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8.6K
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31.49
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JACOB B.
Design, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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It's been great. Been using for several years as the primary vector design tool. Back bone of our creative process that helps us make marketing materials and quickly organize information visually.
Illustrator is a power house that gives designers a robust reliable tool for making scalable professional designs for print, digital, packaging, and more. Illustrator feels very scientific and logical its tools and layout. In the last year and a half the tool has gotten noticably boosted with features ranging from nice to haves to game changers. Which is rare for a tool that's been around for decades. Illustrator gives designers, marketers, and makers a system that let's them outlet their work so well into production use tmand that's incredible.
It can take a long time to get used to this tool. It's expensive. And there's still lots of features that feel like they're missing.
Christopher S.
Information Technology and Services, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 6-12 months
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My overall experience with Adobe Illustrator has been overwhelmingly positive. I use the software every day for the commercial branch of my software business. It has made designing prototype and digital files very easy. Now I can truly concentrate on the design rather than the added burden of slow and inefficient software tools.
What I like most about this software is the large number of features and ease of use. I tried to make due with freeware for a while, but I often ran into the freeware lacking the features I needed. Adobe illustrator makes creating SVG's, PNG's, and other digital files easy.
What I liked least is the pricing model. The only way to get adobe illustrator is with a subscription. While it's great for staying up to date, the option to own a version of the software would be great. Unfortunately this seems to be the new way that software s being sold , so I can't really call it a deal breaker.
Asfak M.
Consumer Goods, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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For designing Industry standard Vector graphics & working in the design world it's my go-to choice. For my client projects, I prefer Illustrator the best.
Illustrator is the most feature-rich vector design software I've ever used. It is the industry standard & the learning curve was not that hard for me.
The subscription model is not good enough & the price is a bit high for 3rd world countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan etc. Illsutrator requires a lot of resource to perform smoothly so my 3yrs old laptop couldn't run this well.
Brian S.
Military, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I have used Illustrator for over a decade, and it is the best vector graphic software on the market, and the industry standard. While it has a steep learning curve, with its litany of features and capabilities, Adobe and third party sites provide a lot of resources for just-in-time training and tutorials for most features. While it may be cost prohibitive if you are not using it for business purposes, I wouldn't say the application is overpriced because of its capability, quality, and industry-standard reputation that has been built over the years.
I use illustrator for my job on a regular basis, and it is unmatched in terms of its capability for creating and editing vector graphics. There are so many features and capabilities within the software, I doubt that I have even scratched the surface of Illustrator's capability. What I really love about Illustrator is how versatile your graphics can be if you create everything in an organized manner....
Illustrator has a steep learning curve that might not make it the best resource for casual users. While Adobe provides a lot of learning resources through their site, other third party sites provide a lot of training, and Youtube always has videos that can just-in-time train you on about anything, there's always more features and capabilities to discover within the application. My first experience...
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Graphic Design, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 6-12 months
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My work is layout-centric and Illustrator is perfect for drawing up sketches for me. I can only recommend it to anyone working with Adobe products, given that the integration is completely seamless. My warm recommendations!
- Standard in the Creativity Industry, supports a broad variety of file types I've been in the industry since last year and am still yet to discover someone who doesn't have Illustrator. Illustrator (together with other Adobe products) is the de-facto standard for creating graphics which means that file-sharing and cooperating on files won't be a problem. What's really important is that it supports...
- Subscription Payment This is a double-edged sword. For private users this is problematic because it ends up being expensive down the road. However, for companies and organizations this means that you get tech support and updates included into the price. - Steep learning curve The premises of the program are basic. However, for advanced tasks, you will need to consult manuals/tutorials if you've never used the software before. Even if it is intuitive, the sheer amount of features can be overwhelming for beginners. - High System Requirements I believe this one explains itself. For advanced projects, you will need a beefier machine
Sandesh B.
Graphic Design, 10,001+ employees
Used daily for 6-12 months
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I am currently using it from past 6 months and it has given me the best experience. It has also helped me to unlock new potential I had but could not discover it. My skills got better in terms of logo design and banner design which were so subtle and basic before I started using the Illustrator. I would pay the price to use this software if it comes to logo design, banner making and vector art - because of the cool elements of it. I'm fascinated by the sharp clear clarity on the vector art produced by this software. Wow!
