Illustrator Software Review

Illustrator software gives graphic designers, illustrators and amateur artists the ability to create and edit illustrations directly on a computer. By going paperless, artists can use the wide variety of creative features on powerful graphics software tools to create more precise, compelling art. Much more sophisticated than the paint function on every computer, illustrator software creates resolution-independent vector images, which are ideal for creating logos, web graphics or other illustrations that may need to be drastically resized. Check out our articles on illustrator software and vector images to learn more about the nuances of creating illustrations.

There are some excellent illustrator applications on the market, including Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, and Xara Designer Pro. Comprehensive reviews of these drawing programs and their competitors reveal why they are among the top illustrator software. We have compared each illustrator’s features, file compatibility, ease of use and help & support to provide you with the information to make an educated purchase. Below we have outlined these rating criteria to show you how we’ve scrutinized each product. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Illustration Software: What to Look For

Features
Every illustrator includes an overwhelming amount of features, so it is hard to know exactly what you are getting when you purchase software. When we considered the features we wanted to compare, we choose a mix of basic illustrator features and more advanced concepts that vary between drawing programs. Some basic illustrator features that you would never want to discover missing from an illustrator include vector brushes, pen and pencil tools and gradients. Some more complex tools that are not included in all illustrator software include 3D vector effects, graphing, templates and clip art.

File Compatibility
If the illustrator software can import and export files of various different formats, the software will be more compatible with other applications. Users will be able to connect with other professionals and have the ability to open and edit other’s work. This capability will ultimately make a user’s life easier.

Ease of Use
There is no point of having a ton of awesome features if the software is too difficult to use, so in our reviews we discuss how easy it is to use, navigate and learn. Also, we examine if the features included in the software are easy to find and use.

Help & Support
Some applications have a huge learning curve, so it is important to know whether a distributer provides teaching tools for their software or if they drop off the face of the earth once they’ve sold you their product. Many developers provide wonderful online video and written tutorials that simplify the learning process. In addition to looking for help in learning to use a product, it is important that a customer consider the support a developer provides during the installation process or any other time the illustrator software could malfunction.

We want to help you choose an illustrator software application that will improve your artistic capability, your company’s workflow and your joy in your work – essentially we want you to choose the right software for you. You can learn more about the features included, or not included, in each software package by looking at the side-by-side comparison above and reading the in-depth reviews on each of the top-rated illustrator software applications.