ProDesignTools » Tips

Photoshop CS5′s Content-Aware Fill: Before & After the Right Way

ProDesignTools — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:20:20 +0000

Content Aware Fill is one of the major features added in Adobe Photoshop CS5, and is said to be one of its greatest new timesavers. CAF allows you to move or delete parts of your image and Photoshop will automatically and intelligently fill in the space left behind. We’ve written about it before with the quote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” [Arthur C. Clarke]

Man on the moon?

And in our shop here we save hours every month from using Content Aware Fill as well as other CS5 advancements like Puppet Warp and the improved edge/masking tools.

Yet we still see some people claiming that Content Aware Fill “doesn’t work,” “doesn’t give results like in the demo video,” “doesn’t use the right background,” or is just hype, smoke-and-mirrors, or a “gimmick.”

It’s true that it doesn’t always work and of course has its limitations. You can’t synthesize brand new material or hidden content that doesn’t exist in some related form elsewhere in the image. And often it will require some retouching afterwards to get the final result you want.

But usually it will get you most of the way there very quickly – if you know the most effective ways to use the feature. The best is when it “just works” without doing anything special, and this happens often enough too…

Here is a quick before-and-after example that required doing nothing more than an item selection and a content-aware delete… and one could say that for (literally) a two-minute job, it borders on magic… Just roll over with your mouse (or tap) for the before and after results:

CAF before & after: Vanish the light pole in seconds

So what are the tips for ensuring Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill works the way you want? Here are two video walkthroughs to help learn how to make it do your heavy lifting.

The first features Russell Brown showing several before and after examples – with the key technique being to make a tight selection of what you want to fill or remove, and then expanding your selection by 5-10 pixels all around… (use the Select menu > Modify > Expand… Expand Selection by X Pixels) Setting things up that way gives the CAF algorithm just the right amount information on what it should remove and what it should use to fill in the space, without getting things you don’t want or mixing in too much.

The second tutorial is from Terry White and shows how to use Layer Masks to exclude the part(s) of the image you don’t want Content Aware Fill to draw data from at all. Alternatively, you can do the inverse and use the same method to include only the areas you do want the tool to use when composing the filled space. And as the video title indicates – “What to Do When Content Aware Fill or Content Aware Scale Doesn’t Work” – he gives tips for using Photoshop’s Content Aware Scaling feature as well.

And of course if you then combine both of these techniques your results will be better still… Sometimes it takes a little experimentation, and if the area to be filled is complex (or large), then do it in sections.

Here they are… and hopefully with the skills from these two videos in hand, you’ll get more satisfying – fast and timesaving – results from the latest version of Photoshop.

[Extra: Watch Part 1 of Russell Brown's show.]

Download a free trial of Photoshop CS5 and try it out yourself!

Check out more of the best tutorials for Photoshop (any learning level or product version).

Watch other video demonstrations of more Content-Aware Fill tricks & techniques.

[Photo credits: Villa scene — Noel Carboni; Astronaut — Nick Hollomon.]

How to Get or Buy Older Adobe Software Versions like CS4 or CS5.0

ProDesignTools — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:12:23 +0000

Adobe’s Creative Suite 5.5 has been out since May, and has generally been well-reviewed and even lauded as a must-have release… Nevertheless, some folks are still looking for or require older versions of the software, like CS5.0 or CS4. Why?

Two common reasons are the higher system requirements – 64-bit for some components of CS5 like After Effects & Premiere Pro, as well as cases where the rest of a customer’s site is still running an older version and would like to add a new setup with the same compatibility. And occasionally some folks say they prefer the earlier, simpler versions over newer ones with more features.

The challenge is, once a new release comes out, Adobe no longer officially sells the older version. So if you need a prior release, what do you do?

If you want the trial version to use for 30 days, that’s easy – Adobe actually keeps most older original trials still available for download on their servers – including all of CS4 and CS5, plus earlier releases of Acrobat, Lightroom, Elements, etc… You can find those trials all linked for download here.

But how about when you want to actually buy CS4 or CS5.0?

If you ask Adobe, they’ll usually tell you to check their official list of authorized resellers & retailers to see if someone still has the version you want in stock. The problem is it’s inconvenient to search as often those stocks are thin or sold out, and no longer available.

So, do you turn to other random sources like eBay or Craigslist? If you’re smart, definitely not – we strongly advise against eBay et al. So what do you do?

The Solution: Order “Prior-Version Software”

Fortunately, there is an easy solution. It’s little-known, but Adobe actually sells a special type of license that can be “downgraded.” These unique products come from the Adobe Business Store (and are also known as volume licenses) – but you don’t have to be a business to get them, or even buy more than one copy, and they can be easily purchased online instantly with a credit card.

So these “business” licenses have this helpful capability which allows you to order the latest release (like CS5.5 or Acrobat X) but then optionally receive and use the prior version instead (like CS5.0 or CS4, or Acrobat 9). Here it is spelled out:

Backward licensing policy
Adobe allows program members to order a current-version license but to use a prior version. These members can contact Adobe Customer Service to request a serial number for the earlier version if they do not already have one.

Prior-version software is available via Electronic Software Delivery [download from Adobe]. The program member must follow all guidelines of the current-version EULA.

Adobe has a name for this program (which again, anyone can buy from) – it’s called the Transactional Licensing Program (TLP) and it doesn’t cost extra – in fact customers typically get discounts off the regular price. And there are other nice features of these licenses as well, including the ability to run your software multi-platform on both Windows and Mac OS – which is also not possible elsewhere.

So if this is what you need to do now, then you may want to check this out.

[UPDATE – Good news: there is now also the availability of the same volume licensing solution for education purchases, with up to 80% off the regular prices for students, teachers, and schools.]

How to Exchange, Return, or Refund Adobe Software Products

ProDesignTools — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:03:56 +0000

It’s the season for holiday deals – and so it also can be a season for order changes and returns… Although naturally, this can happen at any time of year.

Sometimes even despite using Adobe’s free trial downloads to try out the software before buying, customers may want to exchange an Adobe product and get something else – say swapping Photoshop for Lightroom, or returning Photoshop CS5 Extended and getting the full CS5.5 Design Premium suite instead (which includes eight applications instead of one).

So did you know that Adobe offers a full money-back guarantee policy on almost all current products? This includes CS5, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, Acrobat, and so on. This offer applies even after you’ve already opened the box and/or installed the software – and what’s more, it applies even if you happened to buy the software from somewhere else besides Adobe direct (like an from authorized reseller or store in North America – though not eBay).

Yes, it’s true – if you aren’t able to return or exchange your product via any other means, you can simply contact Adobe within 30 days and provided you follow the procedure, they will take it back (after being uninstalled and deactivated from your computers, if applicable) and then issue you a refund.

So this means your purchases are protected right out of the gate – and effectively you’ve got 60 total days (30 trial + 30 “warranty”) to make sure the product is right and definitely the one you want! If not for some reason, you can effectively cancel your purchase for a refund.

Returns can be processed whether you originally paid via credit card, PayPal, or purchase order. Any original shipping & handling charges are not rebated. If you didn’t buy through Adobe, you must have a valid proof of purchase.

This is one reason why we recommend buying direct from Adobe whenever possible – it’s simpler, faster and easier – and you can always be 100% certain your software is genuine, safe and authentic – plus you can download it instantly.

“Grace Period for Free Upgrades”

What’s especially interesting is that you can use this policy to create your own “grace period” when buying a product, so that if a new release comes out within a month of your purchase, you can simply send back what you have and get the next release instead. So say for example you buy CS5.5 in May 2012, and then CS6 is launched in June – well then you’ve got some “insurance” for a free upgrade, which is a nice side benefit.

There are some conditions and fine print, so you may want to read the full policy in detail, though this captures the gist of it. And be sure to simply contact Adobe Customer Support if you have any questions about it.

Read more great tips for managing your software investment:

How Many Systems Can You Install and Run Your Adobe Products On?
How to Move Adobe Software Between Computers or from Windows to Mac
How Can You Run Adobe Products on Both the Windows to Mac OS Platforms?
How to Legally Transfer Adobe Products Between Two Parties or People
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Adobe Software through eBay or Amazon Marketplace
See the Complete Online Documentation (PDF) for All Major Adobe Products

How to Use Photoshop to Create a Time-Lapse Video from Photos

ProDesignTools — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:06:02 +0000

Time-lapse photography videos are all the rage these days… Here is one of our recent favorites from Norwegian landscape photographer Terje Sorgjerd – incredibly beautiful and perfect for the season (watch full-screen):

Photoshop isn’t normally known for its video capabilities, but it’s actually quite easy to take a series of still photographs (edited as desired) and then create your own timelapse video using Photoshop Extended… This will work in the CS5, CS4, or CS3 versions.

Photoshop guru Russell Brown gives the details below on how to make and export your own creation:

Learn about all the other differences between Photoshop vs. Photoshop Extended, or more on editing video in Photoshop.

Watch more free Photoshop tutorials – a vast collection covering many tips and techniques.

Download the complete manual – free PDF documentation – for Photoshop or any Adobe tool.

Why Not to Buy Adobe Software on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Mkt

ProDesignTools — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:06:43 +0000

Some folks think it might be a good idea to try to save a few bucks and buy Adobe software from eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace. It could be CS5.5, Photoshop, Lightroom, Acrobat, or any other.

But it’s actually not a very good idea at all. Why?

The first problem is that Adobe does not recognize these venues as valid resellers. So as a result, it’s like Adobe will not officially recognize any of those buyers as actually owning their software. Yes, you read that right.

Meaning, you think you own the genuine article but effectively you don’t. You can’t provide an accepted proof of purchase – so you can’t formally prove you own the products, can’t ever legally transfer the software to someone else, may not be able to get technical support or ever upgrade to the next version, and so on.

Why doesn’t Adobe recognize the people that go through those places? Doesn’t that seem unfair?

The simple reason is – and the real problem is – that 90% of the software sold on places like eBay is counterfeit! Yes, it’s true. And it’s not a new problem.

So you can be pretty sure that what someone’s getting on those auction and vendor sites is not legitimate, not able to be legally transferred, and possibly even quite unsafe.

That last part is the real kicker. A great deal of the hacked and pirated Adobe software out there now is embedded with malware. These infections include viruses, worms, and trojans that can do significant harm to your computer, data, and privacy (like quietly stealing your sensitive information such as logins, passwords, and credit card numbers).

Or put another way, you dramatically increase your “risk of exposure to viruses, spyware, or adware that can destroy (or, worse, publish to criminals) valuable data.” But unfortunately, many people don’t learn about this until it’s too late. Often they do this unknowingly.

How prevalent is malware in illegal software? Well, just one example: China reportedly has a piracy rate of 79% – and a corresponding computer infection rate of nearly 70% – both are the highest in the world.

Yes, there can occasionally be exceptions – but there are many more headlines over the years: “Adobe Creative Suite Crack Harvests Zombie Computers” … “Malware Writers Target Would-Be Pirated Software Users” … “Bootlegged Mac Photoshop Delivers New Trojan Horses” …

The second Trojan was discovered Sunday, hidden inside torrented copies of Adobe Systems’ Photoshop program. Once installed, the software lets someone else take remote control of the computer and sensitive data upon it.

Even advertised “new in box” (NIB) items in seemingly original packaging can easily be fake. And as Adobe says, “You’ll only discover software is pirated when you try to register it and can’t, often rendering the software unusable.” Or worse.

But even if the software within is authentic, it’s still breaking the law. Per the SIIA, “As this prosecution demonstrates, it is both a crime to create counterfeit software and a crime to sell authentic software without authorization.” So in any event, these buyers still face all the other issues above.

And if anyone ever offers a download that’s from anywhere else other than Adobe – it’s definitely not genuine, or legal.

The old advice applies here: anything that sounds too good to be true probably is… (note that Adobe’s true student editions at 80% off are an exception to this)

So what’s your best bet?

The only safe and legal place to instantly download any of these products (either trial or permanent versions) is directly from Adobe’s servers.

And the only safe and legal place to buy boxed retail software is directly from Adobe itself, or through their authorized resellers/retailers.

They put all this in place to protect customers – not only from harmful or counterfeit software, but also protecting your rights as a legitimate buyer and true recognized owner of the products – fully able to receive technical support, important updates, and future upgrades.

See all the recommended tips on how to avoid Adobe piracy. And if the regular product prices are too high for you, see if you qualify for Adobe’s deeply-discounted education versions.

Adobe Photoshop Best Tips, Tricks, Techniques, Training & Tutorials

ProDesignTools — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:05:57 +0000

Adobe Photoshop is a sophisticated tool with a 21-year history and a seemingly-endless array of powerful capabilities. And after spending $549 for the product with discounts (or $199 for students), who wants to pay a lot more to learn how to use it all?

