Adobe Illustrator vs InDesign: When & Which to Use?

A lot of people wonder or can’t decide which program to use, Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, which one should you use? The best answer is – use both! Adobe Illustrator is better for creating graphics, and InDesign is better for creating layouts.

Hi! My name is June. As a graphic designer, I use Adobe Illustrator and InDesign for different types of projects. I like to use Adobe Illustrator to create graphics, and put them together with images and text in InDesign.

In this article, you’ll learn more about each software, including what they do and what are their best-for.

When Should You Use Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is used for creating vector graphics, typography, illustrations, infographics, making print posters, and other marketing materials. Basically, anything you want to create from scratch.

Besides being the best Adobe software for making logos, Adobe Illustrator is also many illustrators’ top choice for its sophisticated drawing tools and features.

In short, Adobe Illustrator is best for professional graphic design and illustration work.

When you want to make logos, shapes, patterns, 3D effects, or any editable vector graphics in general.

When you draw or vectorize an image.

When you need to save and share your file in a vector format. (InDesign can save files as vector formats as well, but Illustrator has more compatible options)

I’ll explain more in the features comparison section later on in this article.

When Should You Use InDesign

Adobe InDesign is the industry-leading layout design and desktop publishing software used for creating multipage documents such as books, magazines, brochures, etc.

The key features of InDesign that make it stand out from other software are its sophisticated text tools and it allows you to set master page templates for a seamless design layout throughout the pages.

In short, InDesign is best for creating layouts and multipage publications.

When you design layout templates.

When you work with heavy-text materials and need to style the paragraphs.

When you create multipage publications like books, magazines, brochures, etc.

I’ll explain more in the features comparison section below.

Adobe Illustrator vs InDesign (Features Comparison)

One of the key differences between the two programs is that Adobe Illustrator uses artboards, and InDesign uses pages, and that’s why they are developed for different purposes.

In this section, you’ll find comparisons between the features of Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to see what they do best.

Illustrator vs InDesign for making shapes

Adobe Illustrator is the best Adobe software for making shapes! As you can see from the toolbar, a lot of tools are vector editing tools, which allow you to convert basic shapes to something totally different and sophisticated.

One of the most useful tools I love to use when creating logos or icons in Adobe Illustrator is the Shape Builder Tool. For example, this cloud is made of four circles, and it only took me 30 secs to make.

Another feature that Adobe Illustrator has is its 3D tools, especially after it’s been simplified in the current version. It makes creating 3D effects so easy.

InDesign also has the basic shape tools like Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, Polygon Tool, Direct Selection tool, etc, but it’s not as handy, because there are more text-oriented tools on the toolbar, and some of the shape tools in InDesign are not shown on the toolbar, so you’ll need to open the panel to use them.

For example, if you want to combine shapes, you need to open the Pathfinder panel, which you can find from the overhead menu Window > Objects & Layout > Pathfinder.

And these are pretty much all you get for making shapes besides the shape tools on the toolbar.

Let’s say, it’s more convenient to make shapes in Adobe Illustrator rather than in InDesign, and you can make more complex shapes or 3D objects in Adobe Illustrator.

Honestly, besides some basic icons, I barely use InDesign to create graphics.

Illustrator vs InDesign for drawing

Technically, you can use InDesign to draw as well because it has the Pen Tool and Pencil, which means you can trace an image or create a freehand path. However, there isn’t a brush tool in InDesign, and brushes are so useful for drawing.

For example, you can create watercolor drawings in Adobe Illustrator easily with its Paintbrush Tool.

If you’re drawing a digital illustration with colors, Adobe Illustrator’s Live Paint Bucket is so useful, it saves you a lot of time, selecting and filling objects one by one.

I’m not saying that you can’t use InDesign to draw, it’s just less convenient to work with colors and strokes.

Illustrator vs InDesign for infographics & posters

Depending on which type of infographics or posters, Adobe Illustrator and InDesign are both great for making infographics and posters.

Okay, I would say Adobe Illustrator is better for designing graphs and icons, while InDesign is better for laying out the text content. So if your infographic or poster is heavily text-based, you can consider using InDesign.

However, if you want to create something more creative, with unique graphics and effects, then Adobe Illustrator is a better choice.

Illustrator vs InDesign for brochures & magazines

InDesign has more typesetting options than Adobe Illustrator, and the Rectangle Frame Tool can keep things organized.

InDesign has the spread mode which you can put two facing pages together to see how it looks after printing it out. However, when you actually send it to print, depending on the stapling method, you might need to re-arrange the pages or save the file with single pages.

I also like how it shows the “safe area” (the purple border) so that you can make sure the important context falls within the safe area to avoid cutting off essential information when you print out the work.