I love the way art is manipulated into vector graphics because it can be infinitely enlarged and there is unlimited flexibility to make banners, logos, brochures, mock-ups, visiting cards to name a few out of thousands to millions. These allow Adobe Illustrator to be helpful for the vector art, hand-drawn paints, illustrations. I love the way the software is built - let me give an example - if I...
It is not like Adobe Photoshop which allows us to edit raster images to endless possibilities. It is harder for any beginner unless he/she knows the basics of Photoshop. One needs to understand the basics of graphics design to get hold of this software. The options are bit tough to understand and tools needs deeper understanding of graphic design. I did not like the idea of storing the images, it is hard for any beginner to choose from several options with sub-options. Swatch panel colours gets disappeared and I should go to settings to arrange them back. Cannot trace an image properly using the artificial intelligence inside Illustrator.
Tom O.
Graphic Design, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Better synergy between colleagues and suppliers. Hugely improved design capabilities. Incredible integrations with other key Creative Suite programs.
Adobe Illustrator is an industry staple for graphic design and rightly so. The vector capabilities, typographic options, and artboard flexibility make Illustrator tough to rival. Integrating well with other staples such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign and Adobe After Effects mean that the full Adobe Creative Suite are vital to my every day work as a graphic, web & motion designer. Specific strengths...
The two drawbacks that spring to mind with Illustrator are the cost and the size. As a powerful solution, Illustrator is naturally a large program. As a result, load times, even on higher end computers can be slow. Larger documents with multiple effects and raster graphics exacerbate this further but it's par of the course for the functionality required. Cost wise, I can't comment on Illustrator...
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Internet,
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I use Adobe Illustrator in the process of postproduction of thematic maps, where the modules of improvement and adjustment of colors guarantee that the message is transmitted with a professional finish. In the configuration of the logo, the proportionality of the forms that are sometimes impossible to modify in the programs that generate the cartography, the final product that I obtain with Illustrator...
You can improve your drawings by freehand with the effects tools that allow you to modify the strokes in a natural way, without modifying the anchor points, it honestly helps a lot by keeping the composition of the surroundings close to the modified area. It works with the Mac and Windows platforms, as well as an APP to start ideas from the phone and then improve them on the computer. The work modules...
A high performance team is required to take full advantage of the program, it is recommended to use a graphic card. It has no option under the Linux operating system. In some situations, other adobe programs are required to provide the most accurate and fastest solution, especially for users who do not have much experience in the program, the learning curve is very long and very fruitful. Editing...
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Graphic Design, self-employed
Used daily for 2+ years
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I have been using Adobe Illustrator for more than two decades, and considering that I make my living by designing using tools created by Adobe, I consider Illustrator to be well worth the investment. While I see some younger professionals complain about the cost, I would remind them that not only is Adobe the industry standard, but it represents decades of software development and innovation, without which we wouldn't have many of the other competitors out there. It is worth it to me to have a dependable set of tools by which I can create, without having to worry about gratuitous software bugs or inefficiencies.
I love that Adobe is constantly innovating and improving Illustrator--creating shortcuts to make my work faster and easier, and keeping me updated with what they are doing. It is a good feeling to know there are teams of people working to continually refine the tools that make MY work easier on a daily basis, and I will gladly pay for a product that creates value in this way.
The graphs tool in Illustrator needs LOTS of help! It seems like this is a tool that Adobe has just ignored for several years, because I have not seen any improvements in a really long time. It is a clunky tool that makes it difficult to create a graph in the first place, impossible to re-size it, and cumbersome to stylize it. Until I found the plug-in Datylon, I would create a bare-bones chart with the data, then turn it into an object and design it after. However, this method does not allow the data to be updated at a later point, which is not helpful when creating periodic reports where graphs are often re-used. Major headache. BUT I'm glad that there is a third-party plug-in that works well.
Mohammed Sajid R.
