Creating a New Illustrator File


Begin by launching Illustrator and creating a new file. From the New Document dialog box, choose 468 x 60 from the Size pop-up menu and choose Pixels as your unit of measurement. For Color Mode, choose RGB (see Figure 15.1).

Figure 15.1. Creating a new document in Illustrator CS2.


By the Way

Like it or not, designing for the Web is very much a "by the numbers" process. You're usually concerned with exact pixel dimensions, exact colors, exact positioning, and more. As you'll see throughout this project, you'll be performing tasks with exact values. Especially with web graphics, it's a discipline that will undoubtedly result in better-looking graphics and, ultimately, more free time on your hands.


Next, you'll set up a few things in Illustrator to make the task of designing web graphics easier and more precise:

  • Choose Object, Crop Area, Make to set crop marks at the exact size of the document. Doing this ensures that the graphic will export at the correct size.

  • Open your Web-safe color palette by choosing Window, Swatch Libraries, Web. This way, you can choose Web-safe colors when designing the banner.

  • Choose View, Pixel Preview. This enables you to view your art as it would appear in a web browser, with correct antialiasing applied.

  • Press Command+R (Ctrl+R) to turn on your rulers. This assists you in positioning items.

  • Choose View, Hide Artboard. This makes it easier to visualize your banner as you create it.

  • Finally, open your Transform palette by choosing it from the Window menu. The Transform palette will help you edit and position graphics perfectly.

With your file set up this way (see Figure 15.2), you can be assured that you'll be creating high-quality web graphics. Now would also be a good time to save your file with the name of your choice.

Figure 15.2. After all your options are set correctly, your screen should look similar to this.




Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Creative Suite 2 All in One
Sams Teach Yourself Creative Suite 2 All in One
ISBN: 067232752X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 225
Authors: Mordy Golding

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