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Adobe Illustrator CS3 Review |
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Written by Don Lee
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Monday, 01 October 2007 |
 Adobe Illustrator CS3 is another part of the Creative Suite CS3 that
has undergone some interface changes and a slew of new features. As a
designer, I was looking forward to this release. Here is what I
discovered about Adobe Illustrator CS3.
Starting with the application launch, you will notice some preset design settings when you create a new file. There are some templates already available to you from the Illustrator installation. If you find yourself creating the same type of files, you can customize templates for yourself by setting all of the file dimensions and properties. This will save you some time in setting up files for future projects.
The program has been enhanced in a number of areas such as new tools but, more importantly, the program itself is more responsive. Following in the footsteps of the other CS3 applications, Illustrator CS3 offers integrated support for Flash CS3. Now you can create your artwork in Illustrator and import it directly into Flash CS3. The great part is that your Illustrator file will maintain all of its layers, groupings, paths, anchor points and other elements so you can continue to edit the file from within Flash CS3. No more having to switch back and forth between programs for edits.
A couple of other new features include the Eraser tool and Live Color. The Eraser tool is an addition from the Photoshop application. For those not familiar with it, the Eraser tool gives users the ability to remove specific areas of your artwork without affecting the rest of your project. It really helps when you need to do a quick touchup to your work without having to make adjustments.
Isolation mode is another new, useful feature that allows you to edit a group of objects at once. The great thing about this is that you will not have to readjust layers, move or hide objects that you don’t want to modify. You can simply select the objects by double clicking the content you want to adjust then use the handles around the selection to adjust to your needs. Click out of the area to exit isolation mode.
The Crop Area tool is a nice addition to Illustrator by helping you set crop mark or marks on your artwork depending on what type of output you are trying to achieve. For example, you can set up a crop to output for a mobile device or to the web. Just select the crop tool from the palette and drag it across the area where you want to set your marks.
Now the new features above make Illustrator CS3 a joy to work with but it is the improvement to paths that will make you take notice. When you put down a new path in Illustrator CS3 and you switch to the Direct Selection Tool, you will notice that the anchor points will expand when you hover over an unselected point. This is helpful when you have a number of points close together. You won’t have to zoom in and out to ensure you are working with the right anchor point. You can also manage your anchor points from the Anchor Point palette. Just select an anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool and you should see the palette appear at the top of the application.
Overall, Illustrator CS3 offers better, time saving features that will help you complete projects quicker. The program does feel a bit snappier on my 2GHz Windows computer too. I am very impressed by the new features in Illustrator CS3 and hope they can continue to streamline more functions in this program. Adobe Illustrator CS3 earns 4.5 stars out of 5. Highly recommended.
You can click here to download a 30-day trial of Illustrator CS3. You can also visit the official Illustrator CS3 website at http://www.adobe.com/products/Illustrator/. You can also click the following links to purchase Adobe Illustrator CS3 for Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows computer systems.
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