Fortunately there are a number of avenues to get great training and tutorials for free. The first stop is Adobe TV, which has nearly four hours and 37 chapters of 100% free tutorials for Photoshop CS5 alone. There is also a wealth of content for prior versions like Photoshop CS3 and CS4. It’s a good place to get started and orient yourself with the major functions, and all of it is gratis.

For learning how to use the best new features added in Photoshop CS5, take a look at our collection of articles with tours of:

We also have a regular page here on the site with a rotating selection of tuts for all versions of Photoshop, stepping through various tips and tricks. And for a terrific set of little-known but very handy techniques, check out Adobe’s Photoshop “Hidden Gems” series with Product Manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes.

Lynda.com is the leading independent website providing online video training for Adobe products, with nearly 800(!) hours of coursework for Photoshop – covering all versions dating back to Photoshop 6 in 2002. Courses are extensive, often running several days – and there are always some chapters that are free for anybody to view, with full access starting at $25/month. But we have partnered with them for our readers to receive a free 7-day trial with unlimited access to the entire site, and get one week of all 1,036 courses in their Online Training Library for free.

If you’d like a free top-flight course to really get you going in Photoshop from the ground up, check out the three online skills clinics below from the experts at National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)… These exclusive web-based training sessions with the “Photoshop Guys” are a great opportunity to quickly get up to speed on the timesaving features and breakthrough tools in the latest version.

If you don’t already have Photoshop, just download the free trial so you can work side-by-side in these three classes, which were originally given live to customers but are now available free to all users via on-demand replay:

Class 1: Photoshop CS5 – Up & Running in No Time
Class 2: Cool Photoshop Skills – Effects and Retouching Anyone Can Do with Photoshop CS5
Class 3: Photoshop CS5 Street Smarts – Shortcuts, Killer Tips, and Next-Level Skills

These excellent Photoshop tutorial videos run four hours in total and can be viewed here: Exclusive Adobe Photoshop Clinic Webcasts.

Ever wonder… What’s the difference between Photoshop CS5 vs. Photoshop CS5 Extended?

Have you seen the “sneak peek” demo yet of Photoshop Image Deblurring from Adobe MAX?

Download the complete manual (free documentation) for Photoshop or any other Adobe tool.

Adobe Says No CS6 Upgrade Discounts from Older CS2, CS3, or CS4

ProDesignTools — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:03:32 +0000

[UPDATE (January 11th, 2012) – Adobe has listened to customers and just reversed this change! CS3, CS4, & CS5 are all good for upgrade to CS6 now.]

HUGE breaking news out from Adobe, regarding substantial changes in upgrade pricing and policies for their very popular Creative Suite software…

For several years, the company has offered a “three-versions-back” upgrade policy – meaning anyone who owned a prior CS product up to three major versions back would be eligible for discounted upgrade pricing when moving up to the latest release.

Meaning, if you’ve got CS2, CS3, or CS4 – either a full suite or an individual point product like Photoshop – you can receive price reductions of up to 80% when upgrading to CS5.5.

Adobe now says that will be ending – the policy is going to shift dramatically, worldwide.

Starting in 2012 when CS6 comes out, this will be changing to a “one-version-back” plan – meaning to receive a price break when upgrading to CS6, you need to already be on some flavor of Creative Suite 5 – either CS5 or CS5.5.

So, what does this mean for anybody still running CS2, CS3, or CS4 at that time? Basically, if you want to upgrade later or have been waiting for CS6 to do so, it would cost you full price… To receive a discount from older versions, you’d need to upgrade to CS5 before CS6 ships.

Here it is straight from Adobe’s “Conversations” Blog:

With regards to upgrades, we are changing our policy for perpetual [permanent] license customers.

In order to qualify for upgrade pricing when CS6 releases, customers will need to be on the latest version of our software (either CS5 or CS5.5 editions).

In other words, soon Adobe will only be offering the traditional upgrade savings for one major version behind… This will apply for both suites as well as the standalone applications.

There is a saving grace however – the company wants to help folks using these older versions to get current now with an extra 20% off the currently-discounted upgrade price:

If our customers are not yet on those versions, we’re offering a 20% discount through ~~December 31, 2011~~ the extended date of March 15, 2012, which will qualify them for upgrade pricing when we release CS6. [see banner below]

Why is Adobe doing this? It’s part of extending their CS subscription offerings to encompass the recently-announced Creative Cloud initiative, which is also a subscription-based program.

Basically, they want to make more frequent innovation updates to the software to reflect our increasingly-dynamic environment with the web, smartphones, tablets, and mobile applications – and are adjusting the model to try to encourage customers towards cloud membership and keep them as current as possible with the products.

However, you can stick with traditionally-owned software if you desire, just like now:

For customers who prefer to remain on the current licensing model, we will continue to offer our individual point products and Adobe Creative Suite editions as perpetual licenses.

So if you’re one of them – and are happy and comfortable with your current permanent product instead of renting – then you might want to take a closer look at this fleeting window of upgrade opportunity, particularly with the extra 20% off worldwide – while it lasts.

Please spread the word and share this news with anyone who you think should know!

[UPDATE (Dec. 1st) – Share your thoughts and take our new poll on Adobe's model change, or see the impact on Acrobat, Lightroom, and Elements.]

[UPDATE (Jan. 11th, 2012) – After feedback, Adobe has now deferred this policy change.]

To follow this story going forward, subscribe to our RSS feed or like us on Facebook or Twitter… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Photoshop CS5 Basic and Advanced Masking Techniques [Videos]

ProDesignTools — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:02:18 +0000

Knowing how to make a good mask is one of the most important things you can learn to do in Photoshop. With accurate masks you can completely control the placement and movement of all the elements of your image. The techniques shared in these videos will help you get the most out of the new masking capabilities in Photoshop CS5… And when you combine them with the new content-aware fill feature to magically fill backgrounds of moved or deleted objects, well then you’ve really got something.

The first video is a two-part playlist, New Masking Basics: Get up-to-speed with the great new masking tools and techniques in Photoshop CS5, to quickly and easily create professional quality masks, including a photograph with challenging hair.

The second video, to the right, also plays in two parts – New Advanced Masking: Learn some of Photoshop guru Russell Brown’s favorite methods for masking out the background from a really difficult image.

The third and final video is Advanced Motion Blur Masking and Blending: This tutorial will get you through the toughest motion blur with flying colors… Also learn some advanced blending tips and techniques.

For full-screen viewing, click the expand icon and then 480p after pressing play on each thumbnail:

Want more free training? See some amazing uses of Content-Aware Fill and Puppet Warp…

Or check out www.cs5.tv for more great tutorials on the new features in Creative Suite 5.

Free: 4 Hours of Video Tutorials for New Photoshop Elements 10 & 9

ProDesignTools — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:02:51 +0000

We’ve previously covered 17+ hours of free video tutorials for Creative Suite 5, plus three hours for Lightroom 3 – so here are some brand new training resources for the just-released Adobe Photoshop Elements 10… Most of these tutorials also apply to Photoshop Elements 9, which shares the same interface but just doesn’t have as many features.

In these three courses the experts share how to get started, the basics of the software, new features, how to use key tools and functions, plus their favorite tips and techniques. In sum, there is over four hours of free content, with 46 separate chapters.

If you need a copy of Photoshop Elements 10 to get going right away, just download the free trial and it will work fully for 30 calendar days, which should be plenty of time to get through the classes.

If you prefer learning in written form, we’ve got the Adobe Photoshop Elements Guide – a free 95-page e-book you can download as well.

Learn Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 & 10
Play Now »
Ch	Topic	Runtime
01	What Is Adobe Photoshop Elements?	03:26
02	Importing Photos into the Organizer	03:41
03	Importing Photos from a Digital Camera	07:42
04	Using People Recognition	05:48
05	Using the Organizer Interface	04:21
06	Using the Edit Workspace	05:35
07	Using the Toolbox in Photoshop Elements	07:14
08	Using Automatic Selection Tools	07:59
09	Using Manual Selection Tools	08:16
10	Using the Straighten and Crop Tools	05:09
11	Using the Recompose Tool	07:03
12	Using Photomerge Panorama	05:07
13	Using Photomerge Style Match	06:26
14	Creating a Blue Sky	07:03
15	Using Quick Fix	06:26
16	Fixing Red Eye and Retouching Skin	08:02
17	Content-Aware Healing	11:25
18	Using Guided Edit Mode	14:10
19	Creating Reflections with Guided Edit	05:11
20	Using the Out of Bounds Effect with Guided Edit	06:59
21	Creating a Perfect Portrait with Guided Edit	06:10
22	Working with Layers	11:19
23	Adding Text	11:04
24	Adding a Watermark	06:12
25	Creating a Photo Border	08:43
26	Creating a Photo Collage	11:22
27	Creating a Photo Collage for a Special Occasion	15:48
28	Creating a Calendar	06:27
29	Creating Greeting Cards	06:35
30	Creating Cards with Recorded Light-Painting Images	09:22
31	Creating a Slideshow (Windows)	11:21
32	Sharing Your Images via E-mail	04:31

Photoshop Elements 10 How-to’s
Play Now »
Ch	Topic	Runtime
01	Show off Your Photos and Videos Virtually Anywhere	01:14
02	Photoshop Elements Plus Membership	01:10
03	Organize it All with Automated Options	00:54
04	Add Curving and Flowing Text	00:52
05	Easily Create Stunning Photo Effects	00:44
06	Paint Effects onto Specific Photo Areas	00:46

Photoshop Elements 9 How-to’s
Play Now »
Ch	Topic	Runtime
01	Easily Create the Perfect Photo	01:04
02	Experience the Ultimate Media Management Hub	01:18
03	Enjoy the Convenience to Do More with your Photos & Videos	01:14
04	Match a Favorite Photo Style & Expand Panoramic Scenes	01:05
05	Share Photos in a Variety of Ways	00:57
06	Create Stunning Effects using Step-By-Step Guided Edits	00:50
07	Make Photo Creations that Look Just the Way You Want	00:52
08	Quickly Clean your Scene of Unwanted Elements	00:50

This extensive series is presented by teaching gurus Tim Grey and Chad Chelius, and was produced by video2brain.

For affordable live, interactive training on Photoshop Elements, we recommend the excellent online workshops given at Everyday Elements.

See what’s new and improved in PSE 10 – or see what the industry reviews are saying.

Adobe Acrobat X: Your Frequently-Asked Questions Answered

ProDesignTools — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:09:21 +0000

It’s been about a year since Acrobat X (10) was released, and given Adobe’s typical two-year cycle with this product line, it will probably be another year before we see Acrobat 11 coming out… So in the meantime, we’ve put together a list of helpful questions and answers that have accumulated here and during sessions with Adobe.

Hopefully sharing this information below can help answer frequently-asked questions that you may also have about the product:

Q: Does Acrobat X come in a 64-bit version?

A: No – though it works on 64-bit operating systems.

Q: Is Acrobat X Pro fully compatible with Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit?

A: Yes – and Acrobat X version 10.1 now supports Office 2010 64-bit.

Q: Will there be a 64-bit version in the future?

A: I’m sure – we’re getting a lot of demand – no timetable though.

Q: can Acrobat 9 be installed together with Acrobat X on one PC? If so, that’s great news.

A: Yep!

Q: Can version 9 and X coexist on a Mac running OS 10.6?

A: Yes. we’re doing that at the moment!

Q: Can I read an Acrobat X file with Acrobat 9?

A: Yes, you can usually do this.

Q: Do you have a list of all new features in Acrobat X, versus earlier versions like 9 or 8?

A: Sure, here’s an article about exactly this.

Q: Is there an Acrobat X Pro Extended version, or just Pro?

A: Just Pro.

Q: What’s happened with the Pro Extended version in Acrobat X?

A: There isn’t an Extended version in Acrobat X; only Standard and Pro.

Q: a.k.a. Acrobat 3D…

A: Acrobat 3D is supported in Acrobat X, but you won’t find the features you saw in Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, e.g.: the 3D or geospacial tools.

Q: Do the version 9 shortcuts still work in Acrobat X?

A: Yes they do.

Q: Will all current Adobe add-ons work with Acrobat X?

A: They should.

Q: Adobe made some nice Portfolio templates for me, can I import them in X?

A: You won’t be able to use the .NAVs but your portfolios will work.

Q: Are user manuals available for us home schoolers who enjoy stimulating bedtime reading?

A: The user manual is now exclusively online.

Q: Is there a PDF version of the documentation or only the ‘Adobe Help’ version?

A: You can usually find a PDF version for download via the Adobe Help page – it’s generally at the top right of the window.

Q: When and from where can we download the trial version?

A: The Acrobat X trial download is available from Adobe. It’s only available in Windows.

Q: Will there be a Mac version of the Acrobat X Trial coming?

A: No.

Q: Can guided actions be Reader enabled or do you have to have Acrobat?

