they do different things. it depends whether you want to do more simulated process stuff or clean vector.

personally i'd go photoshop.

really okay
any specific versions of photoshop that you use?

Neither is better. They are different. I'd say if you can get to grips with it, Illustrator might be the most fruitful in terms of doing your actual 'drawings' in it. I used to design solely in Photoshop cos I couldn't be arsed to learn AI but then I did and I haven't looked back.

Maybe download trial versions of each and find out which one suits you best?

i am downloading illustrator right now!

I wish you success in these endeavors, my youthful friend

for anything with type illustrator is better. photoshop SUCKS with type

get both...it will help you alot..and they aboth equally good

hooray! illustrator is my program of choice, but I also need photoshop, of course. I couldn't do without either. plus flash. also pizza. I use all 3 programs every day. and pizza maybe once a week, or every 2 weeks. it's not always pizza time. I bought all 3 programs at once as part of my adobe suite. also I think I used to have a pencil around here somewhere. I forget how to use that one. a dog may have came and took it though. also I don't have a dog, so I don't know where he came from. come to think of it, I hope he wandered off by now actually.

that is so sad about your pencil
spacesick
how much did the suite cost?

Illustrator is hard to get to grips with, especially if you're used to raster rather than vector, but patience and practise are key.

it definitely helps to have both

you should just probably sign up for a Friendster account

I have both Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3.. but I have no clue how Illustrator works.. I know how to draw lines and how to adjust them.. but that's it.

I use the pen tool in photoshop a lot.. although I heard it isn't as good as the pen tool in illustrator..

hmm
i am def getting mixed messages
especially from bramish

Yeah, with Photoshop, you at least get a watered down version of Illustrator's main tool, but not vice versa. But still, I wouldn't buy either before trying both for a while.

I switch back and forth. When I am lazy, I use Photoshop. When I am dilligent and pay attention to what I am supposed to be doing, I use Illustrator.

Does that make sense?

yeah
photoshop is an easier version of illustrator
right?
bramish, what design program are your prints made in?

photoshop isnt an easier version at all, theyre both completely different and work differently, you have to try each of them out and see which you prefer

photoshop is an easier version of illustrator
right?

No. They're totally different.

They're both made in Illustrator. But you could easily do them in PS as they're just one colour. Everything I did prior to Fiddler Crab was made in Photoshop.

Illustrator is a drawing program. PS is primarily a photo editing program.

Photoshop and Illustrator are different. If you made your previous stuff on GIMP, then Photoshop is like a better version of that. It's good for photos and for working with stuff you scan into the computer. It will be really good for when you need to put your stuff on a template. When you're designing with it, you just paint directly onto the screen what you want to see. It works by colouring in pixels. If you want to make something bigger in Photoshop, you will lose image quality. Illustrator works differently. It lets you make lines and shapes and curves rather than paint individual pixels. The computer can interpret all the shapes you make in Illustrator mathematically, so it can scale the image as big as you like. It can come in handy because when working for a t-shirt print in a program like Photoshop you need to work in really hgih resolutions and it can be pretty heavy on your system resources, but Illuustrator can let you keep the file small.

sj explained it best.

That's what I love about Illustrator - if I need to make something small, really big I can with no pixelation. Not so in PS.

I always work in 4000x4000 px 300 dpi in photoshop :) so it's always big enough for a shirt :)

the files do get big though.. but if you have enough space on your pc it should be no problem :)

i used to used illustrator than photoshop alot because i use the pen tool alot to use draw my design but now, i used photohop more as i prefer hand drawn lines because it feels more natural to me...i just draw and edit it in photohop...is all a matter of personal preference....my advise is ttry out the trial version and if either one is your cup of tea buy them. Hope that helps =)...good luck

don't forget you get the student discount from adobe

I think illustrator is the best place to do the lines of a design and Photoshop is for the colouring and placement.

I love Illustrator though, so maybe i'm bias.

You should be able to get the student edition of CS4 Design Premium for $350 or less.

for the type of stuff you do, i think you're fine using GIMP and Inkscape. they're very powerful programs once you learn how to use them. and they're free.

like everyone said. it depends. i use photoshop

I use both - If you are planning on doing scanned stuff liek your past designs then Photoshop is the one you want.

as a graphic designer.. i use both, photoshop is great for raster images (photographs, and sketches) and provides you with the ability to add textures and effects using brushes ... illustrator is great for vector images (images made up of points and usually are hard edged and made up of shapes) this is great for artworks that are cartoonish and also very much recommended for type designs... the idea is that you use both of them because each program adds a certain characteristic to your designs.. if you are student or know someone who is.. you should be able to get the design premium for a really good price

I suggest getting the whole creative sweet. You can get a discounted educational version through a number of different sites that makes it extremely affordable.

experience and skill in both programs is pretty much industry standard

ofcourse this is just but a window into all the awesome things you could do with these programs.. i'd definitely recommend both

I used to use Illustrator for everything, but lately I've let all my skills lapse, and I'm intimidated by it again. =[

Primarily, it depends on whether you prefer to work with vectors or with raster images. PS and AI have a lot of common features, but there are also many great differences. I'd say it would be best if you could get your hands on both.

try to learn both!

^If you want to pursue this type of thing later in life, it is going to be necessary to learn both of these programs.

Doing so now would be a huge leap forward. I learned PS at your age, and it gives me a huge leg up a lot of the time in my classes and amongst my peers, and just makes it easier to learn the conceptual side of my work without grasping at the technical problems all the time.

I only use Illustrator for my designs. I do the presentations in Paint Shop Pro though. I guess that's the ghetto version of Photoshop. I learned Photoshop in school but I should really brush up on it. I think it's the most important program to know if you want to be a designer.

I love both Illustrator and PS. I do different stuff to the same image in each of them. Kick-ass team!

illustrator + photoshop.

Be proficient in both.

alright
thanks everyone for your advice

i use both, but for your style, i'd recommend photoshop.

yeah i am getting photoshop for christmas! :)
thanks

Evan, , been out of my normal life with knee surgery. I still have illustrator 8 if you want it.

^^for PC

That being said, Photoshop is a much easier place to begin.

$$$$ how much?

I know a great crack for both - therefore they are free :D

brightwood, can i really have it
so you want money?