Illustrator CS2 in Easy Steps: For Windows and Mac (In Easy Steps Series) Paperback – Import, 30 Sep 2005

I have been using Photoshop CS2 for some time but have never had the need to use Illustrator until recently.As with other books in the Easy Steps series this is designed to be a beginner's guide. It starts off with a useful description of the differences between vector and bitmap images and what Illustrator offers to the user.If you have some Photoshop experience many of the tools and features will be very straight forward. The user interface is much the same as that of Photoshop, and many of the tools will be very familiar. I'm not sure I would have found the book as easy to use if I was not familiar with Photoshop.The book's main benefits are the straight forward language used and the colour images which help to bring the examples to life. The book covers all the most commonly used features and there is a quick reference to the toolbox on the inside of the front cover, which is invaluable.The downside is that there is no accompanying CD or website download available, so you cannot follow the book's lessons on-screen as you go along. I read the book all the way through away from my PC before trying to actually use it to use Illustrator and the main thing that I would advise is that you try to replicate some of the early examples immediately so that you can use them again and build on the knowledge gained. There are no precise instructions for creating each of the examples so it is a matter or trial and error, but I got there quite happily.Hints are provided about integration with other software applications - particularly Photoshop and Bridge. One of the most useful things that I learned was how to "place" items from other software applications - either by linking or embedding.The book finishes with a look at 3D effects and it gives an idea of how much more there is to discover in this excellent and very powerful piece of software.I found this book to be a very good place to start as a complete beginner, and the book gave me enough knowledge to be able to experiment on my own designing logos and creating simple cartoons with my graphic tablet.

I only need to use Illustrator at a very basic level for simple technical drawing to import into a laser cutting machine. the book was useful for showing me what to do what I needed to quickly and simply. I would like to know how to do more things that I think are basic but are not covered by this book which is why i have given it 4 stars rather than 5.

This is an ivaluble tool for anyone learning or refreshing their knowledge about illustrator.

good quick guide. Would have liked more detail.

A+++++++++