All work intuitively and manage to cover more than just the basics, rounding off a very capable experience for a tablet.Īfter a 15-minute learning curve, we were creating icons and setting type on the tablet, then flinging files to our laptop for finishing touches. Add to the mix Adobe’s cloud saves and getting files across devices is simple.Īdditionally, there’s an eraser tool, shape creator (complete with options to control rounded edges), an image importer and finally, artboard control, so you can work across multiple artboards in a single file. It’s very likely you’ll want to handoff between iPad and computer the brush and Pencil integration on iPad are so good. There are three ways to create lines in the app - point by point, using the pencil, or using the brush. Illustrator offers up total control over points and handles, and if you aren’t using a graphics tablet with Illustrator already, the Pencil integration will liberate you. Its selection tool works with a finger or an Apple Pencil, though you can’t beat the precision of a stylus. Once you get comfortable with the notion that you can’t bin your desktop just yet, you really start to enjoy Adobe’s tablet app though. You can even convert text to an outline, giving you granular control of letter characteristics – especially handy for logo design. Alignment, leading, kerning, and tracking (line, word, and letter spacing) are all easy to manipulate, and it makes illustrator an incredibly powerful type tool for the iPad. For starters, you have access to all the fonts on your iPad, and thousands more through the Creative Cloud app.

This properties menu gets even better when manipulating typography. Additionally, shape fills, blend modes, opacity, and stroke type can be controlled in this expanded menu. If you’re selecting a shape, for example, you can transform it precisely here. This menu is an extension of that context-sensitive menu mentioned, only with more granular control.

You can also customize the properties of whatever you’re selecting in the properties tab to the right of the screen. Drag layers up and down, sort them into groups, rename, lock and hide them at will. Speaking of layers, Illustrator aficionados will be delighted to know layers are here in full force.

Vector drawing ipad