Quick Tip: How to Create a Projector Screen Illustration

In this new quick tip you will learn how to create a simple Projector Screen illustration using some basic shapes and the Appearance Panel. Let’s begin!

Step 1

Create a 600 by 600px, RGB document. First, enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Next, you’ll need a grid every 10px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid, enter 10 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. You can also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Do not forget to replace the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Unit > General. Al these options will significantly increase your work speed.

Step 2

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 400 by 270px shape. Fill it with the linear gradient shown below and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 3px radius, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance. The white numbers from the gradient image stand for location percentage.

Step 3

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create two, 420 by 30px shape. Fill them with black and place them as shown in the first image. Lower their opacity to 2% and turn them into a compound path (Object > Compound Path > Make).

Step 4

Reselect the rounded rectangle and make a copy in front (Command + C > Command + F). Select this copy along with the compound path created in the previous step, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Intersect button.

Step 5

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 400 by 10px shape. Fill it with the linear gradient shown below, place it as shown in the following image and go to Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners. Enter a 3px radius, click OK and go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 6

Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid) then go to Edit > Preferences > General (Command + K) and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set at 1px. Reselect the shape created in the previous step and make two copies in front (Command + C > Command + F > Command + F). Select the top copy and hit the down arrow once (to move it 1px down). Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=126 G=138 B=152.

Step 7

Reselect the rounded rectangle created in the fifth step and make two copies in front (Command + C > Command + F > Command + F). Select the top copy and move it 2px down. Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=208 G=242 B=240.

Step 8

Re-enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Select the three shapes created in the last three steps and group them (Command + G). Make a copy of this group (Command + C > Command + F), drag it down and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 9

Reselect the large rounded rectangle created in the second step, open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and add a second fill using the Add New Fill button. It’s the little white, square icon from the bottom of the Appearance panel. Select this new fill, lower its opacity to 20% and use the linear gradient shown below. The yellow zero from the gradient image stands for opacity percentage.

Step 10

Reselect the rounded rectangle edited in the previous step and add a stroke. Make it 2pt wide, set its color at white and align it to inside. Add a second stroke for this shape using the Add New Stroke button from the bottom of the Appearance panel. Select this new stroke, make it 1pt wide, set its color at R=209 G=209 B=209 and align it to inside.

Step 11

Reselect the rounded rectangle edited in the previous step and focus on the Appearance panel. Select the bottom fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown below and click OK .Reselect this large, rounded rectangle, make sure that no fill or stroke is selected (in the Appearance panel) and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Again, enter the data shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 12

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 380 by 80px shape. Fill it with none and add a 1pt, black stroke. Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the top anchor points and go to Object > Path > Average. Check the Both button and click OK. Select the resulting shape, send it to back (Shift + Command + Left Square Bracket) and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke.

Step 13

Select the shape created in the previous step and fill it with the linear gradient shown below.

Step 14

Reselect the shape edited in the previous step and add a second fill. Select it, drag it in the bottom of the Appearance panel, fill it with the linear gradient shown blow and go to Effect > Distort&Transform > Transform. Enter the data shown in the following image and click OK.

Step 15

Reselect the shape edited in the previous step and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 16

For the following steps you will need a grid every 1px. So, go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid and enter 1 in the Gridline every box. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 6px circle. Fill it with the linear gradient shown below and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 17

Reselect the circle created in the previous step and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -1px Offset and click OK. Duplicate the resulting shape (Command + C > Command + F) and move the copy 1px down. Select this copy along with the first shape created in the beginning of this step and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with white.

Step 18

Reselect the circle created in step #16 and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 19

Pick the Pen Tool (P), draw a 10px, vertical path and place it as shown in the first image. Switch to the Ellipse Tool (L), create a 10px circle and place it as shown in the first image. Add a 1pt, black stroke for these two paths and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Select the resulting shapes and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel.

Step 20

Select the shape created in the previous step and fill it with the linear gradient shown in the following image. Move to the Appearance panel, select the fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown below and click OK. Deselect the fill from the Appearance panel and go again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the data shown in the following image, click OK and you’re done.