Adobe Illustrator
The industry-standard vector editor for logos, icons, illustrations, and print artwork.
What it is
About Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is Adobe's vector graphics application. Unlike Photoshop, which works with pixels, Illustrator creates artwork from mathematical paths — meaning it scales to any size without losing quality. This makes it the standard tool for logos, icons, infographics, type treatments, and print collateral. Illustrator integrates tightly with InDesign (page layout) and Photoshop (image editing) in professional graphic design workflows, with assets typically created in Illustrator and placed into InDesign for final document production.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Create scalable logos and brand marks using the Pen tool to draw precise paths and closed anchor-point shapes
Build icon sets with consistent sizing, stroke weight, and optical alignment by working on an artboard grid
Design infographics by combining vector shapes, text, and imported Photoshop images in a single document
Prepare print artwork with correct bleed, crop marks, and colour swatches for press-ready delivery
Use the Pathfinder and Shape Builder tools to combine, subtract, and intersect shapes to produce complex forms quickly
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Adobe's free tutorials at helpx.adobe.com/illustrator — task-based and updated regularly
YouTube: Dansky and Satori Graphics cover Illustrator logo design and illustration workflows in depth
Recreate a simple existing logo from scratch — it forces you to learn the Pen tool, which is the skill that defines Illustrator fluency
Pro Tip
Master the Pen tool before anything else. Everything in Illustrator — shapes, text, effects — builds on your ability to draw and edit paths accurately. Most beginners avoid it and plateau early as a result.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool