The Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Design and Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator is a certification offered by Certiport, recognized in the industry as an official validation of entry-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud applications. This certification is particularly beneficial for students pursuing digital media careers.

The exam, lasting 60 minutes, consists of two sections: selected-response items and live-in-the-app tasks within Adobe Illustrator. It is tailored for individuals who have undergone approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience with the product. These candidates are familiar with Illustrator's features and capabilities, as well as relevant career concepts.

The intended candidate is typically self-sufficient, capable of applying graphic design and illustration principles to perform basic or routine tasks in their job role. They have limited reliance on peers, product documentation, or support services. While they may collaborate with colleagues or work under supervision, they can answer most routine conceptual and applied questions about Illustrator. Additionally, they can speak credibly to users or clients about Illustrator's functionalities and effective usage.

The first domain focuses on "Setting Project Requirements." In simpler terms, it means understanding what needs to be done before starting a design project.

This includes knowing details like the purpose of the project, who the target audience is, and any specific requirements or constraints. It's like making a plan before you begin drawing or designing to ensure that your work meets the needs and expectations of the project. This domain ensures that you are ready to create a design that fits the goals and specifications given to you.

1.1 Identify the purpose, audience, and audience needs for preparing designs and artwork.

1.1.a Determine whether the content is relevant to the purpose, audience, audience needs, and user experience, and has an appropriate design for target devices.

1.1.b Identify requirements based on how the designs and artwork will be used, including video, print, and web.

Things you'll need to know:

Client goals, target audience, demographics, accessibility, etc.

1.2 Communicate with colleagues and clients about design plans.

1.2.a Demonstrate knowledge of techniques for communicating about design plans with peers and clients.

1.2.b Demonstrate knowledge of basic project management concepts.

Things you'll need to know:

Key Terms: sketches, specifications, design process, wireframes, prototypes, iterations, change orders, drafts, feedback loop, Project scope, scope creep, cloud collaboration and file management.

1.3 Determine the type of copyright, permissions, and licensing required to use specific content.

1.3.a Identify legal and ethical considerations for using third-party content, such as copyright, permissions, and licensing.

1.3.b Identify when and how to obtain permission to use images of people and locations.i. Key Terms: model release, location release, etc.

Things you'll need to know:

Creative Commons, public domain, intellectual property, derivative work, commercial use, attribution, work for hire, fair use, fair dealing, stock images, vector graphics, permission to use a photo is separate from permission to use a person’s face or restricted location, etc.

1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of key terminology related to digital graphics.

1.4.a Demonstrate knowledge of digital graphics terminology.

1.4.b Demonstrate knowledge of how color is created in digital graphics.

Things you'll need to know:

Image resolution, image size, file types, pixel, raster, bitmap, vector, path, object, type, rasterizing, rendering, resizing, image size measured in pixels vs. document size measured in inches/centimeters, color mode, gamut, CMYK vs. RGB vs. HSB vs. grayscale, dithering, etc.

1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of basic design principles and best practices employed in the design industry.

1.5.a Communicate visually by using the elements and principles of design and common design techniques.

1.5.b Identify and use common typographic adjustments to create contrast, hierarchy, and enhanced readability.

1.5.c Define common graphic design and illustration terms and principles.

Things you'll need to know:

Space, line, shape, form, color, texture, emphasis/focal point, unity/harmony, variety, balance, alignment, proximity, repetition, rhythm, scale, movement, negative space,  font, size, style, color, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal and vertical scale, line length, gestalt, aspect ratio, rule of thirds, foreground, background, color, tone, contrast, framing, etc.

This section is all about preparing for your artwork or design.

You'll start by setting up your project, creating a new canvas for your work. Then, you'll explore the Illustrator interface, which is like the control center for your design tools. It's similar to familiarizing yourself with where everything is in a kitchen before you start cooking.

Next, you'll dive into document setup, deciding the size and shape of your digital paper. Learning navigation basics is also part of this domain, helping you move around your project like navigating a map. This way, you can zoom in, zoom out, and move seamlessly to work on every detail.

In essence, this domain focuses on the essential steps of getting ready, so you can jump into creating your amazing designs using Illustrator!

