Overview

Adobe Illustrator is a vector-graphic-based application for professional illustrators. A vector graphic is composed of mathematically defined lines and curves. The primary benefits of vector graphics are scalability, editability, and small file size. It can be printed at any size and remain sharp and crisp. The image file is simply a description of scalable shapes and coordinates. In contrast, a raster graphic, which is composed of a fixed number of pixels, is resolution-dependent. If a raster graphic is printed at 200 percent of its original size, the same number of pixels are simply printed at a larger size. Image quality degrades, and the print appears "pixelated." In vector graphics, an object can be created, moved, and edited without affecting other objects. A vector-graphic file stores descriptive information about shapes, and its file size is minimal. A pixel-based graphic file stores information for every pixel comprising the image and is relatively large. Illustrator can incorporate pixel-based images, which then increases file size. The small file size and scalability of vector graphics are critical for the burgeoning field of Web design and indispensable for print media.

Although Illustrator can be used to create intricate illustrations, it is ideal for creating line drawings, diagrams, tables, and flowcharts. Alignment and distribution tools allow for quick, easy, and mathematical arrangement of text and objects, and its drawing tools lend themselves to clear and precise drawings and diagrams. Illustrations of symmetrical or repetitive objects are easy to create with duplication shortcuts and mirroring functions. Furthermore, no other program allows better and more versatile text control. Font, size, shape, kerning, color, leading, tracking, and alignment can be quickly and easily changed, and changes can be applied to any portion of a text string. Text can be placed within fixed boundaries or along any random, curvilinear path. Text can also be converted to illustration objects and edited to create custom letters useful for logos or high-impact graphics.

Illustrator integrates seamlessly with other Adobe products such as Photoshop, PageMaker, Acrobat, and PageMill, and exports into many formats, most significantly Macromedia Flash (.svf), SVG, JPEG, and GIF for Web graphics. Illustrator is an industry standard; most publishers and printing businesses are familiar with it and can produce consistent, high-quality output from Illustrator files.

How Long Did It Take to Learn to Use It Productively?

I began using Adobe Illustrator when it was introduced in 1988. It took only a few hours to become acquainted with the new features of version 9.0 and put them into use. Illustrator has a nice graphical interface and is well documented. Tools in most programs are beginning to look alike, so Illustrator's tools should have a familiar look. The object-oriented drawing tools are very easy to use. However, the Bezier-line pen tool is often novel to new users. As with other Adobe products, Layers is a highly valuable feature for organization and editing, but takes some time to understand and use efficiently. I estimate that it would take a novice less than a day to read the introductory materials and to begin to feel familiar with the interface. There are many facets and options to the program, so it may seem overwhelming to someone not familiar with it or other Adobe programs. I would suggest going through the introductory materials, then starting with a simple project. Many features make more sense in the context of problem solving than they do by just reading about them.

Product Quality

Customizability

Not applicable.

Ability to Program in Scripts, Add Extension Modules, etc.

Illustrator can use action scripts to perform repetitive tasks quickly. It comes with many default actions. Custom actions can be recorded and saved.

Ability to Import and Export in Different File Formats

Illustrator is able to import and export several different file formats. Importing files can be done in two ways: by opening the file to be imported as a new file within Illustrator, or by placing the file within an existing Illustrator file.

Graphic file formats that can be imported into Illustrator include encapsulated postscript (EPS), Adobe portable document format (PDF), Adobe Photoshop, PICT, Metafile formats (WMF/EMF), Dynamic Exchange Format (DXF), Macromedia Freehand 4.0 - 8.0, CorelDRAW 5.0 - 8.0 (open only, no place), CGM, raster formats (Amiga IFF, BMP, Filmstrip, GIF, Kodak Photo CD, JPEG, PCX, Pixar, PNG, TIFF, and TGA), and scalable vector graphics (SVG/SVGZ).

Text formats can be imported as well: plain text; MS RTF, and MS Word 6.0 to 2000.

Exporting is accomplished either by choosing Save As and selecting the desired file type or by choosing Export. File types that can be exported include encapsulated postscript (EPS), Adobe portable document format (PDF), Photoshop 5.0 with editable text, PICT, Metafile formats (EMF, WMF, CGM), raster formats (Amiga IFF, BMP, PCX, Pixar, and Targa), Macromedia Flash (SVF), Web-optimized formats (JPEG, GIF, PNG), scalable vector graphics (SVG), text formats (.txt), and CAD formats (DWG, DXF).

Useful or Unusual Features

Illustrator 9.0 has added several useful new features. Although most are aimed at the World Wide Web graphics market, one of the nicest features, transparency, is not specific to Web use. Vector graphics have had the advantage of small file size, easy editability, and scalable printing, yet have lacked some of the sophistication one could achieve in raster graphics programs. Previous upgrades added color-fill blends, a tool that blends the features of two objects into a series of intermediate objects, and gradient meshes, which blend colors within an object for airbrush-type effects. These upgrades allowed vector graphics to come close to the look of raster graphics. Now transparency has almost closed the gap between the look of a vector-graphic illustration and a raster one, while allowing Illustrator its advantages as a vector program.

