What is the use of illustrator if photoshop can export svg?

[NigelNg123]

I heard that the difference between illustrator and photoshop is that photoshop creates raster graphics and can lose quality when scaled, and illustrator make use of mathematical formulas to create vector graphics that retains the quality, but I seen a video where one can create vector graphic using photoshop, so is there any use for illustrator now?

[D Fosse]

Photoshop's vector capabilities are severely limited compared to Illustrator. In Photoshop, it's mainly an aid to making selections.

[postrophix]

Hi

I concur with "D Fosse" SVG output from Photoshop is very limited, compared to illustrator.

Pierre

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Illustrator offers a lot of options that Photoshop does not for handling and manipulating vector graphics and texts, but it can also handle/convert existing vector data differently than Photoshop.

To put it unflatteringly the question

I seen a video where one can create vector graphic using photoshop, so is there any use for illustrator now?

seems comparable to: »If there are tractors do we really need passenger cars?«.

[davescm · Accepted solution]

Hi

It is about using the best tool for the job i.e. the application designed from the ground up to do it.

So for pixel image manipulation - Photoshop wins every time. But...

Whilst you can create vector images in Photoshop - Illustrator is much more powerful and therefore makes the job easier/do-able.

Whilst you can create page layouts in Photoshop - InDesign is much more powerful and therefore makes the job easier/do-able.

Whilst you can edit some video in Photoshop - Premiere Pro is much more powerful and therefore makes the job easier/do-able.

…..etc

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Naturally one has to weigh whether the investment in time to learn the handling of a specific application is justified considering the frequency with which one expects a certain task to arise.

So instead of

is there any use for illustrator now?

one might ask: Do I have any (frequent) use for Illustrator?

[davescm]

Good point c.pfaffenbichler

Dave