It’s true. I use Adobe Illustrator for 99.9% of everything “visual” for my blog and business. I really feel like Illustrator is the blogging world’s most highly underused asset. I can’t even count the number of bloggers/VAs/entrepreneurs I’ve interacted with that utilize Photoshop instead of Illustrator for their visual content needs. Which seems so weird to me because even as a photographer/graphic designer, I rarely use Photoshop. I feel the need to spread some Illustrator love and be it’s biggest and loudest cheerleader!
First, let’s talk about cost. Illustrator and Photoshop are exactly the same price. If you download a single Adobe App it’s $19.99. Or you can download the entire Adobe Creative Suite (recommended) for $49/month but they always do a black Friday sale and you can sign up for $39/month! Anyway, the time and energy you will save is so truly worth the $19.99 single app download cost. It is the ONLY design tool you will need, so go ahead and scrap anything else you are using and/or paying for because you won't need anything else.
You can get a free 30 day trial of all the Adobe CC apps HERE. I feel like many people think that Illustrator is really only used for logo design, drawing and creating line art. Which is such a load of crap. Here is a list of things that I currently use Illustrator for in regards to my blog and online business (not for my design clients):
And when you add in the services I provide for my freelance clients that list would probably triple. Needless to say, I use Illustrator all day, everyday. Not because I’m more comfortable in it or more familiar with it, it’s just a better tool for everything I need. Could you also create those 9 things in Photoshop? Yes, yes you could, but that doesn’t mean you should :) Illustrator benefit #1: Illustrator is a vector based program. It uses intersecting points and lines instead of pixels. You know what that means? It means you never have to worry about your artwork looking blurry or pixelated (is that even a word?!). Anything you create in Illustrator is able to be scaled to any size. From icon to billboard, your design will print/view beautifully. If you use a photograph in your layout the resolution standards still apply (100% to size at 72ppi for screen) but anything vector (fonts, drawings, lines) will never lose their quality and can be scaled to any size. That alone helps me sleep better every… single… night! I sure do hate low res... pixelated images. Illustrator benefit #2: When you’re working with multiple elements in Photoshop, each element has to be on it’s own layer, and let’s face it, once you start getting more than 3-4 layers, it gets cumbersome to move your elements around. When you have multiple elements in Illustrator, you can simply select each individual element and move them around. No need to worry about layers and toggling back and forth. You CAN use layers in Illustrator, and some people use them but I prefer having everything on the same layer because it’s far less confusing. Illustrator benefit #3: Did you know that you can have multiple art boards within a single Illustrator document? I remember doing the happy dance at my desk when I read about that little nugget of goodness. For example, if I’m creating a two-sided business card, I don’t have to create a side 1 and a side 2 document. I can have both front and back layouts in the same document (shown below). This also works really well for any set of images that you want to have a branded cohesive look. Hint hint… social media content, silly! The layout below shows 3 months of social media content I created for one of my clients. It’s 67 separate art boards all within one template file. All I have to do is hit one button to export all 67 to a designated folder, saved as PNGs and ready for me to post. You can learn more about that process HERE. It’s definitely a time saver!!
Are you starting to get excited?! But wait... there's MORE!
Illustrator benefit #4: I want to expand on the export feature that I mentioned above. I think this is one of the main reasons people think that Illustrator is junk. Vector files have no use in the digital screen world. You can’t upload an Illustrator (.ai) file to your website, to social media or anything to do with the online world. You need a PNG or a .jpg, am I right? Yes, I’m right.Illustrator doesn’t produce PNGs and JPEGs because it’s a vector based program, right? WRONG. Like, 100% wrong… myth busted… pigs are flying… wait… WHAT?! Ha. Let me explain. Did you know that you can use the export command and export anything that you have created in Illustrator to the following formats?
And if you click the box next to the word “art boards” it will export your individual art boards (if you have multiple) as individual final images! This is hands down one of the most overlooked features inside Illustrator. Such a time saver! I don’t have to “save as” 15 times if I have created 15 blog images! Again, if you want to see the export feature in action, you’ll want to sign up and download the rockstar tutorial.
