File > New from Template. Illustrator's templates are stored in the Adobe Illustrator CS2 > Cool Stuff > Templates folder. You can also browse the template files using Adobe Bridge so that you can see previews of what the templates contain. Before you wrinkle your nose about using "clip art," you'll be happy to know that Illustrator also includes an entire folder of blank templates as well. These blank templates contain trim marks and can be used to create print-ready work.

If you're a professional designer, you might not wish to use any of Illustrator's prefab templates, but it's helpful to open the files and explore them to see how they were created. One of the best ways to learn is by reverse engineering what someone else has done. One of the things you'll learn in this book is how to pick apart an Illustrator file; Illustrator's template files are perfect for this because they employ many different features and techniques.



Featured Match-Up: Startup Files vs. Templates

When you create a new Illustrator file, you'll notice that several swatches, symbols, brushes, and graphic styles are already present in the file. How did they get there? Illustrator has something called a startup file, which is basically a master Illustrator file that all new files are made from. Illustrator actually has two startup files: one for CMYK files and one for RGB files. You can find these files in your Adobe Illustrator CS2 > Plugins folder (they are called Adobe Illustrator Startup_CMYK.ai and Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB.ai respectively). Any content that exists in the startup file is automatically added to every new file that you create.

This means that if there are certain swatches or symbols that you use frequently, you can simply edit these startup files and you never have to load another library again. Although this is true, the more content that you have in your startup file, the more content you have in every file that you create, making for larger files.

Templates on the other hand, can also contain content, and you can have as many templates as you please, maybe for several different kinds of work that you do. It may be more efficient to keep a small startup file but have a set of rich templates that you can open at any time to get a running start on your design work. Additionally, template files are really full Illustrator files that can contain paragraph and character styles, artwork on the artboard, crop marks, layers, and moresomething startup files can't do.

If you ever do edit your startup file and realize you messed it up, you can just delete the file. Illustrator automatically creates a clean, new startup file in the Plugins folder if it doesn't find one at launch.





Real World Adobe Illustrator CS2
Real World Adobe Illustrator CS2
ISBN: 0321337026
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 147
Authors: Mordy Golding

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