Adobe Illustrator 2026 for Graphic Design
Adobe Illustrator 2026 for Graphic Design is a course in vector graphic design with Illustrator, from shapes, the Pen tool, colour and Thai typography to patterns, 3D artwork, generative AI and preparing files for print. It suits design beginners, marketing teams and business owners who make their own brand materials, and you leave with your own brand identity set.
- Duration18 hours · 3 days
- FormatOnsite / live online
- Next roundOn request
- CertificateIncluded
Course overview
The graphics organisations use every day, from logos, icons, business cards and brochures to product labels and social media illustrations, need to stay sharp at every size and be easy to edit. Adobe Illustrator creates vector artwork that scales without limit and without breaking up, which makes it a core tool for designers, yet many beginners get stuck on the Pen tool, managing shapes and preparing files for the printer.
This course lays the foundations of Illustrator 2026, from artboards, Shape Builder, Pathfinder, the Pen tool and colour to Thai typography, brushes, symbols, patterns, Repeat, blends, Intertwine and Image Trace. You then create 3D artwork with 3D and Materials, use generative AI such as Text to Vector Graphic, Generative Shape Fill and Generative Recolor with their terms in mind, build mockups and prepare files for print and online use, finishing with a workshop that designs a brand identity set. (3 days, 6 hours per day, 18 hours in total, Beginner to Intermediate level.)
What you’ll gain
- Understand vector graphics and choose between Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign for each job
- Create and edit shapes with Shape Builder, Pathfinder, the Pen tool and the Curvature tool
- Use colour, gradients, global colours and Recolor Artwork to keep work consistent
- Set Thai and English type, and create your own brushes, symbols and patterns
- Create 3D artwork with 3D and Materials and convert images to vectors with Image Trace
- Use generative AI in Illustrator with an understanding of its limits and terms
- Prepare files for the printer and export work for the web and social media correctly
Who this course is for
- Beginners who want to become graphic designers or do their own design work
- Marketing and PR teams who create logos, icons and printed materials
- Business owners who want to design labels, packaging and brand materials
- Students, and users of older Illustrator versions who want to update their skills
Prerequisites
- Able to use Windows or macOS
- No previous Illustrator or design experience is needed
- A laptop with Adobe Illustrator from your own Creative Cloud plan, or the trial version
- A mouse with a scroll wheel for comfortable Pen tool work and zooming
Curriculum
Course Details
This is the 2026 edition of the Adobe Illustrator CC 2019 for Graphic Design course. It runs for 3 days, 6 hours per day (18 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), as lectures with labs and workshops, at Beginner to Intermediate level. The content has been rewritten for Illustrator 2026 in Creative Cloud, dropping the 2019 new-feature topics and the legacy 3D effects, and adding Repeat, Intertwine, 3D and Materials, Mockup, Export for Screens and generative AI. Learners use Illustrator from their own Creative Cloud plan or the trial version, and take home the course handbook, practice files and their brand identity workshop files.
Day 1 Vector Basics, Shapes and Colour
Section 1: Vector Graphics and the Illustrator 2026 Interface
- Vector versus raster, and which jobs suit Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign
- The Home screen, workspaces, Toolbar, Properties panel and Contextual Task Bar
- Selecting objects with Selection and Direct Selection, zooming and Smart Guides
- Lab: explore a sample file and take apart the elements of vector artwork
Section 2: Lab: Documents, Artboards and Layout
- Create documents for print and screen: units, CMYK versus RGB, and bleed
- Several artboards in one file, arranging them and changing their size
- Rulers, guides, grids, and Align and Distribute
- Lab: set up a business card and a social media post in one file
Section 3: Lab: Shapes, Shape Builder and Pathfinder
- Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star and Live Corners
- The Shaper tool for turning rough sketches into shapes
- Combine, cut and punch shapes with Shape Builder and Pathfinder
- Lab: create a simple icon set from basic shapes
Section 4: Lab: The Pen Tool, Curvature Tool and Paths
- Anchor points, handles, and drawing straight and curved lines with the Pen tool
- The Curvature tool for smooth curves
- Edit paths with the Anchor Point tool, Join, Smooth and Simplify
- Stroke options, the Width tool and Offset Path
- Lab: draw a logo from a sketch with the Pen tool
Section 5: Lab: Colour, Gradients and Recolor Artwork
- The Color panel, swatches, global colours and colour groups
- Linear, radial and freeform gradients
- Recolor Artwork to change the colours of a whole design at once
- Lab: produce several colour versions of a logo and icons for a brand
Day 2 Type, Patterns and Object Techniques
Section 6: Lab: Thai and English Typography
- Point type, area type and type on a path
- The Character and Paragraph panels, and setting Thai text well
- Adobe Fonts, font licensing and paragraph styles
- The Touch Type tool, and Create Outlines before handing over files
- Lab: design a Thai wordmark logo
Section 7: Lab: Brushes, Symbols, Patterns and Repeat
- Calligraphic, art, scatter and pattern brushes, and creating your own
- Symbols and editing every instance at once
