ProDesignTools » suites

Adobe CS6: Can No Longer Upgrade from Single Tool to a Suite

ProDesignTools — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:36:04 +0000

Creative Suite 6 was released on Monday and has brought with it some changes to Adobe’s previous upgrade policies… Here below is a full summary.

The first change, which we wrote about late last year, is the amended “one-version back” policy which states that current owners of CS3 or CS4 products (tools or suites) will receive temporary upgrade pricing to CS6 until December 31, 2012 – and after that date, only owners of CS5 or CS5.5 will qualify for upgrade pricing to CS6 (or to CS6.5 due out mid-2013).

The second revision is that all CS6 upgrades can only be purchased directly from Adobe in most countries – resellers and retailers will not be offering them (except for volume licenses which are still available on Adobe.com or through channel partners).

The final change now has to do with upgrade paths. Before you could upgrade from an individual point product to a suite containing that product, either in the same release or a subsequent release. So if you owned Photoshop CS6 then you could upgrade from that to CS6 Design & Web Premium, or to (say) CS7 Master Collection down the road.

But this will not be possible going forward… For Creative Suite 6, you can upgrade to a newer version of the same application you already own (e.g., Photoshop CS5 -> Photoshop CS6), but not to a suite. In other words, owners of individual applications qualify for upgrade pricing to the same product, but not to a suite edition.

Similarly, if you decide to buy Photoshop CS6 now, you would not be able to later upgrade from that program to any full suite, whether it be CS6 or a future release like CS7 or CS8. Price reductions are not offered if you want to move from any standalone tool to a suite edition.

However, owners of any previous suite will still be able to upgrade to any available Creative Suite 6 suite. So if you own any CS3, CS4, or CS5 suite, you can upgrade to any CS6 suite edition no problem (for CS3 and CS4 users only until the end of 2012, as mentioned earlier). CS2 and earlier software is too far back to qualify.

So what this means is a little more deliberation is necessary before deciding which CS6 product you’re going to get. Whichever track you choose, you can expect to stay on that track. If you purchase a standalone product, your upgrade path will keep you on just that product. If you purchase a suite edition, then your path will be for a choice of future suites going forward. Here Adobe is saying to decide carefully now, because you can no longer mix the paths.

You might think, “oh, maybe you can buy a CS5 suite on eBay and then upgrade from that”… As covered previously, we absolutely do not recommend that.

One other point – what if you need to run your software on both Windows and Mac OS? Then you might want to take a look at how to buy CS6 multi-platform.

For more information and details on Creative Suite 6 worldwide pricing, upgrades, availability, and system requirements, see our companion CS6 Launch Guide. Or read more about how CS6 is different from previous versions like CS5.5, including a detailed product-by-product breakout of what’s new in every application.

You can get started using the new products right away by downloading the free trials and then taking advantage of 18 hours of free new video tutorials to learn them.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Adobe Releases CS6 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials

ProDesignTools — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:04:10 +0000

Two weeks after its official introduction, Adobe this morning has released Creative Suite 6, with major upgrades across the line. All CS6 suites and individual products are now shipping and downloadable as trials or for permanent use. The subscription-rental Creative Cloud will be out later.

The CS6 configurations are broadly similar to CS5.5, with four product removals and two additions. The product pricing has largely stayed the same, with modest adjustments for some upgrade paths and geographies. The new software is available immediately for Windows and Mac OS via full purchase or discounted upgrade (from as far back as CS3 and CS4, through the end of this year), with delivery via boxed shipment or instant download.

And important news – starting now with this release, all CS6 upgrades can only be purchased direct from Adobe… CS6 upgrades will not be offered from third parties, resellers or retailers.

All of the CS6 free trials are also now available for download. These trials are fully functional for 30 days and work side-by-side with any previous version(s) of the Creative Suite, including CS5 and CS5.5. If you decide not to buy CS6 when the trial period is up, you can just uninstall it and your older tools will continue to run – while buyers can easily convert their trial to permanent use without reinstalling the software, even when upgrading. (For more information, refer to the complete Trial FAQ.)

If you have any difficulty with the trial downloading process or using the Adobe Download Assistant, you can instead click through the complete list of CS6 direct download links to easily get all of the trials you want without any download manager or assistant.

The CS6 Student & Teacher Editions are also now shipping. These offer up to 80% off the regular prices for education customers including students, teachers, and academic staff. Just be sure you know the key differences between Adobe’s academic versions vs. regular.

If you need more than one copy of any product, check out Adobe volume licensing for price discounts and ease of management, plus other benefits – including the ability to purchase and run CS6 multi-platform (on both Windows and Mac).

CS6 ships in English, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Portuguese, and Japanese today, with up to 24 languages coming in total – including Chinese, Korean, and Russian. The CS6 System Requirements are close to those for Creative Suite 5 – you can read more about this in the links below.

See our:

Creative Suite 6 Launch Guide
Version comparison: Differences between CS5 vs. CS6
What’s new features for each product in the suites
Free Adobe CS6 Tutorials – 18 hours of video training
How to save 80% with the CS6 education editions
CS6 feature tour videos on Adobe TV

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

What’s New in Adobe CS6 Upgrade? A Product Feature Overview

ProDesignTools — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:45:18 +0000

Last week Adobe launched Creative Suite 6 and we took a high-level look at how CS6 is different from CS5.5 – and so now here we’ll step through the significant new features at an individual product level, product-by-product…

The upgraded applications and their key new functionalities are detailed below. If you’re coming from further back and would like to know the differences between older versions – like an upgrade from Adobe CS5.0 to CS6, from CS4 to CS6, or from CS3 to CS6 – the last section will also help.

Major Changes to the Creative Suite Products

What’s New in Photoshop CS6 (Standard & Extended)

The world’s best digital imaging software gets even better with Photoshop CS6. Benefit from state-of-the-art imaging magic, exciting new creative options, and unprecedented performance. Correct, refine, and composite with groundbreaking new Content-Aware tools, an all-new Crop tool, and new skin tone–aware selections and masking. Design superior graphics as well as movies with new and reimagined tools and workflows. Count on a modern user interface to make your images pop, and edit at blazingly fast speeds with the new Mercury Graphics Engine. Create rich 3D artwork with a vastly simplified user interface in the Extended edition.

New features:

Content-Aware Patch, Move & Extend – Retouch images with astonishing ease & control
Mercury Graphics Engine – See near-instant results and a fluid feel as you work
New & revamped design tools – Type styles, custom vector strokes, layer search, more
Intuitive video creation – Use familiar PS tools to edit & create movies, in all versions
All-new Crop tool – Crop images faster and with greater precision, nondestructively
New Blur Gallery – Quickly create photographic blur effects with on-image controls
Preset migration and sharing – Easily transfer your presets, workspaces, and settings
Background Save and Auto-Recovery – No waiting and no re-dos! Work fast and secure
Adobe Camera Raw 7 plug-in – Reveal rich detail in both the highlights and shadows
Adaptive Wide Angle – Easily straighten objects that appear curved in wide-angle shots
Revolutionary erodible brushes – Draw more naturally & realistically with eroding tips
Completely reengineered 3D tools – [Extended] Enjoy huge leaps in 3D capabilities
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Illustrator CS6

Number 1 in Illustrator CS6 is the new Mercury Performance System that delivers native 64-bit support for both Mac OS and Windows. You can now work with precision, speed, and rock-solid stability on large, complex files. An updated interface streamlines daily tasks, and new creative options let you design and edit seamless patterns, leverage a new image-tracing engine, and apply gradients to strokes. Spend less time waiting and more time creating with Illustrator CS6, the industry’s premier vector-drawing environment for creating graphics that scale across media.

