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Adobe Illustrator CC Masterclass with ACP Exam 5 Days - Manchester
Key Course Details:
Level:
Masterclass
Duration:
5
Days - 10am to 5pm
Price:
£995 + vat
Go from being a novice to mastering the advanced tasks in the leading graphic-design program. Join us as we show you how to take charge and become an Illustrator power user. Learn the professional tips that will give your vector graphics the edge. Pass the ACP exam and get qualified!
We will guide you on everything from getting started by making simple shapes and controlling the Illustrator environment all the way up to applying advanced techniques for creating Bézier curves and compound paths. With our help, you will become confident in using the program's advanced features to produce killer vector graphics. You will end the course by testing your skills in the ACP exam.
Go from being a novice to mastering the advanced tasks in the leading graphic-design program. Join us as we show you how to take charge and become an Illustrator power user. Learn the professional tips that will give your vector graphics the edge. Pass the ACP exam and get qualified!
We will guide you on everything from getting started by making simple shapes and controlling the Illustrator environment all the way up to applying advanced techniques for creating Bézier curves and compound paths. With our help, you will become confident in using the program's advanced features to produce killer vector graphics. You will end the course by testing your skills in the ACP exam.
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Illustrator ACP Masterclass 5 Days
Course Details
This 5-day Masterclass course helps you learn about the tools and features available in Adobe Illustrator CC. We will help you understand how this industry-leading program takes graphical design to a new level. You will learn how to create and manipulate shapes and curves, combining them with text to produce simple logos ready for the web and for print. Together, we will work with colours, gradients, layers, fonts, and photos to create eye-catching illustrations and text effects. We will then move on to more advanced topics, such as enhanced control of Bézier curves, creating custom brushes, and automating workflows.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Navigate the Illustrator environment
- Create a logo using simple shapes
- Draw and understand Bézier curves, the root of drawing in Illustrator
- Enhance control of Bézier curves by creating compound paths
- Apply gradients and patterns
- Edit paths and anchor points
- Set attributes in the Appearance panel
- Measure objects and place them with precision
- Trace and colour your hand-drawn artwork with Live Trace, Live Paint, and Live Colour
- Define custom brushes and graphic styles
- Add transparencies, drop shadows, and other effects
- Export illustrations for web and for print
- Prepare documents for composite and commercial printing
- Automate your workflow with other Creative Cloud programs
The final day of the course is dedicated to the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) Illustrator exam, including trying a mock exam, reviewing answers, and then taking the real exam. The ACP exam represents an official qualification, and you will be provided with an instant pass or fail result. We are confident that you will join everyone we have already helped to pass the exam and collect an official certificate of Adobe Certified Professional status.
As well as giving you the opportunity to take the ACP exam, this course is the perfect preparation if you plan to take the Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) exam.
Our goals are for you to be able to create and manipulate vector graphics, to understand the advanced features of Illustrator, to become a confident power user, and to leave with an ACP qualification under your belt.
This course can be taken in a single 5-day block or split into a 2-day block (Introduction) and then a separate 3-day block (Advanced plus ACP exam) taken at a later date.
Course Target Audience and delegate prerequisites:
This course is intended for graphic designers and textile/fashion designers, and anyone else who has visual-design responsibilities.
You will need basic PC or Mac skills, including a solid understanding of a computer's operating system (Windows or Mac OS). You will also need to know how to launch a program, create and save files, and copy files from CDs and other media.
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Full Course Outline
The following is a general outline. The range of topics covered during your training is dependent upon student level, time available and preferences of your course booking.
