Adobe Illustrator is an illustration program for desktop publishers. One fundamental reason why Illustrator is the first choice among professionals is the fact that, unlike many other packages, it generates output in Postscript, an industry-standard programming language that ensures complete compatibility with very high quality laser printers and image setters. This guide to the mastery of Adobe Illustrator teaches readers how to construct aesthetically pleasing and technically sound curves. Beginning with a general discussion of curves in art and nature, it shows how high-quality curves in desktop publishing software are based on the Beizer system, which uses tangents to define the slope and direction of the path. Other topics covered include connecting curves to straight lines, connecting one curve to another, and limiting the number of points in a curve to ensure smoothness and to limit the chances of crashing the output device.