Dan Scott wearing sunglasses with the text overlay 7 tips for mastering illustrator

7 Tips for Mastering Adobe Illustrator

Daniel Scott

@dan

Do you ever feel like a digital caveman hacking away at your keyboard while others effortlessly navigate Adobe Illustrator with grace and precision? Then this post is for you! Read on for seven tips to help you make the most of Adobe Illustrator.

The tips in this post are from my course Adobe Illustrator Essentials for Beginners. When you become a BYOL member, you gain access to this course as well as my 30+ additional courses on Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Webflow, and more. As a BYOL member you will also enjoy personalized support, earn certificates, and tackle exciting community challenges. Head here to sign-up!

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Tip 1: Enter Boss Mode

Ever wondered how your colleagues effortlessly draw shapes from the center? It's all about Boss Mode. Hold down the Option (Alt) key while dragging out shapes, and watch as Illustrator bends to your will.

duplicating a rectangle with the option or alt shortcut in illustrator

The Alt key is a great shortcut for duplicating shapes.

Tip 2: Do It Again

Forget repetitive tasks. With a simple shortcut (Command/Ctrl + D), you can duplicate your last action without breaking a sweat.

duplicating shapes using the quick duplicate shortcut in illustrator

When working with multiple duplicates, using shortcuts will speed your workflow.

Tip 3: Blending Magic

Take your designs to the next level with blend mode. Combine shapes seamlessly and watch as Illustrator works its magic.

creating multiple curved lines with blend tool in illustrator

You can create amazing designs with straight or curved lines and the Blend tool

Tip 4: Default Settings to the Rescue

Tired of drawing shapes with no stroke or fill? Just hit the "D" key to reset to default settings and save yourself some hassle.

applying default black and colors on a line path with shortcut key in illustrator

If you forget to set up fill and stroke for a path, using the shortcut D will apply default black and white colors on it

Tip 5: Toggle Like a Pro

Switching between stroke and fill colors has never been easier. Just hit Shift + X to toggle between the two with lightning speed.

using shortcut to swap fill and stroke colors in illustrator

Using the shortcut Shift + X to swap fill and stroke colors assists color testing.

Tip 6: Mastering Shapes

Navigate the circle tool like a pro by toggling between stroke and fill with the "X" key and eliminating unwanted fills with the "/" key.

removing stroke with forward slash shortcut key in illustrator

Quickly removing Fill or Stroke from a shape is made simple by pressing the forward slash shortcut key.

Tip 7: Embrace the Shape Builder Tool

Say goodbye to the scissor tool and hello to the Shape Builder Tool. Combine shapes effortlessly and unleash your creativity like never before.

joining shapes with shape builder tool in illustrator

Shape Builder is one of my favorite tools from Illustrator, it makes creating complex shapes quick and easy.

What’s Next?

With these seven tips, you'll be well on your way to mastering Adobe Illustrator. To go deeper with Illustrator, join BYOL and you will gain access to my Illustrator Essentials course as well as my 30+ additional courses on Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Webflow, and more. As a BYOL member you will also enjoy personalized support, earn certificates, and tackle exciting community challenges. Get started here.

See you in class! - Dan