If you want to fill text with a gradient, you must first convert the text to a path, or several paths. Select the text that you want filled with a gradient , then move the mouse to the Type menu and choose Create Outlines . The text should now be a path, so to change the fill to a gradient fill, open up Paint Styles in the Object menu. A convenient way to organzie your art as you're working on a document is by using layers. Layers are useful because objects in one layer can be worked on while objects on other layers will remain uneffected.
Layers also overlap each other.
This is useful for making shadows and creating stroking effects that aren't possible in the Paint Styles menu. As with many graphics programs, Illustrator has a wide variety of ruler divisions to measure artwork. When the monitor displays your work, you might notice that inches on the screen don't quite equal inches out in the cubicle. This is a feature that you just have to deal with. Though an image won't look like its actual size on screen, the image will print at the exact size that the inches on the monitor indicate.