New features:

Mercury Performance Engine – Work with speed & stability with native 64-bit support
Pattern creation tools – Easily make seamlessly-tiled repeating vector patterns
Image Trace – Completely new tracing engine converts raster images to editable vectors
Efficient, flexible interface – Streamlined to take fewer steps to accomplish daily tasks
Gradients on strokes – Apply gradients to your strokes with complete control
Many panel improvements – Get your work done more efficiently and precisely
Gaussian Blur enhancement – Do shadows, blurs & glows faster and more accurately
Dockable hidden tools – Tear off and dock hidden tools for an efficient workspace
Workspaces with rooms – Move fluidly between workspaces with support for rooms
True white canvas color – Fast color sampling when you quickly need a pure white
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in InDesign CS6

InDesign CS6 introduces powerful features for print and digital workflows. New tools help you adapt layouts to multiple page sizes, orientations, and devices—without sacrificing pixel-perfect control over design and typography. Use the Content Collector tools to easily repurpose text and images in other files; link content across documents to help ensure consistency. Integrate with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to publish InDesign layouts as tablet applications.

New features:

Liquid Layout – Automatically adapt content to different page sizes and orientations
Alternate Layout – Create and design multiple versions for all needs within a single file
Content Collector tools – Grab objects from existing layout, easily place in new one
PDF forms within InDesign – Create and order form fields before you export to PDF
Autosizing text frames – Grow & shrink frames automatically, using simple parameters
Split window – View two side-by-side layouts within the same document to compare
Grayscale preview & PDF export – Preview in grayscale, and export grayscale PDF
Enhanced split and span support – Keep lines together that split or span columns
Linked content – Live-link content within or across documents, changes applied to all
Middle Eastern language support – For easier localization and enhanced functionality
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Dreamweaver CS6

Dreamweaver CS6 introduces expanded support for creating clean, industry-standard HTML5 and CSS3 code. Check the rendering of HTML5 code with updated Live View and Multiscreen Preview. Use fluid grid layouts to design projects that are cross-platform and cross-browser compatible. Enhanced jQuery Mobile and PhoneGap Build support framework helps you develop projects for desktop screens, tablets, and smartphones. Faster FTP transfers let you work more efficiently.

New features:

Fluid grid layout – Construct complex web designs and layouts for different screen sizes
Improved FTP performance – Save time uploading with multi-threaded FTP transfer
Enhanced jQuery Mobile – Create native apps for iOS and Android with updated support
CSS3 transitions – Animate changes to CSS properties to bring web designs to life
Updated Live View – Test pages before publishing using updated Live View functionality
Updated PhoneGap Build – Build and package native mobile apps with updated support
Updated Multiscreen Preview panel – Now can check the rendering of HTML5 content
Business Catalyst integration – Integrated panel to edit sites you build with BC
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Fireworks CS6

Fireworks CS6 provides new screen layout tools to help you work faster and smarter. Jump-start your interactive designs for popular smartphone and tablet apps with new jQuery Mobile theme skinning, CSS sprites from comps, and extraction of industry-compliant CSS3 code. Blaze through your workflow with improved color swatches and greater precision. Boost productivity with better redraw performance for Mac OS and improved memory management for Windows 64-bit operating systems.

New features:

New CSS Properties panel – Extract CSS code and create CSS sprites and CSS effects
New jQuery mobile theme skinning support – Create, modify, or update jQuery themes
Improved performance on Windows & Mac OS – Plus better graphics optimization
Quicker access to color – Rapidly switch between colors and color effects
Opacity support for Fill and Stroke – Apply opacity control separately
API access – Access the API to generate extensions, use community extensions
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Flash Professional CS6

Flash Professional CS6 features new support for generating sprite sheets for improved game development and the ability to deliver apps with a prepackaged Adobe AIR captive runtime for a better user experience. Access device-specific capabilities with prebuilt native extensions, simulate common mobile application interactions, and reach devices that run on Android and iOS platforms by targeting the latest Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtimes.

New features:

Export as HTML5 content – Use CreateJS to make HTML5 from existing Flash content
Sprite sheet generation – Export symbols and animation sequences quickly for gaming
Wide platform & device support – Target the latest Flash Player & Adobe AIR runtimes
Prepackaged AIR application creation – Deliver applications with an AIR captive runtime
Platform- & device-specific access – Use prebuilt native extensions that provide access
Adobe AIR mobile simulation – Simulate common mobile interactions for testing
Stage 3D targeting – Turbocharge rendering performance via the Starling Framework
Multiple AIR SDK support – Add multiple Adobe AIR software development kits
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Premiere Pro CS6

Premiere Pro CS6 delivers a sleek, professional user interface; a powerful playback engine (see all supported graphics cards); and a host of fantastic creative features. Quickly stabilize shaky shots with Warp Stabilizer. Natively edit anything from low-resolution to RED EPIC 5K and ARRIRAW footage, finesse your work with dynamic timeline trimming, handle more multicam angles, and correct rolling shutter artifacts. Get flexible audio tracks, powerful color workflows, Adobe Prelude integration, and more.

New features:

Sleek, highly intuitive, and customizable user interface – Intelligently redesigned
Fluid editing workflow – Over 50 of the most requested editing enhancements
Dynamic timeline trimming – Edit with precision using powerful trimming tools
Warp Stabilizer effect – Correct jitter and rolling shutter artifacts, like AE
Expanded multicam editing – Easily edit footage from as many cameras as you have
Better 3-Way Color Corrector – More intuitively manage the color in your projects
New adjustment layers – Apply effects across multiple clips, easily create masks
Revamped Project panel workflows – View, sort, and arrange media faster
Uninterrupted playback – Make changes on the fly, adjust parameters & add effects
Enhanced, flexible audio tracks – New tools deliver greater audio flexibility
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in After Effects CS6

After Effects CS6 lets you deliver cinematic visual effects and sophisticated motion graphics faster than ever before. Take 64-bit to a new level with Global Performance Cache. Extend your creativity with the 3D camera tracker, built-in text and shape extrusion, new mask feathering options, rolling shutter repair, and more built-in effects to make your final project look the way you intended.

New features:

Global Performance Cache – Revolution “under the hood” makes AE fast and responsive
3D camera tracker – Track & place 3D elements onto 2D footage with complete control
Ray-traced, extruded text & shapes – Extrude fully ray-traced text & shapes natively
Variable mask feathering – Precisely control mask feathering for the shape you want
Integration with Adobe Illustrator – Instantly convert, animate, or extrude vector art
Rolling shutter repair – Remove rolling shutter artifacts such as skew and wobble
New and updated effects – Enhance creativity with 90 new and updated built-in effects
Avid AAF and FCP 7 XML file import with Pro Import AE – Integrate your workflow
mocha for After Effects CS6 – Launch mocha for CS6, included directly within AE
Broadly-improved GPU acceleration for previews & rendering – Get work done faster
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Audition CS6

Audition CS6 offers high-performance, intuitive editing tools to help you produce audio efficiently. Powerful new features such as real-time clip stretching, pitch and speed control, write/latch/touch automation, control surface support, and automatic speech alignment help you deliver projects faster than ever. Many user-requested features have been added and improved, such as CD burning, clip grouping with group suspend, tone generation, and more.

