Adobe Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Business Card Using Different Blending Modes

posted by: Iaroslav Lazunov, in Illustrator Tips / Small Tutorials/ Comments: 11

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You can download the source vector file for this tutorial

In this Adobe Illustrator Tutorial we will learn how to create a vector business card using the properties of the Blending Mode from the Transparency palette and simple gradients. The tutorial is designed for those who make their first steps in learning Adobe Illustrator.

Tutorial Details

Program: Adobe IllustratorCS-CS5;
Difficulty: beginner;
Estimated Completion Time: 15 minutes;

Step 1

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle 30 by 850 px. Fill it with vertical linear gradient, consisting of black and gray colors (K = 30).

Step 2

Keep the rectangle selected, go to Effect> Transform & Distort> Transform and set the parameters listed below.

Step 3

Now go to Object> Expand Appearance, then to Object> Transform> Rotate … and set 45 degree angle in the dialog box.

Repeat the command again Object> Transform> Rotate …, this time set the angle - 90 degrees in the dialog box and click on the Copy.

Step 4

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle, which will limit our background.

Copy this rectangle and paste it back (Cmd / Crtl + C, Cmd / Crtl + B), now move it in the Layers palette so that it is below all the items.

Step 5

Fill the lower rectangle with a radial gradient from color (R: 8; G: 1; B: 1) to color (R: 3; G: 6; B: 11).

You must set the RGB color Mode for the document, unless you do not have it already installed (File> Document Color Mode> RGB Color).

You would think that the background is absolutely black, the fact is that when working Color Dodge Blending Mode background should be very dark, the largest number in the designation of color will set the shade of our background in the future.

Step 6

Select intersecting rectangles and set the Color Dodge Blending Mode for them in the Transparency palette.

As you can see, the background colors, red and blue, showed up. Color brightness depends on two parameters, on the brightness of the background and the shade of the gray color that is in the gradient of the rectangle.

Step 7

Group up the intersecting rectangles, copy and paste them in front (Cmd / Crtl + C, Cmd / Crtl + F).

Move the upper group of rectangles vertically downward, and you can use the down arrow key for that.

Step 8

All the rectangles of the upper group are filled with the same linear gradient, so we can edit them all at once. Select the top group, open the Gradient palette and change the color of the central slider to a lighter shade of gray color.

Step 9

Now hide the pieces of the rectangle that go beyond the background (rectangle with red stroke). Select all the objects (Cmd / Ctrl + A) and press Cmd / Ctrl+ 7 creating a Clipping Mask.

Step 10

Shade the lower part of the background. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle filled with black-and-white linear gradient. Set the Multiply Blending Mode for this rectangle in the Transparency palette.

Now create another rectangle with height less than the first one and fill it with dark gray color.

Create such rectangles at the top of the background.