Design, self-employed
Used daily for 1-2 years
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My experience has been not just satisfactory, but I'd say Illustrator has exceeded my expectations. I learnt graphic designing long back with Coreldraw, and later my job required me to travel a lot, and I came to realize that the industry prefers Illustrator to Coreldraw, and I was forced to learn it. The interesting thing was that it did not really take me a lot of time to get the grasp of it, so it's user friendly as well. Now I can't think of any other software when it comes to vector designing. Illustrator is my go-to software for the majority of my designing needs.
There are quite a few aspects of Illustrator that I'm fond of, but what I like the most is its integration capability with other Adobe Products, and since I use multiple Adobe products like InDesign & Photoshop, I can affirm with complete confidence that it works seamlessly with these other applications, facilitating a smooth workflow across different design and media projects.
I'd expect it to be a one time purchase product than a subscription service. Yes, it is powerful, intuitive, and can get the job done like no other software in the designing fraternity, but it's expensive. Since it is available through a subscription model, it requires a monthly or annual fee, and I'm sure a vast majority of people like me would prefer a one-time purchase option for this software.
Rabie d.
Design, 51-200 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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There is a steep learning curve. Learning Illustrator was difficult for me as a self-taught designer because the two programs are so dissimilar. Although the tutorials are helpful, it is unrealistic to expect to create a design solely from them because it takes some time to get used to all the tools and functionalities. Since many of us don't need the entire Creative Suite and are only looking for a piece of software to whip up a quick design, which many other alternatives provide for free, pricing would be another issue, especially for freelancers and part-time designers.
Adobe Illustrator is a ground-breaking piece of graphic design software that has completely changed how designers approach their work. It offers designers of all skill levels a wide variety of adaptable tools and a user-friendly interface. It is an effective tool for designing intricate illustrations, logos, and typography because of its control and precision, as well as the way it seamlessly integrates...
It's really good software, but because of its complexity and limitations in photo editing compared to other professional programs like Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Express, using it can be challenging for a beginner in that field.
Ricardo O.
Education Management, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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I have been using Illustrator over 25 years. Honestly I always use perhaps 10% of its power. I find it to be a reliable design powerhouse.
Standards! Adobe Illustrator has been around for decades, and this shows in the level of refinement of its tools. Another advantage of this ubiquity is that most professional design studios "speak" Adobe allowing for easy collaboration and reliability of outcomes. Each tools can be tweaked to each specific need or taste and the workspace can be also tailored to specific design scenarios. Typography is something very important to me. The granular control Adobe Illustrator provides to type functions has no competition. Color is accurate, and on this front, Adobe benefits not only from decades of experience and partnerships, but also from the tight integration between Illustrator and other Creative Cloud products, that also happen to be ubiquitous in the design industry.
Only con... the subscription pricing model... but I guess this is where the whole industry is heading to.
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Information Technology and Services, 10,001+ employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Illustrator has been nothing but amazing whenever I have used it. Though it does slow down my system a lot since I have lower specs, it does the job just fine. High price can be accounted for by the unlimited creative scope Illustrator provides, which the alternatives are yet to touch.
Illustrator is simple a magical software. Rich in features and functionalities, it provides infinite opportunities for designers to create any sort of design. The interface is intuitive, the toolset is impressive, and the number of tutorials you can refer to whenever you are stuck with your design makes it a top-choice for every designer. I have used it for vector designing and web design. I find it much easier to create webpage designs on Illustrator than other software because of the limitless customization options it proivides. Also, the choices for format conversion, and the unlimited library of free resources including icons, templates and other ai files that can be downloaded in a jiffy and added to your project, makes it very simple to create a design on the go.
The learning curve is steep. As a self-taught designer who was only familiar with Photoshop, learning Illustrator was a pain because both of them are nothing alike. Of course, the tutorials help, but one cannot hope to create a design simply based on tutorials because all the tools and functionalities take a bit of time to get used to. Pricing would be another concern, especially for freelancers and part-time designers, since many of us don't want the whole Creative Suite and are just looking for a software to whip up a quick design, which many other alternatives provide for free.
John G.
Information Technology and Services, 1-10 employees
Used monthly for 2+ years
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For decades, Adobe Illustrator served me well. In the beginning, it was the best. But Corel Draw eventually eclipsed it in features and ease-of-use. But as the standard that I had learned to use well and had grown with, I still gravitated to AI, for most projects. But two things happened almost simultaneously that moved me away from AI. First, Adobe went exclusively to a subscription model, meaning...