New features:

Faster, more precise editing – Work faster with dozens of timesaving enhancements
Real-time clip stretching – Stretch nondestructively in real time, new varispeed mode
Automatic speech alignment – Quickly align & replace dialogue with studio recordings
EUCON and other control surface support – Work with myriad control surfaces
Parameter automation – Automate entire mixes with new parameter automation modes
Powerful pitch correction – Correct pitch problems automatically or with manual control
Tools for efficient session management – New Media Browser and Quick Search field
Clip grouping – Edit multiple clips simultaneously, new Suspend Groups feature
Expanded output options – More flexible delivery options including output to audio CD
HD video playback – Import and play back HD video without transcoding
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Encore CS6

Get rock-solid performance and stability with Encore CS6, now natively 64-bit. Open and save projects faster and send them from Premiere Pro CS6 directly to Encore CS6 software without intermediate rendering. Benefit from faster MPEG import, pixel aspect ratio correction in previews, and enhanced DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, and web DVD authoring.

New features:

Native 64-bit support – Speed up your authoring workflow with rock-solid performance
Faster MPEG import with asynchronous processing – Pull assets in the background
Pixel aspect ratio correction in previews – View the correct ratio when previewing
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in Prelude CS6

Adobe Prelude CS6 is a video ingest and logging tool that can help you tag and transcode footage rapidly. Searchable temporal markers and comments entered in Adobe Prelude can help you find the footage you want, when you want it, at any point in production. Easy ingestion of nearly any file-based footage along with keyboard-driven creation of searchable metadata allows you to keep your eyes on the video and work faster, stay organized, and streamline production. Create rough cuts and associated metadata that will flow through the entire production process in Premiere Pro and with other NLEs. Leverage the XMP-based open platform capabilities of Adobe Prelude to integrate with third-party technologies and asset management systems.

New features:

Full or partial ingest – Get to work faster with easy ingest & tagging of file-based footage
Heads Up logging – Create metadata & subclips without taking your eyes off your footage
Transcode to many formats upon ingest – Transcode to your preferred format(s)
Searchable temporal markers – Add searchable markers & temporal metadata to clips
Rough cut creation – Jump-start your editing by adding clips & subclips to rough cuts
Thumbnail scrubbing – View clips as thumbnails in addition to hierarchies within folders
Success write confirmation – Get immediate confirmation your ingest was successful
Speech transcription notes – View transcription notes from Speech Analysis in Premiere
Customizable extensibility – Leverage the XMP-based open platform for integration
Customizable metadata import – Import event metadata from other sources
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in SpeedGrade CS6

Adobe SpeedGrade CS6 is professional color grading software that brings state-of-the-art color science to your productions. Output to virtually any type of display, from handheld tablets to the big screen. Now part of the Adobe Creative Suite, SpeedGrade CS6 offers a new streamlined interface and the Lumetri Deep Color Engine, giving you confidence in your color decisions. Load projects from Premiere Pro and use professionally designed presets to get up and running fast. Native .Look file support in After Effects and Photoshop provides visual consistency across your productions.

New features:

Lumetri Deep Color Engine – Apply precision floating-point grading to all your shots
Powerful layer-based grading – Simplify complex color adjustments with layers
GPU-accelerated performance – Experience real-time feedback while you grade footage
Primary and secondary color correction – Apply to the whole frame in combination
Streamlined user experience – Organize logically & efficiently in one integrated workflow
Professionally designed .Look files – Explore a range of beautiful, predesigned .Look files
Perfectly balanced gamma – Adjust footage to compensate for irregularities and shifts
Camera and color space matching – Automatically match footage from different cameras
Automatic scene detection – Distinguish individual shots and make short work of projects
Adobe tool and workflow integration – Integrate with Premiere Pro, AE, Photoshop, more
…plus more that’s new, or download the free trial

What’s New in the CS6 Suite Editions

Adobe combined two CS5 suites into one – the new CS6 Design & Web Premium suite. So now there are four suite offerings in total, including CS6 Design Standard, CS6 Production Premium, and CS6 Master Collection. The different suite configurations remain similar to before except the applications you don’t see above – notably Flash Catalyst, Contribute, OnLocation, and Device Central – are no longer included in Creative Suite 6. What’s more, Flash Builder 4.6 is now bundled with Master Collection only.

Read more about how CS6 is different in other ways, or on other key launch details…

Differences from Older Versions (CS6 vs. CS5.0, CS4 or CS3)

What if you’re not currently on CS5.5, but would like to compare from prior versions of Creative Suite? Like upgrading from CS3 to CS6, or from CS4 to CS6…

To answer that, check out the differences between Adobe CS5.5 vs. CS5 vs. CS4 vs. CS3 – for the complete picture!

See the full CS6 System Requirements, the different CS6 Product Configurations, or the CS6 Price Sheet in major geographies.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

News: All CS6 Upgrades Now Only Available through Adobe Direct

ProDesignTools — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:59:45 +0000

As you may know, Creative Suite 6 was announced on Monday with a big launch event webcast worldwide… So we’ve learned about what’s new and different, and now we’re waiting patiently for the actual release date. But there is some official news today that will affect the buying patterns of many customers.

Starting with Creative Suite 6, all individual upgrades — both for CS suite editions and point products like Photoshop CS6 and Illustrator CS6 — are available for purchase only through the Adobe website.*

Normally after a new release comes out, you can find the many upgrade packages at other sites or vendors. But effective with CS6 in many major geographies, Adobe will no longer offer upgrades through resellers, retailers, or other third parties* – including Amazon…

So now in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, the only place you can buy a CS6 upgrade from any earlier version of Adobe software is directly at Adobe’s online Store. The rest of the world (including Europe) will continue as before.

* Upgrades for volume licensing customers are still available on Adobe.com or through channel partners.

This should be better in some ways because upgrades have always been a confusing part of the process – there are a lot of different combinations and paths from different products, and it was hard for other vendors to present them well and make sure customers bought the right thing, were qualified with the correct prior version, etc. There will also now be zero risk of software piracy for buyers of upgrades going forward.

So now a lot of that experience should be improved, and hopefully we’ll have fewer comments here from bewildered visitors wondering why the Photoshop they bought for $199 from Best Buy doesn’t work on their computers (…because it was an upgrade version and they didn’t own a prior release) – or the one they got from eBay doesn’t work at all and put malware on their system. It also means that customers will always have the choice to download and run their upgrades instantly if they want, or order the box.

Keep in mind too Adobe’s other recent Upgrade Policy change which sets a year-end deadline for folks still on CS3 or CS4 versions to receive discounted upgrade pricing to CS6.

Will this affect you at all? See the price of a CS6 upgrade direct from Adobe, for your product in your region… although until May 6th, you should probably be upgrading to CS5.5 instead because it usually comes out less and you will receive a free further upgrade to CS6 when it ships.

