Review of Adobe Illustrator CC

Introduction

Adobe Illustrator is a powerful program for editing graphics, drawing, painting, and beautiful printing, and is one of the best vector graphic editing applications available. By the end of 2023, Illustrator users saw the launch of several promising public betas, a new AI-powered vector image generator, an upgrade to sharing for review, and a web version of Illustrator (still in beta). Additionally, a quick look at Project Neo was introduced, which is a parameterized 3D drawing tool that allows creators to embrace simplified 3D design within familiar 2D tools and methods. With its long-standing excellence and continuous innovation, Adobe Illustrator is the Editor’s Choice award winner.

How much does Adobe Illustrator cost?

Adobe Illustrator is only available through subscription. It costs $22.99 per month with an annual commitment (totaling $263.88, but paid in monthly installments) or $34.49 monthly. Adobe does not offer a perpetual license for Illustrator. CorelDraw Graphics Suite, which is one of Illustrator’s closest competitors, still offers a perpetual license option for $549 or an annual subscription plan for $269 compared to $22.42 monthly.

With a subscription to Illustrator, you get everything listed below:

• The web version of Illustrator
• Premium access to Adobe Express, a template-based web app for creating branded content like flyers, logos, and social media content
• Adobe’s AI image generator, Firefly
• 500 AI credits for smart generation per month
• 100 GB of cloud storage
• Step-by-step tutorials
• Adobe Portfolio, a simple website builder without coding so you can showcase your work
• Adobe Fonts
• Behance, the world’s largest online creative network to showcase and discover creative work
• Creative Cloud Libraries, a central repository for storing your brand’s design assets or personal projects
• Immediate access to the latest features

Adobe Illustrator System Requirements

Illustrator is compatible with Windows (Windows 11, Windows 10 22H2) and Mac (macOS 11, Big Sur and later) and iPad (iOS 14 and later). Regardless of the system you are using, you need a reliable internet connection to download and register Illustrator and the accompanying programs that come with the subscription. You can work offline, but you need an internet connection to verify membership and access some online services. A full list of system requirements for Adobe Illustrator is available on Adobe’s website.

Getting Started with Adobe Illustrator

To understand Adobe Illustrator, it helps to know the difference between vector graphics and raster graphics. For beginners, here’s a brief explanation.

Vector Graphics vs Raster Graphics

Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphic editing program. Vector graphics are defined by points, lines, and curves. The main advantage of vector graphics is that you can scale them infinitely without losing resolution. For example, if you are designing a massive billboard or other large graphics where scaling is feasible for success, you will need vector graphics. A second advantage of designing with vector graphics is that the file sizes are much smaller than their raster counterparts. In the image below, the object on the left is a vector drawing, and the object on the right is a raster drawing.

Workspace and Tools

The general Illustrator workspace should feel reasonably familiar if you have worked with InDesign or Photoshop. You can customize the interface by choosing dark to light gray options and arranging panels and menus to fit any configuration you prefer. When your screen is perfectly composed with your preferred settings and default values and organized menus and locations, you can save this setup and reset it to the exact configuration you want at any time you wish.

The program allows you to assign custom key commands, enabling you to better optimize your workflow for any type of project. In fact, Illustrator comes with workspace options specifically tailored for specialties like layout, printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing, and printing, and proofing.
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/graphic-design/21224/adobe-illustrator