Adobe Illustrator was the standard for years, before there was competition in this market. Then, even after Corel Draw came along, which was a better (5-star) product, Adobe managed to remain the standard, by continuing to be at least a very good product (4-star). It seems that being the standard means you don't have to be the best, but you must be very good and Illustrator was just that - very good.
Several features in Adobe Illustrator were poorly implemented. Though there were more than a few such issues, one that comes to mind is the ease of placing an image within another object, when using Corel Draw, as compared to the convoluted steps to do the same thing in AI. But Adobe Illustrator lost me as a user, when Adobe went to a subscription base. It's not an issue of money. I have been willing...
Faisal Faruque R.
Information Technology and Services, self-employed
Used weekly for 1-2 years
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Everyone recommends Illustrator. I also started using this because one of my friends recommended this. I knew that this is professional-grade software. However, I was a bit scared about the usability. It's because I am just a content creator and marketer. Not a professional graphic designer. I need a tool that will help me create graphics quickly and with ease. Illustrator is just like that. This...
There are a lot of features in this amazing piece of software. However, I don't have to use all of them. I just use basic features like editing a free to use vector file from the internet. Sometimes, I design covers and banners for my online businesses. Illustrator handles these very well. I liked Adobe's consistent design language in all of its software including Illustrator. One I learned illustrator and now all other Adobe software seems easy to me. Because I got familiar with their user interface. I like the power of its vector design feature. It helps me to design a graphic that doesn't rely on pixels and can be scaled to any size. This is the coolest feature of Adobe Illustrator. Custom fonts and different types of brushes are also great for creating modern and complex designs.
I don't hate anything about this software. However, the software is a bit heavy. I don't need all the features of Illustrator. This is why I need a lightweight PC version of it with the basic features. If the developer makes something like this it will be amazing. Another thing is the crashing problem. Sometimes it crashes on my old low powered laptop and this is frustrating.
Lance S.
Graphic Design, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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For the experienced user, Adobe Illustrator is a seamless experience. Almost everything that you need is readily available. The community a quite large and the online resources are endless. There are other alternatives such as CorelDraw and Inkscape, but the workflow UI resources and support you get with Illustrator just makes is not worth to consider other apps.
Compatibility is the keyword here. Most (if not all) decent design agencies, boutiques, in-house teams, press/printers and even freelancers use Adobe Creative Cloud. If your team is doing serious design work, you'll never go wrong purchasing Adobe Illustrator (along with the rest of the suite). And now that it is available on a SaaS or subscription-based model, Adobe ensures that you get the most recent updated version of the software as long as you/your team is under one of their plans. This is actually a great thing when you consider that everybody else using the software are also using the same version that you have.
The subscription-based model is not for everyone. Some companies would prefer to have perpetual license for software purchases. This is os it always have been with the Adobe Creative Suite until CS6. When they moved from perpetual licenses to 'Cloud-based' subscription model a lot of the smaller agencies, boutiques and freelancers suddenly found it hard to have access to legitimate Adobe Creative software such as the Illustrator. A lot of users think that the burden of paying $20+ (single app) to $50+ (for the whole suite) per month is a little bit too expensive.
Mark B.
Marketing and Advertising, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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I think the previous two sections give you a good idea about my experience with Illustrator, but I can add that we would be lost without it in our toolbox. Making something that looks great and is able to be reproduced anywhere is crucial for us. Having the level of control you have in Illustrator is really unmatched. Cannot stress enough how important its role is in our agency's day to day work.
Basically, once you get the hang of Illustrator and its many many features, you can create anything you want. We use it for logos, transit ads, charts, you name it. One of the best newer features is the "Library" panel. This works with most all of Adobe products, and what it does is let you load up your fonts, logos, photos, type, etc. for each client you're working on and it's all right there for...
If you're on a budget, this is not your friend. The Adobe Creative Cloud does offer a lot, but you pay for all of that, too. I can't say I dislike the learning curve because I've been working with Illustrator for years. That said, if you're new, prepare to have your patience tried and your frustration to rise. That's ok, this gets easier, I promise.