One other point – what if you need to run your product on both operating system platforms? Then you might want to take a look at how to buy CS6 on both Windows and Mac.

Or get started using Creative Suite 6 right away by downloading the free trial and then taking advantage of 18 hours of free new video tutorials to learn it.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Adobe CS6 Was Announced April 23, but When Is the Release Date?

ProDesignTools — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:42:14 +0000

[NEWS (May 7th) – CS6 has been released!]

As you may have heard, Creative Suite 6 was announced on April 23rd with a big launch event that’s being webcast worldwide… So we’ve learned about what’s new and different, but we can’t use or download the software yet – for that we have to wait further until the actual release date. When will that be?

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has previously said this regarding availability:

“I know there’s been some confusion about what we mean by ‘launch’ versus what we mean by ‘ship.’ On the launch date, we’ll talk a lot more about the new features and functionalities of the suites, the various product configurations, and what we’ve done with pricing. We have some new products which will factor into the pricing moving forward. And then traditionally, within 30 days, you tend to ship the software products themselves. The early feedback has been very positive.”

The time window now also means you can preorder the software, but you might not want to actually do that. Why? Because you could save a good bit of money by ordering CS5.5 from Adobe’s site instead (at lower cost), in which case you will be eligible for an automatic free upgrade to CS6 when it comes out…

So for the release date itself, we have long forecasted early May, which is confirmed by the May 6th expiration date of the CS6 grace period offer just described. It is also confirmed by word on the Adobe Boards.

Customers who preorder the CS6 titles now receive the following notice:

Preorder Estimated Availability May 7, 2012. Your credit card will not be charged until the product is ready to download. Estimated availability date is subject to change.

Adobe advised earlier they will be moving to a simultaneous release in the major geographies, which in addition to the U.S., tend to be Europe (U.K., Germany and France) and Japan. So expect to see the English, German, French, and Japanese language editions all ship at the same time, with others to follow later – 23 languages in total.

We also anticipate the CS6 free trials, the Creative Cloud, and the new Student & Teacher Editions to also be available on that same date.

[UPDATE (April 30th) – Adobe confirms in today's "Ask a Pro" presentation: "All pre-order customers will have access on May 7th in the US (date may vary by country)."]

So there you have it – hopefully installing by second week of May! In the meantime you can download the Photoshop CS6 beta release now, or enter to win Photoshop CS6 for free…

[UPDATE (May 7th) – All Adobe CS6 downloads are now available!]

For more information and details on Creative Suite 6 worldwide pricing, upgrade changes, availability, and system requirements, see our companion CS6 Launch Guide. Or read more about how CS6 is different from previous versions like CS5.5, including a detailed product-by-product breakout of what’s new in every application.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Adobe CS6 vs. CS5.5 Comparison – What’s the Difference Between?

ProDesignTools — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:08:21 +0000

Adobe has just unveiled Creative Suite 6 – and one of the upgrade questions people are asking is what’s new, what’s different, what’s changed in CS6 as compared to previous version(s)? Adobe calls it, “a killer release with hundreds of new capabilities rolling up four focus areas: application performance, enhanced user interface, efficient development for multiple devices, and making previously impossible things possible.” So our job here is to give you a quick “cheat sheet” on top new features, to help you decide about upgrading…

CS6 updates almost all of the individual products from CS5, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash Pro, InDesign/InCopy, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Encore. Learn more about all the new features added to each of these applications in detail, with our special coverage.

The CS5 tools not revisioned to CS6 are Flash Catalyst, Contribute, OnLocation, and Device Central. Acrobat and Flash Builder are included but remain the same versions as before.

In addition there are two new applications introduced: Prelude CS6, a video ingest and logging tool to help tag and transcode footage rapidly, and SpeedGrade CS6, a professional color grading system that brings state-of-the-art color science to your video productions. These new tools are included in both the Production Premium and Master Collection suites.

With the spread of online content, Adobe found there was growing overlap in the customer base for the Design Premium and Web Premium suites, so they combined them both into one now called CS6 Design & Web Premium – which draws upon the tools of both editions. Design Standard’s collection remains “as is,” and rounds out the line-up.

As was disclosed previously, Adobe’s new design tools Edge and Muse will not be included within the Creative Suite, but sold separately.

For more information and details on Creative Suite 6 worldwide pricing, upgrade changes, availability, and system requirements, see our companion CS6 Launch Guide.

What’s New in CS6 vs. CS5? A New Feature Version Comparison

Here’s a quick run-through of some of the top new features in CS6 for major applications…

— Photoshop CS6: New modern user interface, Content-Aware move/patch/extend tools, new Camera Raw 7, background save and auto-recovery, Blur Gallery, redesigned vector and 3D engines, intuitive video editing, and many more. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Illustrator CS6: Reengineered and streamlined user interface, fast Mercury Performance System for native 64-bit support on both Windows and Mac, new creative tools for pattern creation, image tracing, and gradients on strokes. [SEE COMPARISON]

— InDesign CS6: Content Collector tools, hot-linked content across pages, integration with Digital Publishing Suite, Alternate Layout, Liquid Layout, other new tools efficiently adapt layouts to a myriad of page sizes, devices, and orientations. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Dreamweaver CS6: Fluid grid layout for cross-platform design, CSS3 transitions, HTML5 code rendering with Live View and Multiscreen Preview, enhanced jQuery Mobile and PhoneGap Build framework support, optimized FTP performance. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Fireworks CS6: New screen layout tools, jQuery Mobile theme skinning, CSS sprites from comps, CSS3 code extraction, improved color swatches, better redraw performance for Mac, improved memory management for Windows 64-bit systems. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Flash Professional CS6: Sprite sheet generation, CreateJS toolkit to output HTML5, access to platform- and device-specific capabilities, prepackaged Adobe AIR captive runtimes, mobile application interaction simulation, support for the latest runtimes. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Premiere Pro CS6: Sleek and professional user interface, uninterrupted playback, Warp Stabilizer effect, dynamic timeline trimming, expanded multicam editing, rolling shutter artifacts correction, adjustment layers, and many more. [SEE COMPARISON]

— After Effects CS6: Global Performance Cache, 3D camera tracker, ray-traced text and shape extrusion, new variable mask feathering, rolling shutter repair, enhanced integration with Illustrator, new and updated effects, and many more. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Audition CS6: Real-time clip stretching, pitch and speed control, CD burning, parameter automation, control surface support, automatic speech alignment, clip grouping with group suspend, tone generation, and many more. [SEE COMPARISON]

— Encore CS6: 64-bit support for rock-solid performance, faster MPEG import with asynchronous processing.

— Prelude CS6: Full or partial ingest, tag footage with searchable temporal metadata, transcode to many formats, heads-up logging, rough cut creation, thumbnail scrubbing, speech transcription notes, success write confirmation, fully customizable.

— SpeedGrade CS6: Powerful layer-based color grading, GPU-accelerated performance, Lumetri Deep Color Engine, primary and secondary color correction, automatic scene detection, camera and color space matching, Adobe tool and workflow integration.

These are just a few highlights of what’s new in the toolset and there are many, many more.

If you want to know what’s different from CS6 going back to releases prior to last, check out comparisons of earlier versions of the Creative Suite, for example CS4 vs. CS5.5, or CS3 vs. CS5.5.

