Technical illustrators today work with a variety of different software applications including Adobe, and AutoCAD, in order to create specific illustrations for anything from manuals for everyday operations to very specific scientific drawings and diagrams. In essence, they need to be able to bring technical writing to life in a visual way that is easier to understand and follow. 

As a technical illustrator, the work you do will typically fall into one of three major categories: 

1. General audience illustrations: If you create drawings for a car manual or an electronic device, they will typically be viewed by a general audience without any scientific background. These illustrations need to be easy to understand and work as a complement to the writing. 

2. Specialized illustrations: These drawings are more complicated as they are typically used by scientists or engineers. They are to be used for peer-to-peer review, so they often contain very specific imagery and language. 

3. Expert illustrations: There are some subtle differences between specialized and expert illustrations. Expert illustrations are meant for people who have a lot of knowledge or experience in a particular area, such as engineering. 

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