Adobe Illustrator Versions By Year

The story of Adobe Illustrator began not in a boardroom, but at a home kitchen table. In the mid-1980s, Adobe co-founder John Warnock watched his wife, Marva, a graphic designer, struggle with manual tools like French curves, Rapidographs, and rub-down type to create camera-ready art—a process that could take days and was prone to messy errors.

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Features generative AI, Perceptual Blending, and a faster engine. adobe illustrator versions by year

| Year | Version / Name | Notable features / milestones | |---:|---|---| | 1987 | Illustrator 1.0 | Initial Mac-only vector drawing app (PostScript-based). | | 1988 | Illustrator 88 (v1.7) | Major update with drawing/pen tool improvements; became known as "Illustrator 88". | | 1990 | Illustrator 3.0 | Added native color support and improved type handling. | | 1992 | Illustrator 5.0 | Introduced editable text and multiple artboards (early forms). | | 1994 | Illustrator 6.0 | Improved printing and PostScript Level 2 support. | | 1997 | Illustrator 7.0 | Full rewrite with new interface; introduced TrueType support and Windows parity. | | 1999 | Illustrator 8.0 | Focus on web graphics and improved gradient mesh. | | 2001 | Illustrator 9.0 | Enhanced type layout and drawing precision. | | 2003 | Illustrator 10 | First version with improved effects and PDF compatibility. | | 2003 | Illustrator CS (11.0) | Rebranded under Creative Suite; tighter integration with Photoshop/other apps. | | 2005 | Illustrator CS2 (12.0) | Performance improvements, Live Trace (bitmap-to-vector). | | 2007 | Illustrator CS3 (13.0) | Enhanced UI, multiple artboards, better integration with other Adobe CS apps. | | 2008 | Illustrator CS4 (14.0) | Multiple artboards official support, enhanced 3D effects, transparency grid. | | 2010 | Illustrator CS5 (15.0) | Improved pathfinder, perspective drawing tools, GPU acceleration beginnings. | | 2012 | Illustrator CS6 (16.0) | Reworked UI, Mercury Performance System, pattern creation improvements. | | 2013 | Illustrator CC (17.0) | Creative Cloud transition — subscription model, cloud features, Typekit integration. | | 2014 | Illustrator CC 2014 (18.0) | Touch-type tool, CSS extraction for web, sync settings. | | 2015 | Illustrator CC 2015 (19.0) | Performance improvements, CC Libraries, better export options. | | 2016 | Illustrator CC 2017 (21.0) | Real-time drawing enhancements, glyph panel, advanced effects. | | 2017 | Illustrator CC 2018 (22.0) | Properties panel, global edit, improved Puppet Warp. | | 2018 | Illustrator CC 2019 (23.0) | Multiple glyph alternates, GPU performance improvements. | | 2019 | Illustrator 2020 (24.0) | Recolor Artwork, enhanced global editing, performance gains. | | 2020 | Illustrator 2021 (25.0) | New home screen, enhanced cloud document support, real-time stylus smoothing. | | 2021 | Illustrator 2022 (26.0) | 3D effects rewrite (3D and Materials), repeat grid, improved color workflows. | | 2022 | Illustrator 2023 (27.0) | Expanded 3D features, generative/AI-assisted tools introduced incrementally. | | 2023 | Illustrator 2024 (28.0) | Continued 3D polishing, vector export improvements, performance updates. | | 2024 | Illustrator 2025 (29.0) | Ongoing feature refinements and workflow integrations (versioning names vary by release cadence). | The story of Adobe Illustrator began not in

1993: Version 5.0 (Saturn)

– Introduced Layers , a major workflow improvement. | Year | Version / Name | Notable