When Can You Get It?

So all this new software has been officially announced, but when will Creative Suite 6 be shipping? Our checks indicate the release date will be in early May… We may find out more at the big Global CS6 Launch Event.

In the meantime you can register to download any of the free trials — or grab some chances to win Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 for free!

Lastly, keep in mind you can usually save a good bit of money on CS6 when coming from older versions like CS2, CS3, or CS4 by upgrading now at lower cost to CS5.5, and then you’ll automatically receive a free further upgrade to CS6 when it comes out… Just look for “Can’t wait? Order the previous version now” at Adobe’s Online Store.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Adobe CS6 is Here!

ProDesignTools — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:11:24 +0000

[UPDATE (May 7th) – Creative Suite 6 is now shipping!]

Yes – Adobe CS6 has just been announced with all the details… Pretty much on the timeframe we forecast, you can learn about and order any of the new products or suite editions, or even download the free CS6 trials. An on-demand video of the global Creative Suite 6 Launch Event is also now available. Adobe calls this “a huge release, our best ever,” so let’s take a closer look…

CS6 arrives one year following CS5.5 and two years after CS5. Photoshop and Illustrator did not get CS5.5 versions, so both of these tools have received very significant upgrades for CS6. But all the individual applications, including InDesign, Dreamweaver and the video tools, are receiving additional features, enhanced functionality, updated technologies, and/or solid performance boosts with Creative Suite 6. There are also two new products: Prelude CS6 and SpeedGrade CS6; plus the Design Premium and Web Premium suites have been combined into one (see how these fit into the Product Matrix).

Generally speaking though, the configurations and prices are similar for CS6 as compared to CS5. Overall we present some highlights here, but see our two companion “what’s new” articles for: (1) an overview of the key differences between CS6 vs. CS5.5, including what’s been added and what’s been taken away, and (2) a detailed product-by-product review of the significant new features and enhancements in CS6.

CS6 Pricing, Upgrades, Availability, and Requirements

The CS6 Price Sheet shows the complete pricing for the full versions in major geographies and currencies. The cost to upgrade from CS5.5 to CS6 ranges from $45-$149 for the individual point products, and $275-$525 for the suites. In the U.S., CS6 pricing across the board remains roughly in line with what it was for CS5, with slight cost increases or decreases for some paths – while pricing in Europe is a bit lower. Adobe is offering free shipping on orders over £350 in the UK and €500 in Europe (before VAT).

One very big change coming is that all CS6 upgrades are only available direct from Adobe… CS6 upgrades will not be offered from third parties like resellers or retailers.

If you’re currently running older releases like CS3 or CS4, don’t forget you have until year-end to upgrade with Adobe’s discounted pricing. And if you’re still on CS2, you only have until May 6th with the CS6 Grace Period Offer!

For education customers, the CS6 Student & Teacher Edition offerings remain the same, with some modest price adjustments up and down but still close to 80% off – plus education orders ship free until June 30th. Learn more about the benefits and limitations of Adobe’s academic versions.

If you need to run multiple users with Creative Suite, check out the volume license program. Adobe is also now offering a membership-based Creative Cloud option for those who wish to rent access to their software, to go along with the subscriptions which were introduced with CS5.5.

The CS6 System Requirements have some differences from those for CS5. Generally speaking, Windows Vista is no longer officially supported but Adobe will not restrict installing or running the tools on Vista. Also, the minimum Mac OS version has bumped up to 10.6 (Snow Leopard), and some programs require that your Mac have a 64-bit processor (here’s how to tell).

Premiere Pro and After Effects continue to be 64-bit-only applications, however all of the other products will run well on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. And good news for many: Illustrator CS6 now comes with a native 64-bit version in addition to 32-bit, similar to how it works with Photoshop.

Adobe has also put together an excellent FAQ that addresses a lot of general questions. There’s also an extensive set of CS6 overview videos on Adobe TV, plus 18 hours of free new video tutorials for Creative Suite 6.

And similar to other Adobe software, you may be able to install and run CS6 on up to two computers, subject to the terms of the software’s license agreement.

When Is the Release Date?

So all this new software has been officially announced, but when will Creative Suite 6 be shipping? Our checks indicate the release date will be in early May… In the meantime you can register to download any of the free trials — or grab some chances to win Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 for free!

Or read more about how CS6 is different from previous versions like CS5.5.

Do you have any questions about CS6? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Keep up with the latest on Adobe software — subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

Sneak Peeks of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash, Premiere & More

ProDesignTools — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:01:05 +0000

[UPDATE (April 23rd) – Creative Suite 6 is out!]

Adobe Technology Sneaks

Similar to how they did before the launch of CS5.5, Adobe has been quietly slipping out a bevy of “sneaks” (now numbering 16 videos including those for Photoshop CS6) for new features that may be in a forthcoming release of the Creative Suite…

“Check out what new technologies, features and innovations the Adobe product teams are working on behind the scenes. Stay tuned to get an early glimpse of what could be next from Adobe.”

The latest CS6 products previewed include: Dreamweaver, InDesign (2), Premiere Pro, Audition, Flash Professional, Illustrator (previously), and of course Photoshop.

The drumbeat has been getting louder with plenty of news lately about Creative Suite 6:

We now know when Creative Suite 6 is likely to ship,
…as well Adobe’s official grace period for free CS6 upgrades.
The free Photoshop CS6 beta release is out with its lengthy list of what’s new.
Not to mention, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition CS6 being revealed early!
And we’ve even got chances for you to win Photoshop CS6 for free.

So things are starting to get a little exciting.

Here now are some of the significant new preview demos… For the complete set, please see the Adobe Technology Sneaks 2012 page.

Fluid Grid Layouts in Dreamweaver CS6

Greg Rewis, Worldwide Web Evangelist shows a new tool coming in Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 – Fluid grid layouts to help create adaptive layouts for more screens and devices:

New Content Collector Tools in InDesign CS6

Grab text and objects from an existing layout using the Content Collector. In a new layout, use the Content Placer to add items in the order you want them to appear:

Sneak Preview of Adobe Audition CS6

In this episode, get a first look and sneak peek at the upcoming release of Audition CS6, including the new Automatic Speech Alignment tool and clip grouping (demoed as “RubbaDub” at Adobe MAX last year):

Conan TV Show Team Looks at Premiere Pro CS6

The Conan show video crew writes, “And now, a sneak peek. My friends and I have been testing out the next version of Adobe Premiere Pro on our own for the past few months. Since our previous video about FCPX was so well received, we thought we would do one ourselves about Premiere. Here’s a sneak peek at the new interface in the upcoming version of Premiere Pro CS6. Let me know what you think and please spread the word.”

Liquid Layout in InDesign CS6

In this short video, Kiyomassa Toma gives you a sneak peek of a confirmed upcoming feature in Adobe InDesign CS6 to create high quality magazines that automatically re-layout across devices and screen orientation. A must-watch for designers working on challenges for designing for an ever changing array of devices and screen sizes:

Sneak Peek: Export to HTML5 from Flash Professional CS6

In this video, you’ll get a sneak peak on an exciting HTML5 exporting feature that the Adobe Flash Professional team has been working on. The Toolkit for CreateJS can help smooth the transition from ActionScript development to the JavaScript world:

For the rest of the sneak peeks and for the other products, see the Adobe Technology Sneaks 2012 page…

And stay tuned.

