Adobe Illustrator is the best program for any kind of graphic design work, whether you’re designing a tiny icon or a huge poster. But creating these things from scratch takes both time and talent.
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This is where templates come in. Illustrator templates take the hard work out of your design projects. Just download one, edit it as much or as little as you need, and you’re done. You’ve got a professional looking product in a fraction of the time!
Illustrator supports the new Microsoft Dial on Windows 10 Anniversary edition and later or directly on the SurfaceStudio. You can use Dial to adjust settings and parameters for your Illustrator documents. Full support for different colour modes means this is a viable alternative to Illustrator for both print and web design, and although the interface is somewhat simpler than Illustrator, it's still possible to achieve extremely sophisticated artwork.
So how do you get started? In this article, we’ll take a look at the best places to download free Adobe Illustrator templates.
1. Vecteezy
Vecteezy is the best place to start whenever you need an Adobe Illustrator template. It houses over 300 pages of free downloads, available under a Standard license that requires attribution, or the Creative Commons license that doesn’t. There are countless more premium choices if you still can’t find the right one.
That’s unlikely, though. Vecteezy’s templates cover everything from banners to business cards, and T-shirts to flyers. You can even get your own customizable “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster.
Vecteezy also offers a built-in online vector graphics editor, so you can tweak your chosen files directly in your browser.
2. Template.net
The free templates at Template.net are mostly focused on posters and flyers. If you’ve got an event you’re looking to advertise, or if you need to produce some literature for your business, this is where to look.
It’s worth browsing the site further, though, to uncover some of the other categories that are covered, including business cards, book covers, and brochures. They’re all themed, so you should be able to find the right one whether it’s for your coffee shop opening or for a bridal shower.
Some come in multiple versions, so you can work with the templates in Photoshop, InDesign, or even Word.
3. BrandPacks
Alongside the usual selection of posters and the rest, BrandPacks has a number of templates that are different to what you’ll find elsewhere.
Instagram templates, for example, that influencers and fashion brands can use to advertise new ranges. Or gift vouchers. Or calendars, wedding stationery, and even beer coasters. For anything different—especially if it’s business focused—BrandPacks is a safe bet.
4. FreePik
FreePik is huge. It has more than a quarter of a million free Adobe Illustrator templates to download. Of these, approaching a half are part of the FreePik Selection range of exclusive designs that you won’t find on any other template site.
So what can you find here? The simple answer is pretty much anything. There is the usual, like posters, flyers, and banners. But there’s also certificates, wedding invitations, and marketing materials. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find it here.
5. DryIcons
As its name suggests, DryIcons is a site for downloading free icons in every theme and style. But that isn’t all. It also offers a wide range of high quality vector templates, and is particularly good for flyers, posters, and infographics.
Designed by the DryIcons team itself, you can use the templates in commercial projects with the correct attribution.
6. Free-Logo-Design.net
Creating logos is one of the main uses of Illustrator. But mastering the principles of logo design can take some time. You can get a head start with a template. Free-Logo-Design.net has hundreds of free logo templates to choose from, all available in the AI format.
The templates cover every category you can think of, from entertainment to real estate. Some of the older designs are quite detailed, but you can flatten and simplify them easily enough to meet modern tastes.
7. SitBack
SitBack only offers a single product, but it’s an interesting one. It’s an Illustrator template for AdWords ads. You get a single file containing blank grids for all supported ad sizes, and it’s updated with new ones as and when they’re added. Just paste in your text and images, and you’re good to go.
8. BluGraphic
BluGraphic is a curated collection of design resources, including some excellent Illustrator templates. The goodies you’ll find here include resumes, brochures, infographics, and even restaurant menus. While the choice is smaller than you’ll find on other sites, the quality is very high.
You need to sign up for free to download some of the content, while the rest can be found through third party sites.
Of course, Illustrator isn’t the best choice for page layout, like you need for a resume or menu. Adobe InDesign is a much better option. If you’ve got access to that program, check out our guide to the best free InDesign templatesThe 7 Best Free InDesign Templates Sites for Books, Flyers, Magazines, and MoreThe 7 Best Free InDesign Templates Sites for Books, Flyers, Magazines, and MoreFree InDesign templates can be difficult to find. Our curated list of Adobe InDesign template websites covers all of your design needs.Read More to get started.
9. All-Free-Download.com
All-Free-Download.com is quite overwhelming with its choice and layout, and the quality varies, too. Yet there’s a lot of good stuff in there if you can find it. The site’s especially strong on cards of all kinds—business cards, invitation cards, and greeting cards.
You don’t need to sign up to download anything. Just make sure you check the license before you use the template, as it varies from item to item.
10. StockLayouts
The free templates at StockLayouts mostly serve as a taster for their premium products. But they are still good, with simple and understated designs.
You can grab a menu, gift certificate, letterhead and business card, newsletter, and more. They’re designed for Illustrator, but many will also have files that you can use programs including Microsoft Word.
