![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/adobe-illustrator-vs-photoshop-vs-indesign-print-design-guide.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign represent the \u201cbig three\u201d of the Adobe Creative Suite\u2014but never assume that one is interchangeable with another.<\/p>\nPhotoshop, Illustrator and InDesign represent the \u201cbig three\u201d of the Adobe Creative Suite\u2014but never assume that one is interchangeable with another.<\/p>\n
Use the wrong design program to create a certain element of your artwork, and you might end up with blurry text, sloppy layouts, or a logo that you can never resize without turning it into a pixelated nightmare.<\/p>\n
Using all three programs together, however, turns them into the ultimate dream team. You can maximize the strengths of each Adobe product while also minimizing their weaknesses; where one program fails, another can pick up the slack.<\/p>\n
![\"Photoshop](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/photoshop-vs-illustrator-vs-indesign-overview.jpg\" "\\"Photoshop")
<\/p>\n
Since each program has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, the one you should choose depends on which part of the print design you’re actually making.<\/p>\n
Using this presentation folder design as an example, let’s break down which Adobe programs (Photoshop vs. Illustrator vs. InDesign) were used to create its various elements.<\/p>\n The perfect scalability of vector images makes Illustrator, hands-down, the best program for creating print logos. A logo you create in Illustrator can be imported into a number of different projects and will always print with crystal clarity. Illustrator is the go-to choice for drawing any shaped visual elements, since vectors can be easily manipulated, altered and resized. Vector illustration can be tricky to learn, but the results are much more professional looking than other hand-drawn options. Photoshop gives you access to an impressive library of filters and special effects. If you want to give your print media projects that extra level of flair, Photoshop should be your first choice. The name says it all\u2014Photoshop has the most tools for manipulating photos, and since photos are created using pixels, you don\u2019t have to worry about distortion. Whenever your print design includes photographs, use Photoshop first to improve the image quality before importing into another program. If you\u2019re designing a brochure, pocket folder or other print project that has large passages of text, InDesign is very handy for its intuitive word wrap feature. Word wrap helps you easily break up your copy into columns, letting you utilize every inch of canvas space. InDesign also creates crisp, clean text devoid of pixelation.![\"Center](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/design\/media\/2013\/04\/lake-geneva-summer-camp-presentation-folder_front.jpg\" "\\"Center")
<\/a>![\"Center](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/design\/media\/2013\/04\/lake-geneva-summer-camp-presentation-folder_inside.jpg\" "\\"Center")
<\/a><\/p>\nDesigning a Logo: Illustrator<\/em><\/h3>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/designing-logo-illustrator.jpg\" "\\"Adobe"){kind=logo}
\nRunner-Up: InDesign<\/em><\/strong>
\nIf you don\u2019t have Illustrator, InDesign also has the vector tools you need to create a scalable logo. Photoshop can work as a last resort, but keep in mind that the vectors you create will be converted to raster images and you’ll likely see some slight pixelation if you try to reproduce the logo in different sizes.<\/p>\nDrawing Shapes and Graphics: Illustrator<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/drawing-graphics-illustrator.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
\nRunner-Up: Photoshop<\/em><\/strong>
\nIf you don\u2019t mind working in a pixel-based environment, you can achieve similar results using Photoshop. Since not all of your illustrative elements will be reused in other designs, you won\u2019t run into any pixelation issues as long as you don\u2019t have to resize the image.<\/p>\nAdding Filters and Special Effects: Photoshop<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/filters-effects-photoshop.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
\nRunner-Up: InDesign<\/em><\/strong>
\nIf you don\u2019t have access to Photoshop, you can add a few limited filters to your photos directly from InDesign. It doesn’t have quite the same scope as Photoshop, but it can handle the basics.<\/p>\nManipulating Photos: Photoshop<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/manipulating-photos-photoshop.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
\nRunner-Up: InDesign<\/em><\/strong>
\nAgain, if you don\u2019t have access to Photoshop, InDesign can at least handle the basics, like cropping and resizing. It shouldn\u2019t be your first choice, but it\u2019s manageable in a pinch.<\/p>\nWriting Copy: InDesign<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/writing-copy-indesign.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
\nRunner-Up: Illustrator<\/em><\/strong>
\nIllustrator can also be used to create smooth, scalable text out of vector shapes, but without the word wrap tools, it can be difficult to create a good-looking layout for text.<\/p>\nDesigning Layouts: InDesign<\/em><\/h4>\n
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/designing-layouts-indesign.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/print-ready-indesign.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.companyfolders.com\/blog\/media\/2013\/09\/adobe-fireworks.jpg\" "\\"Adobe")
Although Adobe Fireworks is an excellent illustration and photo editing tool, when it comes to designing print media, there isn\u2019t much that Fireworks has to offer over the other programs in the Adobe Creative Suite.<\/p>\n