4.1 Use core tools and features to create visual elements.

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

• Key Tools: 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.

a. Use type tools to add typography.

• Key Tools: Point Type tool, Area Type tool, Type on a Path tool, Vertical Type tool, Vertical Area Type tool, Vertical Type on a Path tool, and Touch Type tool
•  Key Concepts: difference between area type, point type, and type on a path; placeholder text

b. Use appropriate character settings.

•  Key Settings: font, size, style, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, horizontal and vertical scale, color used to enhance readability and hierarchy, enhanced type, etc.

c. Use appropriate paragraph settings.

•  Key Settings: indentation, alignment, paragraph spacing

d. Convert text to graphics. 

•  Key Concepts: converting text to outlines, benefits/disadvantages.

 e. Manage text flow.

Key Concepts: multiple text areas, managing overflow text, threading text, wrapping text, etc.

4.3 Make, manage, and manipulate selections.

a.  Select objects using a variety of tools.

• Key Concepts: targeting vs selecting, saving selections, selecting based on object attributes (color, stroke, opacity), etc.

b. Modify and refine selections using various methods.

• Key Concepts: 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, etc.

c. Group or ungroup selections

•  Key Concepts: grouped objects, Isolation Mode, etc.

4.4 Transform digital graphics and media.

a. Modify artboards.

• Key Tools: Artboard tool; resizing, cropping, and copy and paste art and artboards within and between documents, etc.
•  Key Concept: understanding the relationship between the art and the artboard.

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

• Key Concepts: scaling, scale options, transforming, warping, distorting, skewing, using distortion tools or menu options, Repeat objects, etc.

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

a. Apply basic auto-correction methods and tools.

• Key Tools: Simplify tool, Smooth tool, Join tool, etc.

b.  Repair and reconstruct graphics.

• Key Tools: eraser, scissors, knife, Shape Builder, pathfinder, Live Paint, etc.

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

• Key Concepts: fill and stroke, Appearance panel, brushes, Eyedropper tool, etc.

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

•  Key Concepts: Trace presets, tracing settings, expanding, etc.

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

a. Use effects to modify images.

• Key Concepts: identifying the difference between raster and vector effects; drop shadows, feathers, and glows; editing applied effects, etc.

b.  Create, edit, and save Graphic Styles.

• Key Concepts: creating, deleting, and managing graphic styles; breaking links to graphic styles, etc.

c. Expand the appearance of objects.

•  Key Concepts: expanding transformations, stroke, effects.