Photoshop or Illustrator?

[BigSilly]

I've been using Photoshop for a while now, and i just got Illustrator, but have never used it. Is there any benefit of using Illustrator over Photoshop? What is the best use for Illustrator? Just curious if i really need it, or really need to learn it.

[senocular]

Illustrator is more vector based - Like Flash. Photoshop is more raster or bitmap (or pixel) based. There are actually a billion comparisons online you could look up :)

[BigSilly]

So, as a Flash user, would it be better for me to use graphics made from illustrator rather than photoshop?

[senocular]

well... kind of. I personally, as a Flash user, use Flash. I do this because I know Flash's tools well and I know that what I make in Flash will look the way it looks when I made it ... in Flash. With Illustrator -> Flash, you don't always have that. You can be right-on with simple images, but other times it may not be usable. The reason for this is that Flash is built to be small and be suitable for online use. Illustrator is made to have lots of features and capabilities. When those features are converted down to Flash-safe shapes, you don't always get an accurate conversion.

As far as photoshop goes, that will take care of your bitmap images you may wish to use in Flash. If you want you can help yourself with those bitmaps by making them first in Illustrator and tweaking them in Photoshop later, but when it comes down to it, its mostly photoshop work there.

I personally never use Illustrator unless I have to (like if clients give me Illustrator files I will). Otherwise I stick to Flash and Photoshop (and/or Fireworks <- which is kind of like a combo of Illustrator and Photoshop)

[BadMagick]

Did I just hear you compare Fireworks to Photoshop?!

I like Macromedia, but Fireworks is just no comparison to Photoshop. It's similar in design and functionality, but Adobe's head and shoulders above I think.

I'm in the same boat, though. I like to use Photoshop for a bitmap image that I'll have in my flash files, but most of the time I'll use Flash's drawing tools for making my images and all.

Hey, sometimes I even make the bitmap in photoshop and just trace it in Flash turning it into a vector graphic.

It all depends on your personal liking really. It's like a pair of shoes I'd say - some are better for different people.

You, BigSilly, I think need to try on some shoes and walk around for a little bit. Get a feel for which one fits your foot right.

[Digigamer]

no badMagick he did not compare fireworks to photoshop he simply said that fireworks is like the median between photoshop and illistrator.

[Kitiara]

Basically, I would say that it all depends on what you are trying to produce as to what program is better.

If you want all kinds of fancy filters and that, then use Photoshop. If you want crisper, vector based artwork, use Illustrator.

I've found that Illustrator transfers into Flash easier because they're both vector.

But as Sen has said, you can also draw in Flash and produce very good results. Though here you won't have any filters on that. :)

[Jasninder]

i usually draw my stuff on flash and love photoshop.
A mix is always good u know, toomuch vector or raster not really works for me.

[asphaltcowboy]

Originally posted by BadMagick
Did I just hear you compare Fireworks to Photoshop?!

I like Macromedia, but Fireworks is just no comparison to Photoshop. It's similar in design and functionality, but Adobe's head and shoulders above I think.lol? fireworks and photoshop arent even the same type of application. if you're gonna do any comparing, at least do it with another vector-based program (i.e. illustrator). you can't compare photoshop and illustrator because they do completely different things. as for illustrator and fireworks, I just happen to prefer fireworks.

:sure:

[senocular]

fireworks and photoshop are close. Fireworks is one of Photoshops closest competitors. Its just that Fireworks is more web-based. Photoshop has applications beyond Fireworks grasps (mainly print). But at the same time Fireworks beats out Photoshop in many areas, most particularly, vector. Fireworks has a great combination of a raster AND vector tools which makes it, like I said, kind of a cross between photoshop (raster) and illustrator (vector). Granted, it cant beat out any one of those adobe apps on their own. Put PS and ILL together and you got one mean Fireworks competitor, but Fireworks still has features that neither PS nor ILL has that puts it "over the top" so to speak, in certain areas of development. It's not your solve-all solution, but for the most part you can get by the whole day with just Fireworks alone and not have to touch Photoshop, Illustrator or ImageReady - this especially for web work.