Chapter 3. Objects, Groups, and Layers

Some people have clean, organized desks, whereas others have desks that are quite messy. Likewise, some designers organize their Illustrator files using groups and layers, while many do not. And just as there are benefits to keeping an orderly desk, there are advantages to using groups and layers for adding structure to your files. In Adobe Illustrator CS2, groups and layers not only offer a convenient way to manage objects in a file (as they did in earlier versions of Illustrator), but now they can also control the appearance of your file. For example, applying a drop shadow to several objects that are grouped looks different than a drop shadow that is applied to those very same objects if they aren't grouped. You may even find that using groups and layers is necessary to create the art you need.