Adobe has released a new version of Photoshop, and this time it's free, folks — at least for a little while.
Photoshop CS 6 is available as a free download and is billed as a "preview" of what's to come in the full version, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2012. (The full-featured Photoshop CS 5 currently sells for $699.)
Here's some of the new features:
-- A new interface. It sounds like a small one, but to users, this is big. The familiar white background of Photoshop is now black, similar to Adobe's Lightroom software, helping your images pop. "It's like changing the paint on the walls," says Photoshop product manager Zorana Gee. "It just looks more modern." Traditionalists who don't like it can switch back to classic.
-- Video-editing tools. Sure, Adobe has Premiere Pro, which competes with Apple's Final Cut Pro, and on the consumer side, the entry-level Premiere Elements, but now it's adding simple video-editing tools to Photoshop as well. You get the basics here — you can trim a clip, add transitions and titles, and that's about it. More and more photographers are now shooting video along with stills, since cameras — from the iPhone 4S to the DSLR Canon 5D Mark II — offer high-definition video along with high-quality stills. Video is being added to Photoshop because "our photographers don't want to use the hobbyist software," says Gee. "They're more comfortable in Photoshop." It's targeted to folks who don't want to switch between programs for simple edits.
-- Improved content-aware tool. The tool, which lets you automatically erase a portion of an image (say a garbage can in the background) with one click, now has greater refinement. Now, instead of just removing the garbage can, you can move it to another portion of the image.
-- Adobe says the new Photoshop moves at a faster pace, taking advantage of the horsepower of newer computers.
We've been testing CS6 for the last week, and having lots of fun with the new tools. The new interface is a huge improvement — the images really do look sharper and more pronounced. The content-aware tool works better, and the video-editing tools are fun — although I'd still rather edit in Final Cut.
As for the speed improvement? Unfortunately, we just got a new, faster computer, so it's hard to tell.
Readers — download the beta and let us know what you think.
0 comments:
Post a Comment