Using Symbols


One of the most powerful features added to Illustrator over the years is symbols. A symbol is a saved set of objects that can be referenced within a document. That probably sounds vague, so I'll give you an example. Say you create a company logo, which is made up of several objects. You can define that completed logo as a symbol, which you can then reuse as many times as your heart desires within your document. Each instance of the symbol is a reference or alias of the original art that you defined. If you ever update or modify the symbol, all the instances automatically update as well.

Did you Know?

Illustrator also uses symbols for the artwork mapping 3D feature, which is covered later in this chapter.


Defining a symbol is easy. Simply create your art and then drag it into the Symbols palette (which you can find in the Windows menu). After you've defined a symbol (see Figure 7.139), you can delete the art you created because you can always access that art again later. Double-click on a symbol in the Symbols palette to rename it.

Figure 7.139. The Symbols palette, with several symbols defined.


Did you Know?

To define a symbol and place an instance of it at the same time, press and hold the Command+Shift (Ctrl+Shift) keys while dragging the art into the Symbols palette to define the symbol.


To place a symbol instance, drag it from the Symbols palette onto your artboard. You can apply any transformation to a symbol instance, and you can also apply settings from the Transparency palette. You'll always be able to tell a symbol instance from actual art because an instance has a square bounding box when you select it with the Direct Selection tool (see Figure 7.140).

Figure 7.140. A symbol instance appears with a square bounding box when selected.


Did you Know?

Illustrator ships with hundreds of royalty-free symbols you can use to your heart's content. Choose Open Symbol Library from the Symbols palette flyout menu to find them.


If you want to edit a symbol, you can drag it onto your artboard and then click on the Break Link to Symbol button at the bottom of the Symbols palette (see Figure 7.141). Doing so disassociates the art from the symbol, and you'll have access to the art objects themselves. You can then make any changes or modifications to the art.

Figure 7.141. Breaking the link to a symbol.


If you want to redefine a symbol, you can first edit it, as mentioned previously, and then select the art. Then, in the Symbols palette, click on the symbol you want to redefine. You'll know that the symbol is selected when you see a black outline around it. Then choose Redefine Symbol from the Symbols palette flyout menu (see Figure 7.142).

Figure 7.142. Redefining a symbol.


Did you Know?

Symbols save file size space. PDF, SVG, and SWF are three formats that can take advantage of symbols to save precious disk space (and file download time from the Web).


To save your own library of symbols, create a document and define a collection of symbols. When you're done, choose Save Symbol Library from the Symbols palette flyout menu and give your collection a name. The next time you launch Illustrator, your symbol library appears in the list of libraries you can access from the Open Symbol Library option in the Symbols palette flyout menu.

The Symbolism Tools

Before you learn about this next feature, I just want to say that this feature comes with a disclaimer attached to it. It's extremely fun and addictive. If you were intrigued by the use of symbols, this will blow your socks off. Okay, enough talking the talklet's get to walking the walk.

The Symbolism tools are a collection of tools that enable you to exploit the power of symbols in a very graphical and natural way. There are eight Symbolism tools in all (see Figure 7.143). The first one, the Symbol Sprayer tool, enables you to add symbols to your page, and the remaining seven tools are used to adjust symbols that are already placed on your page.

Figure 7.143. The Symbolism tools.


Did you Know?

The Symbolism tools are pressure sensitive, so if you have a graphics tablet, you'll want to be sure to give it a try.


To use the Symbol Sprayer tool, select the tool from the toolbox and then open your Symbols palette. Select a symbol (which will be indicated by an outline), and then click and drag your mouse on the artboard to start flooding your screen with symbols (see Figure 7.144). Notice that when you're using the Symbol Sprayer tool, rather than having multiple instances of symbols placed on your page, a single symbol set is created. A symbol set acts as one single object (which you can clearly see if you change your view to Outline mode). If you click and drag the mouse again with the symbol set selected, more symbols will be added to your symbol set. Press and hold the Option (Alt) key while dragging to remove symbols, if you've added too many.

Figure 7.144. Creating a symbol set by spraying symbols onto the artboard.


The remaining seven Symbolism tools enable you to adjust and edit the symbols inside a symbol set:

  • Symbol Shifter This tool enables you to move symbols in a very organic fashion. It's almost like your cursor is a magnet, and as you click and drag, you can push symbols in a specified direction (see Figure 7.145). Pressing and holding the Shift key while using this tool changes the stacking order of the symbols.

    Figure 7.145. Moving symbols with the Symbol Shifter tool.


  • Symbol Scruncher This tool enables you to make the symbols sit closer to each other, making the overall result more dense. Pressing and holding the Option (Alt) key while using this tool reverses the effect and pushes symbols farther away from each other.

  • Symbol Sizer This tool enables you to enlarge the symbols as you click and drag over them (see Figure 7.146). Pressing and holding the Option (Alt) key while using this tool reverses the effect and scales symbols to be smaller.

    Figure 7.146. Scaling symbols with the Symbol Sizer tool.


  • Symbol Spinner This tool enables you to rotate the symbols as you click and drag over them. As you drag, you'll see arrows appear indicating the direction the symbols will spin (see Figure 7.147).

    Figure 7.147. Rotating symbols with the Symbol Spinner tool.


  • Symbol Stainer This tool enables you to colorize the symbols as you click and drag over them. With the Symbol Stainer tool selection, choose a color from the Color palette or the Swatches palette. Then click and drag within your symbol set. You can change colors as often as you like.

  • Symbol Screener This tool enables you to reduce the opacity level of the symbols as you click and drag over them (making them transparent). Pressing and holding the Option (Alt) key while using this tool reverses the effect and increases the opacity level of the symbols.

  • Symbol Styler This tool enables you to apply graphic styles to symbols as you click and drag over them. It works similarly to the Symbol Stainer tool. With the Symbol Styler tool selected, choose a style from the Graphic Styles palette and then click and drag within your symbol set.

Did you Know?

When you're continually switching between the different Symbolism tools, it can be tiring traveling back to the toolbox each time just to select a different tool. With any of the Symbolism tools already selected, try this instead: If you're on a Mac, press Ctrl+Option and click; if you're using Windows, press the Alt key and right-click with the mouse. When the circle of tools appears (see Figure 7.148), simply move your mouse over the tool you want to switch to and let go.

Figure 7.148. A special contextual menu enables you to switch among the different Symbolism tools.



As you can see, these tools are not only easy and fun to use, but quite useful as well. Try using a range of different symbols to achieve natural and organic effects. The Hair and Fur and the Nature symbol libraries that Illustrator ships with contain some great symbols to use.

By the Way

It's no coincidence that each of the Symbolism tools begins with the letter s. Chalk that up to good old-fashioned "attention to detail" on Adobe's part.




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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