5.3 Editing objects

When handles are displayed around an object that has been selected, the object can be deleted, resized, copied or moved.

Computer graphics exercise 2

Editing objects

Skills practised
  • Placing images
  • Resizing images
  • Flip horizontal
  • Flip vertical
  • Rotating objects
  1. Start a NEW Illustrator document and select PLACE from the FILE menu.
  2. Insert an object from your school’s Clip Art library or the image data file downloaded from the above link.
  3. Click on the canvas to place the image.
    0009.jpg
  4. With the SELECTION TOOL selected in the Tools panel, use one of the ‘handles’ to drag diagonally in to reduce the object’s size or diagonally out to increase the object’s size. Holding down the Shift key as you drag a ‘handle’ maintains the proportions of the object.
    P0512.jpg
  5. Display the OBJECT menu, highlight TRANSFORM and select REFLECT. Select HORIZONTAL followed by OK to change the horizontal direction that the object faces.
    P0513.jpg
  6. Use the OBJECT menu – TRANSFORM – REFLECT and select VERTICAL followed by OK to change the vertical direction that the object faces.
    P0514.jpg
  7. Use the OBJECT menu – TRANSFORM – ROTATE and enter -45° followed by OK to rotate the object 45° clockwise.
    Note: Entering 45° in the ROTATE dialogue box will rotate the object 45° anticlockwise.
    0010.jpg
  8. Move the pointer to the outside of one of the handles until the rotate symbol is added to the pointer. Drag the handle to rotate the object at any angle.
Video 5.2 Editing objects (01:43)