Chapter 7: Drawing; About Drawing - Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual

Chapter 7: Drawing

About drawing

About vector graphics
Vector graphics are made up of lines and curves defined by mathematical objects called vectors. Vectors describe an
image according to its geometric characteristics. For example, the boot laces in a vector graphic are defined by a
specific width and length, set at a specific location, and filled with a specific color. You can move, resize, or change
the color of the laces without losing the quality of the graphic.
Vector graphics are resolution-independent—that is, they can be scaled to any size and printed at any resolution
without losing detail or clarity. As a result, vector graphics are the best choice for representing graphics that must
retain crisp lines when scaled to various sizes—for example, logos.
Vector graphic at different levels of magnification
About paths
As you draw, the resulting line is called a path. A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments. The
beginning and end of each segment is marked by anchor points, which work like pins holding a wire in place. You
change the shape of a path by editing its anchor points. You can control curves by dragging the direction points at the
end of direction lines that appear at anchor points.
A path is either open, like an arc, or closed, like a circle. For an open path, the starting and ending anchor points for
the path are called endpoints.
A
B
C
Components of a path
A. Selected (solid) endpoint B. Selected anchor point C. Curved path segment D. Direction line E. Direction point
200%
800%
E
D
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