Question for Photoshop people

[gameFACE]

I have an opportunity to take some Photoshop continuing education classes. One of the classes available is Adobe Illustrator. Actually the class is called "Illustrator Using Adobe CS". What's the difference between Illustrator and the regular Photoshop? It seems like Illustrator is drawing from scratch and Photoshop uses existing images. Is that about right? Thanks!

[fraga]

Illustrator is used for making vector graphics while Photoshop is mainly used as an image editor...they can however import either...usually just depends on what you need it for...

[Slomo]

Illustrator is a vector graphic software. Photoshop is a pixel manipulation software. You can use one or both to achieve whatever you want to. What you are trying to achieve usually determines what software you use.

ie creating logos would be something done in Illustrator while manipulating photos is the domain of photoshop.

It's difficult to explain shortly. I suggest you attend basic classes for one and the other and you'll be able to decide which one you want to know/use more.

[gameFACE]

I've always drawn by hand. Is that more like Illustrator?

[Slomo]

Haha tough one!

My first reaction was no - it's more Photoshop. If you are using a good sized graphic tablet it's amazing what some people can draw and it has a really complex set of tools to assist free hand drawing, sketching and designing.

But after a few seconds I realized that Illustrator also allows you to do certain things in free hand drawing - and it actually convets it to vector which might be quite useful for editing later. So it's not reall one or the other although for freehand I'll still say Photoshop first.

[gameFACE]

Slomo, you’ve pretty much verified what a couple of people here at work have said - that it’s a back and forth process. But, yeah I’ll start with the Photoshop basic class then try a couple of others including Illustrator. Thanks for your input!

I don’t think my stuff will be as good as yours anytime soon! :lol The best I can do right now is drawing an afro in Duncan’s head. :fro

[Slomo]

Slomo, you’ve pretty much verified what a couple of people here at work have said - that it’s a back and forth process. But, yeah I’ll start with the Photoshop basic class then try a couple of others including Illustrator. Thanks for your input!

I don’t think my stuff will be as good as yours anytime soon! :lol The best I can do right now is drawing an afro in Duncan’s head. :froHey it's a start :tu


These questions are difficult to answer since in all honestly I use quite a few programs to get what I want - because there isn't one that can do it all. While the three main programs I use are Photoshop, Corel Draw and 3D StudioMAX - I use a lot of others for bits and pieces. I know the three major ones quite well and only the few functions I use in the others.


P.S. Corel Draw, Illustrator and FreeHand are very similar so the reason why Corel Draw is more historical than anything else.