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davidwes

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 28, 2004
307
141
Can someone explain to me the main difference between these two programs?

Also can someone recommend one. My company is trying to create postcards and these are the file formats the printer will take. We have a couple of pictures that we want to put together with some text, and maybe edit the pictures as well. We have used both pictures of real people and drawn cartoon images as well.

Thank you for your input.
 

iGary

Guest
May 26, 2004
19,580
7
Randy's House
davidwes said:
Can someone explain to me the main difference between these two programs?

Also can someone recommend one. My company is trying to create postcards and these are the file formats the printer will take. We have a couple of pictures that we want to put together with some text, and maybe edit the pictures as well. We have used both pictures of real people and drawn cartoon images as well.

Thank you for your input.

One is vector one is raster.

Have a look at those on Google.
 

kretzy

macrumors 604
Sep 11, 2004
7,921
2
Canberra, Australia
Basically, Photoshop is for editing and manipulating photos and using them in a variety of ways. You would be able to created cards etc with it. Illustrator is more like a freehand "Paint" style program, though much much more advanced. Photoshop is the most widely used program as it allows both the photo editing abilities and to an extent the features of illustrator. I don't use these programs very often, but when I do, Photoshop seems to be the better program. I'll add, this is a VERY basic summary. There are many other people who make a living from these programs who can tell you more. ;)
 

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
iGary said:
One is vector one is raster.

Have a look at those on Google.


'nuff said.

if you dont know the difference between Vector & Raster then you dont need to know the difference between PS and Illustrator.

Lol. Right?
 

Seasought

macrumors 65816
Nov 3, 2005
1,093
0
davidwes said:
Also can someone recommend one. My company is trying to create postcards and these are the file formats the printer will take. We have a couple of pictures that we want to put together with some text, and maybe edit the pictures as well. We have used both pictures of real people and drawn cartoon images as well.

Can you get both of them?

If you had to pick one I'd say go for Photoshop. Now, if your postcards are going to be primarily all text with text effects you're better off with Illustrator in my opinion.
 

davidwes

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 28, 2004
307
141
Seasought said:
Can you get both of them?

If you had to pick one I'd say go for Photoshop. Now, if your postcards are going to be primarily all text with text effects you're better off with Illustrator in my opinion.

Well, I looked at the pricing, and with photoshop going for 649, and indesign going for 699, but those two plus illustrator as a bundle will only cost 899.00!!!

So I should get both it seems.

I suggest pages for the layout program, but they wanted something that was cross platform. And most printers do not take pages format (or pdf format).
 

Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Jul 4, 2004
21,929
265
davidwes said:
And most printers do not take pages format (or pdf format).

Most, if not all, printers will take a PDF.

But you have to know what you're doing to put a PDF together properly for print... in fact, whatever software you're using, you have to know something about how to prepare files for press.

Don't expect the software to do it all for you.
 

lazyboy922

macrumors 6502
Dec 9, 2003
353
0
Las Vegas, NV
Sdashiki said:
'nuff said.

if you dont know the difference between Vector & Raster then you dont need to know the difference between PS and Illustrator.

Lol. Right?


LOL! My thoughts exactly. In this case, maybe MacPaint will suffice ;-)
 

ATD

macrumors 6502a
Sep 25, 2005
745
0
davidwes said:
Well, I looked at the pricing, and with photoshop going for 649, and indesign going for 699, but those two plus illustrator as a bundle will only cost 899.00!!!

So I should get both it seems.


If you are willing to spend a little more you can get Acrobat as well. The CS is great deal.
 

Boelman

macrumors regular
Jul 15, 2004
101
0
I love photoshop. I am still working out how to use everything that it has to offer, but for professional graphics and presentation it has everything i need. I have just been using illustrator, and as I am not much of an artist, this has proved to be a bit harder to work out. Still learning
 

cgratti

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2004
782
0
Central Pennsylvania, USA
If your going to do more with photographs then get photoshop, if you want to make logos and illustrations, then get Illustrator.

Both of these programs have a learning curve, you wont learn these overnight.
 

dogbone

macrumors 68020
davidwes said:
Well, I looked at the pricing, and with photoshop going for 649, and indesign going for 699, but those two plus illustrator as a bundle will only cost 899.00!!!

So I should get both it seems.

You mean "so I should get all *three*"

You've just answered you're own question haven't you.

For what you have described you will find that a combo of Photoshop and InDesign will be all you need.
 
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