Adobe Illustrator For iPad Launches As Fresco Heads To iPhone
Adobe MAX typically brings a new product launch or two along with it, and today, Adobe announced two big ones. The company is bringing two popular apps to new platforms today, revealing that it's bringing Illustrator to iPad and Fresco to iPhone. Of course, we had some indication of at least this iPad launch for Illustrator, as Adobe has been beta testing the app with thousands of users since March of this year.
That long beta test is finally ending, as Adobe is launching Illustrator on iPad today, and while there are obviously many similarities between it and the desktop version of the app, Adobe says to expect a "streamlined experience." The app has been built with the input of around 5,000 beta testers, making it one of the largest beta tests in Adobe's history.
Of course, this iPad launch means that Illustrator now supports the Apple Pencil, so if you've got one handy along with an iPad Pro, it sounds like you're well equipped to dive into Illustrator. It looks like the iPad version will follow the roadmap for the desktop version as well, so over time users can expect to see Adobe add new brushes and Sensei capabilities.
On the iPhone side of things, we're seeing the Fresco head to iPhone today, which is an app that's still somewhat new in its own right. Launched last year as an iPad app that was intended to "empower spontaneous creativity," Fresco seems well-suited to the smaller display of an iPhone in ways that other apps in the Creative Cloud suite may not be.
In addition to launching Fresco on iPhone, the app is also taking a page out of Illustrator's book and getting support for text today, complete with a set of sliders that will let you change sizing, leading, and tracking. We'll also see the addition of smudge brushes to help soften other strokes and hard edges, and users are getting more controls for timelapse videos as well. Just like in Photoshop and Illustrator, you'll be able to livestream your work to the Adobe Behance community too.
Beyond those additions, Adobe has made a number of quality of life changes to Fresco, allowing users to restore earlier versions of documents using cloud storage or save a drawing without having to close it first. Finally, there's a new video tutorial included in the app for those who might be new to Fresco. Look for Illustrator on iPad and Fresco on iPhone to go live today.