Illustrator 2 - Resources
Here is some important information, including links to software vendors, graphics, desktop publishing, and fonts.
Help me keep this page current! If you find a link that doesn't work or a great new place to visit, drop me an e-mail at cmassell@santarosa.edu so I can keep this page updated.
Adobe resources
- Illustrator Design Center
- Adobe Training Resources
- Adobe Education
- Adobe Support
- Purchase CS4 Design Premium User Guides
Fonts
These sites include commercial fonts, free fonts, and font information. You can spend hours following these links. If you download free fonts, make sure that you're getting a font that is compatible with your computer (Mac or Windows). Students creating files for PostScript hardcopy or PDF files should stick to high-quality commercial PostScript and OpenType fonts — don't use cheap fonts for high quality work!
- Adobe Fonts
- Fonts.com
- Font Search Engine
- Font Shop
- 1001 Free Fonts
- fontface.com
- Pizza Dude
- RedSun
- Chank
- The Free Site.com
- FontHaus
- Font Diner
- Linotype
Magazines and clipart
- Adobe Magazine
- Illustrator Techniques
- Layers
- Communication Arts
- ClipArt Connection
- desktopPublishing.com
- Jupiter Images
- ClipArt.com (The CIS Department has purchased a subscription for graphics students using the lab facilities. See the lab staff for help logging on. The password is not provided to students for use from home.)
Saving Graphics
Many sites you find will consist of links that will take you to hundreds of places on the web in search of the "ultimate" graphic. The sites provide graphics for Macintosh and Windows unless specified and are usually screen quality only (72 dpi). There are several different ways in which to save a graphic:
- To save a graphic displayed on the screen, right-click on the graphic (Windows), control-click (Mac) until the Save Image As (or similar) menu command shows on the screen -- don't use the File Save option!
- If you are prompted for a disk location in which to save the graphic while working in the CIS lab, please select your own USB drive or the temporary storage areas provided (Temp folder in Windows or the Student Folder on the Macintosh -- and please delete your files when you leave the lab).
- Occasionally the downloaded file that you desire will be compressed (squished) for faster transfer to your computer. Your computer must then have decompression software to "unZip" or "unStuff" the file.
- Vector graphics will often ask for an application that can open the graphic (i.e. Illustrator). This "helper" application can be customized in your browser. If you are using a computer that hasn't been customized to your liking, just open Illustrator and then open the file from within the program.