Creating basic Documents- Explore the pre built Document Profiles
- Shortcuts to navigate the Artboard effectively
- Work in a Custom Workspace
- Use the Pen tool for straight lines
- Add, delete or adjust points along a path
- Understand how Bezier Curves work, learn to draw and edit these Curves
- Freeform drawing and editing with this powerful tool
- Create Logos using simple Shapes
- Using Live Trace to transform your hand drawn sketches into vector artwork that can be further adjusted
- Lasso select and the other goodies in the Select Menu
- Transform objects with scale, shear, rotate & reflect tool
- Be precise using Smart Guides, Grids & Guidelines
- Align, Group & Duplicate to achieve better results
- Layers palette: Hide & Lock Objects
- Intro to Isolation Mode for effective editing
- Working with Colours in Illustrator
- Applying colour to Stroke and/or Fill
- Adjusting Stroke with the Stroke palette
- Live Colour for perfect Complementary / Analogous colours
- Live Paint as an easy way to colour artwork
- Introducing Gradients & Patterns
- Point, Area and Type on a path
- Import Body Type & fix Spelling Errors
- Find and Replace Text or Insert Typographic Characters
- Create Text Outlines to design your own fancy headlines
- Defining cropping area
- Saving your artwork in vector formats
- Save for Web & Devices
Creating Complex Illustrations- Make use of Outline Strokes technique
- Explore Shape Modes and Pathfinder palette - create Compound Paths for trendy grunge effects
- Use Expand Appearance to modify individual elements
- Create your own Custom Brushes: Calligraphy Scatter or Art, to place objects along a path
- Keep your paths Simple & Cleaned Up
- Graphs - use your own artwork instead of a simple bar
- Envelope Distort & other forms of Warping objects
- Clipping Mask for advanced design
- Transparency for more polished look
- Create drop shadows, glows and more using the Stylise Live Effects
- Share the appearance attributes with Graphic Styles
- Explore Gradient Mesh & its ability to add realistic 3D shading and highlights to 2D graphics
- Learn the difference between Filters & Live Effects
- Blend shapes or groups for advanced compositions
- Character Palette - adjust the kerning, baseline shift, horizontal & vertical scaling
- Paragraph Palette - Justification and Hyphenation options
- Use the 3D feature to extrude text and other Illustrator objects
- Simulate multiple pages in Illustrator using the artboard and document setup
- Flattening Transparency for raster effects like drop shadows, glows and blurs
- Creating separations with Spot colour vs. Process colour
- Explore Links & Actions palettes
- Export to Flash (SWF)
- Use Symbols to create elements used repeatedly in animations and complex artworks
- Use the Release to Layers command to distribute all of the objects on a layer onto separate, individual layers for quick web animations
- Creating Smart objects, Dragging-and-dropping and exporting layers into Photoshop
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Location Details
This course is provided at the XChange Training Manchester training centre based at:
Piccadilly House
49 Piccadilly
Manchester
M1 2APPiccadilly House is located in the heart of Manchester directly next to the Piccadilly Gardens transport interchange with excellent bus and tram connections and is easily accessed from Piccadilly train Station (5 mins). Victoria station is also close by (around 10 mins).
Daily course times run between 10am and 4:30pm with an hour break for lunch and both mid morning and mid-afternoon refreshment breaks. We recommend arrival at 9.45am for registration on the first day of the course.
View Full details of our Manchester Training Venue and Course options
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Illustrator Masterclass with ACP 5 Days - Upcoming Manchester Course Dates
02 Dec - 06 Dec £995 + vat 03 Feb - 07 Feb £995 + vat 31 Mar - 04 Apr £995 + vat 09 Jun - 13 Jun £995 + vat Illustrator Masterclass with ACP 5 Days - Split Date Options
Illustrator Introduction
2 Dec - 3 Dec
3 Feb - 4 Feb
31 Mar - 1 Apr
7 May - 8 May
9 Jun - 10 Jun
Illustrator Advanced
4 Dec - 6 Dec
5 Feb - 7 Feb
2 Apr - 4 Apr
11 Jun - 13 Jun
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Client Reviews
"Highly enjoyable session - having had no previous experience with Illustrator it proved very easy to pick things up under guidance. Thank you XChange!"
William McPhail, Sothebys, Illustrator - 2 Day Introduction
"The trainer was fantastic, we covered a lot of material but at a pace we could all keep up. He really tailored the course to our company's specific needs and was really helpful when we asked loads of questions!"
Charlotte Mew, TPP, Bespoke InDesign and Illustrator Introduction
"This is my third class, they have all been excellent. Earning my Adobe Illustrator qualification with you has made a big difference in my job hunting. Thank you."
Velo Mitrovich, Illustrator - 1 Day Introduction
"Had an absolutely fantastic tutor and session - covered everything I asked and didn't know to ask!! So happy with the aftercare support as well and would love the opportunity for another relevant course in future."
Emily Theodore, Catersales, Illustrator - 1 Day Advanced
"Excellent, as always! Great teaching methods, fun and interesting, easy to follow. Always a great experience!"
Richard Littler, Brother, Illustrator - One Day Intermediate
"Hugely helpful and really appreciated the amount of tailoring and personalisation of the content of the course to what I would be doing in my role. Will definitely recommend. "
Emily Radforth, Octopus Healthcare, Adobe Illustrator - One Day Introduction
"Very accommodating environment, friendly staff, excellent instructor and added extra benefits from the course i.e food vouchers, resource books and contact information."
Abbie Hulson, 2 Day Illustrator Advanced
"Very relaxed atmosphere & friendly atmosphere. Trainer very informative, knowledgable and willing to help with any questions or difficulties. Offices in a good central location. An enjoyable and informative course."
Kerry Duguid, Plant Integrity Mgmt., Illustrator - Two Day Introduction
"An excellent course and a very informative couple of days, I feel much more confident in using Illustrator following this great course, thank you."
Keith Baker, Current Medicine Group, Illustrator - 2 Day Advanced
"Knowledgable, small class made it easy to ask questions and get feedback within the time limit. Friendly people, plenty of tea, coffee etc, comfortable surroundings."
