Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator Logo

History

Adobe Illustrator (or simply Illustrator for short) is a program created by Adobe Systems. Illustrator was first released in 1987 and is just one of the many programs in the Adobe family. In total, there have been a total of 22 versions of Adobe Illustrator . The first was simply named Adobe Illustrator 1.0. The latest versions labeled Adobe Illustrator CC are synced with Creative Cloud and can be purchased on a monthly subscription.

Overview

Illustrator is considered the industry leader when it comes to creating vector graphics. In Illustrator, users can create custom graphics using the pen tool or other tools within the program. Users can also edit existing vector images or convert fonts into graphic format. Vector graphics are unique in that they can be resized without any loss in quality. Vector graphics do not rely on pixels or bitmap grids. On the other hand, raster images, which are made up of pixels, often lose quality when enlarged or shrunk in size. Examples of raster formats include JPG and GIF.

Not to be confused with Adobe Photoshop, which is another Adobe program used in graphic design, the two serve different functions. Photoshop is more commonly used to edit raster (pixelated) photos while Adobe Illustrator is used to create and edit graphics, illustrations, and logos. Photoshop can handle vector imports, but it is not a vector program.

Files saved with Adobe Illustrator are labeled '.ai' and can be opened with other vector programs such as Inkscape. Likewise, Illustrator can open vector files created in other programs.

Bezier Curves and Anchor Points

Functions

Adobe Illustrator uses Bezier curves to make smooth paths. Bezier curves are smooth lines with two or more anchor points on each end. These anchor points act as controls. The curve of the line can be altered and stretched by extending the anchor points. Bezier curves can also make straight lines. This allows users to make custom shapes simply by bending and manipulating each line.