They’re also easy to edit to your taste. Each download comes with instructions, including the perfect font that will match the design. They’re also correctly sized and ready to print.
11. AmberDesign
If you’re self-employed or do any kind of freelance work, you’ll need to spend time each month sending out invoices to your clients. There are many ways to do this. You can just knock something together in Word, or you can download an invoicing appInvoice Mini Makes Mobile Invoice Creation Easier Than EverInvoice Mini Makes Mobile Invoice Creation Easier Than EverInvoice Mini, the newest app from MakeUseOf, makes it easy to create, manage, and send invoices. Here's how it works.Read More.
Alternatively, head over to AmberDesign to grab yourself a free invoice template for Illustrator. There are four designs, and they’re all classy and professional looking. They need little editing—just drop in your logo, add your details, then export your Illustrator file as a PDF. Simple!
12. VectorTemplates
As a website, VectorTemplates.com isn’t much to look at, but it’s crammed with quality and unusual Illustrator templates. There are T-shirts and website mock-ups, and plenty of fun stuff, too. If you’ve ever wanted editable Illustrator versions of the Superman and Batman logos, you’ll find them here.
Note that you can convert regular images to vector graphics in Adobe IllustratorHow to Vectorize an Image in Adobe IllustratorHow to Vectorize an Image in Adobe IllustratorAdobe Illustrator makes it easy to convert images to vectors without losing quality. Here's the step-by-step process to vectorize.Read More.
Or Start Making Your Own Templates
Of course, even editing templates in Adobe Illustrator requires a little bit of design knowledge. But it’s not all bad news even if you have no skills at all. Download cs go free mac.
The browser-based design app Canva takes the idea of Illustrator templates and makes them accessible to everyone, regardless of their knowledge or experience. It’s one of the most essential resources for online illustrators7 Essential Tools, Software, and Services for Illustrators7 Essential Tools, Software, and Services for IllustratorsWorking as an illustrator can be a daunting task. However, these essential tools for illustrators will help keep you on track.Read More. Check out our article detailing things you can create with Canva with zero effort10 Things You Can Create With Canva With Zero Effort10 Things You Can Create With Canva With Zero EffortCanva is so easy to use you don't need any design experience or skills to get started.Read More to see just how powerful it is.
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Adobe Illustrator is the best program for graphic design work; for pros and amateurs alike. But it’s such a in-depth app that the quickest ways to do simple things are not always obvious.
Here are the essential Adobe Illustrator tips and tricks that will get you designing faster than ever.
1. Apply Multiple Strokes to an Object
Adobe Illustrator is built around vector objects that have a stroke (the outline) and a fill (the central color). If you’re relatively new to Illustrator, you might not realize that objects can have multiple strokes and fills.
This target board image might look like it’s made from lots of different objects combined. In fact, it’s one object. A circle with a yellow fill, and red, blue, black, white, and black strokes.
Here’s how it was done:
Draw the circle, 80px across. Set the fill to yellow, and the stroke to red with a 40pt width. Click the dotted line under the Stroke option and set Align Stroke to Align Stroke to Outside.
Now open the Appearance panel through the Window menu, or hit Shift + F6. Select the stroke and click Duplicate Selected Item. This creates a copy above the existing stroke.
Select the one below (we want the original stroke to be above) and set the color to blue and the size to 80pt. Then duplicate that.
Repeat the process, changing the color and adding 40pt to the size of the stroke each time. For the final stroke, add just 2pt extra.
There are lots of other options. You can combine gradient and texture fills, add effects, change the opacity of elements, and more. You can also play with the order the strokes are placed on the image, to see the effect that has. Just drag and drop them into position.
Once you get used to the feature it becomes a whole lot easier than combining lots of elements to make relatively simple objects.
2. Make Patterns and Textures the Easy Way
Creating patterns and textures is time consuming when you do it manually. You can do it in seconds if you learn how to use the Blend Tool.
With the Blend Tool you can repeat objects a set number of times, morph one shape into another, or create smooth gradients between different colors. And it’s really simple to master. Simcity 4 mac region download.
To get started, draw two objects on your canvas. Now double click the Blend Tool to open the options dialog box. Set Spacing to Specified Steps and enter the number of times you want the object to be duplicated.
The other options are Specified Distance, which sets the distance between each repeated object in pixels, and Smooth Color for smoothly blending between two colors. Eos utility update download mac.
Click OK. Then, with the Blend Tool selected, click the first object on your canvas followed by the second. The gaps fill in automatically.
The Blend Tool works with almost any object, including text, with only a few exceptions. Try experimenting to see what you can achieve.
3. Hide Parts of Objects With Masks
One of the best Illustrator tips you can learn is how to use masks. They’re a massive time saver. A clipping mask, as it’s called in Illustrator, is a shape that masks the object below it. Only the content that is positioned directly below the mask is visible. Everything else is hidden.
