Some people might think of Illustrator’s Scribble effect as child’s play. In fact, one of its presets is called “Childlike.” But by tweaking its custom settings, the Scribble effect can be used to produce an infinite array of visual effects &mdash some with a single line. This is an easy tutorial that will get you started with the Scribble effect. What you do with it after that is limited only by your imagination. Let’s get started!
Create Audio Waveforms with the Scribble Effect
Jan 25th in Effects, Tools & Tips by Cheryl Graham
How to Create a 3D Marker in Illustrator
Dec 29th in Tools & Tips by Mac KrebernikThere are many ways to create a marker in Adobe Illustrator, but this might be one of the quickest. It only takes three paths, some text for the imprint and a 3D effect to create a semi-realistic and freely rotatable marker. So let’s get started!

The Secrets of the Appearance Panel: Multiple Fills
Dec 24th in Effects, Tools & Tips by Diana BergIn this tutorial, we’ll explore the Adobe Illustrator Appearance panel and learn to create objects that look like groups of many shapes, but consist of only one shape with multiple fills applied, with no brushes used. We’ll dive really deep into the the Appearance panel and unlock its secrets. Illustrator enthusiasts will love this detailed tutorial!

A Comprehensive Guide to the Pathfinder Panel
Dec 21st in Tools & Tips by Cheryl GrahamYou’ve probably used the Pathfinder panel to combine shapes and make new ones. But do you often find yourself clicking (and undoing) each icon in the panel until you get the look you want? Wouldn’t it be easier to take some time and learn exactly what each function does? Here’s a look at the über-useful Pathfinder panel. The Pathfinder Effects, which are found under the Effects menu, are covered in video format in this tutorial.

How to Create Interactive PDFs in InDesign Using Hyperlinks
Dec 11th in Designing, Tools & Tips by Lauren KrauseThere are several ways to make PDFs interactive when building them in InDesign. The easiest and probably most widely used way is to make hyperlinks that jump to pages within the current document, to pages in another document or to web pages. InDesign hyperlinks can be confusing, frustrating and even intimidating if you’re just trying to figure things out intuitively, so let’s take a close look at how to create hyperlinks in InDesign and export them into interactive PDFs.

Pre-flight Illustrator Files with Phantasm CS
Dec 9th in Tools & Tips by Cheryl GrahamGet your documents ready for printing. This is a special tutorial sponsored by Astute Graphics that incorporates the use of their high-quality Phantasm CS (Studio or Publisher) Illustrator Pugins. Phantasm CS contains powerful print preview tools. We’ll use Phantasm’s tools to find and correct potential printing problems, ensuring the best possible output of our vector artwork!

Everything You Ever Want to Know About Creating Seamless Patterns in Illustrator
Dec 7th in Effects, Tools & Tips by Diana BergAdobe Illustrator patterns makes your work process easier and the result prettier. Every vector professional must know the secrets and details about using seamless patterns, as well as many approaches to creating them. In this tutorial I dive into the anatomy of patterns in Adobe Illustrator, analyzing numerous existing methods of creating a seamless pattern fill, from the easiest ones to the most complex ones.

Smoothly Shift Winter Colors, While Creating an Icy, Vector Landscape
Nov 25th in Illustration, Tools & Tips by JonathanHandle color changes and variations with ease by following this intermediate level tutorial. This is a special tutorial sponsored by Astute Graphics that incorporates the use of their high-quality Phantasm CS range Illustrator Pugins. We’ll work with Phantasm’s color shifting tools: Hue/Saturation and and Shift to Color, while we learn to contrast shapes when composing natural, vector scenes!

How to Create a Climbing Rope Pattern Brush
Nov 10th in Designing, Tools & Tips by Mac KrebernikA simple 2-point-path can be transformed into a powerful Pattern Brush. The virtual Climbing Rope may not save your life, but the technique behind this tutorial may help save a lot of time. Let’s get started!

How to Create Roads and Rail Tracks on a Path
Oct 19th in Effects, Tools & Tips by Diana BergIn this tutorial, we’ll make a semi-realistic road and rail track that actually consists of one single path each. Although it looks impossible, there are not any brushes and no need for any effects to be applied, but you could use some effect if you want. The secret is hidden in a tricky combination of multiple strokes. Intrigued? Read more!






















