How to Make Decals in Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a useful graphics software if you want to make your own decals. Because Illustrator works in vectors, which do not fade or pixelate when resized, you can use the same artwork for any size decal. Although you can draw your own artwork in Illustrator if you are new to the software it is much easier to draw the artwork on paper, then scan or take a digital picture of the artwork. You can then import the image and trace it in Illustrator for your decal.
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Instructions
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Document Setup
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1
Launch Adobe Illustrator and open the “New Document” window by pressing “Ctrl-N” on the keyboard.
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2
Type “Decal” in the Name field. Select “Print” from the Document Profile menu.
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3
Select the measurement units by clicking the “Units” menu, then type the measurement numbers in the Width and Height fields.
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4
Ask your printer what bleed settings are required and type these in the “Bleed” fields. A bleed allows the artwork to run off of the edges of the decal so when the decal is cut there is no white space around the edges.
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5
Set the Color Mode as “CMYK” or “RGB” as required by the printer, then click “OK.”
Background Design
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6
Decide on the shape of your decal such as circular, rectangular, or rectangular with rounded corners. Select the “Rectangle Tool” from the Toolbox to make a square or rectangle. For rounded corners select the “Rounded Rectangle Tool.” For a circular shape select the “Ellipse Tool.” These are both made visible by clicking the small arrow on the bottom right corner of the “Rectangle Tool.”
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Drag the tool across the whole document so its edges touch the outside lines of the document. Note that the inside lines on the document are the bleed lines. Holding down the shift button while you drag the tool will constrain the proportions creating a square or circle.
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8
Double-click the “Fill” color swatch in the Toolbox. Select a color for the background in the color picker. You can click the palette to select a color or type the color code in the appropriate field if you know the color code. Click “OK.”
Artwork
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9
Press “F7” to open the Layers Panel, then click the “New Layer” button at the bottom of the panel.
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10
Import your artwork by clicking “Place” under the File menu. Select the image file in the navigation window and click “OK.” Click and drag the artwork to move its location. Click and drag the corners of the artwork to resize it.
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11
Create another new layer in the Layers Panel. Select the “Paintbrush Tool” in the Toolbox. Press “F5” to see the Brushes Panel, then select a brush size from the panel. Double-click the “Stroke” icon in the Toolbox to select a color for the brush. Trace the artwork with the brush, adjusting the size and color as needed.
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12
Select the layer containing the image file in the Layers Panel. Following the above steps this would be “Layer 2.” Drag it over the “Trash” button to delete it.
Text
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13
Select the “Type Tool” in the Toolbox. Press “Ctrl-T” to see the Character Panel. Set the Font and Font Size as required. Click the “Paragraph” tab to select your line spacing and alignment. Double-click the “Stroke” icon in the Toolbox to select a font color.
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14
Drag the Type Tool across the decal to make a text box, then type your text.
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15
Move the text or artwork by clicking the “Selection Tool” in the Toolbox. Click on the text or artwork and drag it to a new location.
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Save your decal in Illustrator ".ai" format by clicking "Save As" in the File menu. To save a Web-friendly copy to post online or to email select "Save for Web & Devices" in the File menu.
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