Photoshop and Illustrator are amongst the most popular graphic designing tools available in the market. But which one is better for you?
Should you design your brand logo, merchandise, or other designs in Photoshop or Illustrator?
Well, we have a detailed Photoshop vs Illustrator comparison to help you find what is the difference between Photoshop and Illustrator. We will discuss their features, differences, when to use them, and what they are for.
This will help you find which is better, Photoshop or Illustrator.
Adobe Photoshop is raster-based graphic editing software that uses pixels to make images. These pixels are a million squares arranged together, and this arrangement is memorized and used by the computer every time it displays the picture.
All the Photoshop files are saved in the .psd extension, but you can also save them in .png and .jpg file formats.
Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based graphic editing software that uses vectors to create images. These images are completely scalable and can be used as small or large as the quality, clarity, or resolution will not be compromised.
Adobe Illustrator also gives the best quality output when it comes to giving a print. Some of the common vector file extensions that graphic designers use include .eps, .svg, and .ai.
| Basis | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe Photoshop |
| Purpose | Image Creation | Image Editing |
| Graphics Type | Vector- Based | Raster- Based |
| Price | ₹1675.60 per month | ₹1675.60 per month |
| Free Trial | 30-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
| File Formats | .eps, .svg, .ai | .psd, .jpg, .png |
| Graphic Scalability | Unlimited | Limited, depending on image resolution |
| Used for | Logos, hand drawing, sketching, comics, etc. | Photo editing and retouching |
The key difference between Illustrator and Photoshop is that Illustrator is an image creation tool, whereas Photoshop is an image editing tool. Illustrator is used for creating logos, hand drawings, custom typographies, and more, without any limitation of scalability. However, Photoshop is a great graphic designing tool for image editing, retouching, and manipulation.
In this article, let’s understand the differences between Photoshop vs Illustrator in detail.
Let’s draw a comparison of Photoshop vs Illustrator based on their features and graphic designing tools.
Photoshop is majorly used for editing images. However, Illustrator is widely preferred for image creation purposes. Photoshop allows designers to perform image editing functions like cropping, image masking, adjusting image lighting, color grading, adding or removing backgrounds, blemishes, and more. Also, when we talk about Adobe Illustrator vs Photoshop, you need to consider Photoshop add-ons such as external plug-ins, filters, etc.
All these image editing tools are available in Adobe Illustrator. But, when comparing Photoshop vs Illustrator for drawing, Illustrator has an upper hand. It is an ideal image creation software that allows designers to create free-hand drawings, sketches, and logos. It also offers other important features such as line drawing, typography, coloring options, etc.
You can use Illustrator’s vector images on Photoshop as well, but it is not recommended because it loses its scalability and quality. Working on Photoshop gives you the freedom of working on the same image again, but with Illustrator you cannot work on the same project once it is saved as a normal image.
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Further, let’s understand the difference between Photoshop and illustrator through the pros and cons that come with both those graphic design software.
In addition to this, any changes you make to the vector logo in illustrator will be reflected directly on your Photoshop file because of the project file import.
On comparing the difference between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, we can conclude that Illustrator is an image-creating tool, whereas Photoshop is an image editing tool. Illustrator is great for web designing, freehand drawing, creating logos, etc. However, Photoshop is good when it comes to image editing for social media posts, digital painting, photo retouching, etc.
Both Photoshop and Illustrator have their own pros and cons, but to get the best results, designers must try using both software together.
Graphic designers can use Adobe Illustrator when they want to create something that can be printed on large canvas like billboards, or even walls, or small canvases like pocket business cards. Illustrator graphics can be easily scaled up and down without losing quality and clarity.
Using Adobe Illustrator is also great if you want to create:
Photoshop is great to use when you want to make changes to an existing image or graphic because they will stay in the same image size. In fact, you can also have complete control over the graphic by working pixel by pixel on the image.
Photoshop is best for:
Let’s understand how you can use Illustrator and Photoshop together to take your creative projects to the next level.
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop come in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and can be used together. You can import vector graphics created in Adobe Illustrator to Photoshop and turn that into a raster file and work further on it. At the same time, a Photoshop file can be added in Illustrator. Creators can link these files so that the changes made in one file will reflect in another file in real-time.
For example, you want to launch merchandise for a brand. You can create a vector logo for the brand on Adobe Illustrator, that can be imported to Photoshop. Now, in Photoshop, you can use this vector file as an image on mugs, t-shirts, pens, and other merchandise materials.
Before discovering the difference Photoshop and Illustrator, let’s have a clear understanding of the difference between vector and raster graphics.
Raster graphics are the ones where you use pixels to create different images. Pixels are millions of different colored tiny squares that combine together to create an image. You can clearly see these tiny squares when zoom in on an image, especially at the corners. However, you will not be able to see them from afar.
Vector graphics are created by using mathematical constructs. Images created using vectors are created by connecting two dots using a computer algorithm. Individually these connections are called vector paths, and together they create a vector object. They appear clear no matter how much you zoom in or zoom out on the graphic.
Now, let’s check how raster and vector graphics are used in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Suggested Read: Best Graphic Design Software for Beginners
After comparing Photoshop vs Illustrator, we would recommend Photoshop if you want to edit images, and Illustrator if you have to create images. Also, the graphics created on Illustrator are scalable, which means they can be scaled as per your requirement. But with Photoshop, you might lose the quality.
Yes, Illustrator is more difficult to learn than Photoshop, because in Illustrator you have to create everything from scratch. To master Illustrator, you can start by working on Photoshop because their interface is quite similar.
Some people use Illustrator instead of Photoshop when they want to create a graphic that involves sketching, hand drawing, and custom typography. Also, it is used when you want scalable graphics with good print output quality.
The major difference between Illustrator and Photoshop is that Illustrator is used for creating images and graphics. However, Photoshop is used for editing images or graphics.
You should learn Photoshop first because Photoshop has simpler editing tools, and you can work on an existing image or graphic. Also, it will help you get used to the user interface of both the software.
Adobe Illustrator can produce vector-based images, that are scalable to any extent. You can print them on billboards and business cards in the same resolution. But this thing is not possible in Photoshop because it produces pixel-based graphics.
Related Categories: Photo Editing Software | 3D Design Software | Graphic Design Software
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