Adobe Creative Cloud All–in–One For Dummies

Jennifer Smith is a user experience consultant, designer, educator, mentor, and author of more than a dozen books on digital imaging and web publishing. She has advised numerous companies on design projects and works on various platforms and devices. Christopher Smith is president of the American Graphics Institute. He is the author of more than ten books on web, interactive, and print publishing technology, including many of the Adobe official training guides.

Introduction 1


Why Is It Important? 2


About This Book 2


Foolish Assumptions 3


Icons Used in This Book 4


Beyond the Book 4


Book 1: Overview of the Creative Cloud Suite 5


Chapter 1: Getting Started with the Creative Cloud Suite 7


Applications Covered in This Book 9


Chapter 2: Creative Cloud Application Management 15


Downloading Your First App 15


Chapter 3: Creative Cloud Extras for You 19


Launching the Creative Cloud App 19


Adding Work to Behance 31


Creating a Cover 34


Bonus! Adobe Portfolio 35


It’s Not Just Apps! 36


Chapter 4: Using Common Menus and Commands 37


Discovering Common Menus 37


Using Dialog Boxes 39


Encountering Alerts 40


Getting to Know Common Menu Options 41


About Contextual Menus 43


Using Common Keyboard Shortcuts 44


Changing Your Preferences 46


Chapter 5: Exploring Common Panels 49


Understanding the Synchronized Workspace 49


Using Panels in the Workspace 51


Book 2: Adobe Bridge 55


Chapter 1: Organizing and Managing Your Files with Adobe Bridge 57


Getting to Know the Adobe Bridge Workspace 58


Chapter 2: Taking Advantage of Metadata in Adobe Bridge 69


Locating Your Files 69


Using Keywords 73


Creating a Metadata Template 74


Searching for Files Using Adobe Bridge 76


Saving a Collection 78


Chapter 3: Using Automation Tools in Adobe Bridge 79


Getting Files from Your Camera 79


Automation Tools in Adobe Bridge 81


Book 3: Photoshop CC 87


Chapter 1: Getting into Photoshop CC Basics 89


The Start Screen 89


The New Document Window 90


Sample Images Can Help You Investigate More Features 91


Opening an Image 91


Getting to Know the Tools 92


Navigating the Work Area 95


Choosing Your Screen Mode 100


Getting Started with Basic Tasks in Photoshop CC 100


Chapter 2: Messing with Mode Matters 105


Working with Bitmap Images 105


Choosing the Correct Photoshop Mode 106


Chapter 3: Making Selective Changes 113


Getting to Know the Selection Tools 113


Manipulating Selections with Refine Selection 122


Saving Selections 131


Preserving Corrective Perspective with the Vanishing Point Feature 132


Chapter 4: Using the Photoshop Pen Tool 135


Selecting the Right Pen Tool for the Task 136


Using a Path as a Selection 136


Creating Curved Paths 138


Clipping Paths 139


Using Shape Layers 142


Chapter 5: Creating Images in the Right Resolution for Print and the Web 151


Creating Images for Print 151


Determining the Resolution for Web Images 155


Applying the Unsharp Mask Filter to an Image 156


Chapter 6: Creating a Good Image 159


Reading a Histogram 159


Creating a Good Tone Curve 163


Editing an Adjustment Layer 171


Testing a Printer 172


Chapter 7: Working with Painting and Retouching Tools 173


Using the Swatches Panel 173


Choosing Foreground and Background Colors 174


The Painting and Retouching Tools 175


Blending Modes 188


Saving Presets 192


Chapter 8: Using Layers 193


Creating and Working with Layers 194


Creating a Text Layer 197


Using Layer Masks 198


Organizing Your Layers 201


Using Layer Styles 204


Smart, Really Smart! Smart Objects 206


Working with Artboards in Photoshop 207


Experimenting with 3D Files 214


Filter Capabilities in the Layers Panel 216


Merging and Flattening the Image 216


Chapter 9: Saving Photoshop Images for Print and the Web 219


Backing Up with a Save 220


Choosing a File Format for Saving 220


