After showcasing the new Photoshop for iPad

along with a myriad of new and improved products in their Creative Cloud Suite.

Adobe showed a preview of Illustrator for iPad coming 2020.

Adobe previewed its vector graphics app for

the iPad at Adobe MAX 2019 opening keynote.

Illustrator for iPad is optimised for touch

and gestures and supports the Apple Pencil.

The file system will be the same across all

Adobe Illustrator apps, so you will be able to start a file on the iPad and

continue on the desktop version through Creative Cloud. Adobe is in the process

of transforming its programmes into multi-platform apps that work on PC and

mobile devices.

Here a few highlights from the demo.

Reimagined Pen Tool

With native Apple Pencil support in the

iPad, Illustrator’s most integral tool will be easier to use (you can use your

fingers too). The Pen Tool on the desktop version requires much skill and

experience. On the iPad, the method is simplified for ease of use. Instead of sophisticated

mouse and keyboard combinations, you can hold and drag points with the Apple

Pencil, to create smooth vector graphics.

Manipulating paths is revised in Illustrator for iPad. Moving a point will no longer warp or distort shapes. Pointers can shift along a line while preserving an object’s shape. If you created too many points, smart delete works by removing extra points from a vector line without affecting the overall vector.

Construction outlines

Many designers draw and import art into Illustrator. Illustrator for iPad has a neat feature that makes the process easier. The construction outlines feature negates the need to trace lines on imported photo art. The Image Trace feature in Adobe Illustrator for desktop allows users to take pictures of drawn art or other images and convert them to vector graphics in Illustrator. But instead of manually tracing lines, Illustrator for iPad uses Adobe Sensei to analyse the photos and create traced lines for you. The vectors can then be manipulated to suit the artist’s needs.

Symmetry

One feature in the iPad version that isn’t yet available for desktop is Symmetry. The feature allows users to create mirror images of designs. Perfect for designing complex but cohesive art. In this mode, any changes made on one side of a piece of art is mirrored on the next, eliminating the worry of misaligned parts. Admittedly, this feature will make its way to the desktop soon.

Other features of note

Radial and Pattern Repeat – The function takes designs and replicates them repeatedly in circles

spaced equally apart. The model can then be manipulated as the user sees fit.

Pattern repeat works in the same way by

replicating images and creating patterns than can then be manipulated by the

user.