1. IMAGE SIZE AND RESOLUTION
Digital Illustration
Updated SP16

2. OUTPUT
You can save Illustrator documents in a variety of graphic file formats for use in print publications and on the Web; you can print directly from Illustrator or place Illustrator graphics into other documents, such as InDesign layouts and Photoshop artwork.

3. OUTPUT Artwork can be handed off to other CC applications:
Print documents: Copy and paste between Illustrator and InDesign or import Illustrator files into InDesign layouts.
Web/digital publishing: Open Illustrator documents directly in Flash or export and open in Dreamweaver.
Copy and paste or import Illustrator artwork into Photoshop.
Artwork can also be handed off for use in other applications:
Export to other formats
Save as PDF or EPS and maintain AI file for future editing

4. CREATE DOCUMENT PROFILES
Document Startup Profiles store the properties of a new document.
Document Profiles control:
Color mode
Raster Effect resolution: 72 dpi for digital, 300 dpi for print
Preview mode: Overprint Preview, Pixel Preview
Create custom profiles:
Specify custom settings in the New Document dialog box, and then save a blank Illustrator file (AI format).
To use a document profile, choose Browse from the Profile menu in the New Document Profile dialog box, and then browse to and select the AI file.

5. PRINTING FROM ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrator has a full-featured Print dialog box (File > Print).
Use the options in the General section to manage most home or office printing functions. The other tabs are typically used by professional printshops.
Specify the artboards you want to print in the preview window.

6. PRINT SELECTED LAYERS
Visible & Printable Layers: Prints only visible and printable layers
Visible Layers: Prints all visible layers
All Layers: Prints all layers (including hidden)

7. PRINT SELECTED ARTBOARDS
Choose Range in the Print dialog (General section).
Select Skip Blank Artboards.
Select Ignore Artboards.
Select Orientation and Auto-Rotate.

8. SAVE AS PDF
Many printers prefer to receive PDF documents from clients. You can also export PDF documents for use in other applications.
Saving an Illustrator file as a PDF is a Save command:
1. Choose File > Save As, and in the resulting dialog box select Adobe PDF from the Format pop-up menu.
2. Check or uncheck the Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities option in the Save Adobe PDF dialog box:
Yes: File can be opened and edited in Illustrator.
No: File is much smaller in size but cannot be edited in Illustrator.

9. SAVE AS OTHER GRAPHIC FILE FORMATS
EXPORT TO MICROSOFT OFFICE
PNG format
EXPORT TO TIFF
Widely supported print raster format.
EXPORT TO PHOTOSHOP (PSD)
RGB or CMYK color models
HAND OFF TO INDESIGN FOR PRINT
PDF or AI file

10. SAVE FOR WEB DIALOG BOX
The Save For Web dialog box (File > Save For Web) duplicates export options.
Advantages vs. Export:
2-up previewing allows for trial and error.
Many but not all web-useful options are available here.
Resizing is available on export.
Slice selection is supported.
Disadvantages vs. Export:
You cannot export selected artboards.
Not all formats are available.
Use File > Export where necessary.

11. WEB GRAPHIC FORMATS Web raster formats: JPEG (photos)
PNG (transparency)
GIF (type and plain colors)

12. SLICE FOR EXPORT
In the early years of web design, pages were constructed with tables. Illustrator (and Photoshop) generated HTML pages with tables from slices.
Today we use slicing to save selected artwork to raster formats. Select an object in a document and choose Object > Slice > Create from Selection.

13. SELECT SLICES FOR EXPORT
Once you have defined slices in a document, use one of these two methods to select some slices:
Use the Slice Selection tool in the Tools panel.
Use the Slice Selection tool in the Save For Web dialog box.

14. EXPORT SELECTED SLICES
Once slices are selected, use one of these methods to export them:
In a document, choose File > Save Selected Slices to export selected slices to raster formats.
In the Save For Web dialog box, select to include all slices, or just selected slices.
Exported files will automatically be named based on the Illustrator document information, and they can have different export settings.

15. WORKING WITH ADOBE BRIDGE
Adobe Bridge is for file management and for browsing images that are in your computer, server, or any device that is actively connected to your computer.

16. PRINT OUTPUT ESSENTIALS
Color mode is critical for output: You will almost always use CMYK or Spot Color mode for professional printing.
Regarding file format, some printers accept AI files, but more often printers ask for PDFs. AI files are more often placed into InDesign to prepare for publishing. Export raster images as native Photoshop files (PSD) or TIFF files.

17. SAVE, EXPORT, AND PRINT
To hand off for print: Save to editable files as native Illustrator format (AI), or as more widely supported formats such as editable PDF file format.
To export to non-editable raster formats: Use PSD or TIFF for high-resolution printing.
To export raster-based files for the web: Use the Save For Web dialog box, which provides a preview. Slices can be saved as separate raster-based files.
Use the Export dialog box:
Provides some settings unavailable in the Save For Web dialog box
Saves to web vector formats (SWF and SVG)
Allows artboard selection