Real World Illustrator CS3 Now Shipping!

I just received my own copy today!

The CS3 version of the book contains many improvements based on suggestions by the readers of this blog. Thanks to all of my readers, both of the blog and the book -- I really appreciate your support.

Once again, Ron Chan has done a superb job of creating the illustration for the cover of the book, and Ron has captured the true focus of the CS3 release, which obviously was all about color.



Besides covering all of the new features in detail, the CS3 edition of the book contains an all-new chapter called Working with Color which covers every aspect of the complex Live Color feature in detail. The book also contains a 16-page color insert which breaks down every color feature in Illustrator (as well as kuler) -- and I'm in the process of trying to convince my publisher to allow me to turn that into a full-color poster as well.

Now that the book is out, the videos are out (and the SAMS Teach Yourself Adobe Creative Suite 3 All in One book is going through final PDF proofs as we speak), I can once again focus my efforts back on updating this blog more regularly (I hope). Maybe I can even get a few video podcasts out there :)

In addition, I have a couple of things I've been working on, which I hope to share with you as well in the near future.

As always, if you have ordered the book and have any comments, questions, or corrections, don't hesitate to drop me an email and let me know! And don't be shy about adding your reviews to Amazon either :)

Enjoy the book!

Illustrator CS3 trial versions now available

I noticed that Adobe now has downloadable trial versions of all of the CS3 versions of their software now, up on their website. Be prepared to wait a while though as these file sizes are somewhat daunting. In my opinion, it's worth the wait though :)

If you want a trial of the entire Adobe Creative Suite, it appears that Adobe is "selling" a trial version for 10 bucks. It actually covers the cost of the DVD that they will send you -- trust me, you don't want to be downloading the installer for the entire Creative Suite.

Adobe's trial software are full versions that are valid for 30 days of use from when you first install them. This gives you a way to fully evaluate the software on your system before you decide to upgrade or purchase.

My review of Illustrator CS3

Until now, I've kept away from sharing my own personal opinion about the Illustrator CS3 upgrade only because I was asked to write a review for CreativePro.com. Today, the review was published. Feel free to comment here on whether you agree or disagree with my thoughts.

Yay! Illustrator CS3 revealed!

The long wait is over! Illustrator CS3 -- and a massive list of other Adobe CS3 applications -- are all out in the open.

Want to find out about the new features in Illustrator CS3? Watch the latest episode of the Real World Illustrator podcast!

Want to find out about the new features in InDesign CS3? Head over to InDesign Secrets. Well, I guess it isn't much of a secret anymore, is it? :)

Of course, there's plenty to read at Adobe.com as well.

There's obviously tons to talk about, so leave comments here letting me know what specifically you want to know most about, and we'll talk...

Real World Illustrator Podcast - Illustrator CS3 Overview

Jason is ALIVE! An overview of the new features in Adobe Illustrator CS3. Live Color, Color Guide, Vector Eraser tool, Crop Area tool, Flash CS3 integration, native Intel-Mac support, new user interface, new document profiles, deviceN support, etc.
- Video Podcast

Illustrator CS3 features cool experimental technology

There are two features present in Illustrator CS3 which are actually experimental projects from Adobe Labs. In fact, the first time you opt to use these features (which are located in a new special Adobe Labs submenu), you’re presented with a dialog reminding you that the technology is only experimental (read: beta). The best part of these two features is that they can extend Illustrator’s reach out onto the web.

A hook into Adobe’s kuler
The first feature is a kuler panel that allows you to see RSS-feeds from kuler directly from within Illustrator. Not only can you search kuler and get live results, you can instantly convert a kuler palette of colors into one of Illustrator CS3’s new color groups within the Swatches panel.



A new way to get help
Finding help while you’re using Illustrator (or any application for that matter) has always been a challenge. The new knowhow panel in Illustrator CS3 is context sensitive and provides helpful feedback for the tool or function you’re currently using as you work in Illustrator. You can get a list of all shortcuts that can be used with your selected tool…



...and you can also use knowhow to search Adobe’s help for how to use the tool, and even better, you can search the web for tutorials or articles that talk about that tool. That’s right! You can choose a tool in Illustrator, click on a link in the knowhow panel, and be directed to resources – like the Real World Illustrator blog!



As this is an Adobe Labs project, you can be sure we’ll be seeing other apps getting this functionality in future versions.

7 days of waiting

Almost two years ago, April 4, 2005, Adobe announced Adobe Creative Suite 2. We learned of features like Vanishing Point in Photoshop, Snippets in InDesign, and Live Trace in Illustrator.

In our little design world that we live in, a lot has happened since then, including Apple's move to Intel-based hardware, Microsoft's release of Vista, and Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia.

Now, two years later, Adobe is about to pull the cover off of their newest offering: Creative Suite 3. With March 27 just seven days away, the wait is almost over. Almost...

What's in the Box?

Found this link this morning from Adobe UK.

UPDATE: Turns out that Adobe will be announcing Adobe Creative Suite 3 on March 27th, 2007! How exciting!

Of course, I can't wait to share lots of cool stuff with all of you (more than just about Illustrator too). Let's block off that afternoon, shall we? Oh, and I apologize in advance if my posts are scarce until then. I'm sure you'll all understand... and I'm sure I'll find a way to make it up to you ;)