Vector graphics with Adobe Illustrator CS

Designers to rediscover the power of vector graphics with Adobe Illustrator CS2

New version delivers breakthrough creative tools along with advanced SVG-t support for developing mobile content

Sydney, Australia - Adobe Systems today announced Adobe® Illustrator® CS2 software, a significant new release of the industry standard for creating graphically-rich vector content for print, motion graphics, the Web and mobile devices. Available as a stand-alone software application or as a key component of Adobe Creative Suite 2, also announced today (see separate press release), Illustrator CS2 enables designers to rediscover the power of vector graphics through exciting new creative tools (Live Trace and Live Paint), an enhanced user interface and expanded support for a variety of file formats, including Scalable Vector Graphics Tiny (SVG-t) for output to mobile platforms.

"With the introduction of Illustrator CS2, designers have unprecedented power over vector graphics with the ability to convert their hand-drawn images and colour their artwork as it was intended and then deliver it to the medium of their choice," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief operating officer at Adobe. "Adobe Illustrator remains at the cutting edge of graphic design and with new features for mobile authoring it is an essential component to any design and publishing workflow."

Innovative creative tools
Breakthrough features expand creative possibilities and improve designer productivity. Live Trace easily and accurately converts scans of hand-drawn sketches and digital photos into fully editable and scaleable Illustrator artwork in seconds. Live Paint enables users to colour artwork quickly and intuitively, based on how it appears on screen rather than how it was constructed. Live Paint also solves the common illustration challenge of quickly creating new shapes.

Optimised user interface
The new Control palette and Custom Workspaces in Adobe Illustrator CS2, help creative professionals discover new and existing tools and optimise their workspace and workflow. The Control palette, a context-sensitive interface that provides users convenient access to 80 percent of commonly used palettes from a single location, allows faster selection of menus and features and frees screen real estate for artwork. Custom Workspaces enable designers to select and arrange palettes to support a particular workflow or project, save it as a named workspace and access it from the Window menu or share it with other designers.

Flexible output and tight integration
Whether designing for print, the Web, or mobile platforms, Adobe Illustrator CS2 software makes it easy to collaborate creatively from first idea to final review. Illustrator CS2 offers expanded support for a wide variety of file formats, including industry-standard PDF/X for print workflows, Macromedia® Flash(tm) (SWF) for Web animations, and SVG, including SVG-t for applications such as animated picture messaging, mobile e-commerce, and mobile entertainment.

Adobe Illustrator CS2 provides tight integration with Adobe Photoshop® CS2 software through expanded support for Photoshop layer compositions and direct access to Filters and Effects. This added integration gives designers greater creative flexibility and control in workflows that span Adobe Creative Suite 2. Illustrator CS2 includes Adobe Bridge which functions as a hub for productivity, imagery and creativity, providing multi-view file browsing and smooth cross-product integration across Adobe Creative Suite 2 software. Adobe Bridge also provides access to Adobe Stock Photos, a new stock photography service that offers users one-stop shopping across five stock image providers to deliver high-quality, royalty-free images for layout and design (see separate press release).

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Illustrator CS2 for Mac OS X version 10.2.8 through 10.3.8, Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 3 or 4 or Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or 2, will begin shipping in late May / early June to customers in Australia and New Zealand and will be available through Adobe Authorised Resellers.

Estimated street price for the full version will be AUD$999 (inc GST) and NZ$969 (ex GST) and licensed users of any previous version of Adobe Illustrator can upgrade for AU$339 (inc GST) and NZ$329 (ex GST). For more detailed information about new features, upgrade policies and pricing, please visit: http://www.pacific.adobe.com/illustrator . Adobe Illustrator CS2 is also available as a component of Adobe Creative Suite 2.

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