trying to become better acquainted with illustrator, got a few questions

[myront]

If I draw a rectangle the default should be no fill with a black stroke. Why after filling the rectangle I go to draw another and it is now filled with the last colors used?
When a shape is filled and selected how can I see the exact color formula without clicking somewhere else?
Is it possible to fill a shape using cmyk but stroke with rgb?
When placing an image is it automatically "linked"? How to embed the image instead?
How to convert a cmyk image to rgb without going to photoshop?

 

[The Vector Doctor]

1. i think it makes more sense to always use the last color used. Otherwise everytime you add a shape you would have to assign the color. Imagine doing that dozens of times
2. Make sure your color window is showing. It will show you cmyk, rgb values etc for that object
3. you can but it won't display correctly
4. AFAIK the default is embedded. You have to force it to become a link instead
5. Not an option that i am aware of other than changing your document color space. file>document color mode. But that changes everything in the file not just a specific image

 

[myront]

1. i think it makes more sense to always use the last color used. Otherwise everytime you add a shape you would have to assign the color. Imagine doing that dozens of times
2. Make sure your color window is showing. It will show you cmyk, rgb values etc for that object
3. you can but it won't display correctly
4. AFAIK the default is embedded. You have to force it to become a link instead
5. Not an option that i am aware of other than changing your document color space. file>document color mode. But that changes everything in the file not just a specific image

Color window?

 

[myront]

1. personal preference. I like the way corel handles defaults. If I draw a shape it has no fill, give it a fill and draw another shape it still should have no fill by default. I didn't ask for any attributes from any other source.
If needed, in corel, I can right click and drag one shape over another and let go I get a choice to copy all properties, copy just the fill color or copy just the stroke (outline)
2. both fill and outline color formulas are visible within the workspace no need for a window/docker
3. cmyk fill with rbg outline no problem or vice versa
4. Embedded or linked, I'll have to do some checking on that one.
5. I can choose 7 different image modes to convert to

3.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Click on that little up/down arrow next to the letter C of color so it shows the values. Here is how it looks for me

 

[The Vector Doctor]

I quickly drew all of these boxes with no fill and each one came out that way. It should only remember how you last drew it.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Correct. You cannot selectively pick various bitmapped images and convert into other color modes. You do that in Photoshop and then import/place them back in

 

[myront]

to link or not to link.
Figured it out. I didn't uncheck link when placing the image. Hope it stays that way like forever. lol

 

[gnubler]

If I draw a rectangle the default should be no fill with a black stroke. Why after filling the rectangle I go to draw another and it is now filled with the last colors used?

There's probably a preference somewhere to set a default fill & stroke. When I draw a new shape I hit the D key with the shape selected and it gives it a white fill with black stroke. D for default?

 

[ColorCrest]

Correct. You cannot selectively pick various bitmapped images and convert into other color modes. You do that in Photoshop and then import/place them back in

Be sure to check out the native Illustrator filter; Colors... Convert to CMYK, Grayscale, RGB

EDITED TO ADD; Be sure you understand the critical path of the color management.

 

[ColorCrest]

There's probably a preference somewhere to set a default fill & stroke.

Such defaults are set using a saved "Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB (or CMYK).ai" file in the plug-ins folder.

 

[ColorCrest]

If needed, in corel, I can right click and drag one shape over another and let go I get a choice to copy all properties, copy just the fill color or copy just the stroke (outline)

Illustrator wants to save object styles in its Graphic Styles palette mainly so objects can be shared and changed globally.

3. cmyk fill with rbg outline no problem or vice versa

Care to offer a use-case for that scenario?

4. AFAIK the default is embedded. You have to force it to become a link instead

Illustrator should be the other way around. Linked images should be preferable for almost too many reasons to mention.

 

[JBurton]

If I draw a rectangle the default should be no fill with a black stroke. Why after filling the rectangle I go to draw another and it is now filled with the last colors used?
When a shape is filled and selected how can I see the exact color formula without clicking somewhere else?
Is it possible to fill a shape using cmyk but stroke with rgb?
When placing an image is it automatically "linked"? How to embed the image instead?
How to convert a cmyk image to rgb without going to photoshop?

