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[tetrahedron]

a lot of you guys seem to have some experience w/ one or both of these.  i have both in version CS and i was wondering: in what scenario is it better to use photoshop/illustrator?  i've found that i like illustrator for sketching (if you don't like a line you can just delete it b/c each path is its own object), but i also haven't messed w/ photoshop too much.  it seems like backgrounds and shading/colouring would be easier to do in photoshop, but i don't know.  i want to invest my time well.

opinions, please?

[Lines]

illustrator is good for the reasons you said and photoshop is great for manupulating. basically, i've only ever used illustrator for vector based art. considering i like making blends or manips, i usually use photoshop.

[Unosuke]

so say I had a tablet, I'd want to use it in Illustrator?

[Kai]

Probably.



I don't consider the programs comparable. They work in two completely different ways (Pixels Vs. Objects) and both have different uses. Illustrator for creating, Photoshop for editing and cleanups.


They're both really useful.

[Shishio]

http://www.nw-media.com/ps_intro/html/lesson_1/lesson1_pg3.html

[shatteredshards]

I would say if you have Photoshop CS, look into CS2 or see if you can downgrade to 7. A lot of things were added to CS that slow it down and make it a virtual boat anchor, and they were either cleared up in CS2 or never a problem in 7 in the first place.

I have Photoshop 7 and CS, and definately prefer 7 (I keep CS around so I can convert brushes, because I am a HUGE brush fan).

Comparing Photoshop and Illustrator, they really are two different things. Illustrator is great for vector stuff, but Photoshop is wonderful for manips and raster. I love Photoshop, but I tried poking around in Illustrator and got a little confuzzled. Consequently I ended up poking around Freehand for comparison, and I might end up trying to learn that instead.

[Duchess Tapioca]

I use to use Illustrator for lines and photoshop for color, but it was only because I was too lazy to close the paths for complicated objects. It is way too much trouble to switch back and fourth. Illustrator is really awesome because once you learn how to use it, you can trace something you drew on paper with a tablet and have it set to not correct at all and it will turn out just how you drew it except on the computer.

Photoshop is good if you are drawing something that needs to have shapes that aren't connected, you want to use fancy brushes, you want things that aren't just clean blocks of solid color, and you don't need to resize anything a bunch.

My preferred computer style just has consistant line thickness or minimal variation brushes and I never know where I want to put stuff, so it is illustrator for me. (Also it is easier for a teeny tiny tablet or a mouse)

Just don't do part of it in photoshop and part in illustrator, because the color pallets are EVER SO SLIGHTLY DIFFERNT. So it's a bitch. Text is 100% better in illustrator though, so that is the one no contest point.

[ElRodente]

i like(d) to do lines in illustrator and then switch over and paint in photoshop

and whoever said photoshop was worse for creating is an ass photoshop is excellent for most things except vector lines (shapes it is ok with, but can only really stick with bezier curves)



that said i don't have illustrator anymore

[Roots]

Probably.



I don't consider the programs comparable. They work in two completely different ways (Pixels Vs. Objects) and both have different uses. Illustrator for creating, Photoshop for editing and cleanups.


They're both really useful.

Not to be a noob dork, but its vectors vs. pixels :p Illustrator is meant to do clean lines that can be scaled like nuts and not do anything to weird because they are made up from complex math equations. Photoshop is pixels, much like ms-paint but what it has on ms-paint [which is a very powerful tool in the right hands] is it makes for easier pixel mod’s and well photo clean up and alike.

 I tend to look at the task at hand, say a logo for some big-wig who is paying me big bucks. Illustrator, hands down, because the fact I can change the size like mad, and I can easily switch it to any media, be that web, print, ect. Say I want to paint, like make some really neat but I don't want to deal with all the BS illustrator has for formatting, Photoshop is the tool for that job. Also it’s good for web graphics and doing neat grunge art with brushes. If I am in the mood to do system icons or something really small scale for pc usage, I will open up ms paint, you can do a hell of a lot with it.

Examples
Illustrator, with Photoshop for color:http://www.accesswave.ca/~jrichards/axl2.jpg
Photoshop: http://www.accesswave.ca/~jrichards/theking2.jpg

[Drakkarn]

Probably.



I don't consider the programs comparable. They work in two completely different ways (Pixels Vs. Objects) and both have different uses. Illustrator for creating, Photoshop for editing and cleanups.


They're both really useful.

Not to be a noob dork, but its vectors vs. pixels :p Illustrator is meant to do clean lines that can be scaled like nuts and not do anything to weird because they are made up from complex math equations. Photoshop is pixels, much like ms-paint but what it has on ms-paint [which is a very powerful tool in the right hands] is it makes for easier pixel mod’s and well photo clean up and alike.

 I tend to look at the task at hand, say a logo for some big-wig who is paying me big bucks. Illustrator, hands down, because the fact I can change the size like mad, and I can easily switch it to any media, be that web, print, ect. Say I want to paint, like make some really neat but I don't want to deal with all the BS illustrator has for formatting, Photoshop is the tool for that job. Also it’s good for web graphics and doing neat grunge art with brushes. If I am in the mood to do system icons or something really small scale for pc usage, I will open up ms paint, you can do a hell of a lot with it.

Examples
Illustrator, with Photoshop for color:http://www.accesswave.ca/~jrichards/axl2.jpg
Photoshop: http://www.accesswave.ca/~jrichards/theking2.jpg

He's right about it being Vector vs. Pixel. Illustrator is made on vectors, which means that each image is made up of equations instead of pixels, so instead of it having to map thousands of tiny pieces it maps out a line based on an equation.

Personally I find photoshop better for both drawing and coloring. The reason behind this is I can add my own flair to each line and it is a lot more reminiscent to me of drawing on paper, which I am much more comfortable with. It is much more natural to me than editing in sections in illustrator so it is my main choice.

At the same time with my experience in graphic art I have to agree with him. If its a logo or something where you have no idea what size they might need the image you would want to use illustrator, because it is infinitely resizable without without the loss of any quality. This is because it is based on equations, and one of the pros for vector art.

[jeph]

QC is 98% Photoshop (all the art) and 2% Illustrator (layout and lettering).

CS2 is, if anything, slower and more unstable than CS1. I'm really hoping Adobe improves things in the next upgrade.

[Marcus]

QC is 98% Photoshop (all the art) and 2% Illustrator (layout and lettering).

CS2 is, if anything, slower and more unstable than CS1. I'm really hoping Adobe improves things in the next upgrade.

That's an odd observation, Going from photoshop 7 to cs1 to cs2 I found that cs1 was much slower and more unstable than 7 and cs2 improved some of those issues but not all. I guess it would depend on your system and what OS you're running (since I've never run photoshop on the more recent OS X iterations I can't really pass judgement on that.) But yeah for a PC user CS2 is better then 1, 7 being the most stable version I've ever run and I've been running Photoshop on one system or another for the last 10 or so years.