Among the Web-friendly features, exporting files to Macromedia Flash is especially useful for those users who want to use Flash, but are more familiar with Illustrator than its competitor, Macromedia Freehand. Illustrator files can be exported to Flash in three different ways: as a single SVF file with all objects on the same layer; as a Flash animation, with each layer representing a successive frame in the animation; or as a series of SVF files, one for each Illustrator layer. These files can be imported and pin registered into a Flash movie for easy editing and manipulation. Other new Web-friendly features are a pixel preview of how a vector graphic will look when exported to a low resolution raster format such as JPEG or GIF, and a Save for Web command that allows an optimization preview to visually balance the smallest file size with the highest-quality figure.

A new lasso selection tool is nice for selecting an irregular set of points in an object for editing. Another handy feature is that when exporting a file from Illustrator into Photoshop, if all text is relegated to one or more layers containing only text, the text remains fully editable in Photoshop.

Although it is not new to 9.0, my favorite feature in Illustrator is the pattern-brush option. The user creates a geometric pattern or an object made from one or many vector objects. This object becomes a repeated element in a pattern brush. This pattern brush can be applied to a path, and the vector object will be repeated along the path and slightly altered in order to fit the path. I love to use this to create epithelial cell layers in illustrations. I create a single cell from a rounded rectangle, add cellular components, and make my pattern brush. When applied to a curved line, the cells line up and abut one another smoothly like an ideal histology section.

Adobe Illustrator has a consistent and familiar interface. If a user is familiar with Adobe products, Illustrator has the same look and feel, and most of the same tools, as other Adobe products. It is graphically oriented, and its information palettes can be arranged to suit the user and the project.

Limitations

Like other software programs that want to maintain or increase their market share, Illustrator regularly adds new features and components. Some features, such as graphing, seem more appropriate to a program dedicated to charts and graphs, but there are probably some users who find this feature quite handy. New users may feel overwhelmed by Illustrator or give up in frustration. If new users resign themselves to learning the program a little at a time, especially as needs arise that demonstrate a feature's relevance, Illustrator will become an incomparably powerful tool in their repertoire.

I have had some minor problems with the new, expandable, hierarchical layers palette. I have often tried to move a layer above or below another layer, only to drop it into another layer. Although it was easily corrected, I found this mistake a little too easy to make.

Another small problem occurs when exporting files to Photoshop. Short horizontal lines sometimes appear at the bottom of an object in its Photoshop layer. It is easy, but a waste of time, to look for these lines and erase them in Photoshop.

If one has a small monitor, it can be difficult to have enough work area to display one's illustration and all of the palettes. Because of the many capabilities of Illustrator, there are just too many tools or variations of tools to display at one time, so many are nested in pop-up menus from related tools.

Comparisons with Similar Software

I am pleased that Illustrator has maintained the original intuitive look it began with in Illustrator 88 while continuing to add new features. I have found most all new features to be valuable. None of the program's utility has been lost in its upgrades, and Illustrator continues to become more efficient and versatile.

Technical Support and Documentation

Documentation is very good and well organized. The user guide does a great job of giving an orientation to the program before diving into an in-depth discussion of the features of the program. The explanations of features in the manual are clear and well illustrated. Illustrator also comes with a quick reference guide.

Illustrator has never caused me or my computer any difficulty. My experience with Adobe's technical support system has always been good. A user has several options for technical support. Phone support is free during the 90-day warranty period for new purchases, 30 days for an upgrade. After the warranty is up, phone support is pay by the minute ($2/min.), pay by the incident ($25), or $149 for one year of unlimited help for one person/one product. Adobe Systems offers free online support at its Web site and a free email library of 1000 technical documents. The FAQ and support databases are well organized, and it has been easy to locate relevant problem topics. User forums are also available at the Adobe site. I find that users are often invaluable sources of solutions. Chances are that if a user is having a problem, someone else has already encountered and solved that problem.

Target Users

Whether you are producing graphics for print media or for the Web, Illustrator is optimized to meet the needs of the creative professional. It is difficult to find time to plumb the depths and capabilities of this program, and it is as reliable as it is versatile. For the adventurous person outside of these fields, Illustrator still holds many possibilities. For those in the scientific community needing to make their own publication figures, Illustrator can be a powerful tool. It is useful for labeling scanned figures or gels because it handles text and placed images with ease. It is excellent for creating flow charts and experimental method diagrams. As a medical illustrator, I find Illustrator to be one of two primary programs that I use for creating medical illustrations, charts, tables, and diagrams. I also use it to edit graphs that need details that graphing programs do not supply.