[UPDATE (April 12th) – Adobe CS6 video tools revealed! Check out Premiere, After Effects, Audition, the CS6 Production suite...]

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.

Adobe: CS6 Due Out “Late in Q2″ with Very Compelling New Features

ProDesignTools — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:07:28 +0000

[UPDATE (May 7th) – Here it is, Creative Suite 6 is out!]

On a publicly-available conference call this week, Adobe’s CEO shared some new details on the timing and features of an upcoming CS6 release… It was the most information given to date on the question, and it confirms the expectations from our recent forecast.

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen

In our Digital Media business, recent research shows our customers are excited about our upcoming launch of Creative Suite and the Creative Cloud. Among creative professional customers and students, we found that over 40% of those surveyed are waiting for the new release to upgrade.

Our upcoming Creative Suite release will include major updates to all of the core CS products, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign, Illustrator and Dreamweaver. We have created significant anticipation for the release through a series of “sneak peeks” of great new features. One sneak video featured a breakthrough Photoshop innovation called Content-Aware Move, which has driven more than a million online views.

The upcoming CS release will also advance our HTML5 and mobile content creation and app development offerings, where we see strong interest to help our customers deal with the complexity they face. All of this is on track for delivery late in Q2.

Q2 means the second quarter – which for Adobe’s Fiscal Year will run through the end of May… So Narayen can be interpreted here to mean: expect CS6 to ship sometime in May 2012. This concurs what we’ve seen posted elsewhere, as well as the new grace period for free CS6 upgrades that the company just announced.

But in recent years, both CS5 and CS5.5 came out during the month of April – so wouldn’t this be a bit later than in the past?

And, how about the launches of CS6 outside of the U.S. – in languages besides English – don’t those usually come later still?

Answer:

I would say it’s probably a little bit later than you would have seen in prior releases. As we move to the annual cycle, we want to make sure that we get both the desktop products as well as the Creative Cloud offering available at the same time. So I would say it’s a little later in the quarter than in prior cycles.

As it relates to international releases, we are moving increasingly to a simultaneous release in the major geographies, which, in addition to the U.S., tend to be the U.K., Germany and Japan and France. So expect to see that.

What about new features in CS6, any color there?

Let me talk a little bit about what is coming in the next version, so to set the stage for what we are going to do as it relates to pricing and what we are hearing from customers.

The first thing is, clearly with imaging and Photoshop, it’s not been updated for close to two years. And that’s our longest gap in a Photoshop release and with significantly more features. So imaging continues to be very high among what people are looking for with the next release, and folks are really excited about what’s coming.

But the second one is HTML5. On the HTML5 side, the innovation with brand new products like Edge and Muse, as well as mobile application development. PhoneGap is being downloaded, for example, at almost 1 million a year run rate, and we had the most number of unique visitors there. So as people are creating applications across multiple app stores, that’s continuing to gain traction. So we now have support for that, both as new services that we’ll introduce, as well as in Dreamweaver and our other applications.

On the Publishing side, we’ve continued to make InDesign a must-have to go with the Digital Publishing Suite so that enterprises can deal with multiple screens. As of Q1, approximately 600 publishers have delivered more than 1,500 applications for devices like the iPad, generating 16 million downloads of their apps. We expect this growth to continue, particularly with the Single Edition of Digital Publishing and the upcoming release of InDesign with its innovative Liquid Layout capabilities.

Video. In high-end video, we’re now the leader. And clearly, in the next release, there’s significant new innovation that’s happening in the video market.

And on Flash-HTML compatibility, we have millions of Flash developers who will be able to continue to innovate using Flash and easily convert to HTML5 using CreateJS capabilities. We’ve demonstrated that as well.

So the millions of Flash developers who are out there, they can now, with a single button with the next version, not only output Flash, but they can also output HTML that will work within browsers. And so it actually enhances their productivity. And so while we continue to see the new version of Angry Birds taking advantage of Flash with Stage3D, suddenly the same tool opens up new vistas for all of these Flash developers to develop animated or interactive content for HTML5.

Clearly, what customers are telling us is they are excited about Creative Suite 6. And I think we have a fair amount of new innovation to attract developers and designers to upgrade when the next release comes out.

No official word yet on whether a Photoshop Image Deblurring feature will be part of CS6.

Regarding the additional availability of the Creative Cloud, do you expect people to move to that?

Frankly, most of the customers have been telling us, “Can we have a little bit more time to evaluate all of the offerings?” So I think new users will be the primary usage of subscription, that’s what we’ve seen in all of the pilots that we’re running. Piracy will be one of the issues that we hope to address with the cloud offering, better pricing for people to adopt the platform.

But like we said, we think adoption will be at a slower pace on the subscription offering. I think customers who’ve been relatively current with our products will probably continue with the perpetual [permanent] licenses.

And in fact, our own independent polling shows that 85% of Adobe users prefer the traditional model of permanently owning their tools rather than rentals/subscriptions.

What else are your customer surveys showing?

This recent survey was designed to really understand interest in CS6 and resonance of the value proposition with customers across designers and developers, and how much they knew about the product. So what was surprising was, first, the knowledge of CS6 was higher than what we’ve seen at similar cycles in the past. And that’s clearly as a result of us doing more sneak peeks, which gave us confidence. And the second one was the actual number of people who said that they would upgrade was quite a bit higher than previous.

In this particular survey, we didn’t survey for pricing – this was just about interest level, understanding of the message and value proposition.

If you buy CS5.5 near the time when CS6 is launched, will there be a “grace period” for free upgrades (as there has been in the past)?

The answer: quite possibly…

This is the quarter where we start building up some free-of-charge upgrade deferral for CS6 and for Lightroom 4.

[UPDATE (March 26th) – CS6 Grace Period Savings: Buy CS5.5 Now + Get CS6 Free!]

Any additional comments?

We feel confident that everything that we’ve shown customers, the long lead press, our advanced customers, the excitement and the value associated with Creative Suite, the next version, is going to be evident as soon as it ships. So we’re confident. As I said again, imaging hasn’t been updated for a long time. And the new features are very compelling.

Here’s a demo of the new HTML5 exporting feature that the Adobe Flash Professional team has been working on for CS6… The CreateJS extension will allow designers to continue to leverage many commonly used animation and drawing tools of Flash Pro and convert that content to nicely formatted, readable and editable JavaScript code:

Listen to the entire conference call here, or read the transcript for more details.

— Sneak Previews of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash Pro, Illustrator & Premiere

— Revealed! What’s New in CS6 for Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition

— Win New Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 FREE! ($1000 Giveaway)

— What’s the Difference Between Photoshop CS6 vs. CS5 – What’s New in Features?

Give your input before it ships – what would you like to see in CS6? Please share your thoughts below or at Adobe’s official feature request “wishlist” or on Adobe Ideas…

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.

[Photo credit: Adam Hart-Davis, Atacama Desert, Chile, South America.]

When is Adobe CS6 Being Released, including Photoshop CS6?

ProDesignTools — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:30:23 +0000

[UPDATE (May 7th) – Here it is, Creative Suite 6 has been released!]