Saving Images for the Web 222


Saving Settings 231


Book 4: InDesign CC 233


Chapter 1: Introducing InDesign CC 235


Getting Started with InDesign CC 235


Touring the Workspace 240


Setting Up the Workspace 246


Working with Documents 251


Chapter 2: Working with Text and Text Frames 255


Understanding Text, Font, and Frames 256


Creating and Using Text Frames 256


Adding Text to Your Publication 258


Looking at Text Frame Options 261


Modifying and Connecting Text Frames on a Page 264


Understanding Paragraph Settings 270


Editing Stories 273


Using Tables 276


Looking at Text on a Path 280


Chapter 3: Understanding Page Layout 281


Importing Images 281


Linking and Embedding Images 284


Setting Image Quality and Display 286


Selecting Images 287


Manipulating Text and Graphics in a Layout 288


Merging Text and Graphics 292


Working with Pages and the Pages Panel 296


Using Master Spreads in Page Layout 298


Chapter 4: Drawing in InDesign 301


Getting Started with Drawing 301


Getting to Know the Tools of the Trade 304


Drawing Shapes 305


Editing Basic Shapes 308


Drawing Freeform Paths 311


Editing Freeform Paths 313


Modifying Frame Corners 314


Using Fills 315


Adding Layers 319


Creating QR Codes 320


Chapter 5: Understanding Color 323


Selecting Color with Color Controls 323


Understanding Color Models 324


Using Color Swatches and Libraries 325


Chapter 6: Clipping Paths, Alignment, and Object Transformation 329


Working with Transformations 330


Understanding Clipping Paths 335


Arranging Objects on the Page 337


Chapter 7: Exporting to PDF and Printing 341


Preflight: Preparing Your Documents for Printing 341


Packaging Your Documents 342


Understanding File Formats 343


Exporting Publications 345


Printing Your Work 352


Chapter 8: Creating Digital Documents Using EPUB 355


Adapting Content for Digital Distribution 356


Creating Digital Documents 356


Exporting EPUB 360


Book 5: Illustrator CC 365


Chapter 1: Discovering Illustrator CC 367


Deciding When to Use Illustrator CC 367


Creating a New Document 369


Try a Template 373


Opening an Existing Document 373


Taking a Look at the Document Window 373


Taking Advantage of Artboards 375


Becoming Familiar with the Tools 380


Checking Out the Panels 383


Changing Views 385


Navigating the Work Area with Zoom Controls 387


Chapter 2: Using the Selection Tools 389


Getting to Know the Selection Tools 389


Working with Selections 391


Grouping and Ungrouping 395


Manipulating Selected Objects 397


Chapter 3: Creating Basic Shapes 399


The Basic Shape Tools 399


Resizing Shapes 403


Tips for Creating Shapes 404


Chapter 4: Using the Pen Tool and Placing Images 409


Pen Tool Fundamentals 410


The Hidden Pen Tools 418


Tracing Artwork 420


Other Details You Should Know about Placing Images 424


Using Photoshop Layer Comps 426


Chapter 5: Using Type in Illustrator 427


Working with Type 427


Assigning Font Styles 438


Using the Character Panel 440


Using the Control Panel 442


Using the Paragraph Panel 442


Text Utilities: Your Key to Efficiency 444


Chapter 6: Organizing Your Illustrations 453


Setting Ruler Increments 453


Using Guides 454


Using the Transform Panel for Placement 455


Changing the Ruler Origin 456


Thinking about Object Arrangement 456


Hiding Objects 457


Locking Objects 459


Creating a Clipping Mask 460


Creating a Clipping Path Using the Draw Inside Button 462


Chapter 7: Using Layers 463


Creating New Layers 464


Using Layers for Selections 467


Changing the Layer Stacking Order 468


Moving and Cloning Objects 469


Hiding Layers 469


Locking Layers 470


Chapter 8: Livening Up Illustrations with Color 471


Choosing a Document Profile 471


Using the Swatches Panel 473


Applying Color to the Fill and Stroke 474


Changing the Width and Type of a Stroke 474


Using the Color Panel 477


