Introduction
Illustrator is a vector-based graphics application produced by Adobe and is currently offered as a downloadable software under their program library, Creative Cloud. Illustrator is great for digital illustration and graphic design projects.
Background
First released in 1987 for Macs, Illustrator was developed for font design. Since its beginnings in typography, it has blossomed into the industry-standard software for design and digital illustration it is today.
A big feature of this application is the fact that it is vector-based. This means that the graphics created with this software are composed of mathematically calculated geometries, such as points, lines, curves, and shapes. This allows you to scale your graphic without compromising resolution, causing it to appear blurry. This is opposed to raster-based graphics which are created using colorized pixels, a less precise method of digital design. When scaling vector graphics, you may find noticeable pixelation.
Process
Similar to other applications in the Adobe Creative Cloud, the first step to begin using Illustrator starts with learning the interface. Becoming familiar with the available tools and the overall structure of the program will help you get on your way to creating amazing content and projects. To help you on your journey, Adobe provides comprehensive guides and tutorials to target the skills you need to begin.
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, below is a curated list of tutorials we chose to help you get your feet on the ground:
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Learn Adobe Illustrator’s basic tools and techniques with the Get Started series. Get familiar with the workspace and how to create and save your work. |
🕒 17 min |
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Learn the basics of creating and editing shapes in Adobe Illustrator, including how to draw, combine, and trace shapes. |
🕒 17 min |
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Learn the basics of sharing in Adobe Illustrator, including sharing files, saving as PDF, and exporting images. |
🕒 11 min |
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Draw smooth, refined curves and straight lines in Adobe Illustrator. |
🕒 5 min |
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Draw shapes or trace a hand-drawn sketch. Add eye-catching text and colors to create designs for any project. |
🕒 5 min |
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Create polished layouts in Adobe Illustrator by aligning graphics and text to customizable ruler guides. |
🕒 5 min |
Brand information
As professional, industry-standard editing software, there are different plans that users can choose from in order to start editing their own pages. For Adobe products, users can choose a monthly subscription for a single software package, or they can choose a monthly subscription to their Creative Cloud, which includes all of the Adobe products.
Below are the pricing plans available as of January 1, 2022:
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Single App (Individual) |
Get your choice of one Adobe app such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, or Acrobat Pro DC. |
US$20.99/mo* *the rate of select applications can vary, such as Acrobat Pro (US$14.99/mo) or Lightroom (US$9.99/mo) |
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Creative Cloud All Apps (Individual) |
Get 20+ desktop and mobile apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro DC. |
US$52.99/mo |
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Single App (Team Subscription*) *The team license exists for businesses, studios, and other organizations. This license is meant for teams where there is a division of roles. With the team subscription, an admin can choose which individuals have access to which applications. More information on this here. |
Get your choice of one Adobe app such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, or Acrobat Pro DC. |
US$33.99/mo per license* *the rate of select applications vary, such as Acrobat Pro (US$16.99/mo) or Adobe XD (US$22.99/mo) |
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Creative Cloud All Apps (Team Subscription*) *The team license exists for businesses, studios, and other organizations. This license is meant for teams where there is a division of roles. With the team subscription, an admin can choose which individuals have access to which applications. |
Get 20+ desktop and mobile apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro DC. |
US$79.99/mo per license |
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Creative Cloud All Apps (Students & Educators) |
Get 20+ desktop and mobile apps including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and Acrobat Pro DC. |
US$19.99/mo* * This rate is only for the first year of service. After the first year, the rate rises to US$29.99/mo |
Adobe has several different discounts available for both teachers and students. ASU students can request complete access to the entire application library, free of charge here.
References
1 Industry-leading vector graphics software | Adobe Illustrator . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html?sdid=KKQML
2 The Story Behind Adobe Illustrator (Part 1 of 3) | Adobe Creative Cloud . (2014, May 14). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gaCKT_Ncdk
3 Vector art: What is vector art? | Adobe . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/illustration/discover/vector-art.html
4 Illustrator tutorials . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html
5 Adobe Creative Cloud Plans, Pricing, and Membership . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html
6 Licensing overview . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/using/licensing.html
7 Adobe Creative Cloud for students and teachers | Adobe Creative Cloud . (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html
8 Adobe Creative Cloud | University Technology Office . (n.d.). Arizona State University. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://uto.asu.edu/adobe-creative-cloud