– Added Perspective Drawing tools and the Shape Builder tool.
Adobe Illustrator Versions by Year: A Complete History (1987-2026) adobe illustrator versions by year
Envelope Distort (warping shapes and text), Symbols, Magic Wand selection, and live arc/line grid tools. This was the last version before Adobe transitioned to the Creative Suite branding. 2003: Adobe Illustrator CS (Version 11) Launch: October 2003 Platform: Mac and Windows Key Focus: 3D rendering and typographic control. – Added Perspective Drawing tools and the Shape
| Era | Years | Key Innovations | |------|-------|----------------| | | 1987–1994 | Bezier editing, PostScript, basic color | | Maturation (6.0–10.0) | 1996–2001 | Transparency, PDF, effects, gradients | | Creative Suite (CS–CS6) | 2003–2012 | Artboards, live trace, 64-bit, multi-page | | Creative Cloud (CC–present) | 2013–2026 | Cloud sync, AI (Firefly), 3D, collaboration | 2003: Adobe Illustrator CS (Version 11) Launch: October
and native PDF support, bridging the gap between design and web/print production. Era 2: Creative Suite (CS) Expansion (2003–2012)
Live preview editing on Windows (a feature Mac users had to wait for), support for Type 1 fonts, and editable preview modes. 1993: Adobe Illustrator 5.0 Launch: June 1993 Platform: Macintosh