I love how straight to the point you are! I keep scrubbing through 18 minute videos, but I watched yours all the way through :) youre a great teacher, and thank you so much for sharing!! Edit: Im using a computer, so... *beefy arm flex* :)
Oh my god... I'm literally a product designer and illustrator who has used Illustrator daily for 6 years and I didn't know about recolor artwork to find pantones of colors! I thought I really knew everything about this program but you just saved me so much time
Hi Becky, thank you so so much for sharing your knowledge ! 🥰🥰🥰 Thanks to you I am about to order my very first enamel pin design, it would not have been possible without your videos ! ❤️
Love this tutorial Becky! I would also suggest looking into Live Paint tool for colouring, especially for more complex designs where you'd probably rather not trace the shapes again. It's super convenient and you can expand it when you're done dropping colours too!
Becky, I can't tell you how helpful your videos are! I'm an aspiring pin maker, and it is just so sweet of you to share your knowledge like this! I've been avoiding the pen tool like the plague, as every time I've tried, it is just too frustrating to learn...but seeing you use it so easily makes me want to give it another go! What size artboard do you work with? Thank you so very much! Hugs from Australia! xo
Oh yay!! Trust me, in school I stressed out HARD about this dang pen tool. You are so not alone! With some practice you can totally get that pen tool under control! For the sketches, I just drag my images in and make the artboard fit the sketch. The template itself is 2000 px wide, but as long as your file isn't too huge and the scale of your design works for you, the artboard size doesn't matter. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much! I always been afraid of Illustrator because I’m used to work with Photoshop but you make it seem so easy! Your videos are perfect for people like me that are beginners in this pin world, thanks again, you are awesome!
New to your channel and have learned a lot in just the few minutes here!! What manufacturer do you use? I'd like to use some one that is trusted. THanks!
OH. MY. GOSH. Becky your are a pin-savior! Seriously! I've been dreaming of starting my business and make pins and I finally decided that 2020 will be the year... I was initially sketching on Photoshop but you really helped! Thank you!!!
@@BeckyHelms Mainly the Pantone swatch, what expanding actually does and how to easily recolor things too. I use illustrator frequently but some things still elude me with the program 😂
Thank you for the amazing tutorial. I'm also looking into making enamel pins but I am unsure where to start. My first step is to actually buy an ipad but I am unsure whether a macbook would be a better choice. I am looking into making larger and more detailed pins so I thought it would be easier to draw on the ipad.
I do love my ipad, but you can always start with pencil and paper. The important part will be how you handle vectoring. You can vector it yourself, or your manufacturer can vector it for an extra fee. I hope that helps!
Thank you for this! I found it really useful. I tend to use my iPad more for art over my PC - I'm really curious how different Affinity Designer will feel over Illustrator.
Oh my gosh! 💪 Thank you so much for this information! I’ve used the pin tool in photoshop before but for some reason illustrator has always terrified me. This made the process look so easy that I can’t wait to give it a shot! Thank you thank you thank you! 🤗
@@BeckyHelms I think the pen tool! It's so hard to get the lines right with paint, which is what I was attempting to do. I'm excited to try the pen out now that I know how it works! 🖤
Thank you!! I feel way more confident now! When you choose a stroke size, do you always set it to 5, or do you just choose whatever you think looks best?
Yay!! You've totally got this! For stroke size, I just pick what I think looks best for the design. I like multiples of 5, so that's just my go-to, haha!
Sorry super late to the party but fantastic vid! A couple of quick questions - do you merge all your line work after expanding? Does it make any difference to the manufacturer? Also, do you work at 1:1 or do you work bigger then scale down?
Thank you for the wonderful video. ❤️ The template is a great idea! 😊 Also, Wouldn't it be faster and easier to use the "Image Trace" feature on line-art that is brought into Illustrator, and then the paint bucket tool to fill in the colors of the design?
Thanks so much! There are so many ways to do the same thing in Illustrator, this way is faster for me, but if Image Trace and the paint bucket work for you, heck yes!
It all depends, really. Since vector files can be resized there's no real set stroke size to avoid. I recommend asking your manufacturer, because their line detail might vary between hard and soft enamel. Plus, when in doubt, print it out! If it looks too small when you print it to scale, it probably is! I hope that was helpful!
hey! i had a question, is there anything wrong with not using the pantone colors and just using the regular colors like from the color picker ? does it make any difference to the pins ?
