It might be difficult to decide between Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. It could be challenging to comprehend the distinctions between the two, particularly if you are a designer who is new to the field.
Both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are image-based programs, although they function significantly differently. The key distinction is that Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics programme, whereas Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics programme. While Illustrator is for clean, graphical illustrations, Photoshop is best for photo-based illustrations.
The sorts of files each application supports and whether you’re modifying graphics or images are the two key ways that Photoshop and Illustrator differ from one another.
What are Illustrator And Photoshop?
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are both graphic design and editing applications which are available for use on MacOS as well as Windows. They are both softwares from Adobe Creative Cloud often used by digital artists, graphic designers, photographers, etc. Though they have similar features, they are used for distinct purposes.
About Photoshop
Photoshop is the most well-known programme in the world for improving, producing, and editing photos and graphics.
Photoshop has been the industry standard image manipulation program for so long that its name has become a term. Saying that a picture has been “photoshopped,” or even just “shopped,” means that it has been modified or changed, is frequent use.
About Illustrator
Illustrator is a program for graphic designers and artists. It was launched by Adobe a year after Photoshop. Just like photoshop, Illustrator is an industry-standard vector graphics app that lets you create logos, icons, drawings, typography, and complex illustrations for any medium.
It is most used for freehand drawing, logo creation, custom font creation, and infographic creation.
Differences Between The Features Of Adobe Illustrator And Photoshop
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two softwares.
Interface
For interface, both applications are similar at a glance as both are from Adobe. There are many similarities and there isn’t much of a difference because the entire suite uses the same UI/UX design.
Photoshop is the world’s most famous software used for photo editing, graphic designing, enhancing, and creating images, with several inbuilt features. The fundamental features are clear and are structured in a simple layout.
Illustrator is enhanced with powerful drawing features and tools that effectively increase convenience and help illustrators save a lot of time.
Since its initial 1987 release, Illustrator has undergone numerous updates to improve its user interface and features. The latest version of the application available is version 26.5 for PC, and 2.1 for iPad.
Organizing elements in Photoshop is much easier; it has a layers option that helps to do so, compared to Illustrator where things can get a little confusing to manage.
Web developers, visual designers, and professional illustrators frequently utilize Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop of the Adobe Creative Cloud, to design graphics for high-quality artwork, editing, and enhancement.
However, while both programmes deal with images, they differ from one another in various ways, including in the type of graphics they may deal with.
Graphics
Adobe Photoshop is raster-based editing software, meaning it uses pixels (millions of tiny squares of different colors) to create an image. While Illustrator is a vector-based editing program, which means each vector in Adobe Illustrator is actually two linked dots joined by a computer algorithm rather than a line made of pixels.
A vector object is made up of all of these lines, each of which is also referred to as a vector route. It makes no difference how much you zoom in on the same image in Adobe Illustrator.
The object-based editing programme Illustrator is used. Consequently, you have a group of things, each with a unique set of characteristics. When using Illustrator, selecting an item and applying an effect to it affects the entire object.
Instead of selecting the entire item in Photoshop, you may choose a few individual pixels. One of the key and essential distinctions between the two applications is this.
Photoshop works best when you need to edit an image in its raw form and the end result is in a fixed size. Its raster graphics enables extremely precise editing as the user can work on their project file pixel by pixel.
It also tends to lend the user to have more detailed coloring and shading within their projects. As such, it is a more practical option for single image editing, composite images, and printed pamphlets.
When you enlarge a picture in Adobe Photoshop, especially if you focus on the borders of the image, you can see several individual pixels. This distinction makes illustrator a better option for creating logos, and images for printing, as it does not cause the image to be pixelated when it is zoomed in.
It is the perfect program to use to create graphics that will be printed onto huge banners or posters.
The features of both programs offer very different results and resources to the users.
Features
Illustrator is primarily and frequently used for the production of images, with Photoshop being the tool of choice for picture modification. Additionally, you cannot automate page numbers in Illustrator.
Both software allows the users to use the feature of layers. This feature allows the user to work on a single aspect of the image or design without altering the rest of the image or design, as well as the ability to revisit or add filters to one layer without affecting the entire project.
The Pen tool in both Photoshop and Illustrator allows for drawing, but Photoshop’s pen tool is more capable than Illustrator’s since it has more choices, such as the ability to design bespoke pathways and forms.
Another tool offered by both software is the Brush tool. This tool is very customizable and users can download custom brush templates from the internet as well as make their own.
An additional feature they have in common is the eyedrop tool that lets the user select colors from any selected image. It is convenient in sampling any specific color that you want in your design.