FAQs

Still can’t decide whether you should choose InDesign or Illustrator? Here are more answers that might help you choose.

Which is easier, InDesign or Adobe Illustrator?

InDesign is easier to work with heavy text-based material with images. If you have a layout template, you can quickly add images into the frame boxes and they’ll fit in automatically.

Adobe Illustrator makes it easier to edit and select objects, let’s say, making shapes in general, because there are more shape tools.

Is InDesign vector or raster?

InDesign is a vector-based design program, which means you can edit the graphics and text easily. Plus, you can scale the objects without losing their quality. INDD file is a form of vector file format as well.

What’s the difference between Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign?

The biggest difference is that Photoshop is raster based, while Adobe Illustrator and InDesign are vector based. Besides that, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are used for different purposes.

For example, Photoshop works best for image manipulation, InDesign is the go-to when you create multiple pages, and Illustrator is best for branding design.

What is the best software for logo design?

If you’re choosing among Adobe software, Adobe Illustrator is the best design software for professional logo design. If you’re looking for a free vector software option, Inkscape works great as well.

Conclusion

Adobe Illustrator or InDesign? I can’t say which one is better without knowing the project you’re working on because each software has its own best-for. My ultimate suggestion is, use both if you can. You can always design elements in Illustrator and put them together in InDesign.

If you have to choose one, then you should decide based on your workflow. If you create more graphics, I would say Adobe Illustrator is better but if you’re creating multipage publications, InDesign is definitely the go-to.

Illustrator vs Photoshop for Web Design: Which Is Better?

They are very similar, so when to use Illustrator vs Photoshop? We’re here to tell you about the different functionalities of the software and solve the Illustrator vs Photoshop dilemma. Even if you’re a total design newbie, you definitely know about them. With many similarities between the two software, it can be challenging to decide when to use Illustrator vs photoshop. Neither of them was primarily devised as web design software. So, the dilemma of Photoshop vs Illustrator can be even more difficult if this is the type of project you have on your hands. Let’s start by going deeper into both options and discussing their functionalities. After that, we’ll go on to define which is a more useful tool for web design: Illustrator vs Photoshop.

What is Illustrator? Illustrator is one of the first Adobe design software, created way back in 1987 with the first Macintosh computers. Illustrator is a vector graphics editor, which means it is used to create, manipulate, and save vector graphics images. Vector graphics are computer images created using a sequence of commands or mathematical statements that put lines and shapes in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space. Vector graphics resemble connect-the-dot images, so they’re perfect for creating things like logos, typography, and sharp-edged illustrations. Because of the way they’re created (mathematical formulas), vector graphics are easily scalable and don’t lose quality if you increase the size of the image.

What is Photoshop? Regarding age, the difference between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is slightly in favor of the latter. Photoshop was launched a few years later than Illustrator in 1990 and created by Thomas and John Knoll. Photoshop is a raster graphics editor used to create, manipulate, and save raster graphics images. Raster graphics, also known as bitmap images, are digital images that use tiny rectangular pixels, or picture elements, arranged in a grid formation to form a complete picture. If you’ve ever zoomed in on a photo too much, you would have noticed the little rectangles appear. Logo Depot The most crucial characteristic of raster images is that** they support a wide range of colors and can depict subtle, graduated tones**. That’s why raster images are used in photographs, shaded drawings, or complex illustration art.