Masks let you combine patterns, textures, and gradients with shapes and text very quickly, and in a non-destructive way.
Start with the object you want to be masked, open on your canvas. Now draw a new shape on top of it. Make sure it’s on the same layer.
Use the Selection Tool to select both objects. In the Quick Actions panel on the right, click Make Clipping Mask.
You can reposition either the mask or the object being masked at any time.
To create a mask from multiple objects you need to combine them first. Select all the objects you want to include then go to Object > Compound Path > Make. This turns them into a single shape.
Select your new compound path plus the object below it. From the Quick Actions panel choose Make Clipping Mask to finish the job.
4. How to Create Complex Shapes
Shapes are integral to Illustrator, but creating complex shapes has always been tricky. The problem has been solved by the Shape Builder Tool.
The Shape Builder Tool works by dividing a group of selected objects into segments, wherever their lines cross. All you need to do is select which of those segments you want to include in your shape, and which you want to exclude.
Here’s a simple example to explain.
Draw a few overlapping shapes, then use the Selection Tool to select all of them.
Now click the Shape Builder Tool.
When you move your mouse pointer over the selected objects you’ll see each individual “segment” become shaded. Simply click and drag through all the ones you want to add to your shape.
You can create more than one complex shape from any group. Just click and drag as often as you need.
To discard segments you no longer need, hold Alt and click inside them.
5. Draw Shapes Freehand
Here’s an even quicker Illustrator trick for building shapes: draw them freehand.
The Shaper Tool recognizes certain gestures. Draw a rough circle, rectangle, triangle, and so on, with your mouse or pen and Illustrator will convert them into perfect shapes.
But that’s not all. You can use the Shaper Tool to combine shapes using an additional “scribble” gesture:
- You can scribble inside a shape to remove its fill.
- Scribble inside, then cross over the stroke to delete the shape completely.
- Or scribble inside then draw a continuous line through connected shapes to combine them into a single shape.
Although less precise than the other options available to you, the Shaper Tool is an effective way to get quality sketches down quickly. It’s a tool you’ll use a lot if you buy one of the best graphic tabletsThe Best Graphic Tablets and Graphics Programs for Digital DesignThe Best Graphic Tablets and Graphics Programs for Digital DesignWe've rounded up the best graphic design tablets and software to use if you want to break into cartoons and other forms of digital art.Read More.
6. Draw Inside Shapes
Illustrator has three Draw modes that control where and how your tools can draw on the canvas. They’re found through a tiny button below the toolbar on the left edge of the screen.
The default setting is Draw Normal. This means you can draw anywhere on the canvas.
Select an object and set the Draw mode to Draw Inside. Now, anything you add to your image will only be visible if it’s within the bounds of that object. This is effectively a masking shortcut, and is very useful when working on icons, buttons, or small details.
The Draw Outside option has the opposite effect, and lets you isolate and protect certain parts of your image without needing to worry about re-ordering your layers.
7. Edit Similar Objects at the Same Time
Illustrator 19 introduced the Global Edit tool. This enables you to select similar objects based on their shape, size, color, and so on, and edit them all in one go. It’s ideal when you’ve copied the same object, symbol, or logo onto the page several times.
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To use it, select one instance of the object you want to edit. In the Properties panel, select Start Global Edit. All the copies of the same object will also be highlighted. Now start editing the object you selected, and your changes will be reflected in all the objects.
To finetune the selection, click the drop down arrow next to the Global Edit button. Appearance limits the selection to objects with the same fill or stroke, and Size to only the same size objects.
When you’re done, either deselect the original object or click Stop Global Edit in the Properties panel.
8. Switch Colors Quickly
When you’re experimenting with colors or color schemes you will often find you need to change all instances of a single color within your image. You can do this quickly using the Recolor Artwork option.
First up, select the object whose color you want to change. It may be a single object. Or, use the Same option outlined in Step 8 to select all the objects containing the same fill or stroke color. Alternatively, hit Ctrl + A or Cmd + A to select everything on the page.
Next, click the Recolor Artwork button in the Options Bar at the top of the screen.
The color of your selected objects will be shown under Current Colors. Double click the box under New to select a new color to change them to.
If you’re working with logos, web artwork, or the like, hit the Harmony Rules dropdown at the top of the window to see a range of preset color schemes based on your existing choices. The colors update in real time, so keep clicking through until you find a combination you like.
Now You Can Work Faster in Illustrator
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These Adobe Illustrator tips and tricks should help you become a whole lot more efficient with the app, and you can then start using it for all your design projects. Whether that’s designing a logo in Illustrator or designing a business card in Illustrator.
For the quickest shortcut of all, here’s our guide to free Adobe Illustrator templates12 Places to Find Free Adobe Illustrator Templates12 Places to Find Free Adobe Illustrator TemplatesWith Adobe Illustrator templates you can have a professional looking product in a fraction of the time!Read More. They’ll help get your project started and looking amazing in no time at all.
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