In addition to opening Illustrator documents, you can also open graphic files created in different formats, such as TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG. You open a graphic file the same way you open documents in Illustrator. You can also use Illustrator’s Place command to insert artwork. Illustrator lets you place graphic files saved in Photoshop PSD, BMP, JPEG, EPS, and PNG formats, to name a few.
With Illustrator’s Place command, you can link or embed an image into your document. Embedding inserts a copy of one document in another. When data is embedded, you can edit it using the menus and toolbars of the program in which it was created. Linking displays information stored in one document into another. After you link or embed a graphic image file into an Illustrator document, you can use the Links panel in Illustrator to manage and work with the files. The Links panel displays a list of all the linked or embedded files in your document.
If you have a raster graphic, such as a JPEG, TIFF, or PSD file in your document, you can use tracing options to convert the graphic into editable vector artwork. You can set options to create a close simulation of the graphic or a more artistic rendering of it and then fine-tune your results.
The Graphic Styles panel allows you to create, save, and apply graphics styles. A graphic style is a collection of attributes that can be applied to a layer, sublayer, group, or object. The Appearance panel allows you to apply and manage multiple attributes of an object. You can apply fills, strokes, opacity, blending mode, effects, and other attributes to objects, layers, groups, or graphic styles. The panel makes it easy to apply, edit, duplicate, restack, or remove attributes.
IL 7.1
In addition to opening Illustrator documents, you can also open graphic files created in different formats, such as TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG. You open a graphic file the same way you open documents in Illustrator. When you open a graphic file, a tab appears across the top of the Document window, which you can click to display. If you need to manage, organize, or find graphic files, Adobe Bridge is the way to go. With Adobe Bridge, you can search for the graphic files that you want to edit, and then open them in Illustrator.
Click the File menu, and then click Open to display all file types in the file list of the Open dialog box.
Click the Files of Type (Win) or Enable (Mac) list arrow, and then select a graphic format.
Navigate to the drive or folder location with the image you want to open.
Click the graphic file you want to open.
Timesaver
Press and hold the Shift key to select multiple contiguous files to open in the Open dialog box.
Click Open.
See Also
See “Opening a Document with Adobe Bridge” on page 14-15 or “Placing Graphics from Adobe Bridge” on page 222-223 for more information on finding and opening or placing graphic files from Bridge.
IL 7.1
You can use Illustrator’s Place command to insert artwork into an open document. To increase your control of the new image information, Illustrator places the new image into a separate layer. Illustrator lets you place graphic files saved in Photoshop PSD, BMP, JPEG, EPS, and PNG formats, to name a few. When you first place a vector-based image into Illustrator, you have the ability to modify the width, height, and rotation while retaining the vector format of the file.
Open an Illustrator document.
Click the File menu, and then click Place.
Navigate to the drive or folder location with the image you want to open.
Select the graphic file that you want to place into the active document.
Select any of the following options:
Link. Places a screen version of the graphic and links the document to the graphic file. Deselect to embed a copy of the graphic file image in the document.
Template. Places a dimmed version of the graphic on a template layer for tracing.
Replace. Replaces the currently selected image.
Click Place.
Illustrator places the image in a new layer, directly above the active layer, and then encloses it within a transformable bounding box.
Control the shape by manipulating the corner and side nodes of the freeform bounding box.
IL 7.1
Adobe Bridge allows you to search, sort, filter, manage, and process graphic files one at a time or in batches. You can open or place graphics directly into Illustrator by using the Open With (Adobe Illustrator) or Place (In Illustrator) commands in Bridge from the File menu. You can also drag thumbnails from the Bridge into an open Illustrator document window.
Click the Go to Bridge button on the Application bar or click the File menu, and then click Browse in Bridge.
Adobe Bridge opens, displaying files and folders on your computer.
Navigate to the drive or folder where the file is located.
Select the graphic thumbnail representing the file that you want to open in your Illustrator document.
Click the File menu, point to Open With, and then click Adobe Illustrator CS4.
Click the Go to Bridge button on the Application bar or click the File menu, and then click Browse in Bridge.
Adobe Bridge opens, displaying files and folders on your computer.
Navigate to the drive or folder where the file is located.
Select the graphic thumbnail that represents the file you want to place in your Illustrator document.
Click the File menu, point to Place, and then click In Illustrator.
IL 7.2
With Illustrator’s Place command, you can link or embed an image into your document. Embedding inserts a copy of one document into another. When data is embedded, you can edit it using the menus and toolbars of the program in which it was created (that is, the source program ). Linking displays information stored in one document (the source file ) into another (the destination file ). You can edit the linked object from either file, although changes are stored in the source file. If you break the link between a linked object and its source file, the object becomes embedded. As you work with linked or embedded files in the Layers panel, a linked image appears as <Linked File>, while an embedded image appears as an image object
Open an Illustrator document.
Click the File menu, and then click Place.
Select the graphic file that you want to place into the active document.
Select the Link check box.
To embed a copy of the graphic file image in the document, deselect the Link check box.
Click Place.