Adobe Illustrator vs. Photoshop: which to use for web design? What is Illustrator used for vs Photoshop? Before we get into it, it’s necessary to note that both Photoshop and Illustrator can be used for web design. However, you want to decide which solution might better fit your needs. So, let’s look at some of the critical aspects of web design and answer which of the two software is a better fit for them. Learn how to create a high-performing landing page with templates from the web Download our landing page guide I'M IN I consent to receive emails and agree to the Privacy Policy . I can unsubscribe at any time. Your guide was succesfully sent Please check your inbox to download our guide. Oh Snap! Sorry! Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and try again. REFRESH 1. User-friendliness If you haven’t used either tool, this is the first concern we must address in the Adobe Illustrator vs Photoshop debate. Which of the two tools is easier to use? In general, Illustrator is slightly easier to use, especially for people with little to no design background. However, the two are very similar with most of the same tools. The main difference comes down to more advanced photo editing tools. So, for that reason, this point in the Photoshop vs Illustrator duel goes to the latter. 2. Creating layouts/wireframes Although both software are decent for creating simple “sketches” of a website, Illustrator has to win this round. The reason for this is the ease of scaling graphics, which is particularly important in the early stages of creating a website’s layout and different displays, including mobile displays. 3. Photo editing Articles with visuals get 94% more views than those without. And consumers are 60% more likely to contact a business if an image appears in search results. So, some sort of visuals on your website is a must. But professional photographers can be expensive and hard to come by. There are loads of stock photos readily available online, but using them without alterations will harm your brand image. So, when you’re building a website, you should also have the option to edit photos to match your brand and the website’s overall look. As you might suspect, this round of Illustrator vs Photoshop ends in Photoshop’s favor since its primary purpose is photo editing. 3. Drawing and illustration Illustrations are a fantastic way to give websites visual interest if you don’t want to use photography. Moreover, simple illustrations can be a terrific accompaniment and improve the user experience significantly. You can use them in infographics to simplify complex processes or add motion design to them to guide visitors through the website. When it comes to the choice of Adobe Photoshop vs Illustrator in this area, things aren’t exactly clear-cut. Photoshop drawing is definitely more refined, as the brush tool allows you to mix pixels and create unique colors and tones. Bootcamp via Medium That said, while we will give a point here to Photoshop, the choice in this respect depends on your needs. A stunning graphic artwork will be a brilliant choice for some websites. Others (and a majority, in fact) only require simple graphic illustrations that you can easily create with Illustrator. 5. Icons/symbols So it looks like Photoshop is the superior tool for all things visual, right? Not quite. There’s a significant part of web design where Illustrator holds a major advantage: symbols and icons. As the superior Adobe graphic design software, Illustrator has a fantastic symbols library that can be used for buttons, navigation menus, and more. Another extra helpful hack is instancing, which allows you to automatically change the symbol in every instance across your project (or add exceptions if you want to). 6. Typography Fonts are a necessary part of your brand’s visual identity. So, if you have created a brand’s visual style guide, you probably have a few fonts that fit your brand’s style. However, you might discover that your primary fonts aren’t ideal for web use. If you want to modify existing or create new typography, the choice of Photoshop vs Illustrator has a clear winner. Illustrator is much better suited for creating typography. Since text is an essential component of web design, this is yet another good reason to choose Illustrator over Photoshop. Designer's Work Tracking Checklist Learn how to work effectively with designers: from writing a brief to giving feedback and tracking work. I'M IN I consent to receive emails and agree to the Privacy Policy . I can unsubscribe at any time. Your guide was succesfully sent Please check your inbox to download our guide. Oh Snap! Sorry! Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and try again. REFRESH

Photoshop or Illustrator? What to choose?

Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer or artist, the Adobe Creative Suite is a reference. This suite allows the creation of any type of design with ease and a professional result. In this article, we will talk about Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The use of these 2 softwares can be confused. On the other hand, it is important to use the right tool for the right project. So, Photoshop or Illustrator? Which tool to use and when to use it?

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator: high-performance softwares

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are two recognized and powerful graphic design applications. They have dozens of features optimized for certain types of projects. It is therefore advisable to use the right tool for the right project and this will also allow you to carry out your work in the best possible way.

Photoshop and Illustrator offer designers the possibility to complete quality projects in less time and with more options. The use of a specific tool is an asset because you get better results. This is why the design of each tool offers its user more flexibility and options for editing and moderation of his creations. To find out which of the two software packages is best suited to your project, it is essential to refer to its three axes :

Print or digital: this concerns projects that are intended to be printed on paper media such as business cards, packaging and stickers. It can also be digital projects that are intended for a web clientele such as social networks, banner ads, websites and e-books.

this concerns projects that are intended to be printed on paper media such as business cards, packaging and stickers. It can also be digital projects that are intended for a web clientele such as social networks, banner ads, websites and e-books. Text and image: these are pictorial projects. These concern photographs or illustrations as well as patterns. The text projects, on the other hand, are words. They can be as short as business cards or as long as booklets. But they can also be a combination of both.

these are pictorial projects. These concern photographs or illustrations as well as patterns. The text projects, on the other hand, are words. They can be as short as business cards or as long as booklets. But they can also be a combination of both. Vector or raster: This is a vector project which is composed of an image produced from lines and strokes. The latter can be enlarged or shrunk to any scale, as in the case of a logo. Then a raster image is an image produced using a certain number of pixels. It is to know that its change in size also means a change in quality.

What is Photoshop and when to use it?

As its name suggests, Photoshop is like a photo. This software was originally designed for creating, editing and retouching any type of raster images. Since then, its features have evolved. Currently, Photoshop processes images by retouching them. It also allows you to make photomontages. Artists adopt it to make sketches and drawings, but they can also use it for digital painting. Highly prized and appreciated in the photography community, Photoshop allows artists and designers to perfect their work. This translates into the adjustment or transmission of files by adjusting color or light. Finally, designers use this tool to create ready-to-use images that are often visible on the web.

