Saturday, January 31, 2009

Photoshop and Illustrator Tutorials

By David Peters

What are the differences between adobe photoshop and adobe illustrator? Produced by the same company, there are some that say the difference between the two programs is small. In actuality, adobe illustrator takes some key elements of adobe photoshop to the next level and beyond.

Adobe's Photoshop is perhaps one of the most widely recognized and used programs by digital photographers today. This program has plenty of tips and tutorials available making it an easy program to learn and use. Photoshop can transform any image into a polished and professional looking photograph. You can add borders and enhance pictures to a level that no digital camera could capture. With Photoshop you can make almost anything possible to do with a photograph, reality.

Adobe's Illustrator by definition is a completely different program altogether. A vector based program, Illustrator enables you to create your own unique graphics. These graphics can be used in almost any medium, from print, to online, video and even your cell phone. Adobe Illustrator can do what Photoshop cannot do alone.

You can find a vast amount of information online on both programs. Tips and tutorials are in abundance on Photoshop and Illustrator. Check out some of the chat rooms, forums, and discussion groups for new information and ideas. Once you start looking, you will find no end to the information on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Adobe Photoshop cannot compete against the drawing and vector art tools found in Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator offers a huge number of templates to get you started, or you can design your own ideas from scratch using a number of different drawing tools. With Photoshop you can create unique graphics, but they all originate from an existing image and the tools to modify it are limited in comparison to Illustrator. If your drawing needs or small or not too complex, Photoshop should work well, but for the serious graphic designer, Illustrator is the way to go.

Many Photoshop tutorials do not cover Photoshop drawing in great detail, so look for those tutorials specific to drawing for the best information. The same goes for Photoshop tip pages. It is seldom that you will find large amounts of information on drawing and vector art tools. But to make your digital images perfect, Photoshop is the program for you with plenty of information available. With the abundance of info on the subject, you won't be able to stop form touching up every photo you take.

Adobe Illustrator works a bit differently. Photoshop adds a new look to existing images but Illustrator can actually create the new images themselves. Adobe Illustrator can be a great asset to the graphic designer. With its easy to use tools and tutorials available over the Internet, Illustrator is both versatile and indispensable.

By combining a working knowledge of both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, you can manage the creation of brand new images or the enhancing of existing ones. Since the two share some basic functions, by learning one, you are ahead of the game on the other. Stunning graphics and images are possible though one of the two of these programs and since their functions are so different, knowledge of both would make any thing you needed to do achievable. Opt for Photoshop for your digital photography and Illustrator for your image creations or should you have uses for both, choose the programs that best suits your needs.

Both programs are unique in their abilities and will make great additions to your software library. Both the digital photographer and the graphic designer will find a vast number of uses for both programs in creating the best and most professional images. Mastering these programs is easy with all of the tutorials, tips and information readily available online for Photoshop and Illustrator. The more you learn about these Adobe programs and experiment with using them, the more possibilities you will unlock in your own creativity. Have fun! - 16651

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