Another way to colour shapes is to copy and paste in front the merged shape (Ctrl-C Ctrl-F on PC) then go to Object-Compound Path-Release. This will separate the copied inner shape from the copied outline shape. Delete the copied outline shape and then colour the inner shapes. If you want to go one step further, click on each of the inner shapes in turn and do an offset path (Object-Path-Offset Path) and set .5mm or a suitable size larger. Colour these and delete the original copied inner shapes. Move these shapes back behind the original shape outline for edge to edge colour. This might sound long winded but it's really much easier to do than to explain. It also creates a precise path rather than a path with a ragged outline. I hope you find this helpful.
Thanks for another helpful video!! 😭😭 I don't realize that there's swatch and limit color function on AI. I'd struggled with color for my past pins and this helps me a lot to understand to make better one next time. And I have a question. Is it okay to paste the finished drawing from RGB file to CMYK template setting? Will it change color or it'll be okay since it's pantone coated swatch? Thank you 😆
What if you want glitter in your pin. Do you make a glitter option on the side (instead of screen print, it says glitter) and you put the colours with glitter?
Hi! I usually just add "+ glitter" with the specific glitter color next to the pantone swatch in the enamel colors column. Does that make sense? It's hard to explain! You can always add another section if you like and feel free to use arrows to point to areas if you need!
@@BeckyHelms oooh yes. I've been wanting to add glitter, glow in the dark, transparent but I didn't know how to note it in. 😅 and I don't want to confuse the manufacturer either.
The metal swatches are under the swatch palettes. Just like how you'd look for the Pantone Solid Coated color book, they're in that same, main drop down. I hope that helps!
![[ PIN MAKING 101 ] How To Design Enamel Pins ~ Part 1!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xDn6iEXP_2o/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks so much for watching! Let me know your biggest takeaway about Illustrator in the comments!!
I love how straight to the point you are! I keep scrubbing through 18 minute videos, but I watched yours all the way through :)
youre a great teacher, and thank you so much for sharing!!
Edit: Im using a computer, so... *beefy arm flex* :)
Oh my god... I'm literally a product designer and illustrator who has used Illustrator daily for 6 years and I didn't know about recolor artwork to find pantones of colors! I thought I really knew everything about this program but you just saved me so much time
Illustrator is so crazy like that, right?! There's always something new to learn about it! I'm glad it was helpful!
This is an amazing, clear tutorial! Thank you for sharing your method!
Thank youuuuu!
💪 Thanks for all the great tips!
So glad to find this video from a fellow Moonie!! I'm so excited to learn about making pins!!
Oh yay! Have so much fun!!
Hi Becky, thank you so so much for sharing your knowledge ! 🥰🥰🥰
Thanks to you I am about to order my very first enamel pin design, it would not have been possible without your videos ! ❤️
Omg that means so much to me!! I'm so happy to help!
💪💪💪
I had no idea how to turn my stroke into a shape. Game changer! This video is jam-packed with so many helpful tips. You're the best, Becky!
Yay!! That pathfinder tool is awesome, right?! So glad to help!
Thanks a lot
💪🏼 Thank you! I’m feeling more confident now ❤️
Love this tutorial Becky! I would also suggest looking into Live Paint tool for colouring, especially for more complex designs where you'd probably rather not trace the shapes again. It's super convenient and you can expand it when you're done dropping colours too!
Oh yes! I really need to play around with that again! The blob tool is also fun for coloring in shapes. I love how versatile Illustrator is!
You just saved me $300 :D I did not know there is a Pantone Color Book in Illustrator :))) Thank you! Watching all your videos now!
Becky, I can't tell you how helpful your videos are! I'm an aspiring pin maker, and it is just so sweet of you to share your knowledge like this! I've been avoiding the pen tool like the plague, as every time I've tried, it is just too frustrating to learn...but seeing you use it so easily makes me want to give it another go! What size artboard do you work with? Thank you so very much! Hugs from Australia! xo
Oh yay!! Trust me, in school I stressed out HARD about this dang pen tool. You are so not alone! With some practice you can totally get that pen tool under control! For the sketches, I just drag my images in and make the artboard fit the sketch. The template itself is 2000 px wide, but as long as your file isn't too huge and the scale of your design works for you, the artboard size doesn't matter. I hope that helps!
