Integrated design set: Creative Suite
- — 17 February, 2004 07:32
Adobe’s much anticipated Creative Suite is a fully integrated set of creative programs, rather than a group of individual applications. New features and functionality have been added to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and GoLive, but it is the Version Cue tool that transforms the Creative Suite from a collection of applications suitable for an individual into an integrated suite with a networkable workflow. Publicised by Adobe as ‘the glue’ bringing the Creative Suite applications together, Version Cue automatically tracks and sorts saved versions of your work on your machine or throughout a network.
Photoshop remains the most important application for Adobe, and the latest CS version includes some features that were only available as plug-ins and other features that proved popular in Adobe’s consumer image editing applications (see here for a screenshot).
First introduced in Adobe Photoshop Album, Photoshop CS has a more powerful file browser, with the ability to tag images for better file management. The new Photomerge feature in Photoshop CS, introduced in Adobe Photoshop Elements, allows you to simply and effectively combine multiple images into a seamless panorama (see here for a screenshot).
Professional photographers will welcome integrated support for the RAW digital photography format in Photoshop CS, available previously as a $100 plug-in. RAW images take any processing decisions out of the camera’s control, providing as close as you can get to a digital negative. Once viewed in Photoshop, any changes can be made to the original file. Support for 16-bit colour has also been added, to allow images to be edited at the highest quality possible.
Despite its reputation as a still image editor, Photoshop has long been an important tool with video and filmmaking professionals. As such, new features such as support for non-square pixels and the ability to use pixel aspect ratio correction to adjust a video view will prove very popular with users of After Effects and Premiere Pro.
Vector professionals have been anticipating the new 3D effects touted in Illustrator CS, providing the tools to delve into the world of 3D without having to invest an inordinate amount of time and money to learn full-blown applications such as Maya or SoftImage.
InDesign CS goodies include a ‘Package for GoLive’ feature that prepares all of the content within an InDesign document for publishing to the Web. Text is formatted to the XML standard and images are converted into Web-friendly formats such as GIF and JPG and placed into folders. Although Adobe obviously wants you to work with GoLive, this feature is just as valuable for Dreamweaver users.
Print professionals will appreciate the separation Preview Palette, allowing you to preview your plates, overprinting, and ink limits before you commit to the print run.
The addition of a Microsoft Office ‘Save As’ feature prepares an Illustrator file in the PNG format for incorporation into a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document.
The Creative Suite is a compelling reason to abandon QuarkXPress once and for all. Registered Photoshop users of any version should look carefully at the upgrade options available, with savings available of several hundred dollars over a full retail version. The Premium version of the Creative Suite also includes Acrobat Professional 6.0.
Small companies may find the inability to install individual applications onto dif-ferent machines an issue. However, when you consider the price of admission, most users will see the suite as the most sensible option, even if all the applications will not be used.
In brief: Adobe Creative Suite
Even if you don’t use all of the applications within the suite, the features and value on offer make the package a must-have for anyone working seriously in the image editing or general graphic design industry.
Price: Premium version — $2499 ($1529 upgrade from any version of Photoshop); Standard version — $1999 ($1119 upgrade from any version of Photoshop)
Vendor: Adobe Australia
Phone: 1300 550 205
URL: www.adobe.com.au
