Become an Adobe Certified Professional in

Graphic Design & Illustration
Using Adobe Illustrator

Validate your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, the industry-standard vector graphics app that lets you create logos, icons, drawings, typography, and illustrations for print, web, video, and mobile.
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Illustrator Exam Guide

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Exam guide

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The Illustrator exam guide.

The exam objectives are outlined below alongside relevant resources. All key items are examples of exam topics and do not comprise a comprehensive list.

This guide is based on the 2025 version of Graphic Design and Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator.
For 2018-2020 versions of the exam objectives, please visit Certiport.

1. Working in the Design Industry

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This objective covers critical concepts related to working with colleagues and clients as well as crucial legal, technical, and design- related terminology and principles.

1.1 Identify terminology and interpret communication relating to the purpose, audience, and audience needs for developing designs.

a. Determine whether content is relevant and has an appropriate design for the purpose, audience, audience needs, and user experience.
Key Terms: client goals, target audience, demographics, accessibility
b. Identify requirements based on the intended output and usage of the design.

c. Identify techniques for communicating about design plans with peers and clients.
Key Terms: sketches, specifications, design process, wireframes, prototypes, iterations, change orders, drafts, feedback loop, style guide, project brief
d. Define basic project management concepts.
Key Terms: project scope, scope creep, online and cloud collaboration, file management, project timeline

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Resources & Tutorials

How to succeed as a digital designer

An introductory guide to design thinking

Designing Accessible Experiences at Scale

Project Management Basics

Best Practices for Presenting Design Concepts to Stakeholders

1.2 Determine the type of copyright, permissions, and licensing required to use specific content and fonts.

a. Identify legal and ethical considerations for using third-party content.
Key Concepts: Usage rights, public domain, copyright, intellectual property, derivative work, commercial use, attribution, work for hire, fair use, fair dealing, stock images and vector graphics, AI-generated content, restricted fonts, model and location releases
b. Check and change copyright information for Illustrator file.

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Resources & Tutorials

Intellectual Property

About CC Licenses

What’s a model release, and when do you need one?

1.3 Define key terminology related to digital graphics.

a. Define digital graphics terminology.
Key Terms: image resolution, image size, file types, pixel, raster, bitmap, vector, path, object, type, rasterizing, rendering, resizing, identifying the difference between raster and vector effects, bleed, trim, live area, units of measurement for print or digital output
b. Explain how color is represented in digital graphics and print.
Key Terms: color mode, gamut, CMYK, RGB, HSB, grayscale, hex values, spot, rich black

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Resources & Tutorials

Importing Bitmap Images

Using Color

About color

1.4 Evaluate the application of design principles.

a. Integrate the elements and principles of design to create effective communication.
Key Elements: space, line, shape, form, color and color value, texture
Key Principles: emphasis/focal point, unity/harmony, variety, balance, alignment, proximity, repetition, rhythm, scale, movement, negative space, contrast, rule of thirds, foreground, background, framing, aspect ratio
b. Identify how typographic adjustments create hierarchy and enhanced readability.
Key Terms: font, size, font style, color, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal and vertical scale, line length, baseline shift

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Resources & Tutorials

Basic Design Principles

Line and Character Spacing

Text and Type

Illustration Techniques

2. Document Management

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This objective covers managing documents, including creating, saving, and exporting.

2.1 Create documents and modify their settings for the intended output.

a. Set appropriate document settings.
Key Concepts: width/height, orientation, artboards and spacing, bleed, raster effects, color mode, units of measurement
b. Create and use document presets for specific project needs.