Claire Huntley, Ryman, Adobe Illustrator - 1 Day Introduction
£995 + vat
Next Dates:
02 Dec - 06 Dec
03 Feb - 07 Feb
31 Mar - 04 Apr
09 Jun - 13 Jun
Split Course Date Options:
Illustrator Introduction
2 Dec - 3 Dec
3 Feb - 4 Feb
31 Mar - 1 Apr
7 May - 8 May
Illustrator Advanced
4 Dec - 6 Dec
5 Feb - 7 Feb
2 Apr - 4 Apr
11 Jun - 13 Jun
Over 15 years of providing certified Adobe Illustrator training courses UK wide
5/5 Stars
Doug is very knowledgable and willing to answer all questions with care and makes sure that everyone in the class understands the content.
19/11/2024
5/5 Stars
have an increased depth of understanding of the software and feel confident in using it moving forwards. easy to follow and learn at a good pace so cover lots of content while staying engaged.
19/11/2024
5/5 Stars
An excellent course, delivered in an engaging way by Phil who was knowledgeable, patient and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. Thanks, Phil.
10/10/2024
5/5 Stars
Great course delivered in a really engaging way. For an introduction course it covered a reasonable amount of content for the time allocated.
08/10/2024
5/5 Stars
I had very little experience with Adobe Illustrator prior to the course and only knew very basic skills. After this course I feel that I can confidently complete some of the basic functions of the software including shapes, transformations, brushes, pen tool etc. Phil was really engaging and supportive throughout the course and I would highly recommend the course to my colleagues.
08/10/2024
5/5 Stars
An excellent course, delivered in an engaging way by Phil who was knowledgeable, patient and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. The blend of in-person and online candidates was also managed really smoothly. Thanks, Phil.
08/10/2024
5/5 Stars
Doug has been an excellent teacher. He is extremely engaging and gives great detail in his descriptions. He was kind enough to teach me elements not usually taught in the course, and made sure to constantly check if I was understanding.
15/08/2024
5/5 Stars
i have learnt alot in a short space of time and i will be able to continue to remember the things i have learnt as i have been taught in a very good way to make it simple yet effective
06/08/2024
5/5 Stars
As someone with no prior experience of Illustrator, this was a well-paced and informative course which has equipped me with a good level of knowledge to feel competent in navigating and using the programme.
06/08/2024
5/5 Stars
The instructor was great really enjoyed today's session
28/06/2024
4/5 Stars
Really good overview simplifying an extremely complex sophisticated tool. The instructor was super friendly and helpful :)
25/06/2024
5/5 Stars
I felt this course covered a lot of information but as the attendees & I had knowledge of previous similar applications or knowledge of Illustrator this meant we could cover more. What would have helped was to have a consolidation exercise at the end of each day so that we could go through all the features we have covered.
18/06/2024
5/5 Stars
Once again a brilliant course. Great understanding of all techniques learnt and will put everything learnt to good use! I always leave with a huge range of knowledge!
03/05/2024
5/5 Stars
Good pace, great delivery and a wide variety of knowledge to go and practice. Fantastic!
14/03/2024
5/5 Stars
Every question I asked was fully answered. Nothing was too much trouble for Phil. He kept alert to each students needs and didn’t race ahead leaving anyone behind.
07/03/2024
5/5 Stars
Great training and content. Felt fully supported and could do the curse at my pace.
31/01/2024
5/5 Stars
Smashing. Great support and speed.
30/01/2024
5/5 Stars
The intro course squeezed so much into two days which was fantastic. I learnt a lot in a small amount of time. Donna is a great teacher!
23/01/2024
5/5 Stars
Donna was very helpful and friendly, quality training and tangible examples to hit the ground running!
23/01/2024
4/5 Stars
Sometimes more time given to experiment, although difficult! I also found I was getting lost, so sometimes moving slightly slower would be good.
22/01/2024
5/5 Stars
A fantastic, packed 4-day course that has been so beneficial. I feel I've learned so many useful skills, hints, tricks and shortcuts when using Illustrator. Phil was a brilliant trainer and structured the course perfectly to suit the needs of the participants. Delighted with how it went!
23/11/2023
5/5 Stars
I have leant how to use the basic controls of Adobe Illustrator.
21/11/2023
5/5 Stars
really good, informative, nothing too much to ask.
21/11/2023
5/5 Stars
my skills have improved and i have learned the basics which im happy with
21/11/2023
5/5 Stars
Course went through a lot but wasn't too rushed. Lots of time to ask questions. Phil was great
21/11/2023
5/5 Stars
Another great Adobe course, would definitely recommend to friends and colleagues. Thank you.
