Embedded Files
Common Illustrator Tools
Common Illustrator Tools
Common Illustrator Tools
Common Illustrator Tools
We all have a basic familiarity with Illustrator, but let’s take a moment to review the tools most commonly used by Minted DAs, and look at some tips that help with Minted's standard proofing process.
Illustrator Tools to Know
Layers
Align
Character
Stroke
Color
Links
Layers
Layers
When you download a WTP file from MBO, the layer setup will always be similar (with some variations depending on file type). MBO uses the layer names and organization to help generate a digital proof for both our customers and printers. As such it's best practice to keep the default layer names and organization while proofing. If you hide any layers while working on an order, make sure to turn the visibility back on before uploading your proof so MBO can accurately read the file.
The layers panel can be opened by navigating to Window > Layers.
The image to the left illustrates the layer setup of a standard order. See below for an explanation of standard layer names:
id:fg - Foreground layer for UI purposes.
alternate greetings - Contains editable text for the designs' alternate greetings.
text - The customer’s text customizations.
movable - Design elements that can be moved or removed.
photo - The customer’s photo(s).
id:bg - Background layer for UI purposes.
Align
Align
The align tool is used to quickly and accurately align text boxes and other design elements. You can change the settings between three options:
Align To: Selection.
Align To: Key Object.
Align To: Artboard.
The align panel can be opened by navigating to Window > Align.
Align Options Image 1
Align Options Image 2
Align Options Image 3
Align Options Image 1
The image to the left shows the options available when using the align tool. You can use the Align panel to:
Align Objects
Adjusts the alignment of selected objects.
Distribute Objects
Adjusts the spacing between selected objects.
Distribute Spacing
Allows additional control when adjusting spacing between objects.
Align Options Image 2
The "Distribute Spacing" and "Align To" sub-sections are not always visible by default. If you do not see them when you open the align panel, simply click on the collapsable navigation menu in the top right, then select "Show Options"
Align Options Image 3
The "Align To" controls are especially helpful, and allow you to control how selected objects are aligned. Options include:
Align to Selection
Aligns selected design elements to one another.
Align to Key Object
Aligns selected design elements to a specified design element.
To set a Ket Object, simply click on that object a second time.
Align to Artboard
Aligns selected design elements to the Artboard.
Align and Bounding Boxes
Align and Bounding Boxes
Some WTP files generate with clear bounding boxes surrounding the design elements. These bounding boxes are used by CU3/CU4 to help customers move text and design elements when customizing their order. While bounding boxes are helpful for customers they should be cleaned up in Illustrator, because they can affect the results of the Align tool.
Example 1: Bounding Boxes Present in File
Example 1: Bounding Boxes Present in File
To the left, you can see the bounding boxes in the WTP file are not fully centered to the decorative design elements. This prevents the Align tool from accurately making it's alignment.
You can see how this affects the alignment by looking at the top of the decorative design elements, in comparison to the blue guide.
Example 2: Bounding Boxes Removed in File
Example 2: Bounding Boxes Removed in File
Here you can see the bounding boxes have been removed from the decorative design elements. The Align tool can now accurately align the elements to one another (check the top alignment, compared to the guide, at the end of the gif).
To quickly remove bounding boxes from a WTP file simply navigate to Object > Path > Clean Up.
Keep the default settings and click "OK."
Character
Character
The Character panel can be opened by navigating to Window > Type > Character.
The Character panel allows you to adjust the details of the typography in your design– this is especially helpful for Minted products, as most designs include or rely on typographic elements.
The most common Character options we work with are:
Font Size
Adjusts the size of the font.
When adjusting the size of a font, always check the minimum font size and stroke guidelines provided in the Minted Master Font List.
Leading
Adjusts the space between lines of text.
Helpful when fitting additional text into a design (note: leading should be consistent throughout a design).
Kerning
Adjusts the spacing between individual characters.
Can be particularly helpful when working with punctuation, which sometimes has inconsistent kerning.
Tracking
Adjusts the spacing between all characters in a line or section of text.
Helpful when fitting additional text into a design (note: tracking should be consistent throughout a design).
Baseline
Adjusts the baseline (bottom line) of a character or line of text.
Can be particularly helpful when working with punctuation, which sometimes has inconsistent baselines.
Stroke
Stroke
The Stroke panel can be opened by navigating to Window > Stroke.
Thin Fonts/Knockout Text
Some fonts are too thin and require a stroke to be readable for print.
The same goes for knockout text or white/light-colored text over a dark background.
The Minted Master Font doc is a helpful guide on minimum font size and stroke requirements.
Cap and Corner
Some fonts look uneven or spiky when a stroke is added. To resolve this, change the stroke to “round” cap and corner.
Color
Color
You will frequently check the Color panel for consistent CMYK values. It’s important to match the CMYK values to the color and stroke in the customer’s Text Customizations.
Below Right: The fifth and sixth columns list the colors used for each line of text in the customer's order.
Links
Links
The links can panel can be opened by navigating to Window > Links.
For photos, make sure that the photo file is zipped with the Illustrator file when you upload a proof to MBO. Otherwise, the photo(s) will be missing in the preview for QC and the Customer’s review.
Original Artwork should be embedded. To embed an image, click on the top-right icon and select “Embed Image(s)".
Guides
Guides are vertical and horizontal lines (or dots) that can be
moved around the page as needed.
When you're ready to print a project, the guides are hidden from view.
There are two main types of guides: ruler guides (i.e. normal lines) and guide objects (vectors transformed into guides).
Common Helpful Hotkeys
Common Helpful Hotkeys
Ctrl + I: Check Spelling
Shift + Ctrl + I: Show Hidden Characters
Ctrl Shift + K: Color Settings
Ctrl + L: New Layer
Ctrl + Z: Undo
Ctrl Shift + Z: Redo
Ctrl Shift + E: Apply Last Effect
Ctrl + S: Save
Ctrl Shift + S: Save As
Ctrl + W: Close
Ctrl + C: Copy
Alt Ctrl Shift + K: Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl + V: Paste
Ctrl + X: Cut
Ctrl + F10: Show/hide stroke panel
Saving and Zipping Files
Saving and Zipping Files
As a best practice you should:
Zip your completed design file, especially if the proof has a photo or linked file.
After downloading a zipped asset (WTP file), always unzip first. Work from the unzipped file, rather than working within the zipped download.
Once you have unzipped the file delete the original since you now have the
unzipped version.Stay organized and work with fewer files in a folder. This will lead to fewer file errors when you upload.
Keeping these habits in mind will help prevent errors in MBO, in customer previews, and at print. If you need a refresher on how to zip files on a PC, please click on this link.
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