Illustrator benefit #5: Working with and formatting text inside Illustrator is by FAR easier than Photoshop. Again, you don’t have to have every piece of text on a separate layer so it’s easier to move it around and try different placements. You can outline your fonts and edit the individual letters with a word if you want to.
Illustrator benefit #6:
Has anyone ever tried creating a single line in Photoshop? Was it easy? I’m going to bet that you got frustrated quickly with that one, ha. Seriously, I’ve been a graphic designer for 15+ years and it still amazes me how much time it takes me to create a simple straight line in Photoshop. In Illustrator it takes me about 1 second. In Photoshop? It could take anywhere from 2-5 minutes and then don’t even think about moving it or making it thicker or thinner because THAT will take even more time. In conclusion, I hope I have either inspired you to try your next project in Illustrator or at the very least watch a few tutorials and learn more about the power and time saving features that Illustrator contains. It is my goal to convert all Photoshop designers into Illustrator designers!! Don’t get me wrong, I do use Photoshop for certain things like website mock-ups and some sophisticated photo editing but as far as business owners, entrepreneurs and bloggers go, if you are not utilizing Illustrator for your day to day graphics than you are really missing out. Is there something you do in Photoshop that you're not sure you can do in Illustrator? Just ask! If I don't know the answer than I'll find out and get back to you :)
14 Comments
David S. Rea
4/14/2017 06:11:19 pm
WOW!
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Omg, I just want to hug you right now. I literally just did a mini tutorial to show some friends how to batch export in Photoshop and it was like this huge thing.
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Erin Gipford
6/12/2017 08:36:54 am
LOL! Stephanie, you crack me up. I'm glad I could help. Like I said, I barely use Photoshop at all anymore. It's clunky and cumbersome for "designing". Still use it to clone things in photos though.
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Haha, thank you! I actually just stumbled on it a bit after I asked... go figure, right? I still have yet to dive into it but I'm hoping I'll have more time to poke around soon. I've got like 6 versions to catch up on LOL.
Michelle
4/20/2018 07:29:27 pm
I am in the process of setting up my blog (decor/lifestyle) with no prior understanding of all the technical stuff. Huge learning curve going on here! Do I need to have Photoshop, as well as Illustrator, so I can edit my photos? Thank you!
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Erin
4/21/2018 04:25:40 am
Hi Michelle! The only thing you won't be able to do with your photos in Illustrator is color adjust them. You can crop them, you can resize them for your blog, you can add text and a ton of other things but you won't be able to color adjust so it just depends. If you are using stock photos which are already perfectly color adjusted then you'll be fine with just Illustrator. Hope that helps! And good luck!!
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4/28/2018 01:43:29 am
Well described post. Thanks for sharing this useful information. As always awesome content, I love reading your articles, much appreciated!
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RICHARD J HINES
10/14/2020 10:15:30 pm
Do you use Illustrator for everything including layout design (Indesign)? What about XD documents, can you create those in Illustrator? I haven't used XD yet but I bought a year of Adobe CC. Do you use anything other than Illustrator for any other reasons?
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1/22/2021 10:18:14 am
It's cool that you elaborate on how using Adobe Illustrator is great for people who are involved in the visual arts. I want to get better at my art this year, so I'm considering buying a tutorial to teach me how to use Adobe Illustrator. I'm going to search for a reputable business that can sell me an Adobe Illustrator tutorial.
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1/22/2021 10:20:25 am
Wow, I never knew that working with Illustrator, your work won't lose its quality. I enjoy creating digital cards for friends and family, and I'm thinking about joining a training program to improve my less-than-none skills. I think it's a fun way to personalize gifts and to let stress out. I'm grateful for your advice about the benefits of learning to use this program. I'll be sure to get into it!
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1/14/2022 04:19:14 am
Very much appreciated. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!
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3/16/2022 08:28:09 am
I very much appreciate it. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!
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Erin GipfordI am destined to help people save time and work smarter by using the best design software on the market, Adobe Creative Cloud. I have over 21 years as a professional graphic designer. I'm excited to share my wealth of knowledge! Categories
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