Infographic Series - Circuit Board

Create a circuit board using Illustrators grid structure and snap to grid features. One of the issues that comes up is adding the ends on the lines and making them the right size in Illustrator and keep the line weight and end weights the same. I have a cool trick to show you how to make this happen! Enjoy!!!

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Start a new file and turn on the grid. Go under the View Menu>Show Grid. Then turn on the Snap to Grid. 

Using the Pen Tool, click on the grid to create lines that form straight lines, or lines at a 45° angle.

Using the spacing of the grid, keep the same amount of space between the line in the circuit board.

Create a random pattern of lines, some short, some long, and different directions.

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Call up the Stroke panel from the Window Menu. You may need to click on the Stroke Panel cheese grate to call up the Show Options.

Show Options calls up the entire Stroke Panel options. Select all the lines, then set the ends of the lines to be open circles from the list of options.

This will create circles on both ends. You can set the scale of the end circles to be larger or smaller by adjusting the scale percentage. 

One of the problems with this is that the line weight is now heavier than the ends. With the ends at 100% the line weight of the ends match the line weight of the line. When the percentage is adjusted up or down, the end weight doesn't match the line weight. 

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To solve the problem with the ends not matching the line weight of the line, copy the lines without the ends. Then paste them into InDesign. 

In InDesign, use the Stroke panel to add circle ends to the lines.

Set both the start and end of the lines to be an open circle.

These line ends are not adjustable in size. But they match the size of the line better. And when the stroke is adjusted up or down, the ends match the stroke of the line.

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Copy the lines from InDesign and paste then into Illustrator.
​Vector objects in Illustrator and InDesign can be copied between either application and it still retains the vector shapes and lines.

Set the lines to a green stroke once you paste it back into Illustrator.

Add a green background behind the lines, a bit darker than the original lines.

Duplicate the grid, then set the lines to a darker green. Then set the darker lines behind the lighter lines Object>Arrange>Send to Back. Then offset it a few clicks to create a drop shadow effect.