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Contents
Inside Adobe Illustrator
Working with Files
The Selection Tools
Manipulating Objects
Working with Type
Working with Imported Artwork
Painting in Illustrator
Saving and Exporting Files
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Inside Adobe Illustrator
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Contents

Computer graphics fall into two main categories, bitmap graphics and vector graphics. You learned about creating and manipulating bitmap images in the Photoshop tutorial. Adobe Illustrator is a vector based software package. Drawing programs such as Illustrator create vector graphics made of lines and curves, defined by mathematical objects called vectors. A vector graphic is resolution-independent. Unlike bitmap images, a vector based piece of artwork can be scaled to any size and printed on any output device at any resolution without losing its detail or clarity. Vector graphics are the best choice for type, and bold graphics that need to maintain their crispness at various scales like logos and posters.

 
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In Adobe Illustrator you draw objects. Objects are simply the points, lines, shapes and paths that you create on the page.
What makes Illustrator powerful is its ability to manipulate any object as an independent graphic element.