How To Draw Using Tools and Styles
In Artboard, drawing objects go hand-in-hand with the styles that fill and outline them. In fact, the formula for drawing in Artboard is 'Drawing Tool + Style = Draw'. Here is an overview of that relationship. Other sections of this guide provide more depth and step-by-step instructions for using these features.
Show Hide Overview of the Tools Palette:
SELECTION TOOLS - Select, zoom, pan and navigate with the Selection tools.
GRAPHICS TOOLS - Use the robust graphics tools to draw unlimited shapes, lines and smooth paths. Cut, or split, paths with the Path Cutter tool using a cutting gesture. Insert text boxes or add curved text along paths. Fine-tune your drawing objects by adding or deleting points on paths. Use the Stamp tool to place Artboard clip art from the Styles & Clip Art palette. Use the Style Dropper to pick up and place styles among objects. See Drawing Shapes and Drawing Paths & Curves for more information about all the graphics tools.
PREVIEW - The Preview displays the style or clip art that is active for use with the graphics tools.
HINT: Drawing tools work with both fill and line styles. For example, the Irregular Polygon can create filled areas when applying fill styles and linear objects when applying line styles.
Show Hide To Draw Using Existing Styles:
- Open the Styles & Clip Art palette.
- Choose a drawing tool from the Tools palette.
- Choose a stroke or fill style from the Styles & Clip Art palette (note, clip art will be visible but not selectable).
- Start drawing.
- Continue drawing (subsequent objects have the same style properties until they are changed).
To change styles, click once onto a different style in the Styles & Clip Art palette and continue drawing. See The Styles & Clip Art Palette for more information about drawing with extensive built-in styles.
Show Hide To Draw Using Styles Created in the Format Bar:
- Choose a drawing tool from the Tools palette.
- Do one of the following:
- Start drawing. In the Format Bar, edit the style properties as desired, and continue drawing (subsequent objects have the same style properties until they are changed).
- Click the 'Reset' button in the Format Bar to reset to the default style, edit the style properties as desired, and continue drawing (subsequent objects have the same style properties until they are changed).
See The Format Bar for more information about creating simple styles.
Artboard goes way beyond simple fill and stroke… See Using the Style Inspector for detailed information about creating expert stacked styles and editing library styles.
Show Hide To Apply a Different Style to an Existing Object:
With the object selected, do one of the following:
- Double-click a stroke or fill style from the Styles & Clip Art palette.
- In the Format Bar, edit the style properties as desired.
- Click the 'Reset' button in the Format Bar to reset to the default style, edit the style as desired.
- Edit the advanced styles in the Style Inspector… See Using the Style Inspector for detailed information about creating expert stacked styles.
Show Hide To Copy a Style From an Existing Object to Another:
- Choose the Style Dropper [d] tool.
- With the cursor (it will look like an empty style dropper), click an object that you want to pick up its style.
- With the cursor (it will look like a full style dropper), click an object(s) that you want to receive the style.
- To pick up a different style while the Style Dropper tool is still active, press the OPTION/Alt key while clicking an object.
Alternatively, do the following:
1. Right-click the object with the style to be picked up and choose 'Copy Style…' from the contextual menu, right-click an object to receive the style and choose 'Paste Style…' from the contextual menu.
HINT: The dropper can pick up styles from objects inside a group.
Show Hide To "Quick Pick-up" Another Object's Style while Drawing:
- Choose a drawing tool.
- Hold the CMND-key to activate the Style Dropper without switching tools.
- With the cursor (it will look like an empty style dropper), click an object with the style to be picked up.
- Release the CMND-key and continue drawing.
Show Hide To Copy a Style from One Object to Multiple Objects:
Do one of the following:
- Right-click the object with the style to be picked up and choose 'Copy Style…' from the contextual menu, choose the Select [s] tool and select the objects to receive the style, choose Edit > Style > Paste Style… from the main menu
- Choose the Select [s] tool and click to select an object with the style to be copied, choose Edit > Style > Copy Style… from the main menu, select the objects to receive the style, choose Edit > Style > Paste Style… from the main menu
Show Hide About Sticky Tools:
By default, tools are "sticky" – the tool will remain active until you choose a different tool (active tool will appear highlighted orange).
Depending on the task at hand, having the tools revert immediately back to the Select [s] tool after each use may be preferred. Double-click on any tool to release them from the sticky state (active tool will appear blue or graphite depending on your system 'appearance' setting). In the non-sticky state, click a tool to "turn it on" and use it once. Afterward, you’ll revert back to the direct Select [s] tool.
To make non-sticky tools sticky again, double-click on any tool.
