Utilizing the full power of Illustrator’s automated functions, like Graphic Styles, will save you time when creating new designs. We show you how in our Adobe Illustrator courses. 
Start by creating a simple shape – the example here is just a blue rectangle with a yellow stroke. Then open the Graphic Styles panel – if you can’t find it, go to Window > Graphic Styles. As with many functions in Illustrator, you can create your own style or explore the library of preset styles which ship with the program. To do so, click on the Options button on the top right corner of the Graphic Styles panel > Open Graphic Style Library – note there are several libraries to choose from. Select one & click on a style to apply it to your blue rectangle.
In the example above we duplicated the shape by pressing Alt (Mac: Option) and dragging the shape – this is the shortcut for copying in Adobe programs. Or Edit > Copy & Edit > Paste, of course. Then click on another style to compare the results.
To modify the colours, select the object, then go to: Object > Expand Appearance. Then with the Direct Selection tool (the white arrow) click on part of the image and change the colour, for example.
You can also create your own graphic style. Create a new object, a rectangle or circle, for example. Go to the Effect drop-down menu and apply an effect, for example Warp. Then perhaps add a drop shadow: Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. If you’re happy with the result and want to save it as a graphic style, simply drag the shape into the Graphic Styles panel – a new thumbnail will appear in the panel. This style will be saved with this document & can be loaded into future documents.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or self-taught, our courses will help you gain self-confidence in your Illustrator workflow, as well as adding to your professional skill-set. See many examples of our Illustrator clients’ work on our Facebook page.
Other related Illustrator Blog Posts:
Illustrator workspace
Illustrator basics
Illustrator clipping masks
Illustrator live trace
Illustrator brushes