# Photoshop vs, Illustrator.



## mhilton11 (Feb 13, 2012)

Wanting to get into screen printing. Should i buy photoshop cs5 or Illustrator? I have both trials and it seem that photoshop is much easier to do cmyk seperations while illustrator has all of the design capabilities. Please help me deciding which to buy..i cant afford both now. Thanks!


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

I need both a raster and vector program. Although I have both adobe products which was supplied by a state collage that I do work for I couldn't afford either and purchased Corel Draw suite which allowed me to also purchase simple seps by advanced artist.


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## mhilton11 (Feb 13, 2012)

I havent worked much with corell draw. I will look into it. thanks


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Corel draw suite has photo paint (photoshop). Check out simple seps package with the training for Corel draw best money I spent was able to print and convert to half tones no rip. I bought a legit X5 eBay for $50 but i will warn if you go this route to be careful there are pirate ver out there but ebay protect you if you happen to get one I was an adobe person back when ver was single digits but cs5 they took out screen function.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

For spot colors or cartoon like artworks, if funds is a problem now, you may also consider freeware inkscape as an interim solution. I use mostly corel draw but have no problems using inkscape on cartoon like spot images.


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## ScreenFoo (Aug 9, 2011)

To add to the good info--I'd say if you do have the funds, get both illustrator and photoshop. Not bashing anything--I haven't used Inkscape, but have heard good things about it. I played around with (then aldus) freehand vector program first, but I really started on Corel 4, and loved it. I also used versions 6,7,8,9,x3,x4,and x5, of the Corel suite and they are all excellent for the money. I just got back into Adobe a couple years back, and IMO photo-paint does well, but photoshop is the gold standard.

Really I'd look at it as a budget decision. If you're going to take the time to learn how to use them well, I think Adobe has the best software. 
Whether or not it's worth the money, that's the real question...


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## mhilton11 (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks all! Im going to take a look at Corel and Inkscape. I really like the Adobe products, but the price sucks!


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## boyamable (Feb 2, 2012)

mhilton11 said:


> Thanks all! Im going to take a look at Corel and Inkscape. I really like the Adobe products, but the price sucks!


 if you take adobe photoshop, you wont need corel. if you take corel, time will come you'll need to do c,m,y,k and thats one thing photoshop is good at. dont know also if you can do photo editing in corel. like what i've read from one post here in tshirt forum, it's "where you are born". corel or photoshop. if you can operate both the better


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

boyamable said:


> if you take adobe photoshop, you wont need corel. if you take corel, time will come you'll need to do c,m,y,k and thats one thing photoshop is good at. dont know also if you can do photo editing in corel. like what i've read from one post here in tshirt forum...


If you have the Corel suite then photopaint is integrated into corel draw.

You can edit with one of the many free and commercial graphics software and print/separate from corel draw. Takes a few more clicks though but hardly a burden.


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## boyamable (Feb 2, 2012)

BroJames said:


> If you have the Corel suite then photopaint is integrated into corel draw.
> 
> You can edit with one of the many free and commercial graphics software and print/separate from corel draw. Takes a few more clicks though but hardly a burden.


 thats exactly the point. photoshop is all in. no need to download extra software as the corel to complete it's operation. but like what i've said, if you can use both the better.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

boyamable said:


> if you take adobe photoshop, you wont need corel. if you take corel, time will come you'll need to do c,m,y,k and thats one thing photoshop is good at. dont know also if you can do photo editing in corel. like what i've read from one post here in tshirt forum, it's "where you are born". corel or photoshop. if you can operate both the better


With a rip Corel X5 natively will do CMYK separation directly from the print menu with adobe you have to do channel separations. 

I don't think it's where your born adobe or Corel. It more like your willingness to learn and retain each programs features. I use both and now using both I do some stuff with one and some with the other. I think it makes us more versatile for our customers.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

boyamable said:


> thats exactly the point. photoshop is all in. no need to download extra software as the corel to complete it's operation. but like what i've said, if you can use both the better.


Photoshop is only raster. To do vector you have to purchase illistrator. You can do all the separations with either program. No add ins. Although wash have add-ins for doing so. The biggest downfall to the new photoshop they took the screen function out so now you have print from a rip or different program. There's is good and bad to both. Like I have already said I use both and don't think I could just use one or the other. I don't use illistrator much I could do with out it but Corel draw, photopaint and photoshop are used almost everyday.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

You can draw vectors with photoshop with the pen tool but not many people, even those who uses photoshop are aware or are comfortable with it and prefer to buy and use illustrator instead.

Even without a RIP, you can separate CMYK from corel draw by printing to postscript. Some swear they produce a much better halftone separation than photoshop.

For screen printing, photoshop CS5 removed some features useful to screen printers.


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