Adobe Illustrator Tutorial – Basic Selection VS Direct Selection

Basic Selection VS Direct Selection Tool

This Graphic Design Video Tutorial teaches you how use the basic selection tools. You will be using the selection tools a lot when creating your Graphic Design Layouts in Adobe Illustrator.
 

 


There are two different selection tools:Graphic Designert Tips Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorial Selection Tools
The Black Arrow
Basic Selection Tool
The White Arrow
Direct Selection Tool

Basic Selection Tool

Keyboard Shortcut “V” The basic selection tool in Adobe Illustrator allows you to transform and object or text element. When you select an object a color will form around the box which indicates what layer the object is on. This is because with each layer you make in your document you can specify a different color for each one.  Learn About Layers In Adobe Illustrator.Graphic Designer Tips Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorial Selection Tool

When you select an object you will then be able to transform it from the transform boxes that appear. You will notice that when you select an object, 8 transform boxes will appear. There are one in each corner and 1 at the halfway point of each line. You will see this in the image on the right.

You can do basic transformations with the Basic Selection Tool. This means you can stretch an object, up, down, left and right. Remember…to keep an object symmetrical, hold down the shift button when transforming anything. See the video below for more help.

Direct Selection Tool

Keyboard Shortcut “A” The Direct Selection allows you to do a lot of cool things in addition to the transform tool. You will see a slight difference when you select an object with this arrow. No longer do you have 8 transform boxes around the box. Where each line segment ends you will see a point…for instance a triangle will give you 3 points, a square will give you 4 and a star will give you 10 points. Graphic Designer Tips Adobe Illustrator Video Tutorial Direct Selection Tool

You can always add and subtract points using the pen tool which is for another tutorial. You can select these points with the direct selection tool and move them in any direction…TRY IT OUT!! You can also select any line segment and drag in any direction….see what effects you get…..If you mess up, just hit control Z (undo). Reference the image on the right for more help on endpoints and line segments.

TIP….When an object is selected……Hit the keyboard shortcut letters “V” and then “A” back and forth to see the change and different options that the two selection tools give you.