A: Guided actions are used in Acrobat.

Q: Does Acrobat X further reduce the file size of scan documents?

A: You’re going to be surprised at the improvements in scanned files in Acrobat X. It has undergone some significant improvements.

Q: PDF Portfolios are cool and will work in Adobe Reader 9 and higher, is that correct? For using them, what is the current “penetration” of Reader 9 and higher out there?

A: We generally don’t share that information. If you’re concerned about people with lower versions of Reader not seeing your content, Acrobat X can export a Portfolio as a web site. All you need is a Flash-capable browser – no Reader required.

Q: Oh, OK – I thought you did, because I see Flash Player penetration numbers everywhere (like 99%), so I thought it might be the same with Reader. Does Reader now update itself with the same kind of technology as Flash Player then?

A: No – though we have changed the way that the updater works to make it more seamless.

Q: Thanks. On “Acrobat X can export any PDF Portfolio as a Flash-based website.” – that is really really cool!

A: No kidding. It’s quite amazing. Not only that, but it’s very quick.

Q: Does the Mac version of X support embedding Flash video?

A: Version 9 and X on Windows and Mac support embedded or streaming Flash video. We do it all!

Q: Okay but can a PDF portfolio, in general, be uploaded somewhere for sharing online? if it includes video?

A: Absolutely. Do you have an account at Acrobat.com? You can upload portfolios to that workspace and share them.

Q: That’s great. does the video that is embedded playback when the PDF portfolio is updated to Acrobat.com

A: It depends on your user, not the file itself. If your browser opens a PDF file in Adobe Reader directly in the browser, then you’ll see it online.

Q: Can you edit the file now that it is Word?

A: Yes absolutely. It’s full text and images to do whatever you like.

Q: If I want to have a first page as a table of contents for a large documents will do that and if I edit will pagination change automatically?

A: You’d need to reauthor the file in your authoring application and recreate the PDF file.

Q: Does Acrobat X include a page flip feature to make portfolios appear more like e-books?

A: No. The way Portfolios work in Acrobat X doesn’t look like a book at all; switching pages in the documents is a simple fade or cut.

Q: Can you have an image on a folder (so you see the image rather than the folder icon)?

A: With a custom Theme you can – check out this tutorial guide.

Q: Is reading mode by default in browser?

A: Yes – unless the file is set to have bookmarks or another panel open – then it opens in the regular mode.

Q: In the settings for the PDF, can you set it to open in regular mode (not reader mode)?

A: Reader mode is a user function.

Q: Will my animation in Powerpoint be “transported” into the PDF?

A: If you use the “Presenter” plug-in which is available in the Suite – not if you use the Acrobat ribbon.

Q: So the plugin is only available on Windows.

A: Yes.

Q: So embedding Flash in Word on a Mac does not work?

A: If you embed Flash in Word on a Mac, you aren’t working in Acrobat. You’re using Apple technology.

Q: 2011 Word?

A: The APIs on the Mac version of Office don’t exist for us to do that type of integration. We’d like to but we can’t.

Q: So ‘no’ is the answer?

A: Yes – No is the answer. But not for lack of will. The APIs just are not there.

Q: Is forms creation and editing no longer in LiveCycle Designer then?

A: Yes it certainly is. You don’t open LCD directly from Acrobat X though, as you saw in previous versions. You certainly can work in LCD for form creation and editing. But you don’t have a command in Acrobat itself to open LCD as you saw in previous versions of Acrobat.

Q: Exactly what role does LiveCycle Designer have with forms in Acrobat X? Is there a clear explanation of LCD and Acrobat and how they relate to one another?

A: LCD is a separate program. Acrobat forms are PDF-based forms you create in Acrobat X. You can open a form created in Acrobat, but you can’t open a form created in LCD for editing in Acrobat. In previous versions of Acrobat, you could click a command in the Forms menu to open LCD.

Q: Is LiveCycle Designer still shipping with Acrobat Pro? Is it a separate install?

A: Yes it does ship with Acrobat Pro X (Windows), and a separate install.

Q: That helps but I still am quite confused by LCD and Acrobat. I have Acrobat 9 Pro Extended. My understanding has been that I create forms in LCD. So what you are telling me now is that form creation can now be done directly in Acrobat X?

A: You have always been able to create forms in Acrobat itself, and it is the only option available for Mac users.

Q: Capturing from Chrome browser?

A: We don’t support Chrome yet.

Q: Where can we get the PDFmaker for Firefox on Mac?

A: It’s installed as part of the Acrobat X installation. And it works very well.

Q: Can it capture video also when you capture a web page?

A: It can – depends on how the video is streamed though.

Q: What is the educational cost for Acrobat X on Mac?

A: You’ll have to check the Adobe Education Store site for the various costs for upgrades and full versions.

Q: Can third party plug-ins be integrated into the Action Wizard?

A: Of course.

Q: In version 9, I sometimes had problems with links in Portfolio. Is Acrobat X any more robust in that respect, for example, will it now recognize files imported after the Portfolio was constructed?

A: It depends on the type of link. External links, sure. If you’re linking from one file to another within a portfolio, you have to do that manually.

Q: With the Acrobat X Suite, does it offer additional advantages over buying Acrobat X, Photoshop, Captivate etc separately? (aside from price of course)

A: Just price.

Q: I think the interface is like other Acrobat products and I like it already. Good job.

A: Glad to hear!!

Q: Are there any free tutorials or training for the new version?

A: Yes! See over 3 hours of free video tutorials for Acrobat X (10).

Q: Thank you. Excellent. I’m headed over to check it out right now.

A: You’re going to enjoy the program, once you figure out how to get around.

What other questions do you have about Acrobat X? Just ask in the comments below and we’ll see if we can get them answered for you.

Or download a 30-day trial to run it free today and for the next month.

How to Transfer an Adobe Software License (CS5.5) Between People

ProDesignTools — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:10:22 +0000

We’ve previously covered here how to transfer Adobe software products (like CS5.5, Photoshop, Lightroom, Elements, or Acrobat) between two computers, including from PC to Mac or vice versa. In this article we’re going to focus on transferring the actual legal license from one person or company to another, like transferring the title to a car or home between two people.

Getting the software moved is mostly a technical task, but doesn’t cover what happens if the recipient has problems, needs customer support or updates, wants to be registered with Adobe, and be recognized as the new legal owner of the software. So this is what you have to do to “unregister” it from the old owner and re-register for the new one.

Fortunately, this is possible to do. Adobe has a Transfer of License form (North America, or Rest of World) that you can download, fill out, and return to them to effect the move. This could happen after a sale or donation of the product, either for a business or an individual. Note however that Adobe’s Education (including the Student & Teacher) products are not eligible for a transfer of license – they cannot be resold or given away… Read more about the limitations of Adobe’s academic products.

The transfer form itself is fairly straightforward – just things like the name, version, and serial number of the product, plus the names, contact info, and signatures of both the transferor and the transferee. Note that the transferor needs to have the software registered with Adobe, which can be done electronically and just takes a minute plus can get you free goodies. Once submitted, Adobe then takes a couple weeks to process the transfer request, at which point the recipient becomes the new registered owner of the software and the legal licensee who can receive customer service and support.

Note that you can’t transfer individual components of a collection like Creative Suite 5 – it only goes for the whole package. Also, you are transferring all versions that are connected with that product – so for example you can’t use your copy of CS3 or CS4 to get discounted upgraded pricing on an upgrade to CS5.5, and then transfer your old copy of CS3/CS4 to someone else – it won’t work. You could either upgrade to CS5.5 and keep the earlier one, or purchase the full version of CS5.5 and transfer the prior one. See more about the allowed uses of previous versions when you’re upgrading Adobe software.

One last part that sometimes trips people up is the proof of purchase: if you didn’t buy the software directly from Adobe then you need to provide one – and any receipts from Internet auction/vendor sites such as eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace are not accepted! So this is yet another reason to avoid these places like the plague…

OK, ready? Be sure to read the (important!) full instructions to make a transfer, including step-by-step on what you need to do and include together with the official form. Note that Adobe does not limit how many times their software can be legally transferred, although each customer can initiate a maximum of four transfers in their lifetime. Also, if there are any support contracts attached to a license, those won’t transfer to the other party.

Finally, before you submit the transfer, be sure to deactivate and uninstall the software on all your own systems.

[ Learn about how many machines you can run Adobe software on. ]

Hope this information helps… but please post any questions you may have and we will get answers!

If you’d like to move away from shuffling serial numbers altogether, consider an Adobe Volume License to simplify management instead of one-at-a-time copies… For a lower cost, you can get a single license with one serial number for your entire team.

How to Install or Run Adobe CS5.5 on Both Windows PC and Mac OS

ProDesignTools — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:02:17 +0000

With Adobe Creative Suite, if you’re just looking to set up and run CS5.5 on either a Windows PC or a Mac OS system, the instructions for that are easy. And in fact, as we discussed here last month, it’s relatively straightforward to install and activate the software on up to two computers of the same operating system type – in other words, either two Mac machines, or two Windows PC’s.

But in most cases, with the platform selection for Creative Suite and Acrobat products, it’s “either-or.” Either Apple or Microsoft. Either Mac or Windows. That’s the story for the retail and education versions of the software. And, if you want to change or swap platforms entirely, and move your tools from one o/s to the other, you can do that with an Adobe CS “crossgrade.”

However, there is one other possibility if you want or need to have the applications available on both operating systems (Windows plus Mac OS) at the same time – and that is to buy (or upgrade to) an Adobe volume license. Despite the name, anybody can do it (not just businesses and even for just one copy), though it does offer discounts for larger purchases… and there are some additional advantages too.

These volume products are offered “multiplatform” and are supplied with two license keys – one for each operating system – and you can install the software on both platforms at once… Just select “Multiple Platforms” on the online order page, it’s right there. Upgrades from most older versions, including standard retail and education editions, will work as well – with the same discounted upgrade pricing for all. Here is the relevant section from Adobe’s volume licensing policies page:

Cross-platform licensing

Adobe Volume Licensing (AVL) customers receive product serial numbers for both Windows and Mac OS, as long as the product is available for both and the two platforms are the same version.

Program members can choose to use either platform, as long as the total number of licenses being used does not exceed the number purchased.

As previously referenced for AVL, each license purchased here allows the user to install and activate the product on up to two computer systems, so long as they are not both used or run at the same time. These are the same terms as for all customers in the Adobe Creative Suite licensing agreement.

As more Macs make their way into the world, and as more folks acquire and own or use both types of computers on their networks, the need for multi-platform usage will grow. Recently, Adobe has begun to offer some shrinkwrap retail software for universal use – most notably Photoshop Elements and Lightroom in their latest releases. But currently, what’s outlined on this page is the only way to do it with Creative Suite (although one can hope this may change when CS6 eventually comes out).

But, if this is what you need to do now, then you may want to check this out… And if you made a purchase recently, you may already know about Adobe’s Return & Exchange Policy.

How to Move Adobe CS5.5 Between Computers, or from PC to Mac

ProDesignTools — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:09:31 +0000

OK, so your old computer is running out of gas, you’re upgrading or changing systems, adding a new machine, or switching from a PC to a Mac, or vice versa — and you want to move over your purchased CS5.5 (or CS5 or CS4 or CS3 or any other) Adobe software — what do you do, and how do you do it?

As we’ve covered previously here, you are generally allowed to install and activate most Adobe software on up to two computers, with the restriction that the software can not used on both systems at the same time. So right off the bat, you might be good to go with installing the software on a second computer, although you may wish to double-check the licensing agreement for your product to be sure.

Adobe uses software activation to control how many simultaneous computers can install or run CS5 at once. So if you’re already at your limit of two computers and want to transfer your license over to a new or different system, then you first need to deactivate the software from the old computer. In the program, click Help > Deactivate, and then follow the instructions in the wizard to deactivate the software. If you have installed a suite product, you will be deactivating the entire suite by deactivating any one of the point products included in that suite.

Note: There are two choices on the Deactivation screen – so what’s the difference between Suspend Activation vs. Deactivate Permanently? The answer is that both will properly deactivate your product on that computer. But the first (“suspend”) will keep your serial number stored in the Windows registry just in case you ever want to quickly reactivate the same software on the same computer later, without having to reenter it. However there is no harm in choosing the second (“permanently”) option, because you can always later reactivate the same product on the same machine by just retyping the license key. In other words, it’s basically a convenience factor to store your SN.

If you’re uninstalling Adobe software from a computer, then deactivate it first to ensure its license is freed up. If you deactivate but don’t uninstall, the next time you run Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Acrobat, or any of the other CS5 applications on that computer, you’ll be asked for a serial number or to start a 30-day free tryout period.

After uninstalling any version of CS, you can run the Creative Suite Cleaner Tool if you like to make sure it’s completely removed from your system.

