EXAM OBJECTIVES
Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Designand Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator
Exam versions: 2022 (26.x) and 2023 (27.x)
Adobe Certified Professional certifications, delivered by Certiport, are the official,industry-recognized credentials that validate entry-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud
applications and foundational knowledge for digital media careers.
The Graphic Design & Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator exam is 50-minutes in length,comprised of two sections – selected-response items followed by live-in-the-app tasks inside
Illustrator – and designed with the following Target Candidate in mind:
The Target Candidate (TC) has approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience
with the product, and is familiar with product features and capabilities, as well as relevant
career concepts. The TC is generally self-sufficient and able to apply knowledge of graphic
design and illustration principles to perform basic or routine tasks involved in their job role withlimited assistance from peers, product documentation, or support services. The TC generally
works in collaboration with colleagues or with supervision. Furthermore, the TC will be able toanswer most routine conceptual and applied questions about how to use Illustrator and usually
does not have to refer basic questions to others. They can speak credibly to other users orclients about what can be done with Illustrator and how to use it effectively.
To learn more, visit certifiedprofessional.adobe.com/illustrator.

1.

Working in the Design Industry
This objective covers critical concepts related to working with colleagues andclients as well as crucial legal, technical, and design-related knowledge.
1.1

Identify the purpose, audience, and audience needs for preparing
designs and artwork.
1.1.a Determine whether content is relevant to the purpose, audience,audience needs, user experience, and has an appropriate design fortarget devices.
i. Key Terms: client goals, target audience, demographics, accessibility, etc.

1.1.b Identify requirements based on how the designs and artwork will beused, including video, print, and web.
1.2 Communicate with colleagues and clients about design plans.
1.2.a Demonstrate knowledge of techniques for communicating about
design plans with peers and clients.
i. Key Terms: sketches, specifications, design process, wireframes, prototypes, iterations,change orders, drafts, feedback loop, etc.

1.2.b Demonstrate knowledge of basic project management concepts.
i. Key Terms: project scope, scope creep, cloud collaboration and file management

1.3 Determine the type of copyright, permissions, and licensing required touse specific content.
1.3.a Identify legal and ethical considerations for using third-party
content, such as copyright, permissions, and licensing.
i. Key Concepts: Creative Commons, public domain, intellectual property, derivative
work, commercial use, attribution, work for hire, fair use, fair dealing, stock images andvector graphics, etc.

1.3.b Identify when and how to obtain permission to use images ofpeople and locations.
i. Key Terms: model release, location release, etc.
ii. Key Concepts: permission to use a photo is separate from permission to use aperson’s face or restricted location, etc.

1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of key terminology related to digitalgraphics.
1.4.a Demonstrate knowledge of digital graphics terminology.
i. Key Terms: image resolution, image size, file types, pixel, raster, bitmap, vector,path, object, type, rasterizing, rendering, resizing, image size measured in pixels vs.
document size measured in inches/centimeters, etc.

1.4.b Demonstrate knowledge of how color is created in digital graphics.
i. Key Terms: color mode, gamut, CMYK vs. RGB vs. HSB vs. grayscale, dithering, etc.

1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of basic design principles and bestpractices employed in the design industry.
1.5.a Communicate visually by using the elements and principles ofdesign and common design techniques.
i. Key Terms: space, line, shape, form, color, texture, emphasis/focal point, unity/
harmony, variety, balance, alignment, proximity, repetition, rhythm, scale,movement, negative space, gestalt, etc.

1.5.b Identify and use common typographic adjustments to createcontrast, hierarchy, and enhanced readability.
i. Key Terms: font, size, style, color, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal
and vertical scale, line length, etc.

1.5.c Define common graphic design and illustration terms andprinciples.
i. Key Terms: aspect ratio, rule of thirds, foreground, background, color, tone, contrast,framing, etc.

