This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Using Generative AI
Using Text To Vector Graphic, Generative Shape Fill, and Generative Expand, you can generate all kinds of vector content based on a simple, everyday-language text prompt. This can be an incredible way to spark creativity and accelerate your workflows with generative AI in Illustrator. Keep in mind as you go through the remaining sections that these features are always changing.
Creating with Text To Vector
Choose View > Fit Artboard In Window.
You can generate artwork using Text To Vector Graphic with nothing selected, or, if you want to control the size, you can select a placeholder shape to generate artwork within it. You’ll add a rectangle to the badge so it is used as a roughly sized placeholder.
Select the Rectangle tool (
) from toolbar.Draw a rectangle toward the bottom of the design.
Click the Generate Vectors button in the Contextual Task Bar beneath the artwork.
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Type a prompt to make a simple flower icon. I typed white flower.
Most of the time you want to be more descriptive with your prompts to get the desired artwork. But this prompt worked well for me.
The Contextual Task Bar offers a few options you can click, but you’ll open a settings dialog box where you will see them all.
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Click the View All Settings option (
) in the Contextual Task Bar.
In the Generate Vectors dialog box that opens, you have a lot of options you can set to refine the artwork generated.
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The thumbnails on the right side of the dialog box are example prompts you can click to start from. Hover over a thumbnail to see the prompt used.
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There are currently three types of artwork you can generate using Text To Vector. You can see them in the Content Type section of the dialog box:
Scene—Creates an entire vector scene with many elements.
Subject—Creates artwork without a background. Choose this if you want to add something to an existing scene or design.
Icon—Creates vector artwork that is low in detail without a background.
Select Icon, and make sure the Detail slider is farther to the left so the flower has less detail.
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There are a number of Style options in the dialog box that you can use to control the appearance of the generated artwork. Here is a high-level overview of what each is:
Style Reference—Sample artwork in your document to match the style of it.
Effects—This is a fun way to control the “look” of your artwork.
Color and Tone—Specify the number of colors and/or what colors to use.
Click the Style Reference button.
In the upper-right of the dialog box, turn off Auto.
That way, it might follow the suggested prompt word “white.” Otherwise, it will make the generated art green or some other color widely used in the artwork on the artboard, by default.
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Click Color and Tone. Click the plus on the upper-right to specify the light gray you’ve been using.
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Click Generate at the bottom of the dialog box.
The first time you generate, a dialog box may appear that you can dismiss after reading. Then, after a short time, the rectangle will be replaced with generated artwork. The generated artwork is vector—which means it is completely editable!
The flower artwork that you see will definitely be something different than what you see in the book!
In the Properties panel, click one of the other variation thumbnails to replace the selected flower in the badge.
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Don’t like what you see? Click the Generate button again to generate more artwork based on the same text prompt. You can also try changing your prompt text and/or the options and clicking Generate again! There are other options to explore related to the Text To Vector Graphic feature. As time goes on, this feature should only get better!
Generative Shape Fill
Another incredible way to use generative AI in Illustrator is Generative Shape Fill (Gen Shape Fill for short). With Gen Shape Fill, you can quickly fill a simple vector outline with rich detail and color that matches the look of your artwork.
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You’ll explore Gen Shape Fill on a shoe outline that was made from the shoe you created in the lesson.
Choose File > Open. Open Generative_artwork.ai in the Lessons > Lesson03 folder you copied to your computer.
Navigate to the leftmost artboard with the shoes on it, and fit it in the window (View > Fit Artboard In Window).
With Gen Shape Fill, you can take a shape outline and generate artwork that fills the shape with detail and color in your own style. Give it a try!
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With the Selection tool, click one of the black shoe outlines.
Click Gen Shape Fill in the Contextual Task Bar.
Type a prompt in the prompt field. I tried, “mountain boot, brown, laces.”
Click Generate.
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Here’s an interesting thing: The generated shoe did not replace the black outline. If you drag your shoe artwork, you will see the outline underneath!
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Try again. Select another black shoe outline, and this time, try without a prompt. Click Gen Shape Fill in the Contextual Task Bar, then simply click Generate.
TIP
With Gen Shape Fill, you can also click the View All Settings option () in the Contextual Task Bar, set some different options, and generate.
Generative Expand
Generative Expand generates vector graphics that extend artwork beyond its original bounds. Use it to expand artwork for ideation, adjust artboard layouts, or fill print bleed areas.
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Navigate to the middle artboard with the mountain scene. Click in the mountain scene to select the group of artwork.
For the figure, I zoomed out a little, so the Contextual Task Bar is below the artwork, not above it.
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In the Contextual Task Bar, click the Generative Expand button.
A rectangular frame with handles and widgets appears on the canvas.
Drag the right and left handles as far you want to add more artwork. For this example, you can drag to the edges of the artboard, right and left.
Click Generate in the Contextual Task Bar.
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Again, you don’t need to add a prompt unless you want to try something else. Like Text To Vector, Generative Expand provides variations for you to choose from in the Properties panel.
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Click Combine in the Properties panel.
Combining will merge parts of objects across the expanded art and the original art. You get a logical grouping of objects that helps you edit them easily in the future.
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In the dialog box that appears, click Combine.
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Generative Expand for bleeds 
To learn about using Generative Expand to create artwork for a bleed area, check out the video Generative Expand for bleeds, which you’ll find in the Web Edition. For more information, see the “Web Edition” section of “Getting Started” at the beginning of the book.
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Choose File > Save.
Choose File > Close for all open files.
