In the following steps, you will learn how to create an infographic template in Adobe Illustrator.
For starters, you will learn how to set up a simple grid. Using basic tools and taking full advantage of the grid and snap to grid features, you will learn how to create the infographic layout template. You’ll learn how to work with basic tools and effects, how to easily adjust and multiply shapes or paths, and how to add subtle highlights. If you’re new to infographic design, this little tutorial can be your first step to becoming an infographic template illustrator.
For more inspiration on how to adjust or improve your infographic design templates, you can find plenty of resources at GraphicRiver.
What You Will Need
You will need the following resource in order to complete this project:
1. How to Create a New Document and Set Up a Grid
Hit Control-N to create a new document. Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 850 in the width box and 1390 in the height box, and then click that More Settings button. Select RGB for the Color Mode, set the Raster Effects to Screen (72 ppi), and then click Create Document.
Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). You will need a grid every 10 px, so simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid, and enter 10 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box. Try not to get discouraged by all that grid—it will make your work easier, and keep in mind that you can easily enable or disable it using the Control-“ keyboard shortcut.
You can learn more about Illustrator’s grid system in this short tutorial from Andrei Stefan: Understanding Adobe Illustrator’s Grid System.
You can also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes. Don’t forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units.
2. Start the Infographic Layout Template
Step 1
For the infographic layout template, we’ll start with a simple circle. Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and focus on your toolbar. Remove the color from the fill and then select the stroke and set its color to R=209 G=214 B=255.
Move to your artboard and simply create a 210 px circle—the grid and the Snap to Grid should make it easier. Make sure that your shape stays selected, open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance), and increase the stroke Weight to 40 px.
Step 2
Make sure that your circle is still selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag the Move-Vertical slider to 210 px, enter 4 in the Copies box, and click OK.
Step 3
Make sure that your circle is still selected and add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Select only this copy and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Ungroup (Shift-Control-G) the resulting group of shapes. Select the resulting circles one by one and replace the existing stroke color with the colors indicated in the following image.
Step 4
Focus on the purple circle and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the right anchor points and simply remove it using the Delete key from your keyboard.
Step 5
Focus on the blue circle and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A). Select the left anchor points and delete it.
Move to the remaining colored circles and delete the left or right anchor points as shown in the third image.
3. How to Add the Step Circles to the Infographic Layout Template
Step 1
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 170 px circle. Place this new shape as shown below and fill it with the linear gradient shown below. Make sure that no stroke is applied to this circle.
Step 2
Make sure that your 170 px circle stays selected and focus on the Appearance panel. Select the fill and go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the attributes shown in the left window, click OK and go again to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. Enter the attributes shown in the right window and click OK.
Step 3
Make sure that your 170 px circle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel.
Add a second fill using the Add New Fill button, drag it in the bottom of the panel and select it. Set the color to black and go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -20 px Offset, click OK and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
Step 4
Make sure that your 170 px circle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel.
Select the black fill, change its Blending Mode to Soft Light and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 10 px Radius and click OK.
Step 5
Make sure that your 170 px circle stays selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel.
Select the entire path (simply click that “Path” piece of text from the top of the panel) and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Enter the attributes shown below and click OK.
4. How to Add the Indicators to the Infographic Layout Template
Step 1
For the following steps, you will need a grid every 5 px. Just go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 5 in the Gridline every box.
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create five 340 x 5 px shapes. Fill these thin rectangles with the colors indicated below and place them as shown in the following images.
Step 2
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create five 70 px circles. Fill these new shapes with the colors indicated below and place them as shown in the following images.
Step 3
Select the circles and the thin rectangles made in the last two steps and simply send them backward (Control-[) as shown in the following image.
Step 4
For the final touch of the infographic layout template, pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 435 x 125 px shape. Fill it with R=209 G=214 B=255, place it as shown in the first image, and then send it to back (Shift-Control-[).
5. How to Create the Icons for the Infographic Template
Step 1
For the following steps, you will need a grid every 1 px. Again, simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 1 in the Gridline every box.
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 26 px circle. Add a 2 px stroke for this new shape, align it to inside, and set the color to black (R=0 G=0 B=0). Make sure that the fill color is set to none, and then go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -4 px Offset and click OK.
Using the Pen Tool (P) or the Line Tool (), draw an oblique path as shown in the third image. Apply a 4 px stroke for this path and set its color to black.
Step 2
Select the smaller circle that makes up your magnifier icon and add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 6 px square, and place it as shown in the first image.
Select this new shape along with the copy of the circle, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder), and click the Intersect button. Fill the resulting shape with black.
Step 3
Reselect the smaller circle that makes up your magnifier icon and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. This will expand the stroke, turning it into an editable vector path.
Select that quarter circle shape and go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Enter a 2 px Offset and click OK. Select the resulting shape along with the stroke expanded at the beginning of the step, and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Step 4
Select the circle and the path highlighted in the first image and go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke. Select all the shapes that make up your magnifier icon, click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel, and then turn the resulting shapes into a compound path (Control-8 or Object > Compound Path > Make).
