Edit Graph Designs

Illustrator comes with some pretty good graphic designs that you can use to replace the plain old columns created by the graph tools. In your computer's Applications folder (PC: Program Files folder), in Adobe Illustrator CS2>Cool Extras>Sample Files folder, choose the Graph Designs folder, and open one of the documents called Column & Marker Designs. To edit an existing design, go to the Object menu and choose Graph>Design. In the dialog, select the design from the list, click the Paste Design button, and then click OK. Edit the design, select it, and then use the same command, but this time click the New Design button to create a new column design. Name your design and click OK. (Hint: The column designs that contain a plus sign beside their names are sliding column designs [see next tip]). Save and close the design document. To apply a column design to a selected graph, use this command: Object>Graph>Column. Now pick your new design!