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Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator

Overview

What is Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.

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Recent Reviews

Adobe Illustrator CC Review

9 out of 10
April 01, 2023
When creating icons for use in a website under development, we were able to save a considerable amount of man-hours because we were able …
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Illustrator for Architects

9 out of 10
March 23, 2022
I use this software on a daily basis as an architect and it is a very useful tool that helps us a lot of design buildings and makes plans …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

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Pricing

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Yearly - Billed Monthly

$20.99

On Premise
per month

Monthly

$31.49

On Premise
per month

Yearly - Billed Upfront

$239.88

On Premise
per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

PACMAN ARCADE SPEEDART | ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CC | GRAPHIC DESIGN CHARACTER ILLUSTRATION TUTORIAL DEMO

YouTube

How To Enable Pressure Sensitivity In Adobe Illustrator CC

YouTube

Adobe Illustrator CC 2020 Curvature and Pen Tools Demo

YouTube

Adobe Illustrator CC - Color Models/Wheel Demo

YouTube

HOW TO DISTORT VECTORS | ADOBE CC ILLUSTRATOR | 2017 | QUICK TUTORIAL EASY TEXTURE EDGES DEMO

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Adobe Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator CC is a vector-based graphic design software.

Adobe Illustrator Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(1434)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-10 of 10)
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Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a content developer for business pitch meetings I have to customize decks to match clients branding. So my PowerPoint backgrounds are exclusively designed in Illustrator. Illustrator also help me to manage client logos better especially I use tracing function to recreate logos or icons as necessary for my presentation. Yes I can somewhat use PowerPoint to add elements to generate the background but I hate too many moving parts in my ppt.
  • Tracing is better
  • Its image management is better than Corel Draw
  • Better connectivity with Photoshop and other Adobe Products
  • Illustrators workflow is slow. Corel has some really fast shortcuts. Yes you can remap those but the warning message is scary that the shortcut key is already assigned. So I never changed any
  • Illustrator is still slow to load and run it should make the software more modular so that we can select which tools to load
  • Every time it launches a new version newly created files do not work on the older one without warnings. During saving a file you will get like 10 different version you can save for. Do it like office before 93-2000 or after 2000. I am a human and can't remember which feature offered when and save the file accordingly.
Illustrator is obviously well suited for any agency as its offer very good result for advert or promotional campaigns. But for older PCs it can be a pain to start and use it. It might crash or hang in the middle.
Paloma Guimarães | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
The organization uses Adobe Illustrator CC to teach Graphic Design classes and get students to engage and practice using the software so that they will be able to use it in a professional setting in the future. It helps with the creation of artwork, posters, business cards, social media posts and material for websites
  • Vectorizing images
  • Creating Logos
  • using easy shortcuts
  • It could be simpler to use
  • There could be more free tutorials available
  • The price should be lower
Adobe Illustrator is an amazing software that can be used in mny different ways at any company! It is simple to learn the basics and ca help a company with their online presence on social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram. They can also be used to create logos and visual identity.
Heather Miller | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We currently use Adobe Illustrator CC in our Design department. Whenever a need arises to create a vector illustration or detailed graph, Illustrator is our go-to. There have been times we've used it even as our main graphic design program for events and programs that need printed materials, but mainly we use it to create intricate illustrations to insert into other files. Our department currently uses it, and I believe other graphic designers on-campus use it frequently as well.
  • Vector Illustration. There are a lot of tools present in Adobe Illustrator that give you the freedom to create whatever you're thinking of.
  • Detailed Graph creation. When we need something with more options than Excel to create graphs, Adobe Illustrator has many more options to play with.
  • Pasteboard freedom. When working on a project that has multiple sizes and iterations that are needed, it's possible to create all the different pasteboard sizes in one file. There's no need to create 15 separate files for 15 differently-sized web graphics, simply duplicate, resize, and export all within one file.
  • Huge Learning Curve. I've been using Adobe Illustrator for over 10 years and there are still things I don't know how to do and need to look up tutorials for. The information you need is all out there, but you definitely have to take the initiative to learn those intricacies yourself.
  • Doesn't always give the desired result. Sometimes I'll try to create something, and I implement my plan, but some shape wasn't fully closed, or there was a clipping mask somewhere I wasn't aware of, and suddenly it won't do what I want. It can be frustrating when trying to create something quickly and coming up on a brick wall like that.
  • Keyboard commands don't line up with other Adobe programs. Since I alternate between InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop quite frequently, I tend to have different keyboard commands memorized. But there are certain commands that InDesign has, that Illustrator uses for a completely different tool. It can be frustrating and I feel like I always have to relearn what I had memorized.
Adobe Illustrator CC is great for graphic designers to create icons, illustrations, graphics, and fonts. Some designers use it primarily to design everything from posters, postcards, web graphics, etc, but I believe Illustrator is less suited for this, and InDesign should be used for those purposes. Illustrator is great for creating graphics that would get added [to] programs like InDesign.
Sissy Yee | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Adobe Illustrator CC is being used for nearly 80% of all design-related work for clients. It's one of the best parts of the Adobe Creative Suite considering it's vector-based and being that we have a variety of clients who need both digital and print related assets, vector-based is the best so that resolution doesn't get lost.
  • Vector scaling.
  • Clean beautiful art work.
  • Easier to learn if you're familiar with Adobe PhotoShop or InDesign.
  • General shortcuts should be the same as other parts of the Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Pen tool anchor points don't always move into the exact place, even when all "snap options" are off.
  • Colors don't seem consistent across Adobe Creative Suite even when both files are RGB or CMYK.
AI is well suited for designers and illustrators who need to create scalable art work or assets and don't want to lose resolution. Clean and beautiful work can be created with AI. However the learning curve is not the quickest so it is better suited for those who either already have some knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite or for those who are willing to spend the time and money to learn from a course or on their own.
October 27, 2020