2.1 Create a document with the appropriate settings for mobile, web, print, film and video, or art and illustration.

2.1.a Set appropriate document settings for printed and onscreen artwork.

2.1.b Create document presets to reuse for specific project needs.

Things you'll need to know:

Width/height, orientation, artboards, bleed, raster effects, resolution, color mode, etc.

2.2 Navigate, organize, and customize the application workspace.

2.2.a Identify and manipulate elements of the Illustrator interface.

2.2.b Organize and customize the workspace.

2.2.c Configure application preferences.

Things you'll need to know:

application bar, application header, control panel, menus, panels, toolbars, artboards, 100x canvas, using and switching between default workspaces; tabbed documents; showing, hiding, grouping, and docking panels; shortcuts and menus; customizing, saving, and resetting workspaces, General, Type, Units, Guides & Grid, User Interface, File Handling & Clipboard, Appearance of Black.

2.3 Use non-printing design tools in the interface to aid in design or workflow.

2.3.a Navigate documents.

2.3.b Use rulers.

2.3.c Use guides and grids.

2.3.d Use views and modes to work efficiently with vector graphics.

Things you'll need to know:

Panning, zooming, pasteboard, showing and hiding rulers, changing the measurement unit on rulers, adjusting and resetting ruler origin, adding, removing, and locking/unlocking guides; hiding guides and grids; showing grids; using snap or align options; creating guide layouts, Outline vs Overprint Preview/Pixel Preview/Trim View, Screen Mode, Presentation Mode, Isolation Mode, Drawing modes.

2.4 Manage assets in a project.

2.4.a Open artwork.

2.4.b Place assets in an Illustrator document.

2.4.c Use the Links panel.

Things you'll need to know:

Embedding, linking, replacing, copying and pasting, import options, links panel, etc.

2.5 Manage colors, swatches, and gradients.

2.5.a Set the active fill and stroke colors.

2.5.b Create and customize gradients.

2.5.c Create, manage, and edit swatches and swatch libraries.

2.5.d Use the Color Guide panel to select coordinated colors.

Things you'll need to know:

Color Picker, swatches, Eyedropper tool, color values, gradient panel, editing color stops and opacity, gradient types, Gradient Mesh, color, global color, pattern, and gradient swatches; identifying color swatch type, including Process, Spot, and Global Spot; creating, managing, and loading swatch libraries.

2.6 Manage preset brushes, symbols, styles, and patterns.

2.6.a Open and browse libraries of included brushes, symbols, graphic styles, and patterns.

2.6.b Edit preset brushes, symbols, graphic styles, and patterns. 

Things you'll need to know: 

Creating brushes, styles, patterns, stroke, fill, brushes, brush types, width tool, etc.

The third domain, "Organizing Documents," in the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) Illustrator certification, is all about arranging and managing your design files effectively. It involves understanding how to structure your Illustrator documents so that they are organized, easy to work with, and can be efficiently shared with others.

In simpler terms, it's like learning how to keep your digital art projects neat and tidy. This includes things like naming your layers appropriately, grouping related elements together, and using folders to keep everything in order. Organizing your documents well not only helps you find things quickly but also makes it simpler for others to collaborate with you or understand your work.

So, in this domain, you'll dive into the skills needed to keep your Illustrator projects organized and structured, making your design workflow smoother and more efficient.

3.1 Use layers to manage design elements.

3.1.a Use the Layers panel to modify layers.

3.1.b Manage and work with multiple layers in a complex project.

Things you'll need to know: 

Adding, deleting, hiding/showing, locking/unlocking, duplicating, and renaming layers; layer options; using sublayers, Paste Remembers Layers, hierarchy and stacking order, selecting and targeting objects using the Layers panel, etc..

3.2 Modify layer visibility using opacity and masks

3.2.a Adjust the opacity of a layer.

3.2.b Create, apply, and manipulate clipping masks.

Things you'll need to know: 

Transparency panel and Opacity masks

The fourth domain involves understanding how to make and change the visual parts of your designs.

