Paperback: 304 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.71 x 9.14 x 7.50

Publisher: Sybex; 1 edition (October 17, 2003)

ISBN: 0782141587

Reviewed by Peter deHaan.

Let me preface this review by clearly stating that I have almost no actual experience with Illustrator. I've tried the various demos over the years, but always found the program to be a bit over my head. I have experience with other Adobe products, notably Photoshop versions 4-CS, but for some reason have never been able to get the hang of Illustrator. When I opened my mailbox and found a shiny new copy of "The Hidden Power of Illustrator CS Web Graphics Techniques", perhaps the longest book title ever, I was overjoyed.

Chapter one starts out with a really well written overview of the basic terms and concepts you'll encounter while developing for the Web. Topics such as pixels versus vectors, transparent GIFs, PNGs, WebSafe colors, Adobe's SVG format and a nice discussion on file sizes and the Internet. I was overjoyed to see an author actually explain the importance of download times as it seems to be a topic that many Web developers never seem to grasp.

I have to say that I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from this book. As early as chapter 2 you are introduced to concepts such as "envelopes" and "meshes" which allow you to give items an almost 3D feel. Throughout each of the chapters are various invaluable tips that you could easily miss if you were quickly skimming pages. After reading this book cover to cover I felt about 600x better about using Illustrator than I did initially. Finally I understood the tools a bit better and some of the main differences between using bitmap programs such as Photoshop and vector programs such as Illustrator.

This book isn't for everybody, it mainly targets people newer to developing websites, and specifically those with no previous Illustrator experience. If you want a complete reference book for Illustrator then this won't be the book for you. Personally I found the book to be top quality with very few problems. Unfortunately the support URL listed in the book wasn't available when I checked, but I assume you would be able to download support files and get extra tips as there is no CD ROM included in the book.

I also have to admit that the color section was really nice, and the book definitely deserves a place on my bookshelf until I get a little more competent with Illustrator.

Rating: 4/5 .