Book Review: Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book

Wanting to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator CS2, I went to my local Barnes and Noble and picked up the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a book. This book is the official training workbook from Adobe Systems, so I had high expectations that this would be the most precise way to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator.

The only thing that is assumed by the writers is that you are familiar with the computer platform you are using, whether it be PC or Mac. The book includes both PC and Mac terminology so it makes no difference which one you are using. It does not assume, however, that you have ever used Adobe Illustrator or any other Adobe product before. This is great, because if you have never used Adobe Illustrator or another Adobe product before, the interface can be a little intimidating. If you are familiar with Adobe Illustrator and you had been using a prior version, the book also has a section called "What's new in Adobe Illustrator CS2".

The Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book is accompanied by a CD-ROM, which contains all of the image files you will see in the book. The files are also arranged into separate chapter folders so that you can quickly access them without losing your train of thought. I found it to be beneficial, though, to copy the files to your hard drive so that you don't run into problems when trying to save your work. The book also walks you through how to do this.

Once you have gotten through the beginning portion of the book and have been introduced to Adobe Illustrator's function, interface, and tools, the lessons begin. Each lesson builds upon skills learned in the previous lesson, whether it be something a simple as selecting an object or using layers, or something more complex as using the new Adobe Illustrator CS2 Live Paint and Live Trace tools. This means that you are getting constant reinforcements of new skills so you will not forget them.

The best aspect of using the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book is that the tutorial mimics real-world uses for the Adobe Illustrator software. This includes making graphics for print ads as well as for the web. In doing each exercise, you get a real taste of how Adobe Illustrator can benefit you in your graphic design career.

Another thing that the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book does well is that it introduces you to keyboard shortcuts for common functions, so you get the benefit of knowing how to use Adobe Illustrator CS2 both effectively and efficiently.

The only place that the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book is lacking is in that it doesn't include much on how to properly coordinate colors. The book does an excellent job of explaining the use of predefined palettes and custom palettes; however unless you have experience in choosing colors that work well with each other, or colors that display properly on the web, you may have some difficulty making your products look really good. The book's purpose, though, is to get your hands wet with Adobe Illustrator CS2, and it does that very effectively.

Aside from this small shortcoming, the benefits of this book greatly outweigh its lone pitfall. For the novice or for the experienced Adobe Illustrator user, the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Classroom in a Book is a priceless gem that should be part of any complete computer software book collection.