Switching From Photoshop to Illustrator
Adjusting to new software always seems intimidating, especially when it is packed with so many features, as Adobe products are known to be. Well-designed programs like Photoshop and Illustrator are flexible enough to accommodate a vast variety of users and their preferences. With this being said, Adobe products are built similarly to one another, so if you become a power user in one, then you can quickly pick up on how to use others.
Illustrator and Photoshop are two Adobe products whose layout and setup are similar, but each program has their own distinct differences. If you are thinking about adding Illustrator to your software capabilities, there are several things that you should know to make transitioning from Photoshop to Illustrator quick and easy.
Similarities Between Illustrator and Photoshop
The best way to transition from Photoshop to Illustrator is to find functions that they both have in common, even if they’re named differently. This isn’t necessarily easy when you are completely new to a program, but with a guide, you can pick up on the differences quickly. Sometimes it is just a matter of learning the terms that are native to that program. Sometimes these terms are developed by veteran users of the program over several years, and they end up sticking.
The basic layout of Photoshop and Illustrator are very similar. You have the canvas in Photoshop, where you do most of your work. In Illustrator, this area is called an artboard, and you can have multiple artboards in one document. In Illustrator, this is handy if you are creating basic storyboards. It also makes it convenient when creating PDFs, because it will save each artboard to its own page. In Photoshop, to change the document size, you change the canvas size, but in Illustrator, you select the Artboard Tool and resize the handles like you would any other resizable box throughout various Adobe programs.
