Adobe Photoshop or  Adobe Illustrator?

Every consumer when buying any product needs value for money. They are always on the lookout for a cheaper substitute, which promises to delivers the same results. Graphic Designers and professional photographers who use digital imaging applications also want a product which would be cost effective and would provide satisfactory results. Between Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator there has always been a debate about which product can offer more value for money.

Adobe Illustrator is a cheaper option and it can pretty much serve the same purpose. It could prove to be a good replacement to Adobe Photoshop. Both Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are products from Adobe, which is the pioneer in digital imaging. It would not be possible to compare the two, as they are different programs having similar functions.

The main function of Photoshop is to modify color pixels within a fixed bitmap. Photoshop creates, modifies digital files, which are photographic in nature. The whole image is part of a fixed pixel structure or a bitmap. Photoshop can also help you to produce complicated color or black and white images for processing them further in your page layout programs.

The Illustrator on the other hand is a is a vector based drawing program. A vector based drawing program creates various elements of the image as individual vector objects, which while retaining their identity do not become a part of the “bitmap”. It generates cured paths connected by anchor points, which are editable and never leave the structure of the file. Illustrator can be used effectively with complicated graphics like maps and logos. Even print publications like ads and brochures use the Illustrator program.

Therefore choosing the right application for your project is more important than thinking, which is the better alternative. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are both equally good in their own right. They are unique in their capabilities and that is the reason why the Graphic designers and professional photographers own both the programs.

Photoshop elements are the least expensive product of Photoshop and can do 90% of what Photoshop can do with the exception of the pre-press printing capabilities.