Good old Adobe Illustrator. I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator before I learned how to use Photoshop. Way back in the day, when I first started, I was only interested in logos and illustration. Those days are long gone, but my love for Adobe Illustrator hasn’t faded. Along with Photoshop CC updates, Adobe Illustrator has seen a few updates, too. I wouldn’t count these as being a full version upgrade, but Adobe has tweaked and refined a few features to make things easier and more intuitive to use. Let’s take a look at the Adobe Illustrator CC New Features, and what you have to look forward to.
My Top Favorite New Feature of Illustrator CC: Export Assets
I am so glad to see this feature available. What I have been doing in the past is running different custom scripts I have compiled online to get the job done. They are scripts you run inside of Adobe Illustrator. However, you can do it so much easier with the new built in feature. You can export multiple icons or graphics as individual files. You can also export them in multiple file types and resolutions.
This is excellent for website and App development, or if you create your own icon for sale or self-promotion. You can add your icons to the Asset Export Panel, where you can choose the scale and the file format. You can add as many as you need, including SVG and PNG files. This makes life so much easier, and it is something I have been wanting for a long time now. Later this week, I’ll have an in-depth tutorial on this feature.
You can also export entire artboards, even in PDF format, so you can show your clients your concepts. You can drop the PDF in an email and have it to them for review in a flash.
Live Shapes
Adobe said on their website that they received a lot of feedback on their Live Shapes feature. They have streamlined and adjusted the way some objects work, making them less clunky. You can now toggle bounding boxes on and off easily, making it easier to work with objects more specifically and precisely.
Creative Cloud Libraries
I’m not crazy about this feature, mainly because I work solo and I have a big stock photo subscription that I find to be much better, Adobe is still working on ways to enhance your workflow capabilities with Adobe Stock. You can now make in-app purchases. Woohoo! Way to go Adobe! Just kidding, you already get enough money from me annually, thank you.
New Start and Recent Files Dialog Box
Now when you work in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, there is a new welcome box that pops up. It lists all of your recent files, and it also offers the ability to open or create a new document. I’ll likely be turning this off, because it is annoying for it to pop up as I am working from document to document. I can open and find my own documents.
Conclusion: Adobe Illustrator CC New Features
Overall, the updates to Adobe Illustrator are fairly minimal. The export options are exciting, because they are awesome, practical time savers. However, I am not impressed with the overall level or rate in which Adobe is rolling out new features. With all of the revenue they are generating from their monthly fees, R&D ought to be cranking out ground breaking features and updates every six months at the very least. What do you think? Please visit our Facebook page and chime in with your thoughts on the latest Adobe Illustrator updates.