2.2 Use artboards.

a. Manage and work with artboards.
Key Concepts: scaling and moving artwork with artboards; duplicating, resizing, cropping, and arranging artboards; copy/paste art and artboards within and between documents
Key Tool: Artboard

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Resources & Tutorials

Create Documents

Changing Page Size and Orientation

Setting Up Multiple Artboards

Using Multiple Artboards

2.3 Manage assets in a project.

a. Place assets in a document.
Key Concepts: embedding, copying and pasting, import options, the difference between opening a file and placing assets in a document
b. Use the Links panel.
Key Concepts: linking, replacing, Edit Original

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Resources & Tutorials

Manage linked and embedded files

Using Links

2.4 Save and export documents and assets.

a. Save documents.
Key Concepts: compatibility; save options including Creative Cloud documents; .pdf, .ai, .eps, and .svg; Save as a Template
b. Export graphics.
Key Concepts: file formats (including vector vs. raster), choosing the color mode, resolution, pixel dimensions, Use Artboards, Asset Export panel

c. Package a project.
Key Concepts: font and image management and troubleshooting, file packages

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Resources & Tutorials

Setting Up Files for Printing

Illustrator Sharing Basics

Exporting Artwork

Saving Artwork

Package Files

3. Workflow and Interface Customization

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This objective covers the interface setup, program settings, layers, and reusable assets that assist in an efficient and effective workflow.

3.1 Navigate and customize the workspace.

a. Identify and manipulate elements of the interface.
Key Concepts: application bar, control panel, menus, panels, toolbars, artboards, contextual taskbar
b. Organize and customize the workspace.
Key Concepts: using and switching between default workspaces; document tabs; showing, hiding, grouping, and docking panels; customizing, saving, and resetting workspaces

c. Configure application preferences.
Key Concepts: General, Type, Units, Guides & Grid, User Interface, File Handling, Appearance of Black, Smart Guides

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Resources & Tutorials

Workspace Basics

Customizing Workspaces

3.2 Use design aids.

a. Navigate documents.
Key Concepts: pan, zoom, and rotate the artboard; pasteboard
Key Tools: Hand, Rotate View, Zoom
b. Use rulers.
Key Concepts: showing and hiding rulers, adjusting and resetting ruler origin

c. Use guides and grids.
Key Concepts: adding, removing, and locking/unlocking guides; hiding guides and grids; showing grids; using snap or align options; making guides from objects
d. Use views and modes to work efficiently with vector graphics.
Key Concepts: Outline, Overprint Preview, Pixel Preview, Trim View, Screen Mode, Presentation Mode

e. Use Drawing modes.
f. Use the Dimension Tool.

g. Use the Mock Up Tool.

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Resources & Tutorials

Rulers, Grids, and Guides

Viewing Artwork

3.3 Manage colors, swatches, and gradients.

a. Create, manage, and edit swatches and swatch libraries.
Key Concepts: color, global color, pattern, and gradient swatches; identifying color swatch type, including Process, Spot, and Global; creating, managing, and loading swatch libraries; Color Guide panel, Swatch Options menu
b. Create and modify gradients.
Key Concepts: Gradient panel, editing color stops and opacity, gradient types, Gradient Mesh

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Resources & Tutorials

Using Gradients

Using and Creating Swatches

3.4 Manage brushes, symbols, styles, and patterns.

a. Open and import brushes, symbols, graphic styles, and patterns from libraries.
b. Create, edit, and apply brushes, symbols, graphic styles, and patterns.
Key Concepts: stroke, fill, brushes, brush types, create a pattern, Generate Patterns, dynamic vs static symbols

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Resources & Tutorials

Using Brushes

Using Patterns

Using Graphic Styles

3.5 Use layers to manage design elements.

a. Use the Layers panel.
Key Concepts: adding, deleting, hiding/showing, locking/unlocking, duplicating, and renaming layers; layer options; selecting and targeting objects using the Layers panel
b. Work with multiple layers.
Key Concepts: using sublayers, Paste Remembers Layers, hierarchy and stacking order, merge layers, collect in new layer

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Resources & Tutorials

Lock, Hide, and Delete Objects

Using Layers

4. Working with Objects, Paths, and Text

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This objective covers the core tools used to create content.

