Photoshop and Illustrator

Posted on 21. Aug, 2008 by david peters in Photography

by David Peters

When looking at editing software, you might ask yourself what is the difference between Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator? Both programs are made by the same company and many say that the differences are small. The difference lies in the building blocks, Adobe Illustrator actually takes key elements of Adobe Photoshop and builds upon them taking them to the next level.

Abobe photoshop is a very popular program used by digital photographers around the world. The abundance of photoshop tips and tutorials make this a very easy program to learn and to use. Photoshop can be used to take any existing image and give it a professional, polished looked. Borders can be added and pictures tweaked to look better than any digital camera could make possible. Almost anything you can imagine doing to a picture is capable when using adobe photoshop.

Adobe's Illustrator by definition is a completely different program altogether. A vector based program, Illustrator enables you to create your own unique graphics. These graphics can be used in almost any medium, from print, to online, video and even your cell phone. Adobe Illustrator can do what Photoshop cannot do alone.

You can find a vast amount of information online on both programs. Tips and tutorials are in abundance on Photoshop and Illustrator. Check out some of the chat rooms, forums, and discussion groups for new information and ideas. Once you start looking, you will find no end to the information on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Adobe Photoshop cannot compete against the drawing and vector art tools found in Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator offers a huge number of templates to get you started, or you can design your own ideas from scratch using a number of different drawing tools. With Photoshop you can create unique graphics, but they all originate from an existing image and the tools to modify it are limited in comparison to Illustrator. If your drawing needs or small or not too complex, Photoshop should work well, but for the serious graphic designer, Illustrator is the way to go.

Photoshop tutorials do not extensively cover photoshop drawing, and you'll have to look for some photoshop drawing specific tutorials to find truly useful information. Photoshop tips pages mention little regarding photoshop drawing and vector art tools. However, to make your digital images look perfect adobe photoshop is the perfect tool for you. Once you learn how to use photoshop to make your images perfect, you won't be able to stop yourself from "fixing" every digital image that you use.

Adobe Illustrator is a different program. Whereas Photoshop adds a new look to an existing image, Illustrator can create a brand new unique image. Adobe Illustrator is one of the best and user friendly programs you can use for graphic design. The software is relatively easy and with the large number of tips and tutorials to be found online, Illustrator is extremely popular.

By combining a working knowledge of both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, you can manage the creation of brand new images or the enhancing of existing ones. Since the two share some basic functions, by learning one, you are ahead of the game on the other. Stunning graphics and images are possible though one of the two of these programs and since their functions are so different, knowledge of both would make any thing you needed to do achievable. Opt for Photoshop for your digital photography and Illustrator for your image creations or should you have uses for both, choose the programs that best suits your needs.

In their own unique ways, adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator and great additions to your existing software. Each program has vast uses for the digital photographer and graphic designer, and you'll find that both are equally useful when it comes to creating the best and most sophisticated images. Tutorials, photoshop tips, and adobe illustrator information that you'll find online make using these programs quick and easy. The more you use these adobe programs, the more you'll want to use them. Who knows what you'll create next?

About the Author:

Tags:

Leave a Reply