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exPlore Artwork outlines
As you develop complex artwork, it can be helpful to view the basic artwork structure
without applied fill and stroke attributes. Illustrator’s Outline mode makes this possible.
1. With icons.ai open, deselect everything in the file.
2. Choose View>Outline.
Regardless of the defined stroke weight, lines are still just lines. Outline mode shows you
a wireframe of your artwork; fill and stroke attributes are not visible.
Note:
In Outline mode,
you can’t see the By default, objects on
objects’ fill or template layers remain
stroke attributes.
visible in outline mode.
You can convert a
template layer to outlines
by Command/Control-
clicking the template
layer icon.
3. Choose the Join tool in the Tools panel (nested under the Shaper tool).
The Join tool is an easy way to connect open line segments.
4. Click and drag with the Join tool to paint an area over the point where the
figure’s elbow meets.
Because these lines have rounded caps, outline mode makes it easier to see the actual Note:
ends of the lines.
You can also select open
endpoints and choose
Object>Path>Join. If the
Paint over the
open endpoints selected points overlap,
to join them. as in this exercise, the
two points are simply
combined into a single
5. Choose the Selection tool in the Tools panel, and click either of the arm corner endpoint. If the
segments to select them.
selected endpoints do not
You can now see the bounding box of the selected object — both angled lines, which overlap, this command
have been joined into a single Path object (as you can see in the Control panel). After creates a straight
joining the endpoints of the two lines, they no longer function independently as lines.
connecting segment
between the points.
Joining the endpoints
combines the two separate
lines into a single path
with multiple segments.
Project 1: Campground Icons 69

