Why Illustrator? 3

[TFfan]

I just got Illustrator 10 and I'm wondering what all the fuss is about. I also have Photoshop 6 and would like to know what differenciates Illustrator from Photoshop (What can Illustrator do that PS can't?).

Putting Text on a path is nice, but there has to be other things.

 

[surfchik]

Hi,
They are both excellent programs and are the staple in the graphic designers arsenal. Illustrator is for creating vector-based or object oriented type of images (ie polygons, lines, text etc. to create illustrations and/or page layouts, web pages etc, whereas Photoshop deals with photography and complicated images with blends, effects and painterly type of images. Photoshop also is great for web-based animation and preparing almost any image format for the web. Once you begin using either application, you will see the difference in them and learn when to use one over the other and how to combine their results together to complete a particular project. I hope that explains it correctly.

 

[askIllustrator]

I have always viewed both apps as a One-Two punch for graphics. All your type and percision needs are taken care of in AI and all your creative whims are welcome in PS. While Adobe is putting a lot of work in to sharing features between the two they are still vastley different. Frankly there is no way explain the love you will feel for AI as your requirements increase, you'll just continue to wonder how you ever got by without it. Most people shy away from AI due to its learning curve which simply means the more dilagent reap more rewards. BEHOLD! As Steve Jobs introduces us the latest in desk-lamp technology!

http://www.apple.com

 

[GeorgeMack]

I use Illustrator extensively for charts and graphs (try doing that in Photoshop!) and for logos and other spot art. Because the art is vector, not rasterized, there is no halo when the art is placed on a background, and the edges are always smooth.

In Photoshop, you need to consider resolution -- big files for full page ads, small files for business cards -- but in Illustrator, it fills the space at the time of output to match the size and printer (the difference between Vector and Rasterized art files). So you don't need multiple files because of different resolutions, though adjusting line weight might be a reason to have a couple of size versions.

Changing color is a simpler: there is no anti-aliasing to interfere with color selection, so you can build a rainbow of logos easily. On the other hand, you can't colorize from within Quark or other host applications the way you can with a Tiff format.

Illustrator takes less memory, because the computer doesn't have to remember on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This can turn into big time-savings.

You can draw in basic shapes very quickly, and combine or cut out overlaps. Once you have the shapes, you can port them over to Photoshop for embellishment. It's a lot easier mocking up a package in Illustrator than in Photoshop, for example, and it can dropped into a photo, then be distorted into perspective and tweaked for lighting and colors to make it look natural.

Some illustrators do a lot of their layout work in Illustrator, where they can nudge control points and other features, then bring them over to Photoshop for all kinds of filters, speckling, airbrushing, and other "personal touch" elements. Bert Monroy, for example, has written a book or two about his photo-realistic techniques, and how he combines the two programs.

Just a few reasons why you might want both.

 

[TFfan]

Thanks, I do have both, but can't pull myself away from PS6. I'm forcing myself to use Illustrator though and have made some useful options (some of which you mentioned).

 

[askIllustrator]

A good way to learn the differences is to try everything in AI first so that you may discover its limitations faster. BEHOLD! As Steve Jobs introduces us the latest in desk-lamp technology!

http://www.apple.com

 

[funkymonk]

I also thank you all for this as I have been wondering the same.

Thanx funkymonk B-)

rod@sameplanet.co.uk
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