Adobe Illustrator Patterns and Pattern Making 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How do you create a new pattern swatch from selected artwork in Adobe Illustrator?
- Drag the artwork directly into the Swatches panel
- Choose Object > Pattern > Make (Correct answer)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+P with artwork selected
- Use the Appearance panel to add a pattern fill
Correct answer: Choose Object > Pattern > Make
Selecting artwork and choosing Object > Pattern > Make opens Pattern Editing Mode and adds the new pattern to the Swatches panel.
Question 2: Which tile type in the Pattern Options panel arranges tiles in a standard horizontal and vertical grid with no offset?
- Brick by Row
- Hex by Column
- Grid (Correct answer)
- Brick by Column
Correct answer: Grid
The Grid tile type places each tile directly beside and below the previous one with no offset, creating a simple grid arrangement.
Question 3: How do you enter Pattern Editing Mode for an existing pattern swatch in Illustrator?
- Right-click the swatch and choose Edit Pattern
- Double-click the pattern swatch in the Swatches panel (Correct answer)
- Select an object with the pattern and press Enter
- Go to Edit > Edit Pattern
Correct answer: Double-click the pattern swatch in the Swatches panel
Double-clicking a pattern swatch in the Swatches panel opens Pattern Editing Mode, allowing you to modify the pattern's artwork and settings.
Question 4: What visual indicator appears at the top of the Illustrator window when you are inside Pattern Editing Mode?
- A red border surrounds the canvas
- A gray isolation bar displaying the pattern name (Correct answer)
- The Pattern Options panel opens in a floating window
- A checkerboard overlay appears on the artboard
Correct answer: A gray isolation bar displaying the pattern name
A gray isolation bar appears at the top of the document window showing the pattern name and Done/Cancel buttons when Pattern Editing Mode is active.
Question 5: How do you exit Pattern Editing Mode after making changes you want to keep?
- Press Escape to save and exit
- Click 'Done' in the gray isolation bar at the top of the window (Correct answer)
- Close the Pattern Options panel
- Switch to the Selection tool and click outside the tile
Correct answer: Click 'Done' in the gray isolation bar at the top of the window
Clicking 'Done' in the gray isolation bar saves changes to the pattern swatch and exits Pattern Editing Mode.
Question 6: When you create a pattern using Object > Pattern > Make, where is the new pattern automatically stored?
- In a separate .pat file saved to disk
- In the document's Swatches panel (Correct answer)
- In the Symbols panel
- In the Graphic Styles panel
Correct answer: In the document's Swatches panel
Newly created patterns are automatically added to the Swatches panel as pattern swatches, alongside color and gradient swatches.
Question 7: What does the 'Dim Copies to' percentage setting do in the Pattern Options panel during Pattern Editing Mode?
- Reduces the opacity of the tile you are currently editing
- Reduces the opacity of the surrounding preview copies of the tile (Correct answer)
- Sets the global transparency of the pattern when applied to objects
- Controls how faded the pattern appears in Print Preview
Correct answer: Reduces the opacity of the surrounding preview copies of the tile
The 'Dim Copies to' setting reduces the opacity of the ghosted preview copies surrounding the active tile so you can focus on editing the main tile.
Adobe Illustrator Patterns and Pattern Making 1
How do you create a new pattern swatch from selected artwork in Adobe Illustrator?