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Training in Illustrator

rzr2rocket

rzr2rocket

New Member
Hello all,

Can anyone direct me to where I can get training in Illustrator? I have cs4. Heres the kicker. I have tried Lynda.com etc, but it doesn't really work for me. I'd like to have training with someone using gotomeeting.com or something similar, that way I can see what I am doing and vice versa. I have outgrown my current software (flexi)

Thanks!
 
SlightlyChilled

SlightlyChilled

New Member
lynda was your best bet. I think it worked well for me sorry not for you. it's not something you get quick you need to work at it.
 
MikePro

MikePro

New Member
lynda.com or youtube videos searching for "Illustrator CS4 Tutorial"

otherwise, go take some classes at the local technical college if you need a personal trainer.
 
phototec

phototec

New Member
I think the best training for software like Illustrator is from Total Training, I have used them for many, many years. The I like purchasing the DVD tutorials, because I can watch them over and over if I don't understand something or need to refer back at a later date.

Back in the day I purchased their Illustrator CS4 training it was great, I have advanced to CS5.5 now.

http://www.totaltraining.com/
 
James Burke

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Give us a bulleted list of the things you need help with. Perhaps it's already been discussed here on the forum. Every Illy user has different needs, and each approaches this program differently. JB
 
rzr2rocket

rzr2rocket

New Member
Thanks for all the tips. But its more than just learning the whole program. When I learned FlexiSign from Vinyl Master Pro, I had a person with me on the computer. I said ok, here's what I do in Vinyl Master Pro to get "X" result, how do I get the same result in Flexi? Then he would show me.

It wouldn't be as bad but Illustrator and Flexi has completely different lingo to get the same end result. If I can learn Illustrator enough to where I am in Flexi, I would feel MUCH better about learning the rest on my own.
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
Take a class at the community college. It is your best bet. Illustrators core functions are the same. And core functions are what most signage requires anyway. I have 5.5 on my Mac and from time to time still use CS and CS2 on a PC. Net result is the same.
 
AceSignsOnline

AceSignsOnline

New Member
Since the advent of Google and YouTube, you can learn anything with a search. Not trying to be a smartass, either. There are free online tutorials everywhere. I know that I use them all the time for all sorts of things.
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
AceSignsOnline said:
Since the advent of Google and YouTube, you can learn anything with a search. Not trying to be a smartass, either. There are free online tutorials everywhere. I know that I use them all the time for all sorts of things.
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What you said is true. But there is nothing like sitting in a class being able to raise your hand to get help. Online stuff is great IF and its a big IF, you are truly driven to learn. If you frustrate easily or have other distractions you will never learn anything.
Another problem I found with much of the stuff online is they oft times miss key components. Folks writing these tuts also expect every one to have more than a basic understanding of the program.

I ended up going back to school very late in life. What I learned has helped our business tremendously saving both time and money.
 
AceSignsOnline

AceSignsOnline

New Member
rjssigns said:
What you said is true. But there is nothing like sitting in a class being able to raise your hand to get help. Online stuff is great IF and its a big IF, you are truly driven to learn. If you frustrate easily or have other distractions you will never learn anything.
Another problem I found with much of the stuff online is they oft times miss key components. Folks writing these tuts also expect every one to have more than a basic understanding of the program.

I ended up going back to school very late in life. What I learned has helped our business tremendously saving both time and money.
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Oh, I absolutely agree. I'd love to go back to school for a few different things for the knowledge alone. Just not in the cards these days.
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
rjssigns said:
What you said is true. But there is nothing like sitting in a class being able to raise your hand to get help. Online stuff is great IF and its a big IF, you are truly driven to learn. If you frustrate easily or have other distractions you will never learn anything.
Click to expand...

That can happen in the classroom just as easily for some. I know I actually was distracted more in the classroom then I was just watching and listening i the webinars or watching the recorded tutorial. Not even trying to take notes all the time helped me. That's not everyone, but it can happen.

The webinars are truly more like the class room experience. You can ask questions etc.

I believe you'll start seeing more and more schools doing this method of teaching.

rjssigns said:
Another problem I found with much of the stuff online is they oft times miss key components. Folks writing these tuts also expect every one to have more than a basic understanding of the program.
Click to expand...

I agree with that and would add another concern:

The problem that I've noticed with youtube tutorials especially is that even they don't know proper production methods. Especially if it's for methods that have physical limitations, it's more suited for digital and/or print needs. But that can be an issue with even from the class room. As the ones that seem to be fresh out of school here, don't really know squat about physical limitations of production. They seem to think that if it works great for digital and/or print media that everything is good.
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
WildWestDesigns said:
That can happen in the classroom just as easily for some. I know I actually was distracted more in the classroom then I was just watching and listening i the webinars or watching the recorded tutorial. Not even trying to take notes all the time helped me. That's not everyone, but it can happen.

The webinars are truly more like the class room experience. You can ask questions etc.

I believe you'll start seeing more and more schools doing this method of teaching.



I agree with that and would add another concern:

The problem that I've noticed with youtube tutorials especially is that even they don't know proper production methods. Especially if it's for methods that have physical limitations, it's more suited for digital and/or print needs. But that can be an issue with even from the class room. As the ones that seem to be fresh out of school here, don't really know squat about physical limitations of production. They seem to think that if it works great for digital and/or print media that everything is good.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

THIS^^^^

My college instructors for Illustrator and Graphic Repro would pound on us incessantly about cross platform compatibility/output. Design it once to be usable for any possibility they said. You don't make any money having to redo something that should have been done right in the first place.
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
rjssigns said:
My college instructors for Illustrator and Graphic Repro would pound on us incessantly about cross platform compatibility/output. Design it once to be usable for any possibility they said. You don't make any money having to redo something that should have been done right in the first place.
Click to expand...

I wish more people would pound that into the ground.

That's one that I get hit with a lot more then I would like. It wouldn't be as bad if they would just believe that after 15 yrs of doing this, I might know a little bit about what I am talking about.
 
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