Scott C.
Media Production, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Overall, Adobe Illustrator has allowed me to supplement my artistic talent with true computer power. I am able to produce things I would never have been able to produce with my bare hand, and with intuitive speed and power, I am able to produce more and faster than I ever would otherwise, so really as a creative professional - what else can you ask for?
There may be newer vector illustration platforms out there that are born into the saas or cloud era, but Adobe Illustrator is a journeyman and still packs a wallop. I have tinkered with other software and there are some cute tools and bells and whistles out there, but for the pixel perfect execution that I need to build graphics or even certain works of pure art, there is no beating the bezier tool, workspace, and functionality that I've spent the majority of my career honing. And I would still say I only use the program to about 75% of it's full potential, there are just certain things I've been too lazy to watch a tutorial on.
I think for many years Adobe ran a fat operation and charged a premium on their suite that most entry level designers both needed, and couldn't afford. Their Creative Cloud offering seems to be somewhat in recognition of this, especially if you use the full software suite, then it's a value. But for one or two apps, it's just a monthly burden that never goes away (still an improvement on the craaaaaazy...
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Higher Education, 5,001-10,000 employees
Used other for 2+ years
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Adobe illustrator is a wonderful software and its features are amazing. I am using this software for my graphic designing work and I use this software for video editing, web designing, making shapes, photo editing, and creating logos for my projects as well as for my university clubs which I have engaged in. It consists of many awesome tools. According to my overall opinion, this graphic designing software helps me a lot and I highly recommended this software for graphic designers.
Adobe Illustrator software has loads of options for creation and it is boundless. It gives me the output which I dreamed about and it satisfies me all expectations too. Adobe Illustrator consists of many tools such as After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, Illustrator, and Adobe Premiere which give me marvelous functions. These tools can be easily learned if we touch with our basic understandings about...
This software takes a lot of time when loading on my computer. I think that this software is hard to use by a beginner as it requires good training to use this software. Sometimes it is difficult to find tools on the interface. The hiding if tools over other tools are annoying and it is difficult to find out them and I am confused to open these tools in these times. Immense use of CPU and RAM. Those are the downsides I observed in this software and these issues should be concerned.
Govinda H.
Nonprofit Organization Management, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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Overall, I think it is a software that offers a lot of functions and provides value for money. It helps me with my learning curve and can visually represent almost anything you want.
Adobe illustrator is completely scalable and works well with designing logos and cartoons which is what I basically do. You also have in-panel editing which makes it better. It is user-friendly too.
The fact that it offers limited support for raster graphics and that it requires a lot of patience. The loading time is also very high, comparatively.
SK D.
Professional Training & Coaching, self-employed
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I have solved a number of business problems with Adobe Illustrator and I am grateful to have it. In particular the tracing feature has helped me many times by translating a jpg to a vector-based image that is then perfect for design work, fully scalable and easy to send to print. Adobe Illustrator involves some deep investment and the problematic subscription system is causing it to lose customers but to its credit it is continually supplying users with new features and top tools.
If your thing is graphic design in a vector format, it has a collection of powerful tools that allow for endless versatility and beautiful final products and with each release this brilliant program just gets better. Yes, there is a learning curve but there is also a myriad of resources to teach a new user how to find their way around this program, which unfolds and becomes fascinating in its depth...
There is an online subscription fee with a high cancellation charge and people trying to unsubscribe meet with extremely frustrating customer support. Through its problematic subscription arrangement Adobe is creating a large number of bitter customers. In terms of the program itself, it does have occasional bugs that surface and more seriously, actual crashing issues, although generally Illustrator...
Verified reviewer
Human Resources, 11-50 employees
Used other for 2+ years
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when you look at the price, instantly you will exclaim ‘oh my gosh’. As I explained previously, there are nearly 100 million images available in adobe stock, over 12000 fonts in adobe fonts, plus all the other features to run wild with creative ideas. Who else offers so much? Therefore my opinion is a designer can always make designs that can claim a value if you are using the license of Illustrator. At the same time, with illustrator you need just a fraction of the time in doing your designs compared to some others which will keep you way behind. Illustrator is definitely for professional designers and as a professional designer, will need to use compatible hardware to get the best use of AI .