20/11/2023
4/5 Stars
There is not a lot of time to do this, but more practical examples would be good
09/11/2023
4/5 Stars
More task orientated practice time. At times the demonstration moved on while we were practising - splitting this up could be beneficial
07/11/2023
4/5 Stars
Great class with lots of tips and tricks learnt. Would be ideal to have a set of premade notes for the basics to take away with us
07/11/2023
5/5 Stars
Training went at an appropriate speed, trainer was very knowledgeable and checked in regularly to make sure everyone understood the elements. Allen has a great training style!
17/10/2023
5/5 Stars
Went through the course at a good pace, made it easy to follow. Covered lots of different aspects of Illustrator that are relevant to my role. Number and lengths of breaks were perfect.
19/09/2023
5/5 Stars
Doug was great. He made the course enjoyable and I learned a lot across the week (I've done the full five days). He was really friendly- and knowledgeable. I'd happily do another training course with him. He made sure we were comfortable and prepped for the exam. This is the second time I have completed a course with xchange training and both have been great.
07/07/2023
5/5 Stars
The course was very thorough and informative, and Doug was great at answering questions and going through everything. I learned so much that I didn't even know existed in Illustrator and will be sure to use many new shortcuts and more efficient and creative ways of working now.
06/07/2023
5/5 Stars
Brilliant! Learned so much. Could ask any questions at any point during the course.
04/07/2023
5/5 Stars
I thought the course was excellent. Doug was a fantastic tutor - so full of enthusiasm and passion for the subject, despite, I'm sure, having delivered the same course numerous times! The pace was slow enough to comfortably take it, but fast paced enough to maintain attention and engagement.
04/07/2023
5/5 Stars
really engaging teacher who provided all the basics for illustrator in a really easy to understand way - happy to answer questions when we were stuck and a good amount of breaks etc. thank you!!
23/06/2023
5/5 Stars
Great advice with real life examples!! Really helpful when I was stuck with little bits of the steps. Learned alot!
23/06/2023
5/5 Stars
Phil was an awesome teacher with knowledge on absolutely everything I asked about. His ability to recall tips, tricks, keyboard shortcuts, etc was excellent and honestly can't fault it.
22/06/2023
5/5 Stars
Its been a great couple of days in addition the the photoshop and indesign courses. Once again enjoyed every minute of it and Phil has helped me to understand how to redesign the logos for my company, which has been a tricky situation without any of the original files after someone left the company.Would highly recommend the course to anyone who wants to learn these skills. Phil is a great teacher and keeps you engaged throughout!
23/05/2023
5/5 Stars
Enjoyed the 2 days and learnt at lot about Illustrator considering I had no prior knowledge. Phil is very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject and this made the training more engaging!
23/05/2023
5/5 Stars
A really enjoyable two days of taking a look through Illustrator. The course was delivered a nice pace, nothing rushed. I came away with lots to work on and trial back at work. Phil was hugely knowledgeable and provided great answers to my questions.
23/05/2023
5/5 Stars
Brilliant as always, so helpful and understanding when needing help. This is my second course and hopefully not my last! Amazing teacher, Phil! So great at teaching - really explains the process, his style and approach is great.
23/05/2023
5/5 Stars
The course has been very helping in allowing me to understand the basics of Illustrator, whilst I have taught myself (badly) the software it has been invaluable to get guidance from someone who clearly knows their way around the program and takes time to explain and demonstrate every feature that we need to know about.
10/05/2023
5/5 Stars
I really liked the course. Doug was an excellent teacher and really clear. I liked how he asked if we had any questions, and was very helpful. :)
10/05/2023
4/5 Stars
straightforward and smooth
28/04/2023
Whats Included:
Your choice of Windows or Mac 
Certified hands-on training 
Small class size (max 4-8) 
6 months post course support 
Quality reference manual 
Authorised Course Certificate 
Lunch and refreshments
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the course times?
For all courses in the Manchester Centre the normal session timings are 10am to 5pm with an hour break for lunch. In addition to the hour lunch break there are also two fifteen minute coffee breaks mid morning and mid afternoon.
Daily times are:
09.45 - Registration
10.00 - Course start
13.00 - Lunch
14.00 - Afternoon starts
17.00 - Course ends
Do you offer discounts
or promotions?
We offer a range of regular discounts available for self funding individuals, charities and education along with period special offers. See our promotions page for full details.
What is provided with this course?
During the course we provide all computers for your use with choice of Windows or Mac, lunch and refreshments along with pads & pens. After the course you will receive the authorised Certificate, quality reference manual and 6 months direct post course support.
Does this course give
a qualification?
Yes this course provides you with an official recognised qualification which is the Adobe Certified Professional gained by passing the exam at the end of the course.
Can you invoice my company?
In short yes we can provide 30 day invoice terms to any UK Limited company with the provision of your official purchase order and/or completing the invoice request for your booking online.
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