- Create seamless patterns with Pattern Options
- Radial, grid and mirror Repeat
- Lab: design patterns for packaging and cards
Section 8: Lab: Layers, Masks and Appearance
- The Layers panel, groups, locking and hiding for complex artwork
- Clipping masks and opacity masks
- The Appearance panel: several fills and strokes on one object
- Effects, graphic styles, transparency and blending modes
- Lab: build a poster with images inside type and editable effects
Section 9: Lab: Blends, Intertwine and Envelope Distort
- The Blend tool and Blend panel for stepping shapes and colours
- Intertwine to weave objects and type through each other non-destructively
- Envelope Distort and Puppet Warp for bending shapes
- Lab: create an interlocking-rings logo and type that follows a shape
Section 10: Lab: Image Trace and Live Paint
- Convert sketches or photos to vectors with Image Trace and its presets
- Adjust paths, corners and noise, then expand to editable paths
- Colour line art quickly with Live Paint
- Lab: turn a hand drawing into a coloured vector illustration
Day 3 3D, AI, Print and Workshop
Section 11: Lab: 3D and Materials
- Open the 3D and Materials panel and choose Plane, Extrude, Revolve or Inflate
- Adjust depth, twist, taper and bevel
- Apply Adobe Substance materials and your own graphics
- Set up lighting and render with ray tracing
- Lab: create a 3D bottle and product box with labels
Section 12: Lab: Generative AI in Illustrator
- Text to Vector Graphic to create vector scenes, subjects and icons from a prompt
- Generative Shape Fill to fill a shape with detail in the colours and style you set
- Generative Recolor to create colour palettes from a description
- Generative Credits, partner models and commercial use terms
- Lab: create an illustration with AI, then clean up its paths so it is ready to use
Section 13: Lab: Mockups and Packaging
- The Mockup panel to place vector art on a product photo so it follows the surface
- Design labels and boxes from a flat template with cut and fold lines
- Separate cut lines, spot colours and artwork on layers the printer can read easily
- Lab: design a product label and present it on a mockup
Section 14: Lab: Preparing Print Files and Exporting
- Check bleed, image resolution, colour mode and fonts before printing
- Save as PDF/X, and Package to collect fonts and linked images
- Export for Screens to export PNG, JPEG, SVG and WebP from several artboards at several sizes
- Lab: export a business card, a brochure and social posts from one file
Section 15: Workshop: A Brand Identity Set
- Workshop: design the logo, colour palette and typography for a sample brand or your own
- Extend it into a business card, a poster and social media posts
- Produce a short logo usage page (brand guideline)
- Export the full set of files and present your work
Schedule & training options
For individuals — public rounds
No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770
For organisations — in-house / private
- Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
- Your dates, at your office or live online
- Quotation with tax ID for procurement
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between vector and bitmap images?
A bitmap or raster image is made of a fixed number of pixels, so it breaks up when enlarged too far, which suits photographs. A vector image stores shapes as paths and anchor points that are recalculated every time, so it scales without limit and stays sharp, usually with a smaller file. That suits logos, icons, type and print work needed at many sizes.
How do Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign differ, and which should I use for what?
Photoshop suits photographs and pixel work such as retouching and compositing. Illustrator suits vector work such as logos, icons, illustrations, labels and anything needed at many sizes. InDesign suits multi-page layout such as folded brochures, catalogues and books. In practice they are used together, for example creating a logo in Illustrator and laying it out in InDesign.
How do I convert a bitmap image into vector artwork in Illustrator?
Place the image in Illustrator and use Image Trace from the Image Trace panel or the Contextual Task Bar. Choose a preset such as Black and White, Low Color or High Color, adjust paths, corners and noise until you are happy, then Expand to turn the result into editable paths. Sketches with clear lines on a clean background give the best results.
Who is Adobe Illustrator 2026 for Graphic Design for, and what do I need to know first?
It suits beginners who want to do design work, marketing and PR teams, business owners who make their own brand materials, and users of older Illustrator versions. No Illustrator or design experience is needed, only the ability to use Windows or macOS. Bring a laptop with Illustrator from your own Creative Cloud plan or the trial version.
What can I do after completing Adobe Illustrator 2026 for Graphic Design?
You can design your own vector logos, icons, illustrations, labels and printed materials, work confidently with the Pen tool and shape tools, create 3D artwork and mockups, use generative AI with its terms in mind, and prepare files for the printer or export them for the web and social media correctly. You also take home the brand identity set made in the workshop.
Can Adobe Illustrator 2026 for Graphic Design be run in-house for our team?
Yes. IT Genius Institute runs in-house training and can tailor the labs and workshop to your brand, products and the materials your team actually produces. Contact us through the website for a quotation.