Fill your magnifier icon with white (R=255 G=255 B=255) and place it as shown in the third image.
Step 5
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 30 x 16 px shape. Add a 2 px stroke for this new shape, align it to inside, and set the color to black.
Make sure that this new shape stays selected, switch to the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C), and simply click the left and right anchor points.
Step 6
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a 10 px circle. Add a 2 px stroke for this new shape, align it to inside, and set the color to black. Using the same tool, create a 4 px circle and fill it with black.
Step 7
Expand the two stroke paths that make up your eye icon. Select the resulting shapes along with that tiny circle, click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel, and then turn the resulting shapes into a compound path (Control-8).
Fill this new compound path with white and place it as shown in the third image.
Step 8
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create four 8 px squares. Add a 2 px stroke for these new shapes, align it to inside, and set the color to black. Place these squares as shown in the first image and then switch to the Pen Tool (P). Draw a 10 px vertical path and place it as shown in the second image. Add a 2 px stroke and set its color to black.
Step 9
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 22 x 5 px shape, and place it as shown in the first image. Add a 2 px stroke for this rectangle and set its color to black.
Switch to the Direct Selection Tool (A), drag a simple selection along the bottom side of your rectangle to select it, and then delete it. In the end, things should look like the second image.
Step 10
Expand all the paths that make up your new icon. Select the resulting shapes, click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel, and then turn the resulting shapes into a compound path (Control-8).
Fill this new compound path with white and place it as shown in the third image.
Step 11
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a 14 px square. Add a 2 px stroke for this new shape, align it to inside, and set the color to black. Using the same tool and attributes, create two 14 x 6 px shapes and two 30 x 6 px shapes. Place these four rectangles as shown in the following images.
Step 12
Expand all the paths that make up your new icon. Select the resulting shapes and turn them into a compound path (Control-8).
Fill this new compound path with white and place it as shown in the second image.
Step 13
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create an 8 px circle, add a 2 px stroke, and set its color to black. Pick the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the bottom anchor point, and drag it 4 px down. Switch to the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C) and simply click the bottom anchor point.
Step 14
Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create an 8 x 30 px shape. Add a 2 px stroke for this new shape and set the color to black.
Make sure that this new shape stays selected, switch to the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C), and simply click the top and bottom anchor points.
Step 15
Select the bottom shape, add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F), and bring it to front (Shift-Control-]). Select this copy along with the top shape and click the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.
Step 16
Reselect the bottom shape and add a new copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 12 x 6 px shape and place it as shown in the first image.
Select this rectangle along with the copy made in this step and click the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black.
Step 17
Select the top shape and add a copy in front (Control-C > Control-F). Using the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 12 x 10 px shape and place it as shown in the first image.
Select this rectangle along with the copy made in this step and click the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with black.
Step 18
Expand the two stroke paths that make up your icon. Select all the shapes that make up your icon and click the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Select the resulting shape and go to Object > Transform > Rotate. Set the Angle to -45 degrees and click OK.
Fill this final icon with white and place it as shown in the third image.
6. How to Add Text and Add the Background for the Infographic Template
Step 1
Pick the Type Tool (T) and open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character). Select the Odudo Mono font, setting the style to Bold, the size to 20 px, and the tracking to 400. Move to the artboard and click on it. Type “STEP“, place it as shown in the first image, and set the color to R=29 G=34 B=105.
Return to the Character panel, increase the Size to 65 px, and lower the Tracking to 0. Add the “01” piece of text and place it as shown in the second image.
Step 2
Move to the other four circles and add the text shown in the following image.
Step 3
Focus on the Character panel, lower the size to 20 px, and increase the tracking to 200. Add the text shown in the following images and set the color to R=29 G=34 B=105.
Step 4
Focus on the Character panel and select the Auro font. Change the style to Bold Italic, lower the size to 15 px, and decrease the tracking to 0. Add the text shown in the following images and set the color to R=29 G=34 B=105.
Step 5
Focus on the Character panel and select the Odudo Mono font. Set the size to 20 px and the tracking to 200. Add the text shown in the following image and set the color to R=29 G=34 B=105.
Step 6
For this final step, you will need a grid every 10 px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and enter 10 in the Gridline every box.
Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create an 870 x 1410 px shape. Fill it with R=229 G=234 B=255, send it to back (Shift-Control-[), and make sure that it covers your entire artboard.
Congratulations! You’re Done!
Here is how your infographic template should look. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and that it got you one step closer to becoming an infographic template illustrator. Don’t hesitate to share your final result in the comments section.
Feel free to adjust the final infographic template and make it your own. You can find some great sources of inspiration at GraphicRiver, with interesting solutions to improve your infographic design templates.
Want to learn more? Check out the following infographic tutorials: