Adobe Illustrator, one of the company’s Creative Suite group of programs, is used by graphic artists when editing vector images. This type of editing capability is used in the creation of graphics such as fonts, logos or even illustrations. The software gives the artist the ability to combine line art with photographs and other images to create a unique illustration. This type of image commonly is used in advertising, promotional illustrations and as art pieces.

Adobe introduced Illustrator in 1986. The company has issued 16 upgrades to the product as of 2012. The software operates on the Windows and Macintosh platforms. Illustrator complements Adobe’s Photoshop, used to edit photographic images, and Indesign, used to design or layout publications. The images created by Adobe Illustrator can also be used alone or exported to other software platforms.

Illustrator is designed to work with vector images. By definition, a vector image is a mathematical formula of lines and shaded areas. Using Illustrator, the graphic artist manipulates the various lines and shapes to create the desired image. Users can use the mouse and keyboard but a drawing pad often makes projects more efficient. Users can select any number of file formats for exported images all of which interface with other Adobe products.

Many graphic artists consider Adobe Illustrator the premier software package for editing vector graphics. The cost of the software, along with its learning curve, commonly limit the use of Illustrator to professional graphic artists although Adobe has made the product available to many educational institutions.

Adobe markets illustrator through its own website as well as other retail and online outlets. A number of websites offering tutorial videos and packages also exist.