Late last week we received these two inquiries via our Contact page:

“Could you please provide a proposed release date for CS6 Design Premium software? I can’t see anywhere on your site where this is mentioned except for the U-turn regarding upgrade policy from earlier versions.”

“I have a budget meeting tomorrow and need to know the approximate release date and projected cost of the CS5 to CS6 Master Collection Suite upgrade.”

So, this is something people really want to know now. And we have written about it before, giving clues in posts here as far back as March and July of last year…

But it’s clearly time for an update.

Even today, we wish we could give you exact dates and numbers for those questions, but Adobe hasn’t publicly disclosed that information – and likely won’t until CS6 is launched… However, we can make a best estimate of the possible timing for the Creative Suite 6 release window.

On Adobe’s site now there is a document referencing the new CS Release Schedule. Here are a few of the key elements contained within this Message Summary:

New CS Release Schedule

To enable customers to successfully capitalize on these industry trends, Adobe is innovating quickly and we are introducing a new release schedule for Creative Suite:

In order to keep customers ahead of these industry trends, we will issue midcycle releases in between our traditional milestone releases.

We are extending the time between milestone releases to two years.

There will be one midcycle release during each cycle. So, once every 12 months there will definitely be a substantial release for CS.

Since features in the midcycle release are primarily focused on keeping users ahead of the industry trends at that time, not all point products will be revised in a given midcycle release.

This new Release Schedule debuts … with CS5.5 as the first of these midcycle releases.

So reading between the lines here – if milestone (new major number) releases will be every two years, and if every 12 months there will be a new version of Creative Suite coming out, then taking the CS5.5 launch date of May 3, 2011 and adding twelve months would give an expected CS6 shipping date in the early May 2012 timeframe.

Of course, software development schedules are never exact, and your mileage may vary – but this is about the best estimate right now from public information.

[UPDATE – More precision on the Creative Suite 6 release date...]

How about CS6 pricing? This won’t be published in advance, but when moving from CS4 to CS5 Adobe kept prices pretty much the same – so the most reasonable budgeting strategy is to use the same cost figures for Creative Suite 5 for a similar product, or for a similar upgrade.

[UPDATE (March 26th) – CS6 Grace Period Savings: Buy CS5.5 Now + Get CS6 Free!]

What else do we know about CS6?

First and foremost, Creative Suite 6 will continue to be available in all the forms you’re used to today with CS5 – download or boxed, full or upgrade, individual or suite, perpetual (permanent) or subscription. And based on the Message Summary document, all major products are likely to receive substantial revisions and new features.

What about upgrade paths? Well the big news here is Adobe recently postponed big changes to the upgrade policy, so current CS3, CS4, and CS5 customers will be able to upgrade to their choice of CS6 products. CS2 customers can still upgrade to CS5.5 now, but will be too far back to receive discounted upgrade pricing to CS6. However, there may be a brief grace period where anybody (including CS2 users) could upgrade to CS5/CS5.5 and then receive a free further upgrade to CS6, if Adobe continues what they’ve done in the past after Creative Suite announcements. Stay tuned here as we’ll have quick news of that program if it’s offered.

Adobe will also be offering a Creative Cloud alternative (where access to the software is rented monthly by paid membership) but — and there’s a lot of misunderstanding here — the cloud will be completely optional and not required by any customer (either existing or new) to buy or use it… In other words, it is an addition – not a replacement.

We also now know that Adobe’s two new products Edge and Muse will not be part of CS6, and will be available via separate subscription or cloud only. At the same time, we know that Adobe Acrobat, Lightroom, and Photoshop/Premiere Elements will not be affected by any cloud or upgrade changes.

[ Learn more about the features and timing of Creative Suite 6. ]

Adobe Photoshop CS6 – a Sneak Peek

Did you catch the little “sneak peek” video that Adobe slipped out on YouTube last week, presumably a first look at what’s to come in Photoshop CS6?

[UPDATE (March 2012) – More sneak peeks of Photoshop CS6 have just been released, including new Content-Aware Move & Extend Tools... plus 3D and video editing.]

There were some interesting details revealed – confirming longtime rumors, Photoshop is getting a darker and redesigned user interface that allows for a more immersive experience and consistency between other Adobe applications, plus rich cursor support that gives a floating heads-up of significant brush metrics right near the action. And as is customary, Photoshop CS6 will continue to use the same new Adobe Camera Raw 7 processing engine that’s also available now in the new release of Lightroom 4. ACR 7 has been rewritten and can do some pretty amazing things very quickly, as shown in the video.

Check out what it does to this iPhone camera shot of Paris – how easily it brings up the foreground without blowing out the background, recovering highlights and boosting clarity for a more compelling image using just a few sliders…

Just roll over with your mouse (or tap) for the before and after results:

So the video is definitely worth two minutes of your full-screen time if you haven’t seen it yet – and we’re likely to get more previews in the coming months because it’s titled “#1″ in a new YouTube playlist Adobe created called “Sneak Peeks”:

See the rest of the new Photoshop CS6 sneak peeks here or download the free Photoshop CS6 beta release.

What other features coming in CS6?

Well, of course we also have the possibility of the stunning Photoshop Image Deblurring feature that Adobe demoed at MAX last fall – but from what PS Senior Product Manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes said earlier, it sounds like a long shot for deblurring to make the CS6 release.

It seems more likely we could see some of the other MAX feature sneak peeks finding their way into CS6 products, including Liquid Layout for InDesign, plus 3D Video Meshes, Auto-Align New Dialogue Track, and Auto-Sync Crowd-Sourced Video for Premiere Pro & After Effects, as well as all the rest of the sneak peek demos.

— Adobe: CS6 on Track for “Late in Q2″ with Very Compelling New Features

— Sneak Previews of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash Pro, Illustrator & Premiere

— Win New Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 FREE! ($1000 Giveaway)

— What’s the Difference Between Photoshop CS6 vs. CS5 – What’s New in Features?

Adobe Confirms Release Cycle for Creative Suite; CS6 Out Mid-2012

ProDesignTools — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:05:26 +0000

[UPDATE (Jan. 2012) - Adobe relents, says upgrade discounts to CS6 from CS4 & CS3 are back!]

[UPDATE (May 2012) – Creative Suite 6 is now available!]

Adobe has publicly confirmed what they’ve been hinting for a while now: a new annual release schedule for the Creative Suite – with milestone releases in even years, and mid-cycle releases in odd years. The shift comes as the technology world turns faster from the previous cycles of 18-24 months historically.

Adobe didn’t actually say what future CS versions would be named or called – but for the sake of simplicity, let’s presume they continue with the established trend…

This means after CS5 in 2010, and CS5.5 in 2011, we could reasonably expect CS6 to be coming out in 2012, CS6.5 in 2013, CS7 in 2014, and so on.

They also gave guidance on “when” during each year, the expected timing for the launches… What’s more (and importantly), Adobe Photoshop will be getting a significant upgrade in CS6, after relatively minor updates for CS5.5.

Read on below for the specific details from the recent conference call and subsequent question and answer session… Or just read the full transcript.

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen

… We successfully launched Creative Suite 5.5, an update to the CS5 product family. The release features enhancements for mobile content and application creation, new innovations for HTML5 and Flash authoring, and amazing new features and productivity improvements in our video authoring solutions.

