Uploaded September 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Follow this easy step by step tutorial to learn what is Adobe Illustrator.

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In this tutorial, we will give you a general overview about Adobe Illustrator.
The first and foremost thing that you should keep in mind about Adobe Illustrator is that it is software that uses mathematical equations to draw on the canvas, and therefore the output is a vector based output.

Step 1 -- About Adobe Illustrator

Let's look at an example to further clarify what is Adobe Illustrator.
Now notice when we pick up the zoom tool, from the tool bar on the left, and zoom in the vector image, the artwork remains clear. No matter how much we expand the artwork, it won't get pixelated. This is the kind of artwork illustrator is perfect for.

Step 2 -- Raster based Image

Now if we zoom in the image below, you can see that it is made up of pixels, meaning that it is a raster based artwork. Although in certain cases, you might need to work with raster based artwork, the whole purpose of working with Adobe Illustrator is to make vector based illustrations. A common example would be logos such as this one.

Step 3 -- About Vector Images

Vector graphics are solely made up of anchor points and lines, and there are unlimited ways in which you can alter the artwork, according to your requirements.
For example, let's pick up the direct selection tool, select the last two anchor points of the letter H over here, and stretch it downwards.

Step 4 -- Effortless Control with vector Images

You can even choose different colors for individual objects on the canvas.
This means that you can manipulate vector artwork very easily in Adobe Illustrator and move it around according to your requirements.

Step 5 -- In the End

Now on the other hand, when we click on the rasterized image above, you would notice that the whole image is just one component. That means we can't manipulate the artwork in any way since Illustrator works with each individual vector based component and a raster image is treated as a single object.
So if you are working with a photo image, there is very little what Illustrator can do to manipulate the artwork. On the other hand, there are infinite possibilities when it comes to vector based artwork.
We hope this general overview was helpful to you to ascertain what is Adobe Illustrator.