Simply put, a technical illustrator is someone who creates technical images within a document that are specifically meant to communicate or reiterate the accurate information within the document. Technical illustrators work with non-technical audiences, so while their imagery needs to be professional, it also needs to reach a variety of audiences. 

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. 

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