Utilities ???

paulywerner · 10-20-2003, 03:01 AM

I have Adobe Illustrator 10, but am still learning how to use the tools in it... Was wondering if any of you Logo Guys used that utility, or if there is another utility that you guys use...

Cuss16 · 10-20-2003, 03:20 AM

paintshop pro and photoshop seem to be the most popular programs.

scotto313 · 10-20-2003, 08:01 AM

Cuss is right as always. I have looked at Illustrator and would like to get it someday ( way too costly). I have read it is the best program out there. I use a program I purchased cheap ( $10) Called Becker Draw. I have also heard good things about Coral ( might be Corel) Draw. If money was no object I would get Illustrator 10.

paulywerner · 10-20-2003, 12:27 PM

Well, Im not sure exactly how much Illustrator costs, since it was sort of a gift for me... Im hoping that someone on here uses that, and could give me some pointers, i would more than willing pay them back for their services

scotto313 · 10-20-2003, 04:29 PM

About $100 in my neck of the woods.

sporr · 10-20-2003, 04:46 PM

I always use Fireworks for all of my graphic needs. That and it comes packaged with Dreamweaver.

paulywerner · 10-20-2003, 05:05 PM

Ok, well, I also have DW, I dont know how to use FW though, I though Illustrtor would be the best one, especially considering my free trial with Paint Shop Pro expired... I need to make sure I do have FW in my DW program though..

paulywerner · 10-20-2003, 05:16 PM

nope, I dont have Fireworks... Next..lol

paulywerner · 10-23-2003, 11:18 AM

basically, I think alot of these programs are the same, and by same, they have the same tools, but are just located in different places in menus and such.... But I cant seem to do anything... I dont have any manuals, and the help files in Illustrator 10 are about as helpful as blind man walking me across the street.

scotto313 · 10-23-2003, 12:50 PM

There is a book you can buy for Illustrator that is as thick as a phone book. Any good bookstore will have it.

paulywerner · 10-23-2003, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scotto313
as thick as a phone book.

Thats kind of scary....lol

Ktulu · 10-23-2003, 01:05 PM

Personally I think paint shop pro is much easier to use than photoshop, image ready etc. But maybe thats because psp was what I started on. PSP doesnt have as many features but its relatively simple to learn.

Le Grande Orange · 10-23-2003, 01:52 PM

I used CorelDRAW for the logos I did a couple of weeks ago (I really have to start doing some again). I want to do more logo work in concert with Photoshop, since that can do a lot of great effects.

It also depends on how you want your logos to look. Most sports teams logos are essentially straightforward drawings, for which something like Illustrator or Corel are perfect. If you want a more "photorealistic" look to your logos, then something like Photoshop is perfect since it can do advanced texture, shading, and lighting effects.

To learn more about Illustrator (or any program for that matter), just browse through the computer section of your local bookstore. Personally, rather than going for the "user manual on steroids" phonebook thick type of book that detail everything there is to know on a program, I'd go for the one that has many examples of how to do specific effects and tricks, and explains how to achieve them.

I've got two such books on Photoshop and one older book on CorelDRAW, and they're great. They show exactly how, step-by-step with examples, to do different kinds of effects. I find this much more helpful than the other books which have some of this but also spend a great deal of time simply explaining all the various options available in the program.

For example, one of the books I have is the "Photoshop 6 WOW! Book." Check that out in the bookstore and you'll see what I mean by it giving lots of very good, practical examples of how to do different kinds of effects. Then it's just a matter of finding a similar style of book for Illustrator.

These types of books are not cheap, running around U.S. $40-50, but are well worth the money in my opinion.

eriqjaffe · 10-23-2003, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Le Grande Orange
It also depends on how you want your logos to look. Most sports teams logos are essentially straightforward drawings, for which something like Illustrator or Corel are perfect. If you want a more "photorealistic" look to your logos, then something like Photoshop is perfect since it can do advanced texture, shading, and lighting effects.

Also, since Illustrator is a vector program, the graphics can be scaled up or down without loss. Photoshop can't do that.

--Eriq.

Le Grande Orange · 10-23-2003, 06:07 PM

True, but you can get around that by doing the logos in Photoshop at a rather large size so you have pixels to spare. Then it can be reduced to its final size later in another file while the larger size original file is available for editing. The quality loss in reducing files is normally pretty minimal.

I've really only noticed recently that Photoshop can quickly add bevelling and other similar types of effects to type very easily - it's something I want to try out.

eriqjaffe · 10-24-2003, 09:30 AM

LGO, check this out:

http://share.studio.adobe.com/Default.asp

It's an incredible resource for fun & useful Photoshop stuff. A lot of my logo sets wouldn't have been possible without stuff I found there.

--Eriq.

