Adobe Illustrator Point Map Blending WTF

From The Adobe Illustrator CS4 WOW! Book:

Another way to create blends between individual paths is to point map using the Blend Tool. In the past, the Blend tool was used to achieve smooth transitions between blended objects. However, now that it’s been modified, it’s probably best to use it for special morphing or twirling effects. To use the point map technique, begin by clicking on an anchor point of one object, and then on an anchor point of another object. Continue clicking on anchor points of any object you want to include in the blend. you can also click anywhere on the path of an object o achieve random blending effects.

Thanks for nothing…

Linking Photoshop Files to Photoshop Files

You can link Photoshop files to each other using Smart Objects!

• Create an empty Illustrator document.
• Place a Photoshop file [A] into the illustrator document. Make sure to link the image, not embed it.
• Save the Illustrator file.
• Place the Illustrator file as a smart object into another Photoshop file [B].
• Photoshop file [B] now has the Illustrator file embedded, which links to file [A].
• Useful if file [A] needs to be placed and updated across multiple files.

Free Transform Vector Smart Objects in Photoshop CS4

Smart Objects in Photoshop CS4 is a bit smarter. You can finally link masks, and apply true free transform to Raster Smart Objects. But Vector Smart Objects still only lets you do basic skew, rotate. To bypass this, simply nest the vector smart object inside a raster smart object.

• Make your Vector Smart Object.
• Make an empty Photoshop layer.
• Select both the Vector Smart Object and the empty layer, and make another smart object.
• Now the Vector Smart Object is nested inside the Raster Smart Object, and Photoshop will allow you to do free transforms!
• Optional: Go into the Raster Smart Object to delete that empty layer.

Smart Guides Illustrator vs. InDesign (CS4)

Smart Guides Settings Options in Illustrator CS4 vs InDesign CS4. Turn Smart Guides on and off with [Cmd+U]:

• Alignment Guides: Guides appear when objects align
• Object Highlighting: Highlight object on hover
• Anchor/Path Labels: Displays text (anchor, path, intersect) as you hover
• Measurement Labels: Shows object size, XY position, or XY Delta
• Transform Tools: Shows guides for scale, rotate,

• Align to Object Center: Displays when object centers are aligned
• Align to Object Edges: Displays when object edges are aligned
• Smart Dimensions: Displays when objects are same dimensions as other objects. Also snaps to rotation
• Smart Spacing: Displays when objects are same space apart from other objects

Smart Guide Perferences in Illustrator CS4

Smart Guide Preferences in InDesign CS4

Step-And-Repeat In Photoshop

Photoshop can do Step-And-Repeat. First the basics

• Move Tool, Alt = Duplicates and moves layer
• Move Tool, Alt, with a selection = Duplicates and moves pixels on same layer
• Cmd/Ctrl+T = Free Transform
• Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+T = Transform Again
• Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T = Transform Again and Duplicate

So, to step-and-repeat with new layers…

1. Select Layer
2. Cmd+Alt+T and move copy to new location (duplicates the layer and place to new location)
3. Return to apply Tranformation
4. Cmd+Alt+Shift+T to duplicate and move again (step-and-repeat)

To step-and-repeat on the same layer…

1. Cmd+Click Layer (Makes selection)
2. Cmd+Alt+T and move copy to new location (duplicates the layer and place to new location). Resize, rotate, skew as desired.
3. Return to apply transformation
4. Cmd+Alt+Shift+T to step-and-repeat

Make the Selection

Cmd+Alt+T to Free Transform Plus Duplicate in one step

Apply the transformation

Ctrl+alt+Shift+T to step-and-repeat

and repeat and repeat and repeat

Photoshop: Fit On Screen During Transform with Ctrl+0

When transforming an object that is way outside the canvas area, use Ctrl+0 to re-size the view to fit. Hurrah!

Cycle through Blend Modes in Photoshop

Cycle through blend modes in Photoshop with Shift+[Numeric Keypad +/-], not the +/- on the top row of the keyboard. Must be in tool that doesn’t use blend modes (brushes, etc), otherwise will cycle through blend mode of the tool.

InDesign Styles Hiearchy

InDesign CS4 introduces some new ways of applying character styles, including Nested Line Styles, and GREP Styles.  When multiple character styles are applied to the same text, InDesign prioritizes the styles according to this scheme.

1. Manually formatted text
2. Manually applied Character Style
3. GREP Style
4. Nested Style
5. Nested Line Style
6. Text attribute from Paragraph Style

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Optional Plug-ins

Search for “CS4 optional plug-ins” in Adobe’s website to get all the missing plug-ins such as contact sheet, and extract, and pattern maker.

Hanging Indents In Creative Suite Applications

Photoshop & Illustrator

• Paragraph Panel > Roman Hanging Punctuation

InDesign

• Story Panel > Optical Character Alignment
• Or, just use Indent To Here character

InDesign: Optical Margin Alignment

InDesign: Indent to here

Illustrator: Roman Hanging Punctuation

Photoshop: Roman Hanging Punctuation