Adobe Illustrator Review

Chris Hecox | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Illustrator almost every day. I am primarily an animator, but many of the project files I am sent are Illustrator files or can be easily manipulated within Illustrator. It allows me to work with files and prepare them for animation, as well as creating new art files when needed.
  • Illustrator has tons of options for creation. I feel confident in saying that if you can dream up any sort of 2d design, it can be recreated within Illustrator.
  • Illustrator can handle .pdf files and other types of image files. I find this helpful when I'm working on a number of different file types, so compatibility isn't usually an issue for me with Illustrator.
  • Illustrator has many tools that are easy to use once you've learned some basic understanding of how they can be used. The software is incredibly complex and offers many ways to accomplish whatever design tasks you are interested in.
  • Illustrator offers pretty good compatibility between itself and other Adobe programs, so I've found that to be a great thing when working within the Adobe Suite.
  • It feels as if Adobe products are all created individually, and as if all of the developers work in different parts of the world. Even though there are great advantages to using these applications in tandem. They don't share keyboard shortcuts, and there are other things that work one way in one program, but work differently in Illustrator.
  • Illustrator is complex and has an incredibly steep learning curve. I've been using it for the last 6 years or so, and I feel I've only scratched the surface. Adobe does an OK job of providing tutorials, but you have to look for them online, and even then, you might find better tutorials on YouTube.
Illustrator is great when you need to design 2d pieces, especially if you are animating or printing.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It's the primary software we use for vector and graphic design. It's being used across the marketing department in support of several retail portfolios including multi-family, office, retail, and events. When it comes to managing the number of projects we have as a team, Illustrator gives us the freedom to create marketing graphics in vector format, making them scalable without pixelation, i.e. if we create an 11x17 sized flyer, we can scale that to 1920x1080 vertical without any pixelation in the end product. This is useful in every area, including digital media, logos, etc.
  • Vector-based graphics.
  • Constant software updates that bring in quicker shortcuts and fixes.
  • Integrate cloud library that allows you to access files from other Adobe products like Photoshop and InDesign.
  • Sometimes bugs are found in new updates. It is cloud-based software, rather than a yearly update of buying new software, they have the ability to push out code and updates at any time.
  • No other weaknesses.
Illustrator is well suited for anything with creative or graphic design. Especially digital media. Where the pace and end product matter, it's important to use software that's integrated and has the capabilities of quicker turnarounds through shortcuts and integrated connections, like Adobe Cloud. Adobe Illustrator is a creative software that would have no use in photography or video. Think digital, "still" media. Illustrator is used mainly for graphics creation and is even usable with web mock-ups.
Chani Loeb | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Adobe Illustrator for school and I used it at my previous job as a Graphic Designer. We would create flyers for events that were taking place around the school. All of the department used the program to create flyers for various projects and saved them in the Z drive. The program makes it easy to edit each other's work when employees save each part of their work in a separate layer.
  • Adobe Illustrator makes it very easy to undo changes that you have made by using the keyboard shortcut ctzl z and redo a change by using ctrl y. While Photoshop has the History feature, sometimes ctrl z is much more useful because you can undo each change that you made quickly and see the differences before deciding to go back another step.
  • Adobe Illustrator makes it very easy to work with vectors. You can download many free vectors & then ungroup them & select the specific pieces that you want to build your own vector based design.
  • Adobe Illustrator makes it very easy to create & edit clipping masks. In the layers you can replace & select the photo specifically to readjust the selection of the photo that you want in the clipping mask.
  • I like that you can easily save and insert a color palette.
  • I find it frustrating that I have to switch to Photoshop in order to cut out a specific part of a photo. Why can't they just include that as a feature in Illustrator?
  • It's difficult to tell sometimes which layer is selected or which layer you have just pasted into. You can figure it out by looking at the layers tab, but when you first go to move something or paste something, it's a bit confusing.
If you are looking to cut out something or change the color of a photo, you need to use Photoshop. If you are looking to easily manipulate vectors and clippings masks, Illustrator is really good at that. Gradients could use a little improvement, but they are pretty effective in Illustrator. It is useful for making flyers, but if you want to create your own object, it's a bit tricky. There are some secret useful features like creating a pattern, which can be really useful. All in all, I like it better than Photoshop and I wish I didn't have to switch to Photoshop to do certain things.
Sam Jacob Dev | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Adobe CC is being used currently by the e-commerce team for creating vector graphics for e-commerce. This is a powerful vector editing platform that has been used by many others in the industry. Specific to our needs, Illustrator CC helps in bringing out the artwork in greater detail for it to implement. The recent installment of CC is faster and powerful and there is a greater jump in the performance of it. When you are into the whole Creative suite you can cross-reference different files from photoshop and edit in detail inside Illustrator and there is great sync between programs.
  • A powerful program and has a vast set of features that are more suitable for vector editing
  • Improved performance and it loads fast compared to the previous generation of CC
  • Ability to Crosslink between Adobe Creative Suite programs.
  • Great to have support to import other format files
  • Great to have more simplified controls and keyboard shortcuts
  • Has potential for usage of UI elements and interaction
If you are an illustrator then this is the go-to tool to convert your artistic portrait into meaningful digital illustrations. It can be used more for print media as well as for digital media. The quality of print from illustrator is greater than one that you would create in Photoshop.
Jon Ackerman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Adobe Illustrator CC is at the core of all of our designs. We often go between different Adobe products but we continually return to Adobe Illustrator as our go-to vector and design program. It's easy to use, well laid out and allows us to maximize our creativity. Adobe has really improved on previous versions of Illustrator and has made the integration seamless to all of the other Adobe creative offerings. All of the creatives on our team use Illustrator for their work. Video, design, print layouts and even our online content, all utilize Illustrator at some level. For the longest time, Illustrator's main focus was just on vector art. Adobe has done some amazing things to improve the uses of Illustrator into other design related area. We have been using Illustrator for print layouts, designs that include photos, website improvement mockups and social media focused content.

