Sunday, February 1, 2009

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator in Layman's Terms.

By David Peters

What are the differences between adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator? Produced by the same company, there are some that say the difference between the two programs is small. In actuality, adobe illustrator takes some key elements of adobe photoshop to the next level and beyond.

Adobe 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.

Both programs are vastly talked about on the web. You will find a huge array of photoshop tutorials and illustrator tutorials, illustrator and photoshop tips. Forums, chat rooms, and discussion groups that focus on both programs are also abundant on the web. Once you start looking, you'll find more and more information on adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator.

Drawing and vector art tools can be found on Photoshop, but these tools and their capabilities are nothing in comparison to those on Adobe Illustrator. A wide variety of templates are offered to help you get a project started and a number of different drawing tools are at hand to help you create your own personal artworks and graphics with Illustrator. While you can create unique graphics with Photoshop, you must start with a base image and your tools to work with are limited in comparison to Adobe Illustrator. For those in the professional field such as graphic design, the best choice would be Adobe Illustrator. However, for those with smaller drawing needs, Photoshop will work just as well.

Photoshop drawing is typically not covered in great detail in most Photoshop tutorials. Look for tutorials specifically on drawing to learn any truly useful information. The same holds true in regards to the drawing and vector art tools. However, if it's digital image editing you want, Photoshop is the program for you. All it takes is a little know-how and then you won't be able to stop yourself from enhancing ever picture you take.

Adobe illustrator is a different program. Where photoshop helps you create a unique look using existing images, illustrator helps you create your own brand-new images. In graphic design, adobe illustrator may be one of the best and easier tools you can use. The software is user friendly and tutorials to help you use illustrator better are all over the Internet. Whatever you need to learn about adobe illustrator, there's a tutorial for that.

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.

Both programs are unique in their abilities and will make great additions to your software library. Both the digital photographer and the graphic designer will find a vast number of uses for both programs in creating the best and most professional images. Mastering these programs is easy with all of the tutorials, tips and information readily available online for Photoshop and Illustrator. The more you learn about these Adobe programs and experiment with using them, the more possibilities you will unlock in your own creativity. Have fun! - 17944

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