If you purchased the software but lost the serial number or no longer have it readily available, you can retrieve it from the computer itself using a free utility like Belarc Advisor – which will recover and tell you the activation keys for all programs on your system. And if you’ve lost or can’t find the original installation file or discs, you can download and install a free trial of your application from Adobe servers onto your new computer, and that will convert to a full and permanent version when you enter your valid SN.

Once deactivation is complete, you are free to go ahead and enter your serial number key to activate a copy of the software installed elsewhere, or use it to reactivate the same application on that PC after reinstalling (for example, if you are changing disk drives, or upgrading operating systems from XP or Vista to Windows 7, etc.). And you should be all set.

If you run into any problems with the deactivation/reactivation process, you’ll have a 30-day window during which the software will work in trial mode to give you enough time to contact Adobe Support and get things resolved.

How to Switch Platforms from PC to Mac

Now how about if you’re also changing platforms, like from Windows to Mac, or vice versa – and want to take your Creative Suite 5 license with you, and/or upgrade from CS2, CS3, CS4, or CS5 to CS5.5 while making the switch? After completing the deactivation process above it gets a little more complicated, because most Adobe software is licensed for a single platform only. But you can do what’s called a “crossgrade” from one to the other, which is no charge (except for shipping costs) and can be submitted online through Adobe Customer Service.

All product configurations (including Student and Teacher Editions) are eligible for exchange.

There are a few provisos. One is you need to have a registered serial number to qualify (but that just takes a few minutes if you haven’t already). You must also be prepared to sign and return a Letter of Software Destruction for the programs on the old platform. But perhaps the most important is you can’t cross-grade from an older version to the same prior version — you can only move to the current version (now CS5.5), paying any applicable upgrade costs… (If you’re already running the latest release, then there should be no additional cost.)

So if you need to do both an upgrade and a platform swap, the fastest and easiest way is to first buy the upgrade online and then submit the crossgrade online. Then if you chose to get the new product shipped to you rather than via instant download, you can simply download and run the 30-day free trial while you’re waiting for the package to arrive – and then later just convert the trial into a permanent full version with the serial key from the product box.

Note: Aside from crossgrades, there is one other option if you own computers with both types of operating systems and need to run on both Mac and Windows.

How to Change from One Language to Another

Note that this same procedure will also work for requesting a change from one language set to another for a given Adobe/CS5 application… Just follow the crossgrade procedure described above – but choose a new and different language on the form, instead of a different platform.

Two notable exceptions are Adobe Lightroom 3 and Photoshop & Premiere Elements 9, which are now sold as multiplatform and multilanguage software so would not require a crossgrade.

Hopefully that should do it! Please let us know if this article helped you out, or any questions you may have in the comments below.

If you’d like to move away from shuffling serial numbers altogether, check out an easy Adobe CS5.5 volume license to simplify management instead of single-user copies… For a lower cost, you can get a flexible site license with a single serial key for your entire team.

How Many Computers Can You Install or Run Adobe CS5.5 On?

ProDesignTools — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:25:16 +0000

This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer may pleasantly surprise you… The place to look to find the answer is the Software License Agreement, also called the EULA. This agreement governs the use of your Adobe product, and is translated into 28 languages within each document. It also covers some basics about product activation.

So, in general, how many systems can you install Adobe software on, including CS5.5? The answer for individuals (as opposed to businesses) in most cases is two. The catch is that both computers must be used only by you and the two systems cannot be used at the same time. This policy was designed so that you could run (say) Creative Suite at home on your desktop PC, as well as while travelling with your laptop. But the types of computers and their usage has blurred so much now that you can just pick any two you own and the product should install and properly activate on both…

For example, here is the key text from the EULA for Photoshop CS5:

2.5 Portable or Home Computer Use. Subject to the important restrictions set forth in Section 2.6 [having to do with volume licensees], the primary user of the Computer on which the Software is installed … may install a second copy of the Software for his or her exclusive use on either a portable Computer or a Computer located at his or her home, provided that the Software on the portable or home Computer is not used at the same time as the Software on the primary Computer.

Generally, for Creative Suite and Adobe Acrobat, the two machines must also be of the same operating system (Windows/Mac), because the software is licensed and delivered for use on a specific platform – unless you buy a “business license“… However some Adobe products like Photoshop Elements and Lightroom are now multi-platform for everyone, meaning you can mix-and-match Windows and Mac OS for your two installations.

Importantly, Adobe defines a computer as “a virtual or physical device,” not just a CPU – so that encompasses running on virtualization platforms such as VMware, Citrix, Parallels, and VirtualBox. The same thing goes for a dual-boot system with a product installed on both partitions, including Apple Boot Camp.

Note that these policies work the same way for Adobe’s Education versions – there is no distinction in this regard… However, one major difference in restrictions for the Student & Teacher Editions is they can be run only on the customer’s privately-owned computer(s).

So there’s your answer for most current Adobe software, although we recommend confirming the terms for your particular product or suite because the license agreements are somewhat different for each package (including Creative Suite, Acrobat, Lightroom, Elements, etc.) and version (CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5).

If you’re part of a company or business, and/or need more than one computer running the software at the same time, then you might want to take a look at the online discounts and ease of maintenance available through Adobe’s Volume Licensing Store. There you can save money, time, and headaches for multiple users.

If you use Adobe products, please consider subscribing to our RSS feed or following us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also enter your email and new articles will be sent directly to your inbox.

Complete Online Manuals and Help Doc for All Adobe Products

ProDesignTools — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:51:11 +0000

Even years after it went up, a lot of people still don’t know about it.

We’re talking about the free online documentation for all Adobe software – a set of manuals that can answer quite a few user questions, and be a great resource if you don’t own a product yet but want to find out more about it.

It exists in searchable and discussable form for all major Adobe applications, including the Creative Suite, Lightroom, Acrobat, Photoshop Elements, etc. – for all recent releases on both Windows and Mac OS.

For example, at least once a week we receive a question on how to save back to earlier versions from InDesign CS5.5… Fortunately, this is answered in the “Saving Documents” section in InDesign’s online manual.

Each reference is downloadable as a complete e-book if you so desire (more about this below)… the substantial “Using Adobe Photoshop CS5” guide is nearly 600 pages alone!

Also helpful is the ability to post comments and questions & answers on the individual documentation pages, in case something’s not entirely clear.

Here are the direct links to the references:

Creative Suite – CS5.5, CS5, CS4, and CS3, including:
- Photoshop and Photoshop Extended
- Dreamweaver
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- InCopy
- Flash Professional
- Flash Catalyst
- Flash Builder
- Premiere Pro
- After Effects
- Adobe Encore
- OnLocation
- Fireworks
- Contribute
- Soundbooth
- Audition
- Adobe Bridge
- Camera Raw
- Media Encoder
- CS Live
Acrobat X (10), 9, 8:
Photoshop Elements 9, 8, 7
Premiere Elements 9, 8, 7
Photoshop Lightroom 3 and 2
Captivate 5.5, 5, 4, and 3
ColdFusion 9 and Builder 2
Adobe Connect 8
LiveCycle ES2 and ES2.5
All other products

Books and manuals no longer come in the box – it’s all live and living online, updated regularly by the Adobe documentation team… There is installed help that comes with the products which can be accessed when not connected to the Internet, but it consists of only about 70% of the content available on the web and is not updated.

Important! If you’re going to be offline for a while or just prefer to read it all in an ebook format, there are complete PDF versions available for download for each application (look for “View Help PDF” in the upper right corner) – just grab that and poof, you have a full up-to-date manual in the form of an electronic book, for free (and great for tablet viewing like on the iPad, where it can be opened and stored in iBooks).

And if for some reason you don’t find your answer there, it’s an easy jump over to Adobe’s User-to-User Forums or Customer Support via the Community Help facility.

Extra! Download Free eBooks for Creative Suite 5 and Elements 9

As a special bonus to our visitors, we are offering free downloads of three new visual learning guides, three separate e-books in PDF format that we’re making available at no cost to you:

Download the Free Learning Creative Suite 5 eBook – 172 Pages
Download the Free Guide to Photoshop Elements 9 eBook – 95 Pages
Download the Free Guide to Premiere Elements 9 eBook – 78 Pages

If you use Adobe products, please consider subscribing to our RSS feed or following us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also enter your email and new articles will be sent directly to your inbox.

Adobe CS5.5 Student and Teacher Editions – How to Save 80%

ProDesignTools — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:30:46 +0000

Let’s face it, Adobe’s normal product prices can seem expensive, especially if you’re on a student’s budget. The regular prices for Creative Suite 5.5 range run from $199 for Contribute up to $2,599 for the Master Collection suite, which contains every CS5 and CS5.5 product available – twenty in all. As great and powerful as this software is, it could be hard to afford these prices when you’re in school.

Fortunately, Adobe offers deep discounts for education customers – up to 80% off. So the price for Contribute becomes half of what it was, $99 – while for the Master Collection it drops by almost two-thirds, to $899. For some products the price cut is even larger – for example, Photoshop CS5 Extended (the top-of-the-line version) goes from $999 to $199. The top-selling CS5.5 Design Premium suite becomes $449 instead of $1,899. And Flash Builder 4.5 falls from $249 to free – yes, FREE for students and educators…

In addition, it’s not just the Creative Suite products that are available with the savings. You can also get Lightroom 3, Acrobat X, and Photoshop or Premiere Elements 9. For example, Lightroom 3 for student photographers costs $89 instead of the normal price of $299.

All of this software is available via instant download at the Adobe Education Store for both Windows and Mac OS. Adobe’s education discounts are available internationally as well – in other countries and currencies (Europe/euro, UK/pound, Australia/dollar), and the percentages off are similar.

To get these much-reduced prices, essentially all you have to do is prove your academic status at a qualified school. Most students and teachers of most grades and institutions can qualify. Even part-time students or folks who enroll for a class at their local community college can be eligible. If you think about it, sometimes going back to school could even pay for itself in such situations.

When you purchase this software it does not come with a serial number – rather it comes with a special product code that you need to validate with your status and then Adobe will send you a permanent license key to activate and run the CS 5.5 software. Proof of enrollment can include your school ID card, report card, transcript, tuition bill or statement, etc.

The verification and conversion all happens online so it takes only 1-2 business days. In the meantime, you can install your product as a 30-day free trial to get started using it.

The student and teacher editions work the same as the regular versions, and the license does not expire. You can also use this software for commercial purposes if you so desire. However there remain some differences between the two with limitations of the education versions that are important to know about and understand.

You can install the software on up to two computers, and if for some reason you change your mind after buying, you can easily return the product within 30 days of purchase to Adobe.

A Note on Software Piracy – “If It Sounds Too Good To Be True…”

Some folks think they might be able to do better by trying to find and download Adobe software for free or cheap using torrents, cracks, keygens, untrusted sources, unknown sellers, and so on. The first thing to say is any electronic download from anywhere besides Adobe is illegitimate, so it’s illegal. The second thing is that it’s very risky – but not only because it’s illegal…

It’s increasingly a bad and dangerous idea because a great deal of the hacked Adobe software out there now is embedded with malware. This malware includes viruses, worms, and trojans that can do significant harm to your computer, data, and privacy (like quietly taking your sensitive information such as logins, passwords, and credit card numbers).

For example, the Asia-Pacific region has a very high piracy rate of 60%, and correspondingly the highest rate of infection in the world – nearly 70% of the computers in these countries are riddled with malware. There is a direct correlation.

In other words, the hackers that create and distribute these “free” or “cheap” versions are receiving payback in other ways (e.g., backdoors) – meaning in the end, you can do far worse damage to your computer and yourself than to Adobe. Why install unknown and untrusted software onto your valuable system? Why give a stranger control of your machine?

Further, the agencies are really cracking down now on download theft – note in a case out this week, the authorities have obtained the location and contact information on 23,000 illegal BitTorrent users and the fines paid are $3,000 per download!

Lastly, be wary of deals or bargains from eBay or Craigslist, or any seller you’ve never heard of (including on Amazon Marketplace), or anything that seems too good to be true – because it probably is… And you don’t want to end up in tears, like so many there have, after their money has left their hands permanently and the software or their computer has stopped working.

Read more details on why you shouldn’t buy from eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon Marketplace.

So all in all, it’s not something for nothing – and really the only sensible and safe choice is getting the real deal straight from Adobe at 80% off.

Here’s a helpful Student & Teacher Eligibility Guide, as well as an Adobe Education FAQ that should answer any other questions you may have.

What’s in Adobe CS5.5 for Me? Ask a CS Evangelist

ProDesignTools — Mon, 02 May 2011 05:27:05 +0000

Since Creative Suite 5.5 was launched three weeks ago, Adobe has held three “Ask a CS Pro” sessions to find out more about the new release and get top questions answered. The first one happened on Facebook and we covered it in its entirety. The most recent two included live demo walkthroughs of the new CS5.5 products and features, plus plenty of great Q&A. The replays run about an hour apiece and you can watch videos of them here (April 21st) and here (April 28th).

