SETTING UP A DOCUMENT IN ILLUSTRATOR

1) Open Illustrator (A window will automatically open, allowing you to choose what type of document to work with . CHOOSE A PRINT DOCUMENT) or close this window and open up a new file from the Menu Bar:File/New. Either way the document set up window will open. (see above)

a. Type a document name
b. Choose the size
c. Choose the orientation
d. Choose dimension units: use inches
d. Choose the color mode (always work in rgb. This is the mode the monitor uses.) To change the color mode MenuBar: File/Document Colormode
e. Click OK, (you can edit your document settings again once it is open by going to File/Document Setup.)




2) Open the commonly used Palletes in the Menu Bar: Window/...

f. Choose the Layers
g. The Navigator
h. The Stroke and The Swatches


3) Create Guides and Rulers for your Document


a. Make your ruler visible- Menu Bar: View/ShowRuler. Adjust the corner of your artboard to zero: click and hold the mouse at the left hand corner of the ruler and drag down to the left hand corner of the artboard.
b. Create your Guides: click and hold the mouse on the ruler and drag down the cursor a ¼ inch on each side and in the middle. (this will create a border to account for the print rolers
c. You can place other guides to custom fit the design of your document. Where you put the guides will all depend on what you using them for.
d. To move your guides go to MenuBar: View/Guides/LockGuides (uncheck this)