A versatile vector creation program with more options than you'll ever need.
Updated June 17, 2021
A versatile vector creation program with more options than you'll ever need.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Adobe Illustrator CC
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.
- Vector Creation. Adobe illustrator is our go-to program for icons and vector illustrations because it has so many tools and features to give you the perfect illustration you're looking for.
- Data and graph creation. The graphs that we use in our brand require a lot of thought and diversity which other programs do not offer.
- PDF Editing. There are times we are tasked with editing another department's files, but they no longer have the native files. [They] do, however, often have the final PDF file, which Illustrator has the ability to edit as if it were a native file. This feature alone has saved us hours and days of extra work.
- Streamlined our process. It would make our design lives so much more clunky and frustrating if we didn't have all the tools and abilities that Adobe Illustrator CC offers.
- Time-saving. As said earlier, the ability to edit PDF files has saved us hours upon hours of time, as we otherwise would have had to create such files from scratch.
- Limitless Design Possibilities. Often we come up with some interesting and hard-to describe ideas for designs, which can be implemented with all of the options and tools available in Adobe Illustrator. It gives us the freedom to design whatever we think of.
- Adobe InDesign, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Animate (formerly Flash), Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Powerpoint, Corel Painter and PaintTool SAI
Adobe Illustrator CC has so much more options and tools to create the perfect vector graphics when compared to other programs. Illustrator is often the program that I use to create graphics, and then insert those files directly into the other programs listed. The other programs may have the ability to create vector graphics or what looks like vector[s], but at the end of the day, Illustrator is the end-all be-all vector creation program.
Do you think Adobe Illustrator CC delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Adobe Illustrator CC's feature set?
Yes
Did Adobe Illustrator CC live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Adobe Illustrator CC go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Adobe Illustrator CC again?
Yes