Illustrator 8 Bible

This insightful, well-organized guide to Illustrator 8 for Windows and Macintosh serves just about every conceivable need--whether you're a beginner who wants an introduction, an intermediate-level user who needs help using advanced tools, or an expert who wants a general reference book for occasional guidance and reminders. Ted Alspach combines step-by-step instruction with explanations of features, techniques, and technology. The companion CD-ROM has sample artwork (also pictured in a full-color section of the book) as well as plug-ins, fonts, and demo versions of Adobe Illustrator, Dimensions, Photoshop, and Streamline.

The beginning of the book introduces you to Illustrator's toolset and explains fonts, PostScript, paths and points, viewing modes, menus, windows, palettes, shapes, grids and guides, file management, and customization. Next you learn how to create a variety of fairly challenging illustrations and work with type, masks, compound paths, blends, gradients, patterns, graphs, and textures. The third section focuses on built-in and third-party filters and plug-ins. Finally, you learn how to use Illustrator to produce Web graphics, work with Strokes, print your work, and create separations and traps. Appendices give installation advice and a review of the new features in Illustrator 8. --Kathleen Caster