When Should You Use Illustrator?

Good designers have many different tools at their disposal. Especially in an environment where most designers have other powerful graphics applications, it can be difficult to choose which one to use for a particular task. For example, a designer can apply soft drop shadows in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesignis one application any better than the other for this?

How does one know when to use Illustrator? To answer the question directly, use Illustrator when it's the right tool for the job.

In reality, using the right tool for the job is what this book is all about. When you understand the strengths (and weaknesses) of each program, you also understand when it's best to use (or not to use) a particular application. As would be expected, every design or production task that you are called upon to do will require a different technique, method, or feature. When you are comfortable with Illustrator, you'll easily be able to look at any project and know how to go about implementing it.