Improve your cross-media design skills with these useful tips

One of the toughest challenges designers face today is keeping pace with emerging and evolving technologies. With the release of Adobe's Creative Suite 4(CS4) and the upcoming MAX convention I thought I'd share with you some tips that I've picked up about workflow between the Adobe programs. Two programs that I use daily are Photoshop and Illustrator. In fact using these programs together allowed me the control I needed to produce the design for the Bonsai website, Snohomish Artist Guild Video, and Bonsai Built It video. Here are a few tips for using Photoshop and Illustrator together, that I've picked up from Computer Arts.


-Sharing Swatches - Share the solid swatches you create by saving a swatch library for exchange. By doing this, it ensures that your colors are the same across all applications (as long as your color settings are sync'd up.) In the Swatches panel, create the swatches you wish to use then select 'Save Swatches For Exchange' from the Swatches panel menu. Now load the swatches in whatever program you wish. You can also create and share color group swatches by using the Kuler panel or the Kuler website at http://kuler.adobe.com (Excellent color resource)!

-Exporting layers to files - To export a variety of layers on the fly, you can export and save layers as individual files using a variety of formats including PSD, BMP, JPG, PDF and TIFF. A good use for this option is when the majority of your design is vector-based in Illustrator and you want to sue multiple raster images to aid your composition. To do this, go to File>Scripts>Export Layers to Files. Options to choose from include the type of file you want to export, its quality and its location.

-Using Photoshop artwork in Illustrator- Adobe Illustrator can both open or place Photoshop files, so you do not need to save or export your Photoshop image to a different file format. If you place an image into an open Illustrator file, you can either incorporate that image as if it were any other element in the artwork or you can maintain a link to the original file. Although you can't edit a linked image within Illustrator, you can jump back to Photoshop using the Edit Original command to revise it. Once saved, any changes you make are reflected in the version in Illustrator.

-Merge Smart Objects - Smart Objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, enabling the preservation of an images's source content. There are several ways to create Smart Objects: by using the Open As Smart Object command; placing a file, pasting data from Illustrator; or converting one or more Photoshop layers to Smart Objects. To edit the Smart Object, select Layer>Smart Objects>Edit Contents, make your changes, save and it automatically updates.

-Vector paths from Illustrator to After Effects - Sophisticated shape paths in Illustrator can be used as invisible motion paths for animated objects in After Effects. Create your path shape in Illustrator. Select and copy it whilst After Effects is open. Create a new layer solid in your After Effects composition and paste the paths onto it to create your motion path. Paste any of these paths into the Position or Anchor Point properties for a layer.


Hopefully you find some of these useful in your everyday work. These tips are designed to shave time off your projects and increase workflow between these applications. Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging more about how you can improve your cross-media design skills using Adobe's CS4.

Elliott Omlin
Bonsai Media Group