Adobe Illustrator Versions By Year Jun 2026

Illustrator CS2 (v12) – Added Live Trace (converting raster images to vectors) and Live Paint.

Era 3: Creative Cloud (CC) & AI Integration (2013–Present)

Focused on collaboration with Creative Cloud Libraries and Adobe Stock integration. Shapes (clean geometric building blocks) and image brush were added.

The "Creative Suite" branding arrived. Key features included 3D effects (extrude, revolve) and optical kerning (auto-spacing between letters). It was a stability-focused release. adobe illustrator versions by year

Starting in 2003, Illustrator was bundled into the , marking a period of intense feature growth, including 3D effects and sophisticated tracing.

With the shift to a cloud-based subscription model, Adobe dropped standard version numbers from its marketing, replacing them with year designations and delivering rolling updates. 2013: Adobe Illustrator CC (Version 17) June 2013 Platform: Mac and Windows Key Focus: Cloud synchronization and touch hardware.

| Year | Version Name | Version Number | Key New Features | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 2013 | CC | 17 | First CC version; touch-enabled vector drawing on tablets | | 2014 | CC 2014 | 18 | Curvature tool; live rectangles; sync of fonts and settings | | 2015 | CC 2015 | 19 | Enhanced Creative Cloud Libraries; smoother pencil tool | | 2016 | CC 2017 | 21 | Multiple files per window; more flexible tool panels | | 2017 | CC 2018 | 22 | Variable fonts; Properties panel; Puppet Warp with pins | | 2018 | CC 2019 | 23 | Freeform gradients; global editing; customizable toolbar | | 2019 | CC 2020 | 24 | Improved brush organization; vectorizing raster art | | 2020 | CC 2021 | 25 | Cloud documents; better collaboration; AI-driven enhancements | | 2021 | CC 2022 | 26 | Share for Review; 3D and Metallic materials; Intertwine tool | | 2022 | CC 2023 | 27 | Intertwine tool; real-time drawing collaboration; improved 3D | | 2023 | CC 2024 | 28 | Mockup tool; Retype font recognition; streamlined sharing | | 2024 | CC 2025 | 29 | AI text-to-vector; enhanced mockups; Gradient tool; style transfer | | 2025 | CC 2026 | 30 | Native Apple Silicon; Generative Expand; faster performance | Illustrator CS2 (v12) – Added Live Trace (converting

tool and the "Beautiful Strokes" feature for variable-width lines. 2012: Illustrator CS6 (v16)

Illustrator 2021 (v25) – Introduced "Repeat" objects (Radial, Grid, Mirror) and native support for Apple M1 chips.

In 2013, Adobe transitioned to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model, replacing perpetual licenses with monthly or annual payments delivered over the internet. Illustrator became “Illustrator CC,” with version numbers resetting to 17 and advancing each year. The "Creative Suite" branding arrived

| Year | Version | Platform / Codename | Notable Features | |------|---------|---------------------|-------------------| | 1987 | 1.0 | Mac only | Bezier curves, PostScript | | 1988 | 1.5 | Mac | Improved memory management | | 1989 | 2.0 | Mac | Text handling, layers (precursor) | | 1991 | 3.0 | Mac / first Windows | Windows 3.0 support, TrueType | | 1992 | 3.5 | Mac / Windows | Improved drawing tools | | 1993 | 4.0 | Windows only | (Windows exclusive version) | | 1994 | 5.0 | Mac | Live editing, multiple undo | | 1996 | 6.0 | Mac | Gradients, eyedropper tool | | 1997 | 7.0 | Mac / Windows | Common UI with Photoshop | | 1998 | 8.0 | Mac / Windows | “FreeHand killer” – smart guides, actions palette | | 2000 | 9.0 | Mac / Windows | Transparency, PDF support, SVG | | 2001 | 10.0 | Mac / Windows | Live effects, symbols, warp tools | | 2003 | CS (11.0) | Mac / Windows | 3D effects, multi-page printing | | 2005 | CS2 (12.0) | Mac / Windows | Live Trace, Live Paint, color management | | 2007 | CS3 (13.0) | Mac / Windows | Eraser tool, document profiles, improved UI | | 2008 | CS4 (14.0) | Mac / Windows | Multi-artboards, gradient on strokes, blobs | | 2010 | CS5 (15.0) | Mac / Windows | Perspective drawing, variable-width strokes | | 2012 | CS6 (16.0) | Mac / Windows | 64-bit only, new UI, image tracing | | 2013 | CC (17.0) | Subscription only | Cloud sync, touch support, fonts | | 2014 | CC 2014 (18.0) | CC | Linked assets, curve smoothing | | 2015 | CC 2015 (19.0) | CC | Shaper tool, live shapes | | 2016 | CC 2017 (21.0) | CC | Stock integration, team libraries | | 2017 | CC 2018 (22.0) | CC | Puppet warp, variable fonts | | 2018 | CC 2019 (23.0) | CC | Freeform gradients, global editing | | 2019 | CC 2020 (24.0) | CC | Auto-trace improvements, cloud docs | | 2020 | CC 2021 (25.0) | CC | Large canvas (100x), 3D effects (beta) | | 2021 | CC 2022 (26.0) | CC | 3D and materials, inter-app sharing | | 2022 | CC 2023 (27.0) | CC | Intertwine tool, share for review | | 2023 | CC 2024 (28.0) | CC | Mockup, Retype, improved text to vector | | 2024 | CC 2025 (29.0) | CC | Generative AI (Firefly), enhanced 3D | | 2025 | CC 2026 (30.0) | CC | AI-powered vector editing, performance |

If you would like to drill down into a specific release, let me know. I can provide the , a breakdown of deprecated features , or help you figure out which version is ideal for your current hardware setup. Share public link

The launch of Illustrator for iPad (supporting Apple Pencil inputs), large canvas support for billboard-scale graphics, real-time drawing previews, and cloud-based file autosaving. 2021: Adobe Illustrator 2022 (Version 26) Launch: October 2021 Platform: Mac, Windows, iPad Key Focus: Advanced 3D tools and cloud collaboration.

A Mac-only release (Windows caught up later). This version introduced the (MDI), allowing designers to have several files open in a single window. More importantly, version 5.0 implemented true color separation for professional printing, including spot colors and the Pantone Matching System (PMS). It also added a spell checker and a thesaurus—features that seem odd today but were revolutionary for typographic posters.