It's about knowing how to create and adjust the things you see in your illustrations or graphics. This includes adding new elements, like shapes and colors, and changing the existing ones to make your designs look just right. It's all about bringing your creative vision to life using Illustrator.

4.1 Use core tools and features to create visual elements.

4.1.a Create graphics or artwork using a variety of tools.

Things you'll need to know:

Drawing tools, painting tools, Pencil tool, Paintbrush tool, Pen tool, Curvature tool, shapes, Blob Brush tool, etc.

4.2 Add and manipulate text using appropriate typographic settings.

4.2.a Use type tools to add typography.

4.2.b Use appropriate character settings.

4.2.c Use appropriate paragraph settings.

4.2.d Convert text to graphics.

4.2.e Manage text flow.

Things you'll need to know:

Difference between area type, point type, and type on a path; placeholder text, font, size, style, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal and vertical scale, color used to enhance readability and hierarchy, enhanced type, indentation, alignment, paragraph spacing, converting text to outlines, benefits/disadvantages, multiple text areas, managing overflow text, threading text, wrapping text, etc.

4.3 Make, manage, and manipulate selections.

4.3.a Select objects using a variety of tools.

4.3.b Modify and refine selections using various methods.

4.3.c Group or ungroup selections. 

Things you'll need to know: 

Targeting vs selecting, saving selections, selecting based on object attributes (color, stroke, opacity), keyboard modifiers, selecting multiple objects with selection tools or Layers panel, moving and grouping, objects, regular Selection tool vs Direct Selection tool vs Lasso tool vs Group Selection tool, grouped objects, Isolation Mode, etc.

4.4 Transform digital graphics and media.

4.4.a Modify artboards.

4.4.b Rotate, flip, and transform individual layers, objects, selections, groups, or graphical elements.

Things you'll need to know: 

Artboard tool, resizing, cropping, and copy and paste art and artboards within and between documents, scaling, scale options, transforming, warping, distorting, skewing, using distortion tools or menu options, Repeat objects, etc.Understanding the relationship between the art and the artboard.

4.5 Use basic reconstructing and editing techniques to manipulate digital graphics and media.

4.5.a Apply basic auto-correction methods and tools.

4.5.b Repair and reconstruct graphics.i. Key Tools: etc.

4.5.c Evaluate or adjust the appearance of objects, selections, or layers.

4.5.d Use Image Trace to create vectors from bitmap images.

Things you'll need to know: 

Simplify tool, Smooth tool, Join tool, eraser, scissors, knife, Shape Builder, pathfinder, Live Paint, fill and stroke, Appearance panel, brushes, Eyedropper tool, Trace presets, tracing settings, expanding, etc.

4.6 Modify the appearance of design elements using effects and graphic styles.

4.6.a Use effects to modify images.

4.6.b Create, edit, and save graphic styles.

4.6.c Expand the appearance of objects.

Things you'll need to know: 

Identifying the difference between raster and vector effects; drop shadows, feathers, and glows; editing applied effects, creating, deleting, and managing graphic styles; breaking links to graphic styles, expanding transformations, stroke, effects, etc.

The final domain is all about showing off your creations online. It covers how to present your artwork or designs on the internet and in a variety of digital formats. You'll learn to make your work look great on paper. websites, social media, and other online places. Also, you'll understand different file formats for sharing your work and how to add interactive features like clickable buttons or links to make your designs more engaging for people online. Essentially, it's about taking your cool Illustrator creations and making them shine when you share them digitally.

5.1 Prepare images for export to web, print, and video.

5.1.a Verify project specifications.

Things you'll need to know:

Print settings, document color mode, resolution (raster effects), pixel dimensions, metadata, etc.

5.2 Export or save digital images to various file formats.

5.2.a Save in the native file format for Illustrator (.ai).

5.2.b Save graphics in appropriate formats for print or screen.

5.2.c Export project elements.

5.2.d Package an Illustrator project.

Things you'll need to know:

Compatibility, save options including Cloud documents, file formats (including vector vs. raster), CMYK vs RGB, resolution, pixel dimensions, exporting assets, exporting specific selections or artboards, exporting for screens, font and image management and troubleshooting, file packages, etc.