Saving Colors 478


Editing Colors 481


Building and Editing Patterns 483


Advanced Pattern Editing 485


Working with Gradients 489


Copying Color Attributes 494


Painting Made Easy: The Live Paint Feature 495


Chapter 9: Using the Transform and Distortion Tools 497


Working with Transformations 497


Creating Distortions 504


Chapter 10: Working with Transparency and Special Effects Tools 509


The Mesh Tool 509


The Blend Tool 513


The Symbol Sprayer Tool 516


Transparency 518


Chapter 11: Using Filters and Effects 523


Working with Effects 523


Saving Graphic Styles 528


Creating 3D Artwork 529


Adding Multiple Fills and Strokes 532


Using the Perspective Grid 535


Chapter 12: Using Your Illustrator Images 539


Saving and Exporting Illustrator Files 539


Saving Your Artwork for the Web 545


Saving Multiple Assets out of Illustrator 549


Flattening Transparency 551


Printing from Illustrator 554


Book 6: Acrobat 557


Chapter 1: Discovering Essential Acrobat Information 559


Working with PDF Files 560


Knowing When to Use Adobe PDF Files 561


Introducing the Adobe Acrobat Workspace and Tools 562


Chapter 2: Creating PDF Files 569


Creating PDF Files from Microsoft Office 569


Creating PDF Files from Adobe Creative Cloud Applications 574


Converting Other Electronic Documents to PDF 576


Creating PDF Files from Paper Documents and the Web 578


Chapter 3: Adding Interactivity to PDF Files 581


Adding Bookmarks to Create Easy PDF Navigation 581


Adding Interactive Links 585


Adding Buttons to Simplify Your PDF Files 586


Chapter 4: Editing and Extracting Text and Graphics 589


Editing Text 589


Exporting Text and Graphics 594


Chapter 5: Using Commenting and Annotation Tools 597


Creating Comments with the Comment Panel 597


Managing Comments 604


Reviewing PDF Documents 607


Chapter 6: Securing Your PDF Files 609


Understanding Password Security 610


Applying Password Security to Your PDF Documents 611


Limiting Editing and Printing 612


Removing Sensitive Data 614


Book 7: Adobe XD 615


Chapter 1: Introducing the Experience Design Workspace 617


Understanding the Modern User Interface 618


Relating Objects to the Property Inspector 620


A Little Bit about Artboards 623


Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigating the Workspace 626


Design View versus Prototype Mode 627


Chapter 2: Working with Artboards 629


Starting Your Document and Adding an Artboard 629


Creating New Artboards 631


Resizing an Artboard 631


Adding a New Artboard 632


Using the Layers Panel 633


Duplicating an Artboard 634


Arranging Artboards in Your Pasteboard Area 634


Aligning and Distributing Your Artboards 635


Adding Scrolling Capability to an Artboard 636


Chapter 3: Adding Shapes, Paths, and Custom Shapes 639


It All Starts with a Shape 639


Creating a Button 641


Creating a Border 644


Using the Pen Tool 646


Creating Custom Shapes with the Path Tools 648


Chapter 4: Working with Objects 649


Getting a Leg Up on Layers 649


Transforming Objects 658


Aligning and Distributing 659


Chapter 5: Importing and Exporting from XD 663


Adding Imagery to Your Prototype 663


Working with Images in XD 665


Importing Vector Images into XD 667


Exporting Your Artwork from XD 668


Chapter 6: Adding Text to Your XD Project 669


Adding Text Right in Adobe XD 669


Adjusting Text Properties 670


Importing Text 675


Using the Repeat Grid Feature 675


Chapter 7: Taking Advantage of Symbols and UI Kits 681


Using Symbols 681


Taking Advantage of UI Kits 685


Chapter 8: Creating Interactivity in Adobe XD 687


Entering Prototype Mode 687


Previewing Your Artwork 690


Chapter 9: Sharing Your XD Project 691


Viewing Your App/Website on Your Desktop 691


Creating a Movie for Your User Story 692


Using the Device Preview Feature 693


Sharing Your XD File with Others 694


Index 695