Adobe Illustrator CS3 - Manual (Page 58)

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Chapter 3: Drawing
You draw and modify paths using a set of drawing tools and techniques common to Adobe Illustrator, Adobe®
InDesign®, and Adobe® Photoshop®. Use these applications to draw paths, and freely copy and paste them between
programs. You can also create symbols for use in both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional.
Drawing basics
About vector graphics
Vector graphics (sometimes called vector shapes or vector objects) are made up of lines and curves defined by mathe-
matical objects called vectors, which describe an image according to its geometric characteristics.
Example of a vector image at different levels of magnification
You can freely move or modify vector graphics without losing detail or clarity, because they are resolution-
independent—they maintain crisp edges when resized, printed to a PostScript printer, saved in a PDF file, or
imported into a vector-based graphics application. As a result, vector graphics are the best choice for artwork, such
as logos, that will be used at various sizes and in various output media.
The vector objects you create using the drawing and shape tools in Adobe Creative Suite are examples of vector
graphics. You can use the Copy and Paste commands to duplicate vector graphics between Creative Suite compo-
nents.
See also
“About bitmap images” on page 258
About paths
As you draw, you create a line called a path. A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments. The
beginning and end of each segment are marked by anchor points, which work like pins holding a wire in place. A path
can be closed (for example, a circle), or open, with distinct endpoints (for example, a wavy line).
You change the shape of a path by dragging its anchor points, the direction points at the end of direction lines that
appear at anchor points, or the path segment itself.
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