Adobe will be releasing the next version of its Illustrator product, version 8.0 in late September, claiming a number of enhancements has made it easier and faster to use.
Illustrator 8.0 features seamless integration with other graphics programs from Adobe and new creative and productivity tools such as a gradient mesh tool which creates washes of colour by blending multiple colours in multiple directions in one object.
Like in Adobe's Photoshop, an Actions Palette has been incorported into Illustrator, providing a number of preset functions that according to Adobe, automate common illustration tasks, saving "valuable production time".
Pricing for Illustrator 8.0 has not yet been released, visit Adobe's Web site for further information, at http://www.pacific.adobe.com