We have recorded the entire text of the questions and answers from both of these last two sessions and they are shared for you below. Adobe’s Creative Suite Evangelists are Terry White (Design), Rufus Deuchler (Design), Greg Rewis (Web), Paul Trani (Flash Platform) and Jason Levine (Digital Video & Audio).

If you have any questions at all about the release that are not answered here or by our CS5.5 launch review, or comparison to CS5, or what’s new product feature articles, just leave them in the comments below and we’ll get answers!

Topics

Upgrading to CS5.5
Using Multiple Versions
General Questions
What’s New in Acrobat X?
New Features in After Effects CS5.5
New Features in Audition CS5.5
What’s New in Contribute CS5?
New Features in Dreamweaver CS5.5
What’s New in Fireworks CS5.1?
New Features in Flash Builder CS5.5
New Features in Flash Catalyst CS5.5
New Features in Flash Pro CS5.5
What’s New in Illustrator CS5?
New Features in InDesign CS5.5
New Features in InCopy CS5.5
What’s New in Photoshop CS5.1?
New Features in Premiere Pro CS5.5
What’s New in Soundbooth CS5?
Other Questions?

Upgrading to CS5.5

Q: Which products have major changes?

A: InDesign, InCopy, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Flash Pro, Flash Catalyst, Flash Builder, Audition, and Acrobat X.

Q: I meant to ask, what does CS5.5 have that is new and radically different?

A: It depends on what products you use most often. The apps that have rev’d most are DW, FL and some ID enhancements, as well as all video and audio products – check out what’s new and see if these new features are important for your needs.

Q: Well, that is the thing… to stay current, I should be learning to create mobile apps. I’d like to go to a boot camp to learn how to do that.

A: You do need to learn about UI specifics for devices, but you can use Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Flash Builder just like you used to… and now publish to Android and Apple iOS!

Q: I know this seems like an odd question but, is it worth the upgrade to CS5.5 from CS5? Or should I wait until CS6 releases?

A: Check out the features, ask questions. If it suits you then go for it! But more importantly if you’re interested in mobile, publishing, HTML5, video, Flash, then go for it!

Q: This is a major upgrade. Why was it not called CS6?

A: Not everything was updated (Illustrator for instance). Photoshop has some new things but not a full release of features… So 5.5 is to address the needs of the market sooner rather than later, as opposed to making everyone wait for new features in all the apps.

Q: Can I install and run CS5.5 side-by-side on the same computer with CS5, CS4, and earlier versions?

A: Yes, you can!

Q: Is Creative Suite 5.5 more memory intensive than the previous versions?

A: I don’t believe that the memory requirements have changed from CS5 to CS 5.5 but you can check Adobe.com for sure.

Q: Good question. Are the system requirements for CS5.5 pretty much the same as for CS5? From a quick glance, it looks like they are…

A: Yes.

Q: Is CS2 still the oldest version back that you can get Adobe’s discounted upgrade pricing for, to get to CS5.5?

A: Yes.

Q: Did you say that the upgrade is free from CS5 to CS5.5?

A: No, it’s not a free upgrade unless you recently bought CS5.

Q: We just purchased licenses for CS5 about three weeks ago. What is going to be the policy for upgrading to CS5.5?

A: If you recently purchased CS5, you could be eligible for a free upgrade to CS5.5.

Q: What’s the timeline for the free upgrade to CS5.5 if you just purchased CS5? How recently does it have to be to qualify?

A: Best to contact customer support and they will tell you what you can do in your particular situation.

Using Multiple Versions

Q: What is the best way to upgrade from Creative Suite 5 to 5.5 – do we have to wipe out any trace of CS5 from hard drive to install 5.5?

A: No – I just installed CS5.5 right alongside of CS5.

Q: Hi, what is your suggestion for shops or companies that need to deal with multiple versions (saved file formats) of the applications? If I understand right, there are now different file versions for CS3, CS4, CS5, and CS5.5, for many of the products. Do you have any best practices or recommendations for how to manage? Does Adobe have any solutions in the works for this issue? Thank you!

A: Well, honestly, if everyone is on the latest version the problem would be solved. :) But I know that’s not always realistic. I’d just say to get in the habit of downsaving files when you finish. For example, if you use the IDML exchange format you can downsave InDesign CS5.5 all the way to CS4, and there are external file conversion services which show you can go farther. But I always keep a backup of the most recent version. See the details on saving from the other products.

General Questions

Q: Will there now be CS5.5 Student & Teacher Editions available for academic customers like before?

A: Yes, the education products continue with all the same configurations and reduced prices, but now updated for the new release.

Q: Will Adobe ever release the Creative Suite (CS5 or CS6) on Linux natively?

A: Hard to say what the future holds.

Q: By the way, you guys have done a fantastic job on tv.adobe.com. Love all the videos.

A: Thanks – I’ll share with the Adobe TV team as well.

Q: Does Adobe offer a site license? We’re running at least 3 different versions of CS at work.

A: Indeed we do! We have a few types of Adobe Volume Licensing depending on number of seats you need. It’s designed for small businesses.

Q: Do you have a ship date yet, or when to expect CS5.5 to be ready for download for pre-order customers?

A: Yes – but not that we can share with you. ;-) But very soon…

Q: Any good absolute beginners books, tutorials, etc. for Creative Suite?

A: A good source for this is Adobe TV.

Q: Why do we have many updates: 1 for CS5 Design Premium, 1 for Acrobat, 1 for Lightroom?

A: Largely because they are still on separate development cycles. Clearly not an ideal situation and something we will continue to work on to get better at.

Q: I teach at a high school and we are upgrading this summer from CS first version to CS5 or 5.5 (or CS6) also changing from to Mac from PC. Have lots of problems because of going through a server, saving edits, can’t delete (esp. Illustrator) . Will the new version be more server-friendly?

A: Unfortunately there are no changes to working over a server (which really isn’t supported).

Q: Does CS5.5 fix the issues with Spaces on Mac OS X?

A: I believe that the combination of Mac OS X 10.6.7 and CS 5.5 address the known issues.

Q: Hi, Adobe TV would be a good resource for video tutorials on CS5.5, correct?

A: Yes, there are CS5.5 overview videos on Adobe TV.

Q: Is there a CS 5.5 release date yet?

A: CS5.5 is shipping in English early May, with other languages following.

Q: Will CS6 incorporate the mobile features of CS 5.5, or will the mobile development updates continue on a separate pathway?

A: I don’t know what is in CS6, nor do I even know if there will be a CS6, technically. But I could imagine it will have all these features and more that would blow your mind!

Q: This is amazing information. Could you please post a link to the recording if possible?

A: Sure – here is the link to the replay.

What’s New in Acrobat X?

Q: CS5.5 includes Adobe Acrobat?

A: Yes, Acrobat X is included.

Q: Is Acrobat X only with CS5.5 Master Collection?

A: Acrobat X is included in Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, and Master Collection.

Q: Is Acrobat X that’s included the Pro or Suite version?

A: It’s Acrobat X Pro in the suites which include Acrobat (which is most of them).

Q: There is no ‘suite’ version of Acrobat X to my knowledge?

A: Actually there is.

Q: Having terrible problems showing PDF’s inside of our app, seems Acrobat doesn’t support 64 bit. Is this the right forum to ask if there are plans to change that? Talking about the COM component.

A: The latest Reader plug-in is 64-bit enabled. As far as the Acrobat application is concerned, it’s also 64-bit-enabled in version X.

» See a complete list of all new features in Acrobat X Pro, or try it for free.

New Features in After Effects CS5.5

Q: Can we use multiple screens with After Effects CS5.5?

A: Yes!

Q: I know you can save an After Effects file as a CS5 so it would be backwards compatible, can you do that in the whole suite?

A: There are some apps that allow a ‘save to previous version’ option. InDesign is one of them; AE is another. Premiere Pro does not officially have this option, nor Audition.

Q: About the video products, besides the new effects in AE, and the introduction of Audition (which is amazing) what are the new features on After Effects CS5.5 under the hood… and if there’s anything new with expressions?

A: Regarding AE, there are indeed many ‘under the hood’ and small changes, including (but not limited to): displaying Source Timecode (long time request), additional LUT support (3DL files with floating point values and LUTs saved from Assimilate Scratch), rendering XDCAM EX footage, better disk caching, search history, Create Orbit Null to parent the camera to a new null layer to match camera, etc.

Q: Is there a new product for grading in the future in Adobe suite?

A: Are you referring to a standalone grading app? At present, we certainly offer several options in Premiere Pro and After Effects, including Color Finesse 64-bit (in AE). Nothing standalone at the moment, though we are indeed hearing these requests quite frequently.

Q: How much more benefit in upgrading, for HDSLR filmmakers?

A: I shoot DSLR video and the benefits are huge with native support, Warp Stabilizer and mixed formats on the timeline.

Q: Does Layers Magazine contain After Effects tutorials?

A: The magazine is no longer being produced, but yes it did contain AE tutorials.

Q: Wow, this is awesome! I like the new Warp Stabilizer! :-D

A: It’s really good actually. It will amaze you how well it works, without much fuss or modifying of parameters.

Q: Is this being recorded for later viewing?

A: Here’s a link to the Warp Stabilizer video examples.

» See a complete list of all new features in After Effects CS5.5, or try it for free.

New Features in Audition CS5.5

Q: Just to clarify… Audition is not only on Windows but Mac OS X too?

A: YES! Adobe Audition is on both Windows and Mac…and this is a new version; it’s not an update from Audition 3.0.1; total rewrite, and it’s now the same on both operating system platforms.

Q: Are the automation lanes still present in Audition so that you can determine to what level certain effects are applied over time?

A: Yes. The automation lanes are still there. In fact, that’s the way you’ll automate in this (first) cross-platform version. We currently don’t have ‘fader’ automation as we did before, but you can ‘draw’ envelopes for all parameters and manipulate them in the MT automation lanes.

Q: Safe to assume I can also use Acid loops in Audition in the multi-track editor, just like in prior versions? Are there any looping features missing that were in prior versions of Audition (i.e. tempo and whatnot)?

A: So….yes…you can still import ACID loops into Audition CS5.5. Unfortunately, in this new version, we weren’t able to get the entire loop engine integrated, so we don’t offer the global session key/tempo options at present. You can of course ‘loop without gaps’, but you don’t have the control from the previous version, not yet.

Q: You said you can display a graphical representation of a Match EQ graph…is that a still or a realtime moving display?

A: It’s a real-time moving display.

Q: So the audio “thing” works the same way like it does in Logic pro (as an example)?

A: Well, I’m not quite which “thing” you’re referring to. With regard to Noise Reduction we offer many similar type filters (for noise reduction, hiss reduction, clip restoration, digital click removal/pop removal, etc) though I believe we have more native effects and more control over parameters/settings, including our ability to edit all elements of noise spectrally. No one has the depth of control in Spectral Frequency Display that we do (we even offer Photoshop tools!).

» See a complete list of all new features in Audition CS5.5, or try it for free.

What’s New in Contribute CS5?

Q: Will there be any changes or updates to Adobe Contribute to go along with new updates to Dreamweaver CS5.5?

A: Sadly, no. :-(

» Try Contribute CS5 for free.

New Features in Dreamweaver CS5.5

Q: Will the Dreamweaver CS5.5 upgrade have better support and integration with HTML5, CSS3 and the jQuery libraries?

A: Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! :-)

Q: Any Dreamweaver new features or tips you can show us? I am always interested in learning more =)

A: Yes – enhanced code-hinting, super jQuery support, and publishing to mobile – both as HTML using CSS3 media queries and native apps for iOS and Android.

Q: In Dreamweaver CS5.5, how will updates to JQuery Mobile be handled within the application?

A: The release version of jQuery at the time of ship will be the one that is included. We will be blogging how you can manually update it if you want to stay on the front lines with dot releases.

Q: Are there any new features in the Web Premium suite outside of Dreamweaver, like Contribute, Bridge, Flash?

A: Dreamweaver and Flash are the two web products that are updated in CS5.5. Contribute, Bridge, Fireworks, Illustrator, and Photoshop are all the same as CS5.

Q: What is the most single important update we can expect with Dreamweaver CS 5.5? I have read through most of the articles, but just wanted to hear it from you guys personally. Thanks.

A: Have a look at my blog for a summary of all of the new DW features.

Q: I am an advocate of complete HTML5 websites, What is the extra benefit of upgrading to CS5.5 vs. waiting on CS6?

A: Dreamweaver CS5.5 fully supports HTML5/CSS3 – so, if you are doing HTML5 today, you will be more productive here than trying to do it by hand.