Grids are also another feature common to both programmes. Anchor points can be made within the grid and user can then make precise alignments of shapes and lines with ease.
Since there are just a few filters and image editing tools accessible in Illustrator, it is difficult to easily change already-made graphics. The editing features of Photoshop allow you to crop, adjust lighting and coloring, mask blemishes, add or remove backgrounds, and much more.
Photoshop can also always be used to alter previously changed images again. Adobe Illustrator, however, definitely lacks this option. It is not possible to change an Illustrator-created image, such as a logo or icon once it has been saved as a regular image. It is because, once an image is saved, it develops pixels that don’t work in Illustrator, but that image can be edited in Photoshop.
Price
Individually, both software cost around 21 dollars per month but vary if the respective software is bought in different packages. Both potentially cost the same in individual subscriptions.
The packages offered by adobe which include both these programmes range from 20 dollars to 55 dollars for personal and or individual use purposes.
Adobe also offers a free Creative Cloud membership, however, neither of these software are included in that particular plan.
Free Options
Some alternate free options for Photoshop and Illustrator exist if one doesn’t wish to pay for the software.For Photoshop, the other programmes which can be used include GIMP, Pixlr, RawTherapee, and Luminar.
Inkscape, Gravit, and DesignEvo are some free alternative to Illustrator.
Designs
You can technically design web graphics in either Illustrator or Photoshop. Web visuals so become more of a personal preference decision, rather than a program capabilities decision.
Illustrator is everyone’s go-to for logo design. Designing a logo with Illustrator is a fool-proof technique to avoid any pixelation or any other size-related concerns down the line. Once your logo is created in Illustrator, you can still save it as a raster file (JPEG or PNG) for web use, while still having the original version to use for print, editing, and resizing. It’s the best in both aspects.
Another appeal of Photoshop is that it gives complete control over a particular project. as a pixelated model, you can edit your graphic pixel by pixel if you wish so.
When To Use Illustrator And Photoshop
Photoshop is ideal for altering both raw photographs and ordinary images. The projects made in Adobe Photoshop maintain a set size.
There are several options for picture-altering tools and provides complete autonomy over your projects (you can edit your graphic pixel-by-pixel) It is excellent for incorporating special effects, especially due to the minute detailing and editing possible in this programme.
While no matter the size of the display, a vector graphic never loses quality as it is independent of resolution.
It is ideal for sketching and making logos and excellent for producing simple vector artwork and graphical drawings
When Not To Use Illustrator And Photoshop
Illustrator is not the best tool for producing multi-page documents and doing so would have certain difficulties. There is no method to create master pages in Illustrator.
When creating documents using templates, you must utilize this tool. Additionally, you cannot automatically generate page numbers in Illustrator.
When making logos, Photoshop is a bad application to use since it will just waste your time and money. An Illustrator-based logo may be expanded and altered in ways that a Photoshop-created logo cannot. At vector-based rendering, the type will print most clearly. Since logos are often needed to be placed in different sizes, it is a preferred choice to use illustrator for them.
Comparing The Functions Of Illustrator and Photoshop
Photoshop majorly works by manipulating overling and improving images with different tools and audio elements. At the same time, Illustrator is the go-to software for creating images from scratch which is very useful for designers, artists, and cartoonists.
The differences between Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are best grasped by experimenting with both tools while working on your tasks. With Photoshop’s foundation in pixels and Illustrator’s foundation in vectors, you’ll find them beneficial in a variety of fields of work.
Both tools have versatile applications and can be used for many different projects. Both applications are advanced and intricate software programs that provide a wide range of tools and features needed for various tasks and uses. One is best for creating images and the other for editing them.
| Element | Photoshop | Illustrator |
| Graphic type | Raster Graphics | Vector Graphics |
| Free trial | Available | Available |
| 3D graphics | Cannot be used for 3D graphics | Can be used for 3D graphics |
| Primary Purpose | To edit images or raw photos | To create images and designs from scratch |
| Resolution | Quality lost when zoomed in | Quality remains the same when zoomed in |
| Smooth edges | No | Yes |
| Suitable for | Editing and enhancing images | Creating logos, characters, and art |
| Price | 21 dollars per month | 21 dollars per month |
Conclusion
Both Illustrator and Photoshop are user-friendly applications that are easy to maneuver once you become comfortable with their features. Once you have a firm grasp of both applications, using them and their tool becomes easier and easier for you.
Ultimately, the decision is based on the type of artwork you want to produce. The output graphic format of each program is the primary distinction between Photoshop and Illustrator.
