Adobe Illustrator

Software Overview

Adobe Illustrator is an industry-standard drawing application used to create and edit vector graphics, such as logos, icons, web and mobile layouts, illustrations, and signage. It offers a flexible workspace with a customizable drawing canvas, a wide range of design tools, and support for numerous graphic formats to meet both digital and print needs.

Unlike Adobe Photoshop, which uses pixel-based (raster) images, Illustrator relies on paths to define shapes and lines. This vector-based approach allows users to resize and modify graphics without losing clarity or image quality. Illustrator supports various file types, including its native .AI format as well as .SVG, .PDF, .EPS, .PSD, .JPEG, .PNG, .DWG, and .DXF, making it compatible with many other design tools and workflows.

The Illustrator interface centers around artboards—editable canvases where you compose and organize your work. These artboards are surrounded by toolbars and panels you can move, hide, or show to create a personalized layout. Illustrator also supports working with multiple artboards at once, which is ideal for multi-page documents, branding kits, and responsive layouts.

Illustrator offers powerful features to streamline and enhance your design work, including precise shape and pen tools, advanced typography controls, and seamless integration with Adobe Fonts. A standout recent addition is Generative Shape Fill, powered by Adobe Firefly, which lets you fill shapes with detailed, stylized content based on your creative prompts.

Summary

If you are a creative professional who works with vector graphics, Illustrator remains one of the most powerful tools available. It provides a versatile workspace with customizable tools and format support for digital and print design projects. Also, its precision, versatility, and tight integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps make Adobe Illustrator a top choice for producing polished, high-quality artwork at any scale.

Primary File Type

.AIAdobe Illustrator Artwork

Supported File Types

Additional Related File Types