Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator may share some overlap, but in reality, these programs are almost incomparable. Explore the key differences below to determine which software suits your needs best. And for personalised advice? Catena Company is here to help! Feel free to reach out or enrol in a customised Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator training session.
Grid versus vector
Images created in Photoshop consist of a grid, commonly known as pixels. This means your image is made up of thousands of tiny coloured dots placed next to each other. Illustrator, on the other hand, uses vectors. A vector is a line connecting two coordinates (x and y). Why does this matter? It’s all about the scalability of your work.
Scalable versus non-scalable
You’ve likely encountered this before: you try to enlarge an image, but it becomes blurry. This happens because pixels are not scalable. Enlarging or reducing a pixel-based image results in a loss of quality. Vectors, however, are scalable. No matter how much you resize your design, the quality adjusts perfectly to match the new dimensions.
Editing versus design
The above points ensure that the difference between the 2 programs is reflected in the basics. Photoshop, a graphic image editing program, ideal when you need to edit photos. Its fixed-size grid makes it suitable for images that don’t require resizing. Illustrator is perfect for designing elements like logos and illustrations. With the scalability of vectors, your designs retain their quality regardless of size.
Which programme should you use?
Use Photoshop when:
- The image size doesn’t need to be adjusted.
- You need to edit a photo.
Use Illustrator when:
- You’re creating scalable items.
- You’re designing something from scratch (e.g. a logo)
- Are making illustrations.
Adobe Photoshop versus Adobe Illustrator… The creative minds at Catena Company could talk for hours about the nuances of these tools. But we’d rather share our expertise in person during a tailor-made training session – on-site and designed for your creative team.
Joska Fleerackers
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