Q: Any word on having versions of the CS products for tablet devices – more specifically having something Dreamweaver-esque for an iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Tab?

A: No new App announcements for tablets today. :)

Q: Just for clarification: When you compile or publish a mobile project in Dreamweaver CS5.5, does it produce a product that is ready to go to the Apple or Android markets with no extra work?

A: In DW, we create a debug version. You will need to do a couple of extra steps (editing an XML file) to compile the file versions.

Q: We learned HTML (don’t know which version, I think 4) in school. What’s the difference between HTML 4 and HTML 5 in Dreamweaver CS5.5?

A: Basically, Dreamweaver now supports HTML5 and CSS3, including the ability to preview it live using Live View.

Q: Does Dreamweaver support WebDeploy, if not are there any plans to?

A: That’s (sadly) not something that we’ve heard a lot of users asking for – so, if it is something that you would like to see, please let us know.

Q: Would you expand on the HTML5 and Mobile app dev capabilities of Dreamweaver 5.5?

A: In a nutshell, you can use HTML5/CSS3/JS to build applications in DW 5.5 and package it as a native application for iOS and Android using the PhoneGap framework – without ever leaving Dreamweaver!

Q: What web browsers are still not HTML5 and CSS3 complaint? And how do you get around that so that they can be viewed by those users? (like Internet Explorer)

A: We are using what is known as the HTML5 shiv – it’s a Javascript that makes IE6/7/8 understand the HTML5 elements.

Q: Greg, should we be using HTML5 on new sites from here on out?

A: Absolutely!!!

Q: How would you upgrade a HTML site in DS5 for HTML? Can you rename the HTML or ?

A: Yes, do a find/replace on the doctype of your documents and suddenly, you’re HTML5!

Q: Can I edit while in Live View / Live Code?

A: Yes/No. You can edit in the Code view and see the updates happening in Live View. Live Code is not editable – it is the generated code exactly as the browser would have rendered it.

Q: I see jQuery code hinting for Dreamweaver, but does it also do it for CSS3?

A: YES, absolutely!

Q: When Greg talks about HTML5, is he using it in the buzzword sense, or in the limited real definition of HTML5 sense?

A: Both. We support HTML5 (the semantic elements), but also the buzzwords of CSS3 and Javascript.

Q: What about corner radius, is it possible? In Dreamweaver.

A: Yup! And it’s awesome!

Q: What about staging server in DW CS5.5?

A: Yes, we support multiple servers (added in CS5).

Q: Are there any new ColdFusion integration features in Dreamweaver CS5.5?

A: No, due to the fact that CF now has it’s own development environment, ColdFusion Builder.

Q: Does DW 5.5 support adding new custom templates? So you showed some 3-column HTML5 ones, could I add my own and distribute them to other members of my organization?

A: You can. The layouts are in Dreamweaver folder > Configuration > Builtin > Layouts.

» See a complete list of all new features in Dreamweaver CS5.5, or try it for free.

What’s New in Fireworks CS5.1?

Q: I am a huge Adobe Fireworks user too, will it utilize more HTML5 and CSS3 when exporting out?

A: Not currently, but the team is definitely working hard to add that support.

Q: I heard it was moving with a smaller update, to Fireworks CS5.1 – is that true?

A: Yes, this is true actually.

» See a complete list of new features in Fireworks CS5.1, or try it for free.

New Features in Flash Builder CS5.5

Q: Which CS5.5 suite contains Flash Builder 4.5 Premium?

A: That would be Web Premium OR Master Collection.

Q: Is it possible to do remote debugging via WLAN with Flash Builder 4.5?

A: It has to be connected via USB. Or you can do it wirelessly, on the same network.

Q: Will it be possible to export to mobile AIR from Flex Builder 4?

A: No – it would require FB 4.5. That’s what the update is all about really. Mobile…

» See a complete list of all new features in Flash Builder CS5.5, or try it for free.

New Features in Flash Catalyst CS5.5

Q: What about Flash Catalyst? Any new features?

A: Yes, there are very important new changes in Flash Catalyst! Bi-directional (roundtrip) workflow with Flash Builder, align content, wireframe content…

Q: How does the new Flash Catalyst CS5.5 handle mobile optimization?

A: Catalyst doesn’t really handle mobile optimization, but it does have bidirectional workflow with Builder. Flash Builder can make mobile apps.

Q: Noticed the new features in Flash Catalyst – wish I had those in CS5. I have done three projects for Scouts in FC and it was very easy. especially for someone who had NO experience in Flash before opening the FC software. I did the layout in Illustrator and the tools where very similar to the rest of the suite. For a beginner that is a top asset in learning. I was very surprised to see that I could go from one product to the next without a lot of manual reading. I have the Adobe FC, FW books and they are great with the project files you can walk through.

A: Thank you so much for your feedback! That’s great to hear and I totally agree with you!

» See a complete list of all new features in Flash Catalyst CS5.5, or try it for free.

New Features in Flash Pro CS5.5

Q: What’s the difference between Flash Professional, Flash Catalyst, and Flash Builder?

A: Flash Pro: Rich graphics, full control using ActionScript. Flash Catalyst: Easy creation of interactive content without writing code (uses the Flex Framework). Content can then be imported into Flash Builder. Flash Builder: Development tool for rapidly creating mobile, web, desktop applications using ActionScript and the Flex Framework.

Q: Is there a major upgrade in Flash Professional CS5.5 from CS5? If there is, what are the main features?

A: It is a major upgrade to Flash! I counted 25 new features. Some major (publish/debug on device), some minor (autosave docs every 10 minutes). Go here for my list.

Q: Can I open a file with Flash CS5, which created and stored with Flash CS5.5 before?

A: You can downsave a CS5.5 file to CS5 to open in that version.

Q: What is easiest way to convert publish SWF created in InDesign to iPad and other tablet devices?

A: The iPad doesn’t support Flash, so there is no way to play a SWF on it.

Q: No Flash on iPad? I don’t understand.

A: Flash is obviously performing great on Android tablet devices, so it’s not Flash that’s the problem. So I guess I don’t understand either…

Q: With the release of CS5.5, Flash Builder Premium now replaces the vanilla version in the Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium suite. Other than this and the loss of Soundbooth, have there been any more major changes to the suite collections?

A: There are multiple new features within the suites – you can see what is new here.

Q: Is Wallaby in CS5.5?

A: No, Wallaby is not in CS5.5 – it is on Adobe Labs.

Q: Whenever I import Photoshop files into Adobe Flash, they always appear of low quality – is there a way to fix this?

A: If you have layer modes in Photoshop, then they don’t come over that well. So simplify in PS and you should be OK. Or, what I usually do is export PNG-24 from Photoshop. That gives you the most control.

Q: Flash debug rocks! (not a question but worthwhile nonetheless)

A: Thanks – I totally agree!!

Q: Can Flash CS5.5 open a .flv directly?

A: It is a video file, so it would open in an FLV player. Now you can import flv directly into Flash.

Q: Hi guys, will SPRY be replaced with jQuery in Dreamweaver CS5.5? Is that a direction for the application?

A: We are continuing to maintain the Spry framework, but we are also VERY excited about jQuery. In fact, we are a sponsor of the jQuery mobile framework, and several DW team members are contributing back to the frameworks.

» See a complete list of all new features in Flash Professional CS5.5, or try it for free.

What’s New in Illustrator CS5?

Q: Does CS5.5 include any updates to Adobe Illustrator?

A: Illustrator doesn’t. It’s already really awesome. :)

» Try Illustrator CS5 for free.

New Features in InDesign CS5.5

Q: About InDesign CS5.5… besides the publishing tools which are also amazing, what are the new tools?

A: The ePub export engine has been rewritten, and InDesign CS5.5 is a must-have in this line of business.

Q: When will I be able to put a video in InDesign and have it play on the iPad in an ePub?

A: In InDesign CS5.5. This is one big benefit and feature of the new version.

Q: What video formats will InDesign be able to export for EPUB?

A: Flash and H.264/mp4. Of course it will be up to the devices to support the video.

Q: Can I export a InDesign file as an app for the iPad/iPhone ?

A: Check out the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. It enables you to design your content in InDesign and then publish it to tablets.

Q: So I can distribute my own .folio file for free?

A: You could but that would imply the use of the free Adobe Viewer. Good for showing, but not a business model.

Q: I assume the .folio format will be the standard for any tablet publishing file?

A: I hope so :)

Q: What about the Digital Publishing Suite? Will we able to create the .ipa file?

A: You won’t but Adobe will for you.

Q: Hi, how comes the Wired magazine editions are so big to download (> 320 Mo)?

A: It all depends on what media you want to include. It’s incremental, each video, each sound file, ach image file adds to the weight of the publication.

Q: So there’s almost no more real difference between ePub and .folio?

A: They are entirely two different things. ePub = eBooks and .Folio = digital interactive magazine/document.

Q: What’s the best way to show a interactive InDesign document (like a proof) you have created to someone at a remote location without going live online, and if they don’t have InDesign themselves? I’m new to the interactive features in CS5. Got a link to a tutorial, etc.?

A: The interactive SWF can be run locally in a browser with out being online. Also some of the features work inside a PDF.

Q: Okay gotcha – export a SWF and send them that. Thanks Terry.

A: No problem.

Q: Can you talk more about the new Articles Panel? Does this mean I can have two structures in my ind doc? One for ePub structure, and a different XML structure for online?

A: That’s exactly what it means.

Q: Does the new CS 5.5 allow me to build iPad apps if I get the SDK solely in the suite, or do i still have more work to do in the SDK?

A: You will need to download the SDK for iOS.

Q: Do you need a Mac for iOS publishing?

A: Yes – that’s a requirement from Apple.

Q: Are the Object Export Options an option under the object style panel? Would be great to apply the same image ePub settings to lots of objects through the style. Or do we have to select the options for each image?

A: In InDesign CS5.5 you can assign image options globally during export. Or object specific. InDesign CS5.5 is a must for who is in the ePub business.

Q: How is CS5.5 going to make producing an ebook easier?

A: In many ways. The ePub export engine has been rewritten from the ground up. Also, it is now possible to assign tags and CSS classes directly within InDesign.

Q: Is the ePub 3.0 support full or partial?

A: I believe full.

Q: Has the export from InDesign to Dreamweaver been improved in CS5.5 from CS5 and, if so, how?

A: More control over HTML/ePub export of graphics, articles, tags and CSS.

Q: If we use the new linked stories feature, will the linked story translate to actual text for ePub? And XML? Or is it treated as an object?

A: It is actual text if it was text to begin with.

Q: Is it possible to put imagery behind text when epublishing from InDesign?

A: Not really. You could try it as a grouped object, but I don’t think it will work.

Q: Can the Adobe CS5.5 Extension Manager install/de-install InDesign plug-ins too, like in InDesign CS2/CS3/CS4?

A: Yes it can.

Q: Do you plan to offer Digital Publishing Suite at lower price point for smaller and mid-sized publishers? What about multiple downloads? What about free magazines in ADPS?

A: We are evaluating lots of options

Q: Will the documentation for the Digital Publishing Suite be more detailed than what currently exists for prerelease drop 11?

A: Yes, when it’s final there will be lots of documentation and how-to videos.

Q: Do you have to physically convert the vectors or does that happen automatically in the ePub export?

A: That happened automatically during ePub export. Not manually.

Q: How compatible are CS5 and CS5.5 files? Am I going to run into a lot of problems if I get an InDesign CS5.5 file without it being backwards saved? Will CS5.5 idn files still be able to open in CS5?

A: You will be able to bring InDesign CS5.5 into InDesign CS5 or CS4 by exporting to the IDML interchange format, which allows you to go back to a previous version of the software. Please see here for more information.

Q: The improvements in eBook publication in InDesign CS 5.5 are worth the price of the upgrade alone ;)

A: I agree, if you are in this line of business (ePub, Digital Publications), it is totally worth it.

Q: Where will be the best place to access the training for InDesign with EPUB files? Lynda.com, text, tutorials, Adobe TV?

A: All the usual places including Lynda.com.

Q: Hey guys, could you please show how to create an EPUB in InDesign CS5 for the iPad?

A: Sure, it’s already done – just see this video: Create More Compelling eBooks with InDesign CS5.5

Q: Dang but these InDesign changes are fascinating. Nicely done!

A: Thanks!

» See a complete list of all new features in InDesign CS5.5, or try it for free.

New Features in InCopy CS5.5

Q: How is InCopy affected by InDesign 5.5? Anything new there?

A: Yes, there is an InCopy CS5.5.

Q: So is it a major update & upgrade in InDesign, but not in InCopy?

A: InCopy CS 5.5 gets the features that are relevant from ID CS 5.5.

Q: Will InDesign CS5.5 work with InCopy CS5? We’re thinking of upgrading InDesign, but not InCopy.

