Adobe Illustrator 8 in line for fall debut

Testers applaud Actions, Gradient Mesh features

Creativity and productivity are highlighted this week as Adobe unveils the next version of its cross-platform illustration application, Illustrator 8.0. Beta testers said the upgrade was welcome, especially following the lukewarm reception of Version 7.0.

Due in September for Mac and Windows for a street price of $375, Version 8.0's revised feature set "will make learning the new interface worth it for those who did not upgrade to Version 7.0," said beta tester Woody Vondracek, infographer at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. In addition to newtools, the upgrade lifts features from other Adobe graphics applications.

Topping the favorites list for testers is the Gradient Mesh tool, which lets users design complex color gradients for painterly results. Users create an array of anchor points that are assigned multiple colors, and the tool will blend the colors in multiple directions. Adobe said the software can achieve effects similar to pixel-based painting but without resolution limitations.

Beta tester Steven Larracey, senior art director at Ropkey Graphics of Indianapolis, said Gradient Mesh lets him create 3D graphics and complex background patterns as blends, "something I really had to work at in Photoshop."

Adobe PostScript 3 printers will support the special gradients without rasterizing the artwork, Adobe said.

Vondracek named the Action Palette as his favorite new productivity feature. Borrowed from Photoshop 4, it lets users record custom sequences and offers preset scripts. Vondracek said he uses the palette for formatting text and paint attributes.