Photoshop is the software best suited to create and enhance quality images. Indeed, it is the best adapted. The layer system not only makes it easy to create templates, but also to edit and rearrange them with just a few clicks. In addition, the retouching tools that this photo software has are much more powerful than those of Illustrator. What’s more, these tools allow you to make small changes in color, contrast or brightness.

However, Photoshop is not always the best option and is not always adapted to the use you need. For this reason, below is a small outline of the situation for which the use of this software would be beneficial to you.

When to use Photoshop?

This software is suitable for all the retouching you wish to do to your photos. It can be used to optimize the color or to adjust the photo. Also use it to remove details that are detrimental or to remove objects that are undesirable in the photo.

It can be used to optimize the color or to adjust the photo. Also use it to remove details that are detrimental or to remove objects that are undesirable in the photo. Preferably use it for editing illustrations in paper or digital versions. It can be a photo, a painting, a drawing or other. This tool is what you need to add shadows, strokes or patterns to your projects.

This tool is what you need to add shadows, strokes or patterns to your projects. Use Photoshop if your image is intended for web use (social networks, banner ads or other).

(social networks, banner ads or other). For the creation of a mock-up for a website or mobile application. Layer systems allow you to easily play with the different elements of the interface, not to mention that Photoshop works with pixels. This ensures compatibility with the format of your screen.

Layer systems allow you to easily play with the different elements of the interface, not to mention that Photoshop works with pixels. This ensures compatibility with the format of your screen. Even if your cameras are of good quality, Photoshop ensures unique video editing and animation. For this you can use filters, add text, etc.

When to prefer another software?

When you need to create a logo: a logo is often used on various media and therefore needs to be put at any scale. Photoshop is not the best software to create vector images. The images created by this tool are raster or bitmap and therefore the modifications that are made to an image affect its quality. The more you enlarge them, the more pixels will be visible.

When you want to layout a large amount of text, because Photoshop is not suitable for a large amount of text.

Photoshop therefore allows you to distort images, readjust borders, change colorimetry, create visual effects on your texts, create an animated GIF and more.

What is Illustrator and when to use it?

Adobe Illustrator is another Creative Cloud tool. Illustrator is a software that allows graphic creation, that is to say, it is composed of curves and straight lines created by mathematical shapes. This tool is therefore designed for the use of vectorial images. In addition, any images or texts that are created using Illustrator can also be enlarged or shrunk without ever losing quality or appearing pixels. A design created using this software will look the same even when printed on a t-shirt or paper for example.

In addition, this software offers tools to facilitate the management of the layout, but also the organization of the different elements of the design. Indeed, it can be typography or raster images. The particularity of Illustrator is the flexibility of its workspace. This allows users to experiment and test vast possibilities before editing them. All of these same features are included in a single software package. Moreover, even if this software is quite powerful and efficient, this does not prevent the fact that it is not adapted to certain uses.

When to use Illustrator?

To create a logo, an icon or even a mock-up. Indeed, vector images can be adapted to any size. Therefore, Illustrator is the ideal tool because it allows the viewing of images in different formats.

Therefore, Illustrator is the ideal tool because it allows the viewing of images in different formats. If you need to create posters composed of several elements to be printed on the same page. With Illustrator you can combine text and images.

With Illustrator you can combine text and images. For the creation of a fixed typography for a logo, Illustrator has the necessary tools to vectorize text and transform it according to your needs.

When to prefer another software?

For image retouching: in case you want to use a raster image with Illustrator, some options allow you to edit it directly. However, this software will not be able to offer more functionalities. It is obvious that Photoshop will have much more to offer you, especially in terms of colorimetry, contrast and more.

For the creation of multi-page documents: Illustrator is only designed to support a single page. Turn to software such as InDesign if your project has several pages.

Illustrator allows you to create flyers, web design, create an album cover, create special effects on your images and texts.

Very often, especially for beginners, Photoshop and Illustrator can be confused. While Adobe Illustrator presents a vector image, Photoshop offers a raster or bitmap image. To answer the question of which of these 2 software programs is the best choice, it is up to the user to answer the question according to his needs. Indeed, each software is adapted to a particular type of project. Making the right choice of tool will help you complete your project in no time. Moreover, the result will be of better quality with a professional rendering. However, the use of these 2 softwares can be associated, because their formats are compatible. So, it is up to each designer, photographer or other graphic artist to choose between Photoshop or Illustrator. Each of these softwares has particular functionalities able to meet the expectations of any professional in the multimedia field.