A: You will need InCopy CS5.5 to work directly with ID CS5.5

Q: Any chance InCopy will be available for subscription pricing? We work with a lot of editorial freelancers that do not own the software, and it would be great if they can get InCopy for a lower price just for the duration of our project.

A: Suites and certain products are available with CS5.5 subscriptions, InCopy alone is not available at this time. More info here.

» See a complete list of all new features in InCopy CS5.5, or try it for free.

What’s New in Photoshop CS5.1?

Q: Are there any new features or fixes in Illustrator or Photoshop specifically in 5.5?

A: There are no new features for AI and PS. There is a FREE update from Photoshop CS5 to Photoshop CS5.1.

Q: Will Photoshop CS5.5 make broader use of the GPU? Any updates or new tools in the Photoshop 3D world?

A: There is no Photoshop CS5.5. There will be a free update with some smaller features from CS5 to CS5.1.

Q: I saw a comment about a free PS CS5.1 update. Is this update just for the tablet interface or does it have any other fixes or tweaks?

A: A few fixes, but mainly the external app support.

Q: Why were there no major improvements to Photoshop or Illustrator?

A: This release was targeted at mobile authoring, as opposed to the major releases every 24 months that focus on the broader feature set.

» See a complete list of new features in Photoshop CS5.1, or try it for free.

New Features in Premiere Pro CS5.5

Q: What features are new in Premiere Pro CS5.5?

A: Many, many things. Improved Mercury Playback (faster, non-render); more supported nVidia GPU cards (for Mercury GPU acceleration), Dual-System Sound Workflow, Integration with Adobe Story, new-enhanced Drag/Drop/Watch Folder support with Adobe Media Encoder, and many more…

Q: Difference between dual-core and i5?

A: Pretty significant performance jumps going from the dual-core i5/i7 to the quad-core versions. I’ve had both, and I’m BLOWN AWAY by how much I can do in real-time. Also, I’ve got the internal SSD 512GB drive too. So. Fast. ;)

Q: I have say thanks for adding the GTX 570 as a supported CUDA card in CS5.5. Been eagerly awaiting that! :)

A: ;) Yep. More than tripled the number of supported cards between CS5 and 5.5.

Q: What is the best method to get closed captions from the speech analysis function? Can you export this as an RTF file for use on YouTube?

A: We don’t have a way to export into that format, nor can we create or edit CC files. We can, however, preview MCC/SCC caption files in Premiere Pro, but we can’t generate. You could theoretically create a metadata sidecar XML from your video and leverage that for subtitles/captions….but I imagine there may been some elements in there that you don’t want. Perhaps not so eloquent, but it could work with a bit of tweaking.

Q: Does CS5.5 fix the following issues: support for DSLR footage in OnLocation? The bug of “Dynamic Link requires Production Premium”?

A: Not sure about that one. OnLocation was not officially rev’d in this version (it’s considered CS5.1) though there have indeed been some bug fixes. I will look into this for you, as I know this was a troubling one… stay tuned.

Q: In one project I used the Titler for creating Closed Captions, which was pure drama. Has the Titler been improved in CS5.5 in Premiere Pro?

A: Indeed…I could imagine that being fairly cumbersome. No major changes (to my knowledge) in the PPro titler.

Q: As After Effects 5.5 now has the stereo rig, does Premiere Pro 5.5 support it any way, or do you still need Cineform Neo?

A: Well, these are really two separate things. You can certainly create the stereo rig in After Effects and Dynamic Link into Premiere Pro…this does not require Cineform. However, editing 3D stereoscopic ‘footage’ in Premiere does require Cineform Neo3D, as there’s a whole process for converting any content to the Neo3D codec, which will editing smoothly/natively and offers direct integration with their FirstLight software (in both Premiere *and* AE).

Q: Thanks – I do have also Cineform Neo, but I was interested exactly what Premiere Pro has including 3D editing as the After Effects already has this.

A: Cool. I’ll try to show the Dynamic Link as well.

Q: Any plans to support WebM in addition to H.264?

A: We’re looking into it. Sadly, no native web-M export right now…but we’re listening ;)

Q: What was that gadget that Jason just showed attached to a Nikon?

A: Zacuto Z-Finder Pro. Essential piece of kit for capturing video w/DSLRs

» See a complete list of all new features in Premiere Pro CS5.5, or try it for free.

What’s New in Soundbooth CS5?

Q: How about Adobe Soundbooth?

A: Soundbooth has been replaced in the suite with Audition… Here is the official statement.

Q: Will I be able to transfer my files across to Audition from Soundbooth?

A: By transfer files, are you referring to actual ‘audio files’ created with Soundbooth, or Soundbooth ASND/Score files? The latter two are not compatible with Audition CS5.5, but obviously any audio file (i.e., WAV, AIF, MP3, QT) are the same between the two apps and all of those will work in Audition the same.

Adobe CS5.5 FAQ – Customers’ Top Questions Answered

ProDesignTools — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 05:00:35 +0000

Last week Adobe unveiled Creative Suite 5.5 and held an expert session to address common questions and answers about the new release. We covered part of this session in our earlier piece on the free-upgrade grace period for CS 5.5…

And here, without further ado, is the rest of the shared knowledge from those Adobe Evangelists.

If you have any questions at all about the release that are not answered here or by our CS5.5 launch overview, or comparison to CS5, or new product feature articles, just leave them in the comments below and we’ll get answers!

Topics

Upgrading to CS5.5

Q: What will the upgrade options be for owners of CS5 Master Collection suite?

A: Best to check here for all the pricing and your individual upgrade case.

Q: I’ve recently bought the design pro version… what are the upgrade costs?

A: You can find the configurations and upgrade info here.

Q: Will there be a ‘Student and Teacher’ upgrade option – will the education discount be available for the upgrade price?

A: You can find out more info on the Student & Teacher Editions here.

Q: OK, the upgrade price is cheaper… I thought I recalled that upgrade versions are not available in Education store, and looks to be the case here (just full versions)… thanks.

A: I don’t believe student editions receive upgrade discounts. Rather, you can upgrade your current student edition to the full commercial version of CS5.5 at the discounted price.

Q: If I have the Student version of CS5 Master suite, how much will it cost to upgrade? Will there be student upgrade pricing to CS 5.5?

A: In the U.S., the education store only offers the full version for $899, and regular upgrade is $549 for everyone at the commercial store.

With Multiple Versions

Q: Does CS5.5 install over CS5 suite? Or, does one have to remove CS5 first? Or, can you have both installs running on the same computer?

A: CS5.5 installs alongside of CS5, so, yes, you can have both. It is best to remove CS5 of course, but in most programs you can run them side by side. For instance, I can have Flash CS5 and CS5.5 open at the same time!

Q: If you’ve got licenses for both the Design and Production bundles, for instance, can they be installed one atop the other?

A: Yes, because when you run the second installer it will see the apps already installed and not install them again.

Q: Is CS5.5 backwards compatible with CS5?

A: Yes, for the most part most of the apps will save back to 5.0 formats. Flash for instance, has a ton of new features that require a CS5.5 file format, but it can be downsaved. InDesign will export to .IDML which can be opened in previous versions 5-4, 5.5 to 5 to 4. There are some new features which may not work, but you can open and use the file. Or you can use external InDesign downsaving services which will do this for you for a nominal fee (from CS5.5 to CS5, CS4, CS3, CS2, or even CS[1]).

Q: I’d like to know more about compatibility between earlier releases… Which CS5.5 products have different file formats than their CS5 versions – and of those products, is it possible or easy to save back to the CS5 (or CS4) format?

A: Product-by-product will backwards-save depending on the application. For example, InDesign can go back to CS5 or CS4 via IDML, as outlined in the previous question. Adobe After Effects CS5.5 has the ability to save back to CS5; there’s actually a File > Save As option to do so. While Premiere Pro does not have an official save-back-to-old-version option (and it’s technically not supported) we’ve had some customers with fairly good success doing so. In Flash Professional, you can save in XFL format for CS5, or Flash CS4 format to go further back, although you may lose some newer features.

CS5.5 Subscriptions

Q: On the subscription editions – is Adobe totally doing away with full software purchases and moving entirely to subscription-based only?

A: No, not by a longshot. Regular software purchases will continue to be the vast majority, per Adobe’s CEO… The subscription offering will help fit some cases.

Q: Will this be online software for access in the cloud only, or do you actually download the apps and run on the desktop?

A: It’s not hosted in the cloud – you have to download and install it.

Q: Will the subscriptions be sold in the retail channel?

A: Subscriptions will not be sold in the channel now, only direct from Adobe.

Q: Is there an education version for the subscriptions?

A: For CS5.5, we are selling subscriptions for the commercial market only.

Q: Will these subscription editions require a constant Internet connection? Can they be used if the user doesn’t have a persistent online connection? e.g., corporate or government intranet

A: You need an active connection to re-validate the subscription, at the minimum once per month starting with the installation.

Q: Are you able to continue using the software at all after stopping paying the monthly fee? For a lapsed subscriber, does the program not launch, do you get the upgrade screen, or something else?

A: The program won’t launch and we will show messaging why.

Q: So essentially the CS5.5 subscription is more of a rental for companies or people looking for temporary access of Adobe software?? It is not cost effective otherwise for a steady user, except for the capability to start designing monthly before buying outright. The perpetual license is much more affordable with updates than a subscription.

A: Yes, a subscription is a solution for companies looking for temporary access to Adobe Creative Suite (i.e. a part-time contractor), and it is also for customers who cannot afford the large up-front cost. Another benefit our customers tell us is the more flexible and predictable budget planning.

Q: Is the software platform-specific, or will one license work and run on both operating systems (Windows and Mac)?

A: It is platform-specific only.

Q: Will subscriptions be available under any Adobe Volume License deal?

A: We have no plans for making subscriptions available to volume licensing customers at this time.

General Questions

Q: Will CS5.5 still be a two-machine license?

A: We still allow customers to install on one primary and one secondary computer.

Q: How will the release of CS5.5 effect the Adobe Certified Expert (ACE), Associate (ACA), and Instructor (ACI) programs?

A: It shouldn’t affect it at all. You should be good! There won’t be an additional certification exam to become an ACE in Flash 5.5. It will just be CS5 until CS6 is released.

Q: Will the maintenance program be available for those on the full suites already, and will CS5.5 be covered by it?

A: Yes, maintenance contracts will still be available, and include Creative Suite 5.5.

Q: Could somebody explain why the large price difference between the US and Europe?

A: Pricing is higher in Europe on many goods, not just software, so it’s important to understand why. Adobe pricing is influenced by many factors including value of product in local market, customer research, the specific market requirements, and the cost of doing business in that market. Unlike the economies of scale achieved in the large standardized US market, the EU, for example, has 10 major languages, 4 major currencies and diverse regional markets. Therefore, the costs of doing business in the European market are considerably higher per unit of revenue than in the US.

Acrobat X

Q: Why isn’t Adobe Acrobat on the same release schedule as the rest of the products?

A: It’s a different cycle and may never be aligned with the suite as it addresses a large and somewhat different corporate market in addition to CS customers.

Audition CS5.5

Q: When is the Adobe Audition launching? Will it be available a la carte?

A: Audition will be part of Production Premium, Master Collection, and will also be a standalone product, to be purchased separately if you desire.

Q: Is there anything in particular you would like to tell us about Audition in this new version of CS 5.5?

A: Incredibly fast processing engine; the ability to open and simultaneously work on multiple sessions; lightning-fast batch processing and multitasking (ie, process files while continuing to work on others) and the biggest feature for users of “other” DAWs and NLEs…OMF & Final Cut XML Exchange.

Q: Will Audition CS 5.5 now support AC-3 export for 5.1 surround sound files natively without the use of a third-party plugin?

A: Audition CS5.5 does not currently have the ability to export AC-3 directly; you would have to go through Premiere Pro (using SurCode) to do this. However, with the new integration between Premiere Pro and Audition CS5.5, it’s a much smoother workflow than ever before.

Q: Will Audition be Adobe’s solution for ADR?

A: While you could in theory use Audition for ADR, in this new version we weren’t able to add in all of the (ADR-styled) capabilities of the previous Windows-Only version (where you could loop subsequent takes, and choose a ‘best’ from the take history). So, it can be done, and you have the ability to view video and overdub…but the take history from before is not present.

Dreamweaver CS5.5

Q: What are some of the new improvements to Dreamweaver CS5.5 in the area of HTML5 and CSS3 support that the Dreamweaver HTML5 Pack 1.2.7 in the Dreamweaver CS5 11.0.3 updater did not include?

A: Greg’s got a great post in detail.

Q: Is there going to be an update for the HTML5 Pack 1.2.7 for DW CS5?

A: Everything is baked in – have a look at the post linked above.

Q: Does Dreamweaver CS5.5 support RGBA colors?

