PDA

View Full Version : Illustrator instead of Photoshop for comps?



Kalbi
29 Mar 2007, 07:49 PM
I'm basically a web design newb, coming from a print design background, and the most common workflow seems to be using Photoshop to create design comps of websites. What I'm discovering is that Illustrator seems to be just as efficient, if not more, for designing comps. Copying graphic elements and working with text is easier and the fact that most of it is using vector elements, the files sizes tend to be smaller compared to the larger bitmap Photoshop files.

What I'd like to know is, from a developer point of view is, if someone hands you a Photoshop comp to slice up, and then an Illustrator file, is there one which you prefer the format to be in? Do Illustrator files hinder your productivity? Or is it a matter of just opening the Illustrator files in Photoshop? I'm trying to get a sense of how to create optimal workflows for all aspects of any given web development project.

alvo
30 Mar 2007, 12:45 AM
I comp in Photoshop, one of my designers prefers Illustrator. Both work just fine and have their own advantages. Illustrator, being vector based, allows resizing without having to worry about resolution. Photoshop allows you to directly use pieces you produce without having to render them into bitmaped graphics. I don 't think one method is necessarily better than the other and their doesn't seem to be much of a difference in the time it takes to develop based on the chosen tool. Whatever program is most comfortable to use is probably the best one to stick with unless you find a really compelling reason to change.