You're such a big help thank you so so very much with these instructions. Super clear and you made me giggle I actually had fun using this program 😄
Becky! The curve tool what the heck where has it been all of my life ha. Thank you thank you for this video :)
NPB isn’t it the best?! I’m not sure when then added it, but good gracious I’m glad they did!!
Thank you so much! I always been afraid of Illustrator because I’m used to work with Photoshop but you make it seem so easy!
Your videos are perfect for people like me that are beginners in this pin world, thanks again, you are awesome!
New to your channel and have learned a lot in just the few minutes here!! What manufacturer do you use? I'd like to use some one that is trusted. THanks!
Thank you so much! This was beyond helpful and now my pin mockups look as good as my original drawings
This is so helpful. Love the design. it is so cute... Is it always needed to use Pantone color?
OH. MY. GOSH. Becky your are a pin-savior! Seriously! I've been dreaming of starting my business and make pins and I finally decided that 2020 will be the year... I was initially sketching on Photoshop but you really helped! Thank you!!!
OMG I'm so excited for you!! 2020 is going to be SO GOOD!
@@BeckyHelms I really hope so because now my first designs are ready but factories in China are still closed due to the coronavirus issues...
This series is so helpful! Thanks so much for putting this together! I feel way more confident in jumping into making pins now
WhimsiKya Arts oh yay!! I’m happy to help! Can I ask what was most helpful about it?! I’d love to make more like this one!
@@BeckyHelms Mainly the Pantone swatch, what expanding actually does and how to easily recolor things too. I use illustrator frequently but some things still elude me with the program 😂
I'm not even a pin maker but your videos are SO fascinating!! I love learning about the process 😄💪
Emma haha!! I’m so glad you like them!! 🙌🏻
Thank you for the amazing tutorial. I'm also looking into making enamel pins but I am unsure where to start. My first step is to actually buy an ipad but I am unsure whether a macbook would be a better choice. I am looking into making larger and more detailed pins so I thought it would be easier to draw on the ipad.
I do love my ipad, but you can always start with pencil and paper. The important part will be how you handle vectoring. You can vector it yourself, or your manufacturer can vector it for an extra fee. I hope that helps!
Thank you for this! I found it really useful. I tend to use my iPad more for art over my PC - I'm really curious how different Affinity Designer will feel over Illustrator.
Oh my gosh! 💪
Thank you so much for this information! I’ve used the pin tool in photoshop before but for some reason illustrator has always terrified me.
This made the process look so easy that I can’t wait to give it a shot! Thank you thank you thank you! 🤗
Hey, thanks for a video. Which preferences do you choose for saving a file? Do you send it in pdf?
This could not have been better timed. Thank you so much! Illustrator is so frustrating to learn and this helped me tremendously! 🖤💪
Oh yay!! I'm so glad! Was there anything in particular that really helped? Illustrator can be a beast, but you can totally wrangle it!
@@BeckyHelms I think the pen tool! It's so hard to get the lines right with paint, which is what I was attempting to do. I'm excited to try the pen out now that I know how it works! 🖤
kei keiley the pen tool is just the best when you get used to it! It’s so flexible and practice truly makes perfect!! Have fun with it!!
This was super helpful- thanks for sharing!
Of course! I'm happy to help!!
💪💪 that video was awesome, thank you!!
Thanks so much for watching!! I'm glad it was helpful!!
Thank you!! I feel way more confident now! When you choose a stroke size, do you always set it to 5, or do you just choose whatever you think looks best?
Yay!! You've totally got this! For stroke size, I just pick what I think looks best for the design. I like multiples of 5, so that's just my go-to, haha!
Sorry super late to the party but fantastic vid! A couple of quick questions - do you merge all your line work after expanding? Does it make any difference to the manufacturer? Also, do you work at 1:1 or do you work bigger then scale down?
whats would you say is the perfect stroke size for pins?
💪🏾 Thanks for this video! The layout for the pin design is extremely helpful!
Chrishaun Keller-Hanna oh yay!! I’m so glad! Thanks so much for watching!! 💕
💪🏻 Thank you!! I’m so excited to try some of the things you showed us.