2. Project Setup and Interface
This objective covers the interface setup and program settings that assist
in an efficient and effective workflow, as well as knowledge about importing
digital assets for a project.
2.1 Create a document with the appropriate settings for mobile, web,print, film and video, or art and illustration.
2.1.a Set appropriate document settings for printed and onscreen
artwork.
i. Key Concepts: width/height, orientation, artboards, bleed, raster effects, resolution,color mode, etc.

2.1.b Create document presets to reuse for specific project needs.
2.2 Navigate, organize, and customize the application workspace.
2.2.a Identify and manipulate elements of the Illustrator interface.
i. Key Concepts: application bar, application header, control panel, menus, panels,toolbars, artboards, 100x canvas, etc.

2.2.b Organize and customize the workspace.
i. Key Concepts: using and switching between default workspaces; tabbed
documents; showing, hiding, grouping, and docking panels; shortcuts and menus;
customizing, saving, and resetting workspaces; etc.

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

2.3 Use non-printing design tools in the interface to aid in design orworkflow.
2.3.a Navigate documents.
i. Key Concepts: panning, zooming, pasteboard, etc.

2.3.b Use rulers.
i. Key Concepts: showing and hiding rulers, changing the measurement unit on rulers,adjusting and resetting ruler origin

2.3.c Use guides and grids.
i. Key Concepts: adding, removing, and locking/unlocking guides; hiding guides andgrids; showing grids; using snap or align options; creating guide layouts

2.3.d Use views and modes to work efficiently with vector graphics.
i. Key Concepts: Outline vs Overprint Preview/Pixel Preview/Trim View, Screen Mode,
Presentation Mode, Isolation Mode, Drawing modes

2.4 Manage assets in a project.
2.4.a Open artwork.
2.4.b Place assets in an Illustrator document.
i. Key Concepts: embedding, linking, replacing, copying and pasting, import options,etc.

2.4.c Use the Links panel.
2.5 Manage colors, swatches, and gradients.
2.5.a Set the active fill and stroke colors.
i. Key Concepts: Color Picker, swatches, Eyedropper tool, color values, etc.

2.5.b Create and customize gradients.
i. Key Concepts: Gradient panel, editing color stops and opacity, gradient types,Gradient Mesh, etc.

2.5.c Create, manage, and edit swatches and swatch libraries.
i. Key Concepts: color, global color, pattern, and gradient swatches; identifying color
swatch type, including Process, Spot, and Global Spot; creating, managing, andloading swatch libraries; etc.

2.5.d Use the Color Guide panel to select coordinated colors.
2.6 Manage preset brushes, symbols, styles, and patterns.
2.6.a Open and browse libraries of included brushes, symbols, graphicstyles, and patterns.
2.6.b Edit preset brushes, symbols, graphic styles, and patterns.
i. Key Concepts: stroke, fill, brushes, brush types, width tool, etc.

3. Organizing Documents
This objective covers managing document structure, such as layers and tracks,
for efficient workflows.
3.1 Use layers to manage design elements.
3.1.a Use the Layers panel to modify layers.
i. Key Concepts: adding, deleting, hiding/showing, locking/unlocking, duplicating, andrenaming layers; layer options; etc.

3.1.b Manage and work with multiple layers in a complex project.

i. Key Concepts: using sublayers, Paste Remembers Layers, hierarchy and stacking
order, selecting and targeting objects using the Layers panel, etc.

3.2 Modify layer visibility using opacity and masks.
3.2.a Adjust the opacity of a layer.
i. Key Concepts: Transparency panel and Opacity masks3.2.b Create, apply, and manipulate clipping masks.

4. Creating and Modifying Visual Elements
This objective covers core tools and functionality of the application, as well astools that affect the visual appearance of document elements.
4.1 Use core tools and features to create visual elements.
4.1.a Create graphics or artwork using a variety of tools.
i. Key Tools: drawing tools, painting tools, Pencil tool, Paintbrush tool, Pen tool,Curvature tool, shapes, Blob Brush tool, etc.