A: YES! And HSLa too! I just wrote up what’s new here and recorded an hour-long deep-dive with all the details…

Q: I want to build a mobile app in Dreamweaver. Can I do that now?

A: Well, glad you asked! YES! See the article and deep-dive linked above, including the new jQuery Mobile and Phonegap integration.

Q: What new functionality will Dreamweaver 5.5 have in terms of CMS management?

A: We’ve made no changes to the level of CMS support from CS5 – in other words, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and ExpressionEngine are all supported. Other PHP-based CMS’s should also work, however, we’ve not tested against them.

Q: How does Adobe plan to update free frameworks such as jQuery Mobile inside Dreamweaver since they often release new versions? Is it going to require a software update?

A: We will ship with the most current version of the framework. After that, we will be able to update the frameworks, but if you want to do it on your own, we’re going to be posting a “how to.”

Q: Is there any impact to integration with Business Catalyst?

A: Not in this release. The Dreamweaver team is working very closely with the Business Catalyst team.

Fireworks CS5

Q: What are some of the great tweaks in Fireworks CS5.5?

A: Nothing new in Fireworks this time around (remember, this is a dot release to keep up with trends in the industry). But the team is hard at work, never fear!
[Ed Note: There will actually be some new changes coming in Fireworks CS5.1 - thanks YL.]

Flash CS5.5

Q: How does Flash CS5.5 support video embedding and editing?

A: You’d do most of your editing in a Premiere Pro or After Effects. Or you can do some trimming etc in Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5. Concerning embedding, it works just like before. Import, then decide whether you want the video embedded in the SWF (for very small video files) or external (preferred).

Q: How is this latest update going to change (or have potential to change) the web design/development workflow?

A: If you’re using Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder, there is a bi-directional workflow. Create a custom component in FB and “skin” it in Flash Catalyst.

Q: How long before iOS and BlackBerry support update on the new Flash Builder 4.5?

A: It’s coming really soon. I’ll check to see if I can find a better approximation.

Q: Why didn’t anyone here say CS5.5 FINALLY includes Flash Builder Premium!!

A: You’re right, thanks – that’s a biggie and adds new value to the suites.

Illustrator CS5

Q: Just so I’m clear: Illustrator doesn’t change from CS5 to CS5.5, correct? 95% of my CS use is Illy.

A: Correct, Illustrator did not change for CS5.5.

InDesign CS5.5

Q: To what extent will Adobe Digital Publishing Suite take part in all this – is DPS going to be included with CS5.5?

A: DPS itself is not part of Creative Suite… but you can use Creative Suite to author content for it.

Q: Will Overlay Creator and Content Bundler come with ID?

A: Yes – please see this story.

Q: On designing e-books with InDesign. Other solutions to offer clients to go to the iPad? What is your take on third party solutions? like RovingBird Epublisher?

A: Making ePub (eBooks) with InDesign CS5.5 has become very easy. The engineers rewrote the whole export to ePub module. The result is now very clean XHTML and CSS code.

Q: Can you explain the process of taking your finished digital magazine to the iPad or other digital devices? How does one create a dedicated iPad app for their magazine?

A: In order to create a magazine App with Digital Publishing Suite you would have to go through our hosted solution in which Adobe is building the branded App for you. Otherwise, you can side load a .folio file into the Free Adobe Content viewer App on the App Store.

Q: What is the simplest way to go from InDesign to iPad? Is there a direct export? Or is the only way to go through Content Bundler? Is Wallaby necessary? I’m looking for a simple solution with as little coding as possible. I would like some movement, the ability to add audio and video, buttons, and slideshows.

A: That depends on what kind of content you want to produce? currently you can go: .PDF, .folio into the content viewer App, or ePUB into the iBooks app. The .folio (formally called .issue) is produced with the DPS now built into InDesign CS5.5. Have a look at the Digital Publishing Suite on labs.adobe.com, and yes you can do all those things with it.

Q: Will we be able to turn off the hover in InDesign CS5.5?

A: Yep :)

Photoshop CS5

Q: Where can we learn more about creating mobile apps that link to Photoshop?

A: It’s our new Photoshop Touch software and it enables devices to work with Photoshop on the desktop.

Q: Do you guys ever see a future where content is made entirely on tablet devices such as the iPad, as opposed to on a desktop computer? In the future I’d love to see a much more fully fledged Photoshop for iPad, instead of just using it to control the desktop counterpart. However, great start with Photoshop Nav and the others, very interested to see how they work!

A: I think for the foreseeable future you will see apps continued to be optimized for the platforms. A full-blown Photoshop may not be feasible for a while as the tablets themselves don’t have the RAM. Also you probably don’t need all that the desktop version offers in a tablet form at least for now. The future could be very different if the processor speed and memory advance on tablets.

Q: Does anyone else wish for improvements to Photoshop actions? Working with a lot of web graphics, I often need to apply the same effect to a batch of images, but, I need to be able to develop an action quickly. Sometimes I feel like getting the kinks out of an actions takes longer than if I just went ahead and finished the images myself. I feel like the functionality could be a bit smarter and ignore hang-ups like “Layer X is not available”, etc.

A: Yes, I concur with your comment. I like the potential, but it does take some toying around to get the effect you want and I tend to figure out another way to do it that takes less time than figuring out the action way :)

Q: I was thinking of taking up Photoshop CS5 ACE Exam, but would you recommend to just wait for CS 5.5, so I could be certified for the latest version?

A: There won’t be a Photoshop CS5.5 ACE, as there is no Photoshop CS5.5. PS remains at CS5 and therefore the test won’t change.

Premiere & AE CS5.5

Q: When will full stereoscopic 3D editing and control, export come to the Creative Suite line? Supporting Cineform Neo3D is lovely but more than the entire Master Collection. We need a reliable Adobe solution in Premiere Pro and After Effects.

A: Cineform is the current solution we’re promoting as it truly allows for the fastest and most reliable way to quickly capture/Xcode and edit 3D media quickly and efficiently, while maintaining non-destructive color-grading and high-bit depth capabilities with their First Light application. In CS5.5, you have very functional capabilities working with the (Cineform 3D) files in both Premiere and After Effects. But yes, we’re always looking into and investigating alternative possibilities.

Q: How’s R3D support in Premiere Pro 5.5? Will it have all capabilities of Redcine-x built into it? What about Epic, HDRx, etc? And is all of this CUDA supported?

A: R3D support is enhanced in PPRO CS5.5, including a newly-revamped Source Settings panel (with better support for RMDs); we are also showcasing RED Epic here at NAB (and epic support will be available as a labs release in May); no comment on HDRx at present. And while R3D is *not* CUDA accelerated, Red Rocket support (which has been in PPRO since the 5.02 update) will certainly accelerate things.

Q: Where can I find the list of the Mercury supported video cards, including laptops please?

A: Typing these manually… here you go: GTX285, 470, 570, 580, Quadro FX 3700m, 3800, 3800m, 4800, 5800, Quadro 2000, 2000D, 2000M, 3000M, 4000, 4000M, 5000, 5000M, 5010M, 6000, Quadro CX.

Soundbooth CS5

Q: So is Soundbooth officially end-of-life?

A: Soundbooth has officially been ‘replaced’ by Audition CS5.5. We will continue to support it for sometime…but it is no longer available as a standalone product or within Creative Suite. Yes Soundbooth is (was) good. But trust me, once you play around in Audition…OMG

Grace Period for Free Upgrade to New Adobe CS5.5

ProDesignTools — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:45:10 +0000

[UPDATE (May 3rd) – CS5.5 is now shipping!]

Adobe launched Creative Suite 5.5 this week and it is open for preorder but not shipping yet… The company says the release date will be in May, and in the meantime you can still buy Creative Suite 5 (or download the CS5 free trials) if you need something going today.

And, if you bought Adobe CS5 recently (a suite edition or an individual application like InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash, After Effects, Premiere Pro) or if you purchase any CS5 product now, you may be entitled to a free upgrade to CS5.5 when it is released.

Historically, Adobe’s policy for major product releases has been that you may qualify for a free upgrade if you buy the previous version near or after the new product has been announced, but before it ships… The advantages are threefold: (1) you get software available for immediate download, (2) you get a more mature release if you prefer and can move up later at your leisure, and (3) you win a lower upgrade cost (e.g., from CS2, CS3, or CS4), because you’re buying fewer steps to go up. For Design Premium it’s $150 less to upgrade now from CS3 to CS5, than to upgrade from CS3 to CS5.5.

The good news is this post-announce free upgrade policy remains in effect, according to an Adobe Q&A Session earlier this week… So it looks like you can get the best of both worlds and buy or upgrade to CS5, and then later get a free update to CS 5.5 when you — and it — are ready. (Just look for “Can’t wait? Order the previous version today” on Adobe’s page…)

There are some specific terms for eligibility, based on platform, language, and edition – so you might want to double-check the policy to make sure you’ll qualify… The offer is only available through Adobe directly, and to request your free upgrade just go to the Customer Support Portal, click on the “Orders & Returns” tab, and choose issue type: “Post Announce Upgrades.”

Here’s what Adobe said during the Q&A session about the post-announce upgrade policy:

Customer Question: I assume you have to pay for the upgrade. I just bought CS5 two weeks ago. Do I get a free upgrade???

Customer Question: If we already have Creative Suite 5, will we be able to upgrade for free or at a reduced rate?

Customer Question: If I buy CS5 now, will I get a free update to CS5.5 when it comes out?

Customer Question: Great! But not so great if you’ve just purchased CS5…

Customer Question: Is there a grace period for people who just bought or updated CS5? If so, what is the timeframe?

Adobe Answer (to all): Hi Everyone, if you’ve purchased CS5 recently you may qualify for our free upgrade. If you would like to find out if your CS5 purchase makes you eligible for an upgrade, please contact customer support on this page.

If you want to try out the new version to see if it has features you need, you can be notified when the free trial is available around mid-May by signing up here.

Note: To find and purchase the previous version you need to look near the bottom of the Store pages for, “Can’t wait? Order the previous version, CS5 today.”

If you want to try it out for free first, no problem – you can download the CS5 trials or the CS5.5 trials.

The Five Essential Principles of Web & Interaction Design: A Tutorial

ProDesignTools — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:01:07 +0000

If you’re interested in learning about the best web and interaction design techniques, there’s a free new 2½-hour course you’ll find worthwhile…

It’s the third installment in the excellent Classroom series, which features free expert training in well-designed sessions with high-quality production values. Previous classes have been an in-depth Dreamweaver CS5 tutorial and a terrific After Effects CS5 tutorial.

This latest presentation details how to design your interfaces in the most effective way with the behavior of the user in mind. Some of the topics include crafting effective navigational systems, creating a liquid layout, how to best deliver images and media, designing forms and dialogs to smoothly guide users through a positive user experience, and more. The best practices covered here will help you make better design decisions in your work going forward.

The video uses Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 as a tool to help walk through the important concepts involved. It’s not necessary to own or have Flash Catalyst to get a lot out of the training, although if you would like a free trial to use or follow along with, you can easily download it for free. Each chapter also includes downloadable sample files to use as you go through the demonstrations, so be sure to look for those.

Here it is:

The Five Essential Principles of Web and Interaction Design
Play this Free Class Now »
Ch	Topic	Runtime
01	Five Essential Principles of Interaction Design	28:45
02	Interaction Design and Navigation	29:06
03	Interaction Design and Text	27:15
04	Interaction Design and Images & Media	28:34
05	Interaction Design and Forms & Dialogs	25:36

We’ll touch upon the five essential principles covered in the course here:

Consistency
Strive for consistency in appearance and behavior, because it facilitates usability, credibility, and trust.

Visibility
Most interfaces are inherently visual, so make certain that people know when and where they can interact with it.

Learnability
Meaningful and unambiguous labels, content, and interactions make it possible to quickly understand and repeat an experience.

Predictability
Set expectations about what will happen during and after an interaction to minimize confusion and dissatisfaction.

Feedback
Acknowledge interactions and provide information about status, location, progress, and completion.

Interaction design is ultimately not about the behavior of the interface, it is about the behavior of people.

The online class just came out and is being rated five stars by most viewers…

Julie says, “This is a clear and concise presentation of design fundamentals. It takes an instructor half a semester to get through these essentials! Thank you!”

Amir writes, “Nice presentation, really helpful content. Thanks!”

Steve comments, “Very nice. Clear. People that develop software should heed the values here.”

JC posted, “Thanks for the videos – nicely done on all fronts. Clear, concise and purposeful. Very nice series and hope to see more.”

So whatever you’re designing (website, game, system, software, GUI), go ahead and watch it now – it’s completely free.

Also see here for a comprehensive set of free CS5 tutorials for all products. If you’re interested in longer-term design study (digital, visual, web, video), check out the free year-long Adobe CS5 curriculums for students, teachers, and all.

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