This all feels like a corel promotion, did they start paying you to do guerilla marketing?

1. i think it makes more sense to always use the last color used. Otherwise everytime you add a shape you would have to assign the color. Imagine doing that dozens of times

I'm with corel-fanboy here, Corel let's you select the way new objects are filled by default, so if I want 30 yellow squares, I change it to yellow and draw away. I'd get pretty frustrated if I had to change each object's color as I went. (most of my drawing is for CNC work, so the popular opinion around here is likely different)

Care to offer a use-case for that scenario?

Hey now, lets not all get up in arms. For me doing a handful of color samples, I'll often use an RGB color option as well as a CMYK to see if I can chase that dragon to a perfect red/orange/green, what have you. Often times I also have black elements, that I'll run as 100% K. Other than doing a color filter in onyx, no real way to handle that other than to have capability of using both palettes at the same time.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

That is how illustrator is set up. If i draw a yellow square, every square, circle etc will have the same fill. You don't have to change it every time. I pointed that out with the sample above of a bunch of non filled stroked boxes. It will keep doing this until you change the fill/stroke and then every object after will have the same fill

 

[The Vector Doctor]

yes there are many advantages to linking but what typically happens is designers forget to also include the image. I get files all the time with missing links. They send the illustrator file but not the linked images and i get errors looking for that image

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Be sure to check out the native Illustrator filter; Colors... Convert to CMYK, Grayscale, RGB

EDITED TO ADD; Be sure you understand the critical path of the color management.

i use that sometimes on vectors i never realized it could be used on raster images too. Thanks for the info

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Corel sounds much better after hearing this. Myront, why the changeup?

 

[ikarasu]

To me, corral sounds much worse after reading it... Everything you seem to hate about illustrator, I see is a quality of life improvement. I would smash my computer if illustrator all of a sudden stopped using the same color I was using after every single object I created...

That's why it is pretty much user preference though, what you hate other people love, what they love you hate.

It's like rip preference, people love flexi.. whereas I would drop $20,000 on onyx if I had to to get away from it! People tend to favor what they learn and are used to and don't like change.

I got corral and played with it for a bit, same with affinity designer, felt like both programs took me 10 times longer to do what I already knew how to do in illustrator. It's not bad getting to learn new software, but I'm sure you're going to find a hundred more quirks in illustrator that you hate before you realize it... Just remember, it's not because illustrator is bad because you're not used to it!

 

[ColorCrest]

For me doing a handful of color samples, I'll often use an RGB color option as well as a CMYK to see if I can chase that dragon to a perfect red/orange/green, what have you. Often times I also have black elements, that I'll run as 100% K.

Illustrator documents are either CMYK or RGB color modes but not both. Both CMYK and RGB color palettes can be used to modify object colors but the colors themselves are rendered to the document color space. It's telling to observe RGB values converted to impractical fractions of CMYK values.

Especially with dark and black objects, this is easy to see by setting the Illustrator preference of “Appearance of Black…” to display all blacks accurately. Study the effects of RGB 0,0,0, against 100% black-only in each of a CMYK and RGB document.

 

[ColorCrest]

yes there are many advantages to linking but what typically happens is designers forget to also include the image. I get files all the time with missing links. They send the illustrator file but not the linked images and i get errors looking for that image

Those forgetful designers could use some quick, fundamental instruction. They should realize that the vast amount of raster images (photography, presentation and web graphics,) use a (standard) RGB color space and their layouts should be using a standard RGB color space as the default. Unfortunately, companies such as Adobe page layout software and others default to antiquated CMYK printing press defaults. Newer, wide-gamut CMYK profiles are available. The vast majority of current color printers are capable of printing a significantly wider color gamut than SWOP, GRACoL, FOGRA, etc.

So, link the original RGB image or if you embed the image, make sure it's embedded into RGB page layouts using the matching RGB color space. Most often, that space is sRGB or Adobe RGB 1998. 1998 was the year of enlightenment.

I wonder what the percentage of files are actually destined for CMYK printing presses nowadays vs RGB quick-print machines, large format, and the internet?