Illustrator symbols examples and guide - tips and tricks and hints how to use symbols

Symbols for Adobe ® Illustrator ®

Andrew Buckle

This guide shows some of the uses of the symbols, as well as a selection of the symbols from http://www.graphicxtras.com.

The symbols are (c) 2010 Andrew Buckle.

All screenshots are shown with kind permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe and Illustrator are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

example: alien circular symbol (pack 26)

Symbols are accessed via the symbols libraries, Illustrator comes with a selection of symbols libraries but many more can be purchased or freely obtained on the web. Graphicxtras.com has a huge selection of these libraries covering a wide range of designs such as hearts, embellishments, Christmas designs and more

Access the AI (they are stored in native Illustrator AI format) via the symbols palette (find the symbols palette via the window menu) Click on the right side menu of the palette to display all the available libraries, you can also browse for them.

The browse option means you can install the AI files in any folder, system, application or personal / private folders.

Once opened, the symbols are displayed as above.

Clicking on a symbol will add the symbol to the current open document’s symbol palette.

Once added to the symbol palette, the symbol can be modified, double click the design in the symbol palette to edit the design (if required) You can also edit the symbol on the artboard

Above are two examples of the top left symbol and direct editing of the symbol, the first example has been colored red and the second example shows the design changed into purple with black and blue dots added. The symbol can be used as a starting point for millions of different designs. Changing the symbol by editing the symbol will change all instances so if you wish to keep a particular design, you might like to create a new symbol or break the link with the symbol (right click menu)

Different arch symbols from pack 51 from graphicxtras.com

The top left symbol can be combined with other symbols, also by simply selecting all the symbols together as a group, you can also just drag the symbols to the symbol palette and save the design (if you wish) as a new symbol

The symbol can be quickly combined with other paths to create a new design, in this case an arrow symbol from pack 59 is added to a brown rectangle

The design above is made up of one symbol (an arrow design) but the design has been duplicated 5 times and rotated. The symbols can be used to create many millions of new designs.

By breaking the symbol link (right click menu) you can also re-color the designs, so any circular design (or any other multiple symbol design) can be re-colored in seconds.

Example of combining the symbols and then using the color guide to re-color the designs (after breaking the link with the original symbol)

The symbols can also be great for backgrounds or overlays, this is an example from the pack 7 set

Many of the graphicxtras symbols packs includes the symbols designs in a single color, some of the symbols also combine the original single color design and other elements, an example being the holly on the Christmas bauble from pack 61

the design can also be used as a text area, defining the limits of the text. The Christmas bauble can be used to add a message and much more.

The design can also be used for a quick and easy frame. This example shows the design with the text and symbol and no wrap etc.

ea

tr

a ti n

g as

doe

eq

it

uir s r

le litt pr

aration ep

s

The symbols can be used with the type on path tool but it does require a bit of preparation such as expanding the symbol and then object > compound path > release and then pathfinder add.

OK, not all that difficult but it would be great if you could just click on any symbol and use the type on path tool.

h is s

g

li

htl

ru yf

) wh i

c

You c a n us e t

on path to ol ( type e ca th n’ e t s u

a

he

be

d poun m co

Just clicking on the symbol with the type tool displays a dialog saying non non etc .. but it can be done with a few seconds conversion.

ine of the sy outl m b sic ol ba to

The borders pack are great as a source of frames for any images in Illustrator

The borders frames designs are in pack 28. The frames can be used at any angle or any size, they don’t have to perfectly frame the underlying image

The symbols can be applied as frames or overlays, the designs can be modified, opacity can be set to less than 100%, the symbols can be combined, applied multiple times, re-colored and much more

Multiple instances of the same symbol can be used to create simple as well as complex designs. Also as it is an instance of the symbol, exporting the design for use in Flash is fairly low impact on resources.

Butterflies from pack 42. The designs can be exported to other applications such as Photoshop (just use the clipboard or use the export or save features) You can apply effects in those applications, though you can also apply powerful raster effects in Illustrator (as well as save the effects as graphic styles)

You can also modify the various effects at a later stage of the creative process via the appearance palette.

Christmas trees symbol from pack 63.

The symbol can be turned into a ‘sort of’ 3D design by using the 3D effect in Illustrator

The symbol can also be exported to other applications such as Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 6 and 3D effects can be applied there, with even more bevel, lighting etc options.