Aleithia Weber you’re welcome!! What are you gonna try first?!
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 That was perfect! Thank you!
phenixwars1 oh yay!! Thank you for watching! I hope it was helpful!!
You're so helpful ♥️
Thank you!!
Thank you for the wonderful video. ❤️ The template is a great idea! 😊 Also, Wouldn't it be faster and easier to use the "Image Trace" feature on line-art that is brought into Illustrator, and then the paint bucket tool to fill in the colors of the design?
Thanks so much! There are so many ways to do the same thing in Illustrator, this way is faster for me, but if Image Trace and the paint bucket work for you, heck yes!
Hi Becky, your vids are super helpfull! Is there a minimum stroke size to use when you design a pin? Or does it differ by manufacturer?
It all depends, really. Since vector files can be resized there's no real set stroke size to avoid. I recommend asking your manufacturer, because their line detail might vary between hard and soft enamel. Plus, when in doubt, print it out! If it looks too small when you print it to scale, it probably is! I hope that was helpful!
Are you scaling the pin to size shown on template? Or just making note you want it to be 1inch for example?
hey! i had a question, is there anything wrong with not using the pantone colors and just using the regular colors like from the color picker ? does it make any difference to the pins ?
Can you also do this on an ipad?
Do you have to create the pins in illustrator or can you use photoshop?
can i use wall paint book or it's different ?
nice content friend
Another way to colour shapes is to copy and paste in front the merged shape (Ctrl-C Ctrl-F on PC) then go to Object-Compound Path-Release. This will separate the copied inner shape from the copied outline shape. Delete the copied outline shape and then colour the inner shapes. If you want to go one step further, click on each of the inner shapes in turn and do an offset path (Object-Path-Offset Path) and set .5mm or a suitable size larger. Colour these and delete the original copied inner shapes. Move these shapes back behind the original shape outline for edge to edge colour. This might sound long winded but it's really much easier to do than to explain. It also creates a precise path rather than a path with a ragged outline. I hope you find this helpful.
Thanks so much for this! I love that there are so many different ways to use to Illustrator!
does it have to be a vector so it can print as a pin?
Thanks for another helpful video!! 😭😭
I don't realize that there's swatch and limit color function on AI. I'd struggled with color for my past pins and this helps me a lot to understand to make better one next time.
And I have a question. Is it okay to paste the finished drawing from RGB file to CMYK template setting? Will it change color or it'll be okay since it's pantone coated swatch? Thank you 😆
As long as your factory has the correct Pantone color numbers, you're good to go! That's what's most important to them! I hope that helps!
When I click the Layer, I do not have that panel next to it with Transparency - do you know how I get that up?
Can anyone tell me how to connect all the lines so they are one object?
What if you want glitter in your pin. Do you make a glitter option on the side (instead of screen print, it says glitter) and you put the colours with glitter?
Hi! I usually just add "+ glitter" with the specific glitter color next to the pantone swatch in the enamel colors column. Does that make sense? It's hard to explain! You can always add another section if you like and feel free to use arrows to point to areas if you need!
@@BeckyHelms oooh yes. I've been wanting to add glitter, glow in the dark, transparent but I didn't know how to note it in. 😅 and I don't want to confuse the manufacturer either.
how do u know which pantone colors for the finish are correct?
The best way to know for sure is to use a physical Pantone Formula Guide. I have a video all about Pantones that should help!
Where can I find the metal pantone colours 🥺
The metal swatches are under the swatch palettes. Just like how you'd look for the Pantone Solid Coated color book, they're in that same, main drop down. I hope that helps!
@@BeckyHelms Thankyou , the video is so helpful you're amazing
i wonder if i can do this with clip studio paint..
As long as it uses vectors, then sure! The key is that manufacturers need vector files to create your pins.
Would it be rude to ask who are some manufacturers you recommend or personally use for your pins?
i just saw your other videos on asking this very question. haha. nvm. but... can you tell me if the stroke size matters?
How did you turned the black outline into gold? Im confused
I just selected the outline with the selection tool and clicked the color swatch I wanted to use!
Whenever I start outlining my design the pen tool will erase sections of my art on the first layer. Not sure where I went wrong.
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Thanks for watching!! I'm glad it was helpful!!