Illustrator

Illustrator is a program used to create vector based art. A vector is a quantity that has magnitude and direction and that is commonly represented by a directed line segment whose length represents the magnitude and whose orientation in space represents the direction. 

I know that definition sounded extremely complicated, but the basic idea is that vector graphics use mathematical calculations to create art. Donot worry, I didnot really understand it at first either, but I promise it will make more sense once you keep reading. In vector art, the computer uses a system of math to make sure artwork stays sharp and clear no matter how large you scale it. The technique used to create artwork is very similar to the way you would create artwork in Photoshop. Although vector art is created using a mathematical algorithm, the user doesnot need to know or really understand that algorithm.

The computer takes care of all the hard work and does all the math for you. If you have a digital drawing tablet, you can draw your artwork just as you would on a piece of paper. The important concept to remember is: vector art can be scaled infinitely and maintain clarity, but pixel based artwork cannot.

Illustrator is used for making art that needs to be produced at a variety of sizes. Logos and branding are to most common uses for Illustrator, because they need to be scaled up and down to fit the size of the product. Logos can appear on objects as small as business cards and as large as billboards on the highway. Vector art isn’t just limited to logos though. Most large scale printed media contains vector artwork.

This could include: posters, banners, clothing designs, window decals, and flyers. Illustrator has several uses. Many artist and designers use Illustrator to create poster, mobile application layouts, ebooks, brochures. comic books, magazines, etc. The possibilities are only limited to your imaginations and creativity. The uses for Illustrator can be very similar to those of Photoshop, the distinction comes from Photoshop being a pixel based program and Illustrator being a vector based program