Ai is ideal for professional Vector graphic designers. After many years of studies with the inputs of designers around the globe, Adobe has developed Ai to create almost anything that comes into billions of creative (or weird) minds. Just about anything. Once you pass the learning curve which would take months and months with all that learning material available (which is quite reasonable), then you...
I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to call a wiper ‘a wiper’. The bad side of AI is it can just wipe off all other competitors in just one Illustrator stroke.
Burhan K.
Information Technology and Services, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used weekly for 2+ years
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I've been using Adobe Illustrator since I stepped into the software industry—almost 4 years now. The tool has no comparison to other tools currently available in the market. I mostly use Illustrator for designing illustrations, icons for mobile and websites, wireframes for mobiles, and print documents like brochures, business cards, etc. I now use Sketch for designing UI, but it's really hard to design icons there. So I design icons in Illustrator and copy those icons to sketch. This is the best tool and it's an industry standard.
Work on Windows, Mac, iPad, and even on iPhone with limited features. You can have multiple artboards when designing in Illustrator. A lot of tools to make your workflow easier. For building shapes, it has tools like pen tool, Pathfinder and shape builder. It has a dynamic gradient feature, which means your gradient is not limited to a linear or radial gradient. You can create a gradient with as many...
The long learning curve, especially when you have no previous design background. So expect to invest at least 6-12 months to fully master it. You have to fully grasp the core concepts of it when playing with paths and shapes. Joining paths perfectly using the grid may take time If you have not much experience with it.
Steve C.
Internet, 1-10 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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When working with vectors, I go to Illustrator and have for many years and will continue to. In my estimation, it far exceeded the competitors at the time I started, such as Corel Draw (20 years ago). It continues to serve me well. For those who work with Web Design primarily, there are other vector tools that have edged their way into the market and at a fraction of the price and they do some pretty cool things. If I was was just starting our and/or had a tighter budget, I might consider them as alternatives. Illustrator is no longer the young, cool kid on the block and some of these other software packages have found supporters in younger designers, but I still think its the best overall if you have the time and resources to learn it.
I'm a professional graphic designer, so Illustrator has been my go-to program for working with vector art for many years. Pretty much whatever you want to do in this program, you can do if you know how. It's nice that they have been able to keep up with a lot of the crossover to web needs, like the ability to export SVG files and such.
This is a difficult question to answer because what constitutes a "con" might not actually be a con at all. It depends on your needs. I could say that it's gotten a little bloated with features I don't need, but someone else may need them and, surely, I use a lot of features that others don't need. But it does make the learning curve a bit steeper, both for newbies getting their feet wet, or experienced...
Pamela G.
Packaging and Containers, 11-50 employees
Used daily for 2+ years
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I like all its features. I cannot work without Illustrator anymore. All my graphic design projects, once sketched, take their shape in Illustrator. Through its vector tools, you might be able to create almost every design you need. Texts, geometrical shapes or custom ones, Béziers curves and many other tools could be employed to create logos, flyers, posters, web designs, brochures and many more. Illustrator is also easy to learn, even if you will always find new features while working with it. If you have any doubt, you can just contact the support or browse on the internet to find millions of tips, tutorials, how to, and so on. Its scaleable results are perfect both for web and printing. No pixelation anymore! A very professional software for professional works.
Easy-to-use and easy-to-learn. Its menus and toolbar are intuitive and offer a wide range of action or tools to create your artwork. Starting from simple shapes till really complex projects. You may contact the Adobe support at any time if needed. There are also a lot of helpful resources online, so you only have to ask to figure out any issue. It allows creating vector projects that are completely scalable and so perfect for any use. It works on almost any OS. It is the most complete vector graphic design software at the moment, even if Affinity Designer is becoming very competitive and is turning out to be a good alternative to Illustrator.
You might encounter some bug while working on Illustrator. It may happen that the software will crash while using it so pay attention to activate the recovery option and to compulsively save your work to avoid the loss of the work done. It's a little bit expensive, considering that Affinity Designer is increasing its features at an unbeatable price.