10-20-2003, 03:01 AM	#1
paulywerner Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 319	Utilities ??? I have Adobe Illustrator 10, but am still learning how to use the tools in it... Was wondering if any of you Logo Guys used that utility, or if there is another utility that you guys use... __________________ "I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it." OTBA Manhattan Millionaires The Juiced Baseball League Kansas City Royals United Baseball League Montreal Expos Bricks and Ivy Washington Nationals

10-20-2003, 03:20 AM	#2
Cuss16 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: BC, CANADA Posts: 2,994	paintshop pro and photoshop seem to be the most popular programs. __________________

10-20-2003, 12:27 PM	#4
paulywerner Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 319	Well, Im not sure exactly how much Illustrator costs, since it was sort of a gift for me... Im hoping that someone on here uses that, and could give me some pointers, i would more than willing pay them back for their services __________________ "I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it." OTBA Manhattan Millionaires The Juiced Baseball League Kansas City Royals United Baseball League Montreal Expos Bricks and Ivy Washington Nationals

10-20-2003, 05:05 PM	#7
paulywerner Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 319	Ok, well, I also have DW, I dont know how to use FW though, I though Illustrtor would be the best one, especially considering my free trial with Paint Shop Pro expired... I need to make sure I do have FW in my DW program though.. __________________ "I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it." OTBA Manhattan Millionaires The Juiced Baseball League Kansas City Royals United Baseball League Montreal Expos Bricks and Ivy Washington Nationals

10-20-2003, 05:16 PM	#8
paulywerner Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 319	nope, I dont have Fireworks... Next..lol __________________ "I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it." OTBA Manhattan Millionaires The Juiced Baseball League Kansas City Royals United Baseball League Montreal Expos Bricks and Ivy Washington Nationals

10-20-2003, 08:01 AM	#3
scotto313 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,220	Cuss is right as always. I have looked at Illustrator and would like to get it someday ( way too costly). I have read it is the best program out there. I use a program I purchased cheap ( $10) Called Becker Draw. I have also heard good things about Coral ( might be Corel) Draw. If money was no object I would get Illustrator 10.

10-20-2003, 04:29 PM	#5
scotto313 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,220	About $100 in my neck of the woods.

10-20-2003, 04:46 PM	#6
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,277	I always use Fireworks for all of my graphic needs. That and it comes packaged with Dreamweaver.

10-23-2003, 11:18 AM	#9
paulywerner Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 319	basically, I think alot of these programs are the same, and by same, they have the same tools, but are just located in different places in menus and such.... But I cant seem to do anything... I dont have any manuals, and the help files in Illustrator 10 are about as helpful as blind man walking me across the street. __________________ "I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it." OTBA Manhattan Millionaires The Juiced Baseball League Kansas City Royals United Baseball League Montreal Expos Bricks and Ivy Washington Nationals

10-23-2003, 12:50 PM	#10
scotto313 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,220	There is a book you can buy for Illustrator that is as thick as a phone book. Any good bookstore will have it.

10-23-2003, 01:05 PM	#12
Ktulu Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: BC Posts: 4,710	Personally I think paint shop pro is much easier to use than photoshop, image ready etc. But maybe thats because psp was what I started on. PSP doesnt have as many features but its relatively simple to learn. __________________ "The ice is getting even more thinner, my friend!"

10-23-2003, 01:52 PM	#13
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,642	I used CorelDRAW for the logos I did a couple of weeks ago (I really have to start doing some again). I want to do more logo work in concert with Photoshop, since that can do a lot of great effects. It also depends on how you want your logos to look. Most sports teams logos are essentially straightforward drawings, for which something like Illustrator or Corel are perfect. If you want a more "photorealistic" look to your logos, then something like Photoshop is perfect since it can do advanced texture, shading, and lighting effects. To learn more about Illustrator (or any program for that matter), just browse through the computer section of your local bookstore. Personally, rather than going for the "user manual on steroids" phonebook thick type of book that detail everything there is to know on a program, I'd go for the one that has many examples of how to do specific effects and tricks, and explains how to achieve them. I've got two such books on Photoshop and one older book on CorelDRAW, and they're great. They show exactly how, step-by-step with examples, to do different kinds of effects. I find this much more helpful than the other books which have some of this but also spend a great deal of time simply explaining all the various options available in the program. For example, one of the books I have is the "Photoshop 6 WOW! Book." Check that out in the bookstore and you'll see what I mean by it giving lots of very good, practical examples of how to do different kinds of effects. Then it's just a matter of finding a similar style of book for Illustrator. These types of books are not cheap, running around U.S. $40-50, but are well worth the money in my opinion.

10-23-2003, 06:07 PM	#15
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,642	True, but you can get around that by doing the logos in Photoshop at a rather large size so you have pixels to spare. Then it can be reduced to its final size later in another file while the larger size original file is available for editing. The quality loss in reducing files is normally pretty minimal. I've really only noticed recently that Photoshop can quickly add bevelling and other similar types of effects to type very easily - it's something I want to try out.

10-24-2003, 09:30 AM	#16
eriqjaffe Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under The Christmas Fish Posts: 7,731	LGO, check this out: http://share.studio.adobe.com/Default.asp It's an incredible resource for fun & useful Photoshop stuff. A lot of my logo sets wouldn't have been possible without stuff I found there. --Eriq. __________________