4.1 Create objects and paths.

a. Use the Pen tool.
Key Concepts: Adding, manipulating, converting, and deleting points; segments; anchor points; curve an angle
b. Use drawing tools.
Key Tools: Curvature, Pencil, Paintbrush, Blob Brush, Line Segment
Key Concepts: When each tool is appropriate and the path types they create

c. Use Shape tools.
Key Tools: Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star
d. Use Image Trace to create vectors from raster images.
Key Concepts: Trace presets, Ignore Color, Threshold, expanding

e. Use AI to create objects and content.
Key Tool: Generate Vectors
Key Concept: writing prompts
f. Use the Anchor Point tool.

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Resources & Tutorials

Drawing Basics

Core Illustrator Tools

Drawing with Pen, Curvature, and Pencil

Overview of Painting

Image Trace

4.2 Modify objects and paths.

a. Use path refinement methods.
Key Tools: Simplify, Smooth, Join, Clean Up, Outline Stroke, Offset Path

b. Modify objects.
Key Tools: Eraser, Scissors, Knife, Shape Builder

c. Expand the appearance of objects.
Key Concepts: expanding transformations, stroke, effects
d. Use Live Corners to change the appearance of shapes.

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Resources & Tutorials

Editing Artwork Basics

Editing Paths

4.3 Add text.

a. Use type tools to add typography.
Key Tools: Type, Area Type, Type on a Path, Vertical Type, Vertical Area Type, Vertical Type on a Path, Check Spelling
Key Concepts: difference between area type, point type, and type on a path; placeholder text; glyphs; change case
b. Use appropriate character settings.
Key Settings: font, size, font style, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal and vertical scale, color, stroke, baseline shift, Character

c. Use appropriate paragraph settings.
Key Settings: indentation, alignment, paragraph spacing, bullets and numbering, hyphenation, Paragraph Styles

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Resources & Tutorials

Creating Text

Fonts and Typography

Formatting Paragraphs

4.4 Modify text.

a. Manage text flow.
Key Concepts: multiple text areas, managing overflow text, threading text, wrapping text
b. Manage Area Type options.
Key Concepts: Rows, Columns, Auto-size, Horizontal Alignment, Inset Spacing

c. Convert text to graphics.
Key Concepts: converting text to outlines and when to use

5. Modifying Object Appearance and Position

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This objective covers tools that affect the visual appearance of document elements.

5.1 Make, manage, and manipulate selections.

a. Select, modify, group, and refine selections using various methods.
Key Concepts: selecting multiple objects with selection tools or Layers panel, moving and grouping objects, Isolation Mode, targeting vs selecting, saving selections, selecting based on object attributes (color, stroke, opacity)
Key Tools: Selection, Direct Selection, Lasso, Group Selection
b. Rotate, flip, and transform individual objects, selections, or groups.
Key Concepts: scaling, scale options (Scale Strokes, Effects, Corners), transforming, warping, distorting, skewing, using distortion tools or menu options, Repeat objects, bounding box, reference points

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Resources & Tutorials

Selecting Objects

Grouping and Expanding Objects

Rotating and Reflecting Objects

5.2 Modify the appearance of design elements.

a. Adjust the appearance of objects and selections.
Key Concepts: fill and stroke, Appearance panel, applying swatches, Recolor Artwork, Color Picker, Generative Shape Fill
Key Tools: Eyedropper
b. Use effects to modify groups, objects, and layers.
Key Concepts: drop shadows, feathers, and glows; editing applied effects; 3D

c. Create, edit, and save graphic styles.
Key Concepts: creating, deleting, and managing graphic styles; breaking links to graphic styles

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Resources & Tutorials

Adjusting Appearance Attributes

Applying Effects

Drop Shadows, Glows and Feathering

Graphic Styles

Appearance Attributes

5.3 Modify visibility using opacity and masks.

a. Adjust the opacity of an object.
Key Concepts: Transparency panel and Opacity masks, blending modes
b. Apply and manipulate clipping masks.

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Resources & Tutorials

Transparency Blending Modes

Clipping Masks

5.4 Position objects.

a. Align and distribute objects.
Key Tools: Align objects; Distribute objects; Distribute spacing; Align to artboard, selection, or key object
b. Align objects to a path.
Key Tool: Objects on path

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Resources & Tutorials