The Illustrator CS5 Software from Adobe is a Windows application with extensive vector drawing tools. You can use it to create vector assets for use in design, web, and video projects. Vector graphics can be scaled to any size, without a loss in quality, making them ideal for use across multiple types of media: a vector image will look just as good on a computer screen, HDTV, or printed to billboard size.
Illustrator features numerous tools to set your vector graphics apart from the crowd. It supports gradient fills, transparent objects, adjustable stroke, and perspective drawing. You'll be able to add pre-made shapes and arrows to images. Advanced typography tools support OpenType fonts, paragraph styles, and character styles.
Features
Sophisticated Vector Drawing Control
Create distinctive designs with precise shape-building tools, fluid and painterly brushes, and advanced path controls
Gradients and Transparency
Interact with gradients directly on your objects and control the transparency of individual colors in gradients and gradient meshes
Beautiful Strokes
Fully control variable-width strokes, arrowheads, dashes, and art brush scaling along a path
In-Panel Appearance Editing
Edit object characteristics directly in the Appearance panel, eliminating the need to open fill, stroke, or effects panels
Integration with Adobe CS Review
Create and share online reviews for clients down the hall or around the world with Adobe CS Review, one of the new Adobe CS Live online services. CS Live services are complimentary for a limited time
Industry-Standard Graphic File Format Support
Work with almost any type of graphic file -- including PDF, EPS, FXG, Photoshop (PSD), TIFF, GIF, JPEG, SWF, SVG, DWG, DXF, and more
Adobe PDF File Creation Tools
Create more secure, multipage, graphic-rich PDF files with Illustrator layers retained. Share files confidently with service providers, including support for PDF/X standards
Advanced Typography
Design beautiful text for virtually any media with professional controls for paragraph and character styles, support for OpenType, transparent effects, and more
Perspective Drawing
Use perspective grids to draw shapes and scenes in accurate 1-, 2-, or 3-point linear perspective and create the look of realistic depth and distance
Multiple Artboard Enhancements
Work on up to 100 artboards of varying sizes in one file -- named, organized, and viewed the way you want
Drawing Enhancements
Draw behind, disregarding stacking order. Draw or place an image inside, instantly creating a clipping mask
Integration with Other Adobe Applications
Share files smoothly with other Adobe professional design applications and easily create artwork for multiple uses
Crisp Graphics for Web and Mobile Devices
Create vector objects precisely on the file's pixel grid for delivering pixel-aligned raster artwork
Design Projects
Beautiful Strokes
Adjust stroke width interactively using new width handles. Precisely position arrowheads and symmetrically align dashes. Control stretch at any point when scaling art brushes on a path, and see how patterns behave beautifully at corners
Perspective Drawing
Use perspective grids to draw shapes and scenes in accurate 1-, 2-, or 3-point linear perspective, and create the look of realistic depth and distance
Integration with Adobe CS Review
Create and share online reviews for clients down the hall or around the world using Adobe CS Review, one of the new CS Live online services
Gradients and Transparency
Interact with gradients directly on your objects and control the transparency of individual colors in gradients and gradient meshes
Multiple Artboard Enhancements
Work on up to 100 artboards of varying sizes in one file - named, organized, and viewed the way you want
Drawing Enhancements
Work faster with everyday tools. Join paths with a keystroke, draw behind, and draw inside
Advanced Typography
Design beautiful text for any media with professional controls for paragraph and character styles, support for OpenType, transparent effects, and more
Bristle Brush
Paint with vectors that resemble real-world brush strokes. Achieve the expressiveness of natural media with the scalability of vector graphics
Shape Builder Tool
Intuitively combine, edit, and fill shapes directly on your artboard without accessing multiple tools and panels
Resolution-Independent Effects
Apply raster effects, such as drop shadows, blurs, and textures, that maintain a consistent appearance across media
Web Projects
Crisp Graphics for Web and Mobile
Create vector objects precisely on the file's pixel grid for delivering pixel-aligned artwork. Generate clean, sharp raster graphics by turning on Align To Pixel Grid and using text anti-aliasing options for individual text frames
Resolution-Independent Effects
Apply raster effects, such as drop shadows, blurs, and textures, that maintain a consistent appearance across media
Integration with Adobe Flash Professional
Import Illustrator files into Flash Professional with type better preserved and symbol registration points supported
Multiple Artboards for Web and Interactive
Define up to 100 working areas in one file. Paste objects in place across artboards for repeating artwork on multiple web pages, screens, or frames
Adobe Device Central
Design, preview, and test rich graphic content for mobile devices and deliver engaging experiences to billions of subscribers
Pixel Preview
See how your vector artwork will look when rasterized using the Pixel Preview mode. Edit your artwork and the preview changes live -- as you work
Symbols for Adobe Flash Professional
Use symbols to animate objects and make editing faster. Registration points are maintained when imported into Flash Professional
Web and Mobile Device Export
Easily view, optimize, and export for web and mobile devices, with choices for format, color, quality, compression, and more
New Document Profiles for Web and Mobile Devices
Access new pixel-grid alignment from web and mobile device profiles, which also include relevant dimensions, color groups, and more
Versatile Slicing Tools
Create vector-based slices from objects, groups of objects, or layers that are preserved when exporting your artwork as a SWF or PSD file
Video Projects
Beautiful Strokes
Adjust stroke width interactively using new width handles. Precisely position arrowheads and symmetrically align dashes. Control stretch at any point when scaling art brushes on a path, and see how patterns behave beautifully at corners
Multiple Artboards for Motion and Effects
Use up to 100 artboards in a single file for multiple frames or design variations. Choose from resolutions for video and options for safe areas, center marks, and more
New Document Profiles for Motion and Effects
Select prebuilt profiles that include relevant document sizes, color groups, gradients, and patterns for video
Sophisticated Vector Drawing Tools
Create distinctive designs with precise shape-building tools, fluid and painterly brushes, and advanced path controls
Advanced Typography
Design beautiful text for any media with professional controls for paragraph and character styles, support for OpenType, transparent effects, and more
Gradients and Transparency
Interact with gradients directly on your objects and control the transparency of individual colors in gradients and gradient meshes