Illustrator places the image in a new layer, directly above the active layer, and then encloses it within a transformable bounding box.
See Also
See “Setting File Handling & Clipboard Preferences” on page 401 for information on setting linking options.
Select the linked graphic.
Click image name on the Control panel, and then click Placement Options.
You can also click the Options menu in the Links panel, and then click Placement Options.
Click the Preserve list arrow, and then select an option: Transforms, Proportions (Fit), Proportions (Fill), File Dimensions, or Bounds.
If available, select an alignment position, and select or deselect the Clip To Bounding Box check box.
Click OK.
IL 7.2
After you link or embed a graphic image file into an Illustrator document, you can use the Links panel in Illustrator to manage and work with the files. The Links panel displays a list of all the linked or embedded files in your document. You can use the Links panel to update, replace, or relink a graphic image file. If a linked file is moved from its original location, you need to repair the link the next time you open the document. If a linked file needs to be updated, a warning icon appears in the Links panel to let you know.
Select the Links panel.
Select the name of the graphic that you want to replace.
Click the Relink button on the panel.
You can also select the image in the document window, click the image name or Embedded on the Control panel, and then click Relink.
Select the graphic file that you want to use as the replacement in the active document.
Click Place.
You can also select the image in the document window, click the File menu, click Place, select a replacement image, select the Replace check box, and then click Place.
Select the Links panel.
Select the graphic name that you want to change.
Do any of the following:
Update a Link. Click the Update Link button on the panel.
Go to Link. Click the Go To Link button on the panel.
Edit Original. Click the Edit Original button on the panel to open the program that created the file and edit it.
View Information. Double-click the graphic name, view the information, and then click OK.
Change from Linked to Embedded. Click the Options menu, and then click Embed Image.
Did You Know?
You can change the display of the Links panel. In the Links panel, click the Options menu, and then select a display option, such as Show All, Show Missing, Show Modified, Show Embedded, Sort by Name, Sort by Kind, or Sort by Status.
See Also
See “Setting File Handling & Clipboard Preferences” on page 401 for information on setting linking options.
IL 7.3
If you have a raster graphic, such as a JPEG, TIFF, or PSD file, in your document, you can use tracing options to convert the graphic into editable vector artwork. You can set options to create a close simulation of the graphic or a more artistic rendering of it and then fine-tune your results. The Live Trace command detects and traces the color and shading in a raster graphic to create an editable vector object. You can use tracing presets (recommended for first time users), such as Simple Trace, Hand Drawn Sketch, or Inked Drawing, or set your own tracing options in the Tracing Options dialog box. Tracing options are live, which means that you can apply these options before or after using the Live Trace command. When applied, a traced object is known as a live trace object.
Open or place a raster graphic in a document.
Select the graphic that you want to trace.
You can also select a live trace object to change it.
Use one of the following:
Preset. Click the Tracing Presets and Options list arrow on the Control panel, and then select a tracing preset.
Last Used. Click the Live Trace button on the Control panel. If prompted, click OK.
Set Options. Click the Tracing Presets and Options list arrow on the Control panel, and then click Tracing Options.
To apply tracing options to an existing live trace object, select it.
Click the Object menu, point to Live Trace, and then click, and then click Tracing Options.
You can also click the Tracing Presets and Options list arrow on the Control panel, and then Tracing Options.
Click the Preset list arrow, and then select a preset as the basis of your own settings.
Select the Preview check box to view your changes as you set options.
Specify options in the following areas:
Adjustment. Select a color mode, and then set other related settings. Specify a Blur value to reduce noise and other marks. Select Resample to change the resolution for the graphic.
Trace Settings. Select the Fill and/or Strokes check boxes, and then specify related options.
View. Select a Raster option to show a view of the graphic, and then select a Vector option to show a view of the tracing object.
Click Set Default.
IL 7.3
After you finish creating a live trace object, you can convert (expand) it to a path. When you expand a live trace object, it no longer remains a live trace object. It becomes a standard path, which you can reshape and recolor. The Expand button on the Control panel converts a live trace object into paths, which you can view and change on the Layers panel.
Select the live trace object.
Click Expand on the Control panel.
Illustrator creates a multitude of paths, which you can view using the Layers panel.
Select the Layers panel to view the newly created paths.
IL 5.2
The Graphic Styles panel allows you to create, save, and apply graphic styles. A graphic style is a collection of attributes that can be applied to a layer, sublayer, group, or object. Graphic styles are similar in nature to character or paragraph styles. From the Graphic Styles panel, you have access to a host of graphic style libraries from which to choose a style. You can view styles for graphics and text (New!). Not sure how a style will look? Now you can preview a thumbnail (New!) before you apply it. If you still don’t like it after you apply it, you can remove it without affecting the underlying path. When you apply a graphic style to a layer or group, the style is applied to all objects on it.
Select an object with the Selection tool or click the target circle for a layer, sublayer, group, or object in the Layers panel.
Select the Graphic Styles panel.
Click the Graphic Styles Libraries menu, and then select a library.
