John Garrett shows how to use the Appearance panel to simplify artwork and create Illustrator text effects. He explains how doing this can lower the chances for mistakes, plus he shows how it can reduce the number of objects on the artboard, and then reduce the overall amount of processing and memory needed when importing variables.
- [Voiceover] In the past, the Appearance panel…was just a place I went to to change the settings…for my drop shadow effects.…I never did anything else with it,…and I didn't realize you could do anything else.…But now, it's indispensable to me.…And it can actually help you when…you're setting up your design for variable data.…I won't go over every in and out of the Appearance panel,…but I'll show you a specific example of how it helps…with this design.…To learn more about the features of the Appearance panel,…check out this video,…Mastering the Appearance Panel…in the Illustrator CC Power Shortcuts course…by Justin Seeley.…
Next, I'm going to create a new layer…above the name layer by clicking the…Create New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers Panel.…I'll just name this one Name_Appearance…but double-clicking the name in the Layers panel.…Variable data doesn't care about the name of your layer,…but I like to keep things organized.…So now, I'll click the blue text in front of the stack,…and type Cmd-C to copy it.…
Author
John Garrett
Released
4/26/2016Designer John Garrett appreciates the many different types of variables and their practical uses, including generating business cards and direct mailers. In this course, he explains how to use variable data including managing linked images, graphics, tables of data, and graphs. He covers the entire workflow, from setup to exporting dynamic batches.
- Setting up Illustrator files
- Using Appearances
- Setting up data sources
- Importing data
- Managing linked variables
- Binding and using prepend paths and presets
- Using the Variables panel
- Naming data sets
- Generating multiple versions with batch exporting
Skill Level Advanced
Duration
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Introduction
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1. Exploring Variable Data
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What Is Variable Data?1m 12s
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Different types of variables4m 16s
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2. Setting up Illustrator Files
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Naming objects4m 25s
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Using area type2m 32s
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Using point type1m 57s
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Using variable data graphics4m 50s
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3. Setting up a CSV Document
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Setting up data in Excel3m 25s
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Saving a CSV file3m 11s
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4. Importing using Variable Importer Script
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Opening Variable Importer3m 19s
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Creating and using presets1m 32s
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Testing and importing a CSV2m 22s
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5. Working with the Variables Panel
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Uploading data sets4m 8s
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Dealing with overset text3m 41s
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6. Exporting and Reviewing
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Creating a save action3m 25s
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Conclusion
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Next steps1m 12s
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Video: Using appearance attributes to simplify