4.2 Add and manipulate text using appropriate typographic settings.
4.2.a Use type tools to add typography.
i. Key Tools: Point Type tool, Area Type tool, Type on a Path tool, Vertical Type tool,
Vertical Area Type tool, Vertical Type on a Path tool, and Touch Type tool
ii. Key Concepts: difference between area type, point type, and type on a path;
placeholder text

4.2.b Use appropriate character settings.
i. Key Settings: font, size, style, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal andvertical scale, color used to enhance readability and hierarchy, enhanced type, etc.

4.2.c Use appropriate paragraph settings.
i. Key Settings: indentation, alignment, paragraph spacing

4.2.d Convert text to graphics.
i. Key Concepts: converting text to outlines, benefits/disadvantages

4.2.e Manage text flow.
i. Key Concepts: multiple text areas, managing overflow text, threading text, wrapping
text, etc.

4.3 Make, manage, and manipulate selections.
4.3.a Select objects using a variety of tools.
i. Key Concepts: targeting vs selecting, saving selections, selecting based on object
attributes (color, stroke, opacity), etc.

4.3.b Modify and refine selections using various methods.
i. Key Concepts: keyboard modifiers, selecting multiple objects with selection tools
or Layers panel, moving and grouping objects, regular Selection tool vs Direct
Selection tool vs Lasso tool vs Group Selection tool, etc.

4.3.c Group or ungroup selections.
i. Key Concepts: grouped objects, Isolation Mode, etc.

4.4 Transform digital graphics and media.
4.4.a Modify artboards.
i. Key Tools: Artboard tool; resizing, cropping, and copy and paste art and artboards
within and between documents, etc.
ii. Key Concept: understanding the relationship between the art and the artboard.

4.4.b Rotate, flip, and transform individual layers, objects, selections,groups, or graphical elements.
i. Key Concepts: scaling, scale options, transforming, warping, distorting, skewing,
using distortion tools or menu options, Repeat objects, etc.

4.5 Use basic reconstructing and editing techniques to manipulate digital
graphics and media.
4.5.a Apply basic auto-correction methods and tools.
i. Key Tools: Simplify tool, Smooth tool, Join tool, etc.

4.5.b Repair and reconstruct graphics.
i. Key Tools: eraser, scissors, knife, Shape Builder, pathfinder, Live Paint, etc.

4.5.c Evaluate or adjust the appearance of objects, selections, or layers.
i. Key Concepts: fill and stroke, Appearance panel, brushes, Eyedropper tool, etc.

4.5.dUse Image Trace to create vectors from bitmap images.
i. Key Concepts: Trace presets, tracing settings, expanding, etc.

4.6 Modify the appearance of design elements using effects and graphicstyles.
4.6.a Use effects to modify images.
i. Key Concepts: identifying the difference between raster and vector effects; dropshadows, feathers, and glows; editing applied effects, etc.

4.6.b Create, edit, and save graphic styles.
i. Key Concepts: creating, deleting, and managing graphic styles; breaking links tographic styles, etc.

4.6.c Expand the appearance of objects.
i. Key Concepts: expanding transformations, stroke, effects

5. Publishing Digital MediaThis objective covers saving and exporting documents or assets within
individual layers or selections.
5.1 Prepare images for export to web, print, and video.
5.1.a Verify project specifications.
i. Key Concepts: print settings, document color mode, resolution (raster effects), pixel
dimensions, metadata, etc.

5.2 Export or save digital images to various file formats.
5.2.a Save in the native file format for Illustrator (.ai).
i. Key Concepts: compatibility, save options including Cloud documents

5.2.b Save graphics in appropriate formats for print or screen.
i. Key Concepts: file formats (including vector vs. raster), CMYK vs RGB, resolution, pixel
dimensions, etc.

5.2.c Export project elements.
i. Key Concepts: exporting assets, exporting specific selections or artboards, exportingfor screens, etc.

5.2.d Package an Illustrator project.
i. Key Concepts: font and image management and troubleshooting, file packages, etc.

NOTE: All key items (Key Terms, Key Tools, Key Concepts, and Key Settings) are examples and not a comprehensive list.
Changes in the industry or application may necessitate coverage of items not listed that apply to the Target Candidate
description for the Adobe Certified Professional program.

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