It really has become our go-to program that enables maximum creativity, all inside one design program. I find myself using Photoshop less and less and Illustrator and Lightroom more and more!
  • Quick and reliable interface with consistency throughout all Adobe Creative Cloud products.
  • Ability to create shortcuts in both keyboard shortcuts and menu shortcuts.
  • Lightning fast and responsive interface. You can also adjust display preferences for slower machines.
  • The tie in to other Adobe offerings (cloud storage, kuler color swatches, fonts and stock footage) is amazing. It speeds up all of our work!
  • Price and yearly contract. You no longer own the software and get to decide when to purchase the next version. The only option is to pay per year.
  • There isn't a great way to administrate fonts and ensure that Adobe will play nicely with them. This isn't particular to Illustrator, but to all Adobe CC programs.
  • If going between Illustrator and After Effects, there is a very specific way to order your layers in order to have them editable in AE. This is super annoying because they force you to do this in an order that most designers are not used to working.
If you are looking to work quickly and efficiently, or are in need of a tool that allows maximum creativity, then Adobe Illustrator CC is for you. Adobe is now in the phase of development on this product that allows them to continue to get better and better. We are using Illustrator for everything from print layouts in our annual review to our series branding and even a lot of our social media content. It allows a ton of flexibility between other Adobe offerings, which is a huge bonus!
Kristin Smith | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Adobe Illustrator to design everything from signage to web ads, email marketing, and various other graphics. It is mostly used by the 3 graphic designers employed by the company, but some others also use it on occasion. It helps us create scalable graphics that are suitable for print or web, which is really helpful for us as we often use the same design scheme on all platforms. It makes it so we don't have to waste time and energy redesigning things for different uses.
  • Scalable (vector) graphics enable us to use the same design for print and web without worrying about quality loss.
  • Great for logo design, as logos are used in every format and need to be flexible with how they can be displayed.
  • Adobe Illustrator is my go-to program for creating signage, especially large format signage.
  • It is pretty easy to use, especially with keyboard shortcuts.
  • I really enjoy using Abobe Illustrator with the Adobe Creative Cloud functionality. It allows my team to easily send documents to each other so multiple people can edit and look at the document for the best final product.
  • Some keyboard shortcuts are different keys in different Adobe programs for the same function. It would be great if it prompted the same thing in Illustrator as in InDesign and Photoshop.
  • The align and distribute functions sometimes work a little wonky and not as they're supposed to, but you can usually correct it by eye.
  • I wish that Creative Cloud allowed multiple people to work on the same document at the same time, a la Google Docs. It would be helpful for team projects or cases where there are multiple art boards.
  • My team frequently works in InDesign as well. They are similar programs, but things (especially text) frequently don't copy correctly from one program to another. It would be great if there was cross-program functionality and things maintained their bounding boxes and styles.
  • I would love the use of Paragraph and/or Character Styles in Illustrator.
Adobe Illustrator CC is well suited to graphics that need to be used in both web and print, as well as graphics that are frequently displayed at varying sizes. This includes company logos and signage. It is less appropriate for booklet/pamphlet design. For this I would recommend using InDesign instead. Illustrator could make some of the graphics to use in a book but I wouldn't recommend designing the book itself in this program.
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