Click a graphic style thumbnail in the graphic styles library.
The graphic style is added to the Graphic Styles panel.
To preview and view styles, use any of the following:
Preview. Right+click (Win) or Option+click (Mac) a graphic style thumbnail to display a preview of the style (New!).
View. Click the Options menu, and then click Use Square for Preview or Use Text for Preview (New!). Select a view size: Thumbnail View, Small List View, or Large List View.
Click a graphic style thumbnail in the Graphic Styles panel to apply it to the selected object.
To remove all the graphic styles, click the Default Graphic Style thumbnail in the upper left corner of the Graphic Styles panel.
IL 5.2
You can create a graphic style from an existing object or duplicate an existing graphic style and then change it. I think the best way is to apply the attributes you want to an object, and then use the object to create a graphic style. Although, if you see a graphic style from one of the libraries that is close to what you want, you can quickly duplicate the graphic style, and then make changes to it.
Select an object with the Selection tool or click the target circle for a layer, sublayer, group, or object in the Layers panel.
Select the Graphic Styles panel.
Alt+click (Win) or Option+click (Mac) the New Graphic Style button on the panel.
Enter a name for the graphic style.
Click OK.
Select the Graphic Styles panel.
Select the graphic style that you want to duplicate.
Click the New Graphic Style button on the panel.
The duplicate graphic style is added to the Graphic Styles panel.
Double-click the duplicate graphic style.
Rename the graphic style.
Click OK.
Did You Know?
You can view graphic style attributes. Select the Graphic Styles and Appearance panels, click the graphic style in the Graphic Styles panel, and then view its attributes in the Appearance panel.
You can save a graphic styles library. Select the Graphic Styles panel, display only the styles that you want to save in a library (delete the ones that you don’t want), click the Options menu, click Save Graphic Styles, enter a name, and then click Save. When you save the library in the default location, the new library appears on the User Defined submenu on the Graphic Styles Libraries menu on the panel.
IL 5.2
After you create a graphic style, you can make changes to it. However, when you make changes to the graphic, your changes are applied to any object that uses the graphic style. If you want this to happen, then you are good to go. If not, you can make a duplicate of the graphic style and then make changes to it. If you no longer need or want a graphic style, you can delete it. When you delete a graphic style, any attributes that are linked to an object remain with the object, but any updates will not be applied.
Select an object with the Selection tool or click the target circle for a layer, sublayer, group, or object in the Layers panel.
Select the Graphic Styles panel.
Apply the graphic style that you want to edit to the selected object.
Select the Appearance panel.
Modify the appearance of the style in the Appearance panel.
Click the Options menu, and then click Redefine Graphic Style.
You can also Alt-drag (Win) or Option-drag (Mac) the edited style from the Appearance panel onto the original style in the Graphic Styles panel.
Did You Know?
You can merge graphic styles. Select the Graphic Styles panel, Ctrl+click (Win) or
+click (Mac) the graphics styles you want to combine, click the Options menu, click Merge Graphic Styles, enter a name, and then click OK.
You can merge a style with an object’s attributes. (New!) Alt+drag (Win) or Option+drag (Mac) the style from the Graphic Styles panel to the object. To preserve the color of type when applying a graphic style, click the Options menu, and then click Override Character Color to deselect it.
IL 5.1
The Appearance panel allows you to apply and manage multiple attributes to an object. You can apply fills, strokes, opacity, blending mode, effects, and other attributes to objects, layers, groups, or graphic styles. The panel makes it easy to apply, edit, duplicate, restack, or remove attributes. You can click links to open panels and option dialog boxes for effects, strokes, and fills (New!). When you have a lot of attributes for an object, it can be hard to work with them. In the Appearance panel, you can hide attributes (New!) to reduce the clutter and make it easier to work with the attributes that you want, much like working with the Layers panel.
Select an object with the Selection tool or click the target circle for a layer, sublayer, group, or object in the Layers panel.
Select the Appearance panel.
The currently targeted layer appears in bold with a type name at the top.
Click Fill, Stroke, Opacity, or other available attributes to display a panel with options.
Specify the options and values that you want to set for the attribute.
To apply multiple fill or stroke attributes, click the Add New Fill or Add New Stroke button on the panel.
To show or hide attributes, click the visibility column for each attribute that you want to show or hide.
Select an object with the Selection tool or click the target circle for a layer, sublayer, group, or object in the Layers panel.
Select the Appearance panel.
Select the attribute that you want to delete.
Do one of the following:
Delete. Removes an appearance attribute, except for stroke and fill. Click the Delete Selected Item button on the panel.
Clear Except Stroke and Fill. Removes all the appearance attributes, except the stroke and fill. Click the Options menu, and then click Reduce to Basic Appearance.
Clear. Removes all the appearance attributes and changes the stroke and fill to None. Click the Clear Appearance button on the panel.
Did You Know?
You can expand an object’s appearance attributes. Select the object with the appearance attributes that you want to expand, click the Object menu, and then click Expand Appearance. The paths used to create the attributes are changed to separate objects within a group, which can then be edited.