Adobe company and products overview

Adobe did not sponsor any part of this post and they are not personally involved in any way. In addition, all Adobe logos and icons used within this post are for demonstration purposes and are purely used to enrich the article.

My first introduction to Adobe was some years ago when I was studying graphic design. We mostly used Macs, Adobe software and various traditional media for all our projects. These days I use a PC, various software, minimal amount of traditional media, a Canon digital camera, Wacom graphics tablet and other design tools.

Adobe software has been around for many years, I remember one of my teachers saying that he used the very first version of Photoshop which only had one layer and that every modification was permanent. I guess back then designers had to visualise everything in their mind and/or conceptualise their ideas on paper before even trying to attempt to work digitally. The lack of multi-step “undo” functionality also hindered many creative freedoms.

It seems to me that we take many things for granted because it is now a part of our everyday life. I sometimes take a moment to reflect back on where the digital age came from and the amount of time that has been spent to nurture its development up to this point.

Over the years, Adobe have continued making tonnes of improvements to their classics like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. But things were not always peaches and roses because there was competition lurking around the corner. Established in the early 1990’s, Macromedia was another big player in the digital market. Macromedia, a company which created software like Flash (not to be confused with Flash Player), Dreamweaver, Fireworks and several others.

Macromedia Flash was a fantastic piece of software, with its ability to create frame by frame animations and having a selection of various vector tools made it very unique. In 2000 they added ActionScript 1.0, it was a game changer because it allowed creation of advanced animations, games, interactive applications and interactive websites. This was definitely one of the things that made Adobe feel uneasy.

In 2005 Adobe bought Macromedia, it was a very bold move taken by both parties to unite and I believe it was the right choice because we are all better for it today. Adobe have created several new software offerings since the merge and continue to improve their products with each iteration. We are very fortunate that people at Adobe have not called it quits but continue to march on, this really shows that they are here for the long term.

All Adobe software products were originally a stand-alone purchase which came in a box with a CD. It is a totally different story today, you no longer need to physically go to a store to purchase the latest version, everything is now easily accessible online. However, you will require a stable internet connection, then simply sign up for an Adobe account and subscribe to one of their Creative Cloud packages.

As with any major change, there were many complaints about Adobe’s new online subscription model and its stability. Not everyone had access to the internet and a credit card to make payments, which are both required by the way. You will need to be aware that by using the Adobe products via a subscription, once you are no longer subscribed, your installed software will stop working and you will not be able to open your files. You will also need to be online to make software updates and sync any files that you may have stored in the cloud. Also note that you may be charged a cancellation fee.

There are several Creative Cloud subscription options available to suit most people. Adobe offer discounted prices for students, teachers, schools and universities. The prices for individuals and businesses are higher because the software is used for commercial purposes and most likely the profits made would outweigh the costs of the subscription. You can always try before you buy since they offer software trials for most if not all of their products.

A major plus is that Adobe allows you to have the Creative Cloud suite installed on two systems, this is very convenient for those with a desktop computer at home and a portable computer for meeting clients, working outdoors or for those on the move.

Additional CC info: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html

Additional usage info: https://helpx.adobe.com/au/download-install/using/install-apps-number-of-computers.html

There are other software companies that may offer similar products for free or for a smaller cost. Even so, Adobe must be doing something right to stay in business for so long.

Note: I am currently in the process of creating an article where I discuss alternative software options for those on a budget. I will go into detail and list the software I use both paid and free. Link will be added here once the article it published.

Below is a list of Adobe’s products with a small description outlining what they are mainly used for and some of the key features. So, let us begin. Please note that they are not in any particular order and I have not personally used every single product that they offer.

It is mainly designed for raster image manipulation and comes with a wide range of editing tools and effects. It does have several other “Jack of all trade” uses and it is one of the most versatile pieces of software on the market.

• Advanced image editing and manipulation
• Advanced brushes and illustration tools
• Raw photo editing
• Advanced masking
• Multiple layers and folders
• Text and modification tools
• 3D capabilities
• Great for graphic design
• Edit videos and create animations
• Design websites and apps

This is a very versatile program for all things to do with graphic design, whether it may be designing print layouts or creating online graphics. It is also a very suitable platform for creating architectural floor plans and engineering diagrams.

• Advanced vector manipulation tools
• Vector illustration tools
• Advanced typography tools
• Grids, rulers and snapping
• Precise measurement and positioning options
• 3D capabilities
• Bleed, registration marks and other print options
• Export graphics for web
• Extract graphics from PDF documents
• Create multi-page PDF documents

If you ever wondered how special FX were added to your favourite movie, most likely this was the software that was used to do it. This is a robust program that creates and modifies almost anything you can think of.

• Colour correction
• Particle creation and modification
• Text creation and modification
• Masking tools
• Tracking tools
• Add custom code
• Perspective and rotation
• Depth and Blurring
• 3D and Motion graphics
• And so much more

This is the industry leader video editing software where you can slice and dice your footage and bake a blockbuster movie for the big screen. Combine your imported audio, video and images into a masterpiece.

• Slice video and audio
• Transitioning and FX options
• Colour correction
• Audio channel option
• Markers
• Edit videos for TV, YouTube or Cinema
• SD, HD, 2K, 4K, 8K, and other sizes
• Supports many video formats
• Supports Virtual Reality
• And so much more

This software allows the user to create complex websites and web applications. It is mostly aimed for advanced users who know how to code, compile various bits of content and test projects on a server.

• Supports various programming languages (e.g. HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript, XML, SVG, JSON)
• Code formatting, checking and highlighting
• Split screen and Live mode
• Default and custom workspaces
• Save each website as a project for easier control
• Local View, Local Server and Testing Server options
• Bootstrap support
• LESS, SASS, Scss support
• Git support
• Various other tools and options for creating and managing projects

Most of the recipe books, novels and fashion magazines are created using InDesign. It is mainly designed for creating complex multi-page layouts that require advanced typographical options and image positioning. It can also be used for simple layouts like posters, pamphlets and flyers.

• Presets for common document sizes
• Large selection of typography tools and options
• Advanced printing and colour options
• Columns, column gutter, pages, facing pages, margins, bleed and slug options
• Master pages – used for creating templates
• Guides, Rulers and Grids
• Online publishing support
• Default and custom workspaces
• A selection of view options and screen modes
• Many other drawing tools, modification tools and options

This software is aimed at users who want to collaborate with copywriters, editors and designers. User who are already using Adobe InDesign, InCopy adds an extra level of professional tools to improve any editorial workflow.

• Work with InDesign, InCopy, Word and other formats
• InCopy workflows – this allows multiple people the ability to work on the same InDesign document simultaneously
• Adobe Typekit integration and OpenType SVG fonts support
• Advanced font filtering and quick font searching
• Enhanced copyfitting
• Different page views when editing
• Endnote support
• Tracking support – allow, accept and reject changes
• Save to cloud and excess on any device
• Many other tools and workflow options

The main focus of this software is working with Portable Document Format (PDF) files. The addition of Document Cloud (DC) allows users to create, edit, combine, and access PDF files on any device.

• Create new or modify existing PDFs
• Combine and rearrange single or multipage PDFs
• Scan paper documents and convert them to editable text
• Export PDFs to Word, Excel, Power Point and other formats
• Create forms and add clickable links
• Add bookmarks and file attachments
• Add rich media like audio, video and interactive objects
• Add highlighting and comments – used for specifying changes or items to be discussed
• Send documents, add E-signatures and work with teams
• Many other options and PDF editing tools