Tutorials Illustrator

History of Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a vector images design software. The first version of Illustrator was initially a feature exclusive to Mac : released in January 1987, this version 1.0 – code name “Picasso” – was Adobe application’s creation of font characters and handling of PostScript (.psd) files. Illustrator then stimulated the production of wider screens and color compatible Mac computers. 
The superiority of accuracy demonstrated by Bezier curves on solutions similar to MacDraw was quickly brought to its share of Illustrator customers: classified between bitmap drawings (“raster” or “pixelated” images) and CAD, Illustrator posed as an interesting compromise from the investment point of view at the time and customers’ money. 
In March 1987, version 1.1 “Inca” replaced Illustrator 1.0. It was in January 1989 that Adobe installed its vector design software with Illustrator 2.0 for the first time on Windows OS.
From Illustrator 3.0 “Desert Moose”, Adobe decided to break away from Apple’s interface policy and propose the activation of its application’s various tools with keyboard shortcuts, a proposal which received positive feedback from users. 
In 1996, Adobe standardized Illustrator 6.0 to match that of Photoshop, a move that displeased many customers; to compensate for this inconvenience, TrueType fonts are therefore supported, despite the continuous monopoly policies imposed by PostScript vectorization issue. 
It was only towards the end of the 1990s that Illustrator managed to get to the level of competitors in Windows OS and began to create a fan club worthy of its name. After Illustrator CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5, CS6, here comes the Creative Cloud version of Illustrator : Illustrator CC.
 

Illustrator in detail

Referential software in the world of professional graphics software, Adobe Illustrator allows the creation of vector images - called “line mode” and opposed to raster or bitmap images - , i.e. to digital images composed of geometrical objects characterized by various attributes (position, color, shape…). The main quality of the vector image, which makes it more interesting in graphic design than the raster image, is the possibility of unlimited resizing without losing precision, deduced from its “geometric” and “mathematic” nature. This quality is also its biggest flaw, which implies that in order to obtain realistic photo quality, a machine equipped with computing abilities and higher memory is required.
Illustrator relies on the use of Bezier curves drawn thanks to the “feather” tool, i.e. curves drawn from anchor points (for example from every corner of an object) and tangents that modify the curvature. 
Adobe Illustrator is aimed at professionals in the field of image on paper base, but Internet as well. Each new version of the software has brought many improvements and innovations that make Illustrator a very comprehensive tool packed with functional features. Among these, one will notably recognize perspective design, “esthetic outlines”, transparency gradients, colors, painting and vectorization dynamics, clipping masks, graphic styles, Photoshop raster effects, proofing tool for the color blind, isolation mode, style sheets and different automatic kerning and optical alignment modes. 
Illustrator understands and supports the use of a graphics tablet while making sure superior graphic sharpness is provided to the web and mobile devices. Note that the most recent versions of Illustrator allow for complex video illustrations creation. 

Illustrator tutorial and training

Here you will find Illustrator video tutorials to help you learn how to use this vector design software, which can be disruptive in the beginning. We offer you the complete Illustrator training, whose aim is to help you discover the software in its integrity, step by step. You’ll also explore all the menus, tools and features. These courses are delivered by experienced Illustrator instructors. These tutorials and field experience will make you accomplished illustrators and graphic designers.