Adobe Illustrator CC vs CS6: Which Version Works Best for You?

As a professional illustrator involved in the graphic design industry who has used all versions of Illustrator since 2013, I decided to pit Adobe Illustrator CC vs CS6 to determine which version is better suited for beginners.

My experience shows that Illustrator CC is the way to go, particularly since CS6 is an outdated edition that can’t even be legally downloaded anymore. Even though you can continue relying on CS versions you’ve bought previously, they won’t receive any updates in the future.

Adobe Illustrator CC lets me produce highly accurate, resizable illustrations with the help of a broad range of drawing tools and in-depth color settings. The Live Corners feature simplifies the process of altering anchor points, while Object Snapping helps me align different elements.

Meanwhile, Text Alignment is useful for formatting text when creating comics and Smart Guides are an irreplaceable tool when it comes to aligning and transforming objects. Another great addition to this drawing software is the AI-based colorization feature, which smartly recommends color palettes based on the subject matter of the illustration.

Whenever I’m designing a logo or drawing a piece of art or a UI element, this tool helps me pick fitting colors that have an aesthetically pleasing coherence. However, access to all these tools isn’t cheap, which might stand in the way of some beginners.

This Illustrator edition provides an expansive feature set for designing digital drawings and illustrations on a professional level. Back when I first installed CS6, I was stunned by its customizable UI, the offered ability to create gradient strokes, and its pattern-creation tools that are perfect for web design projects.

This version is fully capable of producing high-quality visual assets for a variety of projects. Its main downside is the lack of all the new tools included in Illustrator CC. As such, it’s only a good idea to continue using CS6 if you don’t mind missing out on all the regular improvements and AI-based tools that are continuously added to the subscription-based version of Illustrator.

The subscription-based monetization strategy by Adobe is focused on making sure all active subscribers gain instant access to new updates and tools as soon as they are released.

I think that the latest version of Illustrator is particularly well-suited for creating logos and comics, while the provided typography functionality and vector drawing tools allow me to perfectly implement the designs I have in my head.

You can test the new version of Illustrator online, without downloading it. Moreover, all essential Illustrator tutorials and guides are built into the application.

Dimension tool. I used this tool to add guides that show the linear, angular, and radial measurements of my illustrations. Moreover, I was able to conveniently change the guide units, color, and font.

Generative Recolor. This cutting-edge feature helped me experiment with thousands of color palettes. I converted text and ideas into generated color schemes, which I later applied to my drawings.

Retype. The newest edition of Illustrator allowed me to instantly identify and change all fonts in an illustration or outlined vector text. I used it to find the closest match in the Adobe Fonts library, add the new font, and even edit the text included in the image.

Mockup. If you’re anything like me and want to see how your design will look on a product, then you’ll adore this tool. Add your vector illustration to a blank product photo and it will be automatically reshaped to provide a realistic, immersive result.

Illustrator CC provides several subscription packages for you to pick from.

If you only need access to this application, then go with the Single App plan for $22.99/month. However, if you’re also interested in using software like Photoshop and Adobe Express, then I suggest checking out the Creative Cloud All Apps package for $59.99/month. I recommend keeping an eye out for discounts. For instance, I got the second plan during a Black Friday sale for just $30/month.

It’s still possible to download the CS6 Illustrator version today, but it won’t have any of the recently added tools or bug fixes, since it represents the last Creative Suite edition, which was discontinued with the release of the Creative Cloud.

Illustrator CS6 can’t be downloaded from the official website, meaning new users don’t have a legal way to test this software.

However, if you already have this version on your computer and you’re still wondering if you should upgrade to the new one, then my verdict is – yes, it’s definitely worth it.

The Creative Cloud version of Illustrator wins the Adobe Illustrator CS6 vs CC battle because it provides an expanded and improved feature set, receives frequent updates, offers better performance, and stays up-to-date with industry trends. By getting a subscription to this software, you can rest assured you’ll receive all the latest tools and the necessary customer support should you encounter any issues.