Many different Christmas designs can be found on the graphicxtras.com site. OK, I admit it: I love Christmas! Not so much the snow though.. but give me a lovely Christmas movie, mince pies etc ..

Christmas tree design from pack 75

The symbol can also be quickly re-colored without requiring any edit of the symbol or expand or break link command: use the appearance panel and add a new fill to the symbol. The new fill sits above the original color Path offsets can be applied to symbols via the effects menu

The symbol on the far left gets a stroke added (use the appearance palette to add a new stroke)

The symbol also can have a brush stroke or ‘profile’ added to the stroke to give the design a hand-drawn look, again do this via the very powerful appearance palette

Original symbol design from pack 36

A fill is added via the appearance palette

Blur effect is added to the symbol fill, creating a glow effect for the design

A stroke is added to the design as well as a fill and a blur and profile added via the appearance palette

The appearance palette can be used to add 1000s of stunning effects and designs to the symbols The appearance can also be saved as a style.

The symbol now has two strokes, one offset and with the same profile but a different color stroke

Diamond symbols designs from pack 35

Graphic styles can be applied to the symbols but sometimes the easiest way to use the styles is to expand or break the symbol link, and use the design as a path The diamond example uses one of the button styles that come with Illustrator

Diamond design above. Simply applying a native style might result in the contents being displayed above the effect, so you will see little of the actual effect. A quick and easy solution to this is to display the appearance palette and drag the contents entry to the bottom of the appearance palette as below.

Many of the graphicxtras sets are abstract designs such as hearts etc but there are also many more realistic symbols sets included such as a dogs set

Doodles designs in pack 72 including flowers, crowns etc

Symbols can be added to the artboard either via a plug-in (such as the symbol paint tool) or using the symbol sprayer tool (native to Illustrator) or simply by dragging the symbol to the artboard. Below shows the symbol sprayer spraying pack 16 embellish designs

The symbols can be re-sized using the symbol sizer tool, or stained using the symbol stainer tool

The symbols are all vectors, they can be re-sized, use either small or big. They can be rotated and more

The symbols can also be warped.

Select the symbol and then object > envelope distort > make warp The symbol below has been warped using the flag warp. The symbol is still a symbol

Pack 49 embellish and swirls symbols

Break the link with the symbol to use the free transform tool

You can also keep the symbol as a symbol and distort by using the effect > distort > free distort command

Festive snowflakes symbols from pack 24

The symbols can also be quickly converted into brushes. Drag the symbol from the symbols palette to the artboard and then drag to the brush palette. You can save the design as a scatter, artistic etc brush

A festive symbol applied as an artistic brush using the tint option. In this case the path is tinted pink.

The symbols (converted quickly to a brush format) can be used as a frame, the design above was created using a simple rectangle path

Use the transparency palette with symbols as you would normal paths. The symbol can be applied with a blending mode of normal or difference or darken etc

Pack 44 Greek ornament symbols, great for dividers, lines etc

Once expanded or link broken the symbol can be modified on a point by point basis to create many different designs

Symbols cannot be used with the live paint tool (why??) but by expanding the path or breaking the link, the design is then a normal path and can be re-colored using the live paint tool as below

Grids symbols from pack 2

Hearts symbols from pack 64

Actions can be applied to the symbols, some work better than others (the rotate action below makes hardly any difference to the tile design) The opacity action sets the opacity to 60%

The symbols from pack 58 The letters designs can be applied singularly or multiple times, use to create interesting distressed backgrounds and textures

Letters symbols from pack 58 re-applied then using a simple rectangle path and object > clipping you can highlight a particular area of the design

Letters designs again clipped

Lines symbol from pack 8

3D symbols from pack 1

Pack 19 Art no uvea symbols designs

People symbols from pack 18

Pack 39 Radial symbol. SVG effects applied to a radial symbol

Pack 47 Scrapbooking tags symbols

Pack 68 Spheres symbols using 3D gradients

Pack 54 Stripes symbols

The symbols can be used with the color guide palette and all the colors in a design can be re-colored using the re-color feature, but using the color guide will cause all the instances and the symbol to be changed. The best way to use the color guide and the symbols is to expand or break the link with the symbol

Swirls symbols from pack 70