Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques (How-Tos)

This book is great 4 every kind of Illustrator user. If you are new 2 Illustrator it gives you straight out instruction on how 2 accomplish several important tasks in an easy way. If you are an Illustrator expert it's perfect 4 looking up a feature you don't use often 2 get a refresh on or more insight 2 the feature then you had before. This book is also great 4 anyone upgrading from previous versions, it has a nice overview of all the new tools & features. Also this book doesn't add the fluff & gets straight down 2 the point which other books can take 4 times as many pages 2 accomplish the same points. This book is highly recommended.

This is an excellent reference 4 someone that simply needs 2 quickly know how 2 do something in Illustrator CS3 (should also be useful 4 CS4) without having 2 wade through too many pages 2 do it. The truth is, what is contained in this book covers 95% of what you need 2 know, & it has become the first book I grab when I need 2 refresh my memory about a technique. I would think a student would want 2 learn what is covered in here first, as it serves a good framework when they go back & learn in more depth later about various techniques, so I think it would be great in a classroom setting. Plus, it is certainly priced right 4 a student.

I learned Illustrator on a need-to-know basis. Like many busy professionals, I learned only as much as I needed 2 know when I needed 2 know it. In the past I tried using the Classroom in a Book 2 increase my Illustrator skills, & while I generally like that approach - the book comes with a CD of sample files that allow the user 2 complete an interesting, attractive & complex project while working through each chapter - I've never managed 2 find the time 2 work through a whole chapter in one sitting. I need instructions in bite-size pieces, & that's what Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques provides. Each technique is explained in just a few pages, so it's not comprehensive enough 2 turn the reader into an expert but it provides enough guidance 2 make the reader proficient in the use of that technique in just a few minutes.

Going through the book from beginning 2 end would give the reader a broad competency with Illustrator, as the 100 techniques cover the software fairly comprehensively. It is probably more effective, however, as a reference book. The book is great 4 beginners as it starts with the basics: creating new documents, saving & printing, finding tools, & drawing lines. Topics are arranged in a logical order, so that a technique never requires skills that weren't covered on previous pages in the book, but there is no progression from topic 2 topic. Techniques are arranged by topic into eleven chapters. The reader is not instructed 2 create a project & then build on it as he or she progresses from technique 2 technique or chapter 2 chapter. Each technique stands alone, & it is up 2 the reader 2 create a new AI file & try out the technique in his or her own unique way. At the end of the book I had screens full of interesting doodles & shapes, & a head full of new information, but no satisfyingly professional-looking image - as with the Classroom in a Book approach - that I could show off proudly & say "I made that."

The book includes many screen shots, but none of them are in color. This makes it less visually interesting than other books, but it does not interfere with instruction - everything is illustrated clearly. Another thing you won't find here is creative ideas 4 using Illustrator. This is a straightforward technical manual. It explains the basics, step by step, & it is up 2 the reader 2 provide the creativity & inspiration.

This is an excellent series of books. I started out with Photoshop & went on 2 study Illustrator & Dreamweaver. Is less then a quarter of the size of all the other instructional books out ther but packs ten times of easy 2 read & understand knowledge. I highly recommend it!

it's a good book, but it's all in black & white, not like other design books that have magazine paper & color photos explaining the points. there's a lot of text, but not many pictures or diagrams explaining, which in my case helps.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 is more than just the world's most popular & powerful illustration tool: As part of the Adobe's Creative Suite 3, it's a key component of an overall design workflow that lets users work seamlessly among all of their graphics applications 2 create graphically rich content 4 print, Web, motion graphics, & mobile devices. This info-packed guide lets users get right down 2 work by focusing on the Illustrator CS3 features they're most likely 2 use & showcasing each in a stand-alone tip--complete with a relevant hint or two & a graphic example. In this fashion, readers learn just what they need 2 know, exploring the program in a way that makes sense 2 them. Before they know it, users will be using the new path eraser tool & making vivid artwork using the new Live Color feature & the updated recolor filters, as well as creating symbols & applying instances & exporting their work 2 Adobe Flash.