Few software titles have defined an industry as thoroughly as Adobe Illustrator. Before it became the subscription-based staple of the creative cloud, it spent three decades evolving through numbered versions and creative suite bundles. What began as a tool to automate the creation of charts and graphs for Marie Smith (Adobe founder John Warnock’s wife) became the gold standard for vector graphics.
Start with CC 2018 if you can find it. If you must subscribe, the 2024/2025 versions are powerful but overstuffed with AI you may never use. For pros who need reliability, CS6 remains unbeatable —even if it's 12 years old. adobe illustrator versions by year
Adobe Illustrator, a powerful vector graphics editor, has been a staple in the design industry for over three decades. Since its initial release in 1987, the software has undergone significant transformations, offering new features, improvements, and innovations that have revolutionized the way designers create. In this article, we'll take a journey through the various Adobe Illustrator versions by year, highlighting key milestones, and notable features. Few software titles have defined an industry as