Suggestions for Constructing InfoGraphics in Adobe Illustrator

Owned by Samir Bhala
Last updated: Aug 16, 2011Version comment
2 min read

What are you trying to convey?

  • What is the most important message you want viewers to take away from your graphic?
  • Can you summarize this message to fit in a title?

What data do you have?

  • Is your data quantitative or qualitative?
    • Using shape tools may be helpful
  • Are you trying to compare something?
    • Graphing tools offer an easy way to demonstrate concepts
  • Do you want have historical data?
    • Line graphs can show historic trend and difference, as seen in the above infographic on income disparity
  • Text
    • How much information do you want to convey in text?
    • Can be great for describing information
    • Too much may overwhelm the viewer

Stylizing

  • Gradients
    • Great for backgrounds
  • Shape tools
    • Allow you to construct your own, more complex images
    • Rectangles
      • Selected by rectangle tool in toolbar
      • Shape created by dragging and clicking
        • Click + drag + Shift >> Creates a square
        • Click + drag + Alt >> Makes the point of rotation at the center of the shape
        • Click + drag + spacebar >> Allows you to move the shape
        • Click and release >> gives you a dialogue box to measure shape
        • Click + Alt and release >> gives you a dialogue box to measure shape from center
    • Polygon tool
      • Up arrow adds side to shape as you click (down arrow removes a side)
      • Click + drag + Shift >> Creates a shape with equal sides
    • Star
      • Tapping the Up arrow while clicking adds vertices to the star
      • Shift maintains equal sides for the star
      • Alt aligns shoulders of star
    • Holding the Tilda key while clicking creates multiple copies of the shape
  • Text
    • Type toolbar allows you to format text color, size, and alignment and choose between point and area text
      • Type tool (Under the T in the object bar) >> Cursor appears on screen (write)
    • Point text
      • Aligns on point
    • Area text
      • Has structure and is contained within a boundary
      • Create by clicking and dragging with the text tool selected
      • Different options with Area text (Type menu >> Area Type Options)
        • Can change the number of rows or columns
        • Can type inside different shapes
          • Create shape >> Click type tool >> type
          • NOTE:  In order to make sure you do not confuse the two tools, turn off the "bounding box" feature in Illustrator
            • View >> Hide bounding box
      • Text options
        • Paragraph settings or character based settings
          • Window >> Type >> Character >> Show Options
          • Select entire object and make edits
          • Increase/decrease size by clicking object, and pressing Command + A + Shift + ">" or "<"
        • Applying basic paragraph settings
          • Changes settings to all paragraphs
          • Window >> Type >> Paragraph
            • Any change occurs in entire paragraph
        • Creating Text Threads
          • Text stays within shape and can be moved to other shapes
          • Click on out port and drag to create text flow
          • Optimal for creating instructions or diagrams
        • Setting text along a line
          • Text follows curve with “type on a path”
          • Click once on the line, or path, and select Type tool
        • Setting text along a closed path
          • Example:  Create a circle
          • Window >> Type >> Character and Paragraph panel
          • To type on circle press Alt as you approach circle
        • Using only the outline of text
          • Select text
          • Type >> Create Outline
            • NOTE:  By doing this, you can no longer edit the text