CS5.5 is the first release in our transition to an annual release cycle, enabling us to deliver content creation innovations to our customers more frequently in response to the rapidly evolving marketplace.

Looking forward, expect this type of innovation to continue. We intend to ship the next milestone release of Creative Suite in 2012, and it will include an updated version of Photoshop.

Okay – that’s very good to know, helps reduce on the guessing – but when exactly next year will CS6 (or whatever the next major version of Creative Suite is called) be planned?

Question

As far as the annual release cycles for CS, should we expect that the timing is going to be kind of consistent during one time of the year – like we’ll see CS every year in the April-May timeframe, or will it be kind of variable each year?

Adobe CEO

With annual releases, we’re still very focused right now on 5.5 and … continuing to drive through that cycle until we release the next version. But I think it is fair to say that when we go to an annual release, the cadence will be about the same quarter because that’s what really enables us even with enterprises to get to be far more of an annual release cycle and have maintenance be a more meaningful part of the business.

Question

As you move to more of an annual cycle, will we see a condensation of when the languages roll out?

Adobe CEO

Yes, so as we did with CS5 itself, we are moving to a more consistent release schedule where all major languages are released at the same time. The reality is, we’re in a global world and so the day we announced the product, the interest – whether it’s in North America, whether it’s in another part of the world – is consistent. So yes, expect to see us do simultaneous releases of all major languages moving forward.

So, since CS5 came out in spring 2010, and CS5.5 in spring 2011 – basically this signals we’re looking at CS6 being launched in the spring of 2012, in English and other major languages at once.

But what’s this about a new release of Photoshop, features for the next version – what’s going to be in Photoshop CS6?

Adobe CEO

And I think people are looking forward … to the next release as well, because there’s a significant anticipation that’s being built up for all the cool things that we can do in imaging with Photoshop – and there’s a lot of exciting stuff underway.

[UPDATE (October 12th) – See the new "sneak peek" videos of Photoshop Image Deblurring and InDesign Liquid Layout from Adobe MAX 2011, plus many more for other products...]

Bottom line, knowing the future release schedule takes a lot of uncertainty out of the process… There’s always another release coming at some point, but now we know when. Historically, there have been folks who have held off buying Adobe software because they weren’t sure if that next version was “right around the corner” – where they would feel sheepish if they purchased just before that event. But now, knowing the release windows, you know what to expect – and can make an educated and informed purchase. We commend Adobe for changing their policy and making this information more public.

Listen to the entire conference call here, or read the transcript for more details.

And if you’re still on an older version like CS2, CS3, or CS4 and have been waiting, you might want to upgrade now because those upgrade discounts will no longer be offered for CS6!

— Adobe: CS6 on Track for “Late in Q2″ with Very Compelling New Features

— Sneak Previews of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash Pro, Illustrator & Premiere

— Win New Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 FREE! ($1000 Giveaway)

— What’s the Difference Between Photoshop CS6 vs. CS5 – What’s New in Features?

[Photo credit: Adam Hart-Davis, Atacama Desert, Chile, South America.]

Adobe Releases CS5.5 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials

ProDesignTools — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:22:10 +0000

Three weeks after its official introduction, Adobe this morning has released Creative Suite 5.5, with major upgrades for mobile, publishing, HTML5, video, audio, and Flash. The CS5.5 configurations are similar to CS5 and the product prices are the same. The new software is available immediately for Windows and Mac via full purchase or discounted upgrade (from as far back as CS2), with delivery via boxed shipment or instant download.

Adobe has simultaneously made CS5.5 free trials available for download (with the new Adobe Download Assistant app). These trials are fully-functional for 30 days and work side-by-side with any previous version(s) of the Creative Suite, including CS5. If you decide not to buy CS5.5 when the trial period is up, you can just uninstall it and your older software will continue to run – while buyers can easily convert their trial to permanent use without reinstalling the software. For upgrades, you can install a trial and then buy an upgrade to convert your trial into a purchased version. (For more information, refer to the complete Trial FAQ.)

If you have any difficulty with that process, you can instead use the direct download links to get the Adobe CS5.5 trials without the Download Assistant.

The CS5.5 Student & Teacher Editions are also now shipping. These offer up to 80% off the regular prices for education customers including students, teachers, and academic staff. Just be sure you know the key differences between Adobe’s academic versions vs. regular.

If you need more than one copy of any product, check out Adobe volume licensing for price discounts and ease of management, plus other benefits.

CS 5.5 ships in English today, with up to 24 other languages to follow shortly – including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. The system specifications for all CS5.5 products are virtually identical to those for CS5.

See our:

Creative Suite 5.5 Launch Guide
What’s new features for each product in the suites
Version comparison: Differences between CS5 vs. CS5.5
Adobe CS5.5 Experts: the first Q&A and the second Q&A
CS5.5 feature tour videos on Adobe TV
Timeline for a future CS6 release

Adobe CS5.5 is Out!

ProDesignTools — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:16:11 +0000

Yes – Adobe CS5.5 has just been announced with all the details… Pretty much on the timeframe we forecast, you can learn about and order any of the new products or suite editions, or download a free CS5.5 trial. And while the version and software have changed, the boxes look much the same as before.

For this “mid-cycle release” coming one year after CS5 first arrived, Adobe is offering similar configurations and prices, but with most of the individual products receiving additional features, enhanced functionality, updated technologies, or nice performance boosts.

Overall we present some highlights here, but see our two companion “what’s new” articles for: (1) an overview of the key differences between CS5 and CS5.5, including what’s been added and what’s been taken away, and (2) a detailed product-by-product review of the significant new features and enhancements in CS5.5.

Why CS5.5? — Industry Landscape is Rapidly Changing

A year ago, Android was just starting to gain traction, and the iPad was brand new
Emerging web standards like HTML5 and CSS3 were very early in their adoption
Proliferation of devices and their need for rich design & interactivity, content & apps
Trend towards “video and media everywhere,” any time, any place, on multiple screens
CS5 is evolving to keep ahead of this fast-changing, cross-platform marketplace
CS5.5 capitalizes on these key trends with major focus on mobile, media, and video
The next major revision of Creative Suite (CS6) won’t be out for quite some time

CS5.5 Pricing, Upgrades, Availability, and Requirements

The CS5.5 Price Sheet shows the complete pricing for the full versions in major geographies and currencies. Upgrade pricing from older versions (CS2, CS3, and CS4) has edged up a bit, by 5%-19%. The cost to upgrade from CS5 to CS5.5 ranges from $119-$179 for the individual point products, and $299-$539 for the suites. If you’re considering upgrading from your current tools, here’s a helpful upgrade guide with the discount levels.

For education customers, the CS5.5 Student & Teacher Edition prices and line-up remain the same, at up to 80% off. Learn the benefits and limitations of Adobe’s academic versions.

If you need to run multiple users with Creative Suite, check out the volume license program. Adobe is also now offering a subscription option for new purchases of full commercial products (not for upgrades or students/education).

The hardware requirements for CS 5.5 are essentially identical to those for CS5. Premiere Pro CS5.5 and After Effects CS5.5 continue to be 64-bit-only products, however all of the other applications will run well on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. And the new suite editions do still include the CS4 versions of Premiere Pro and After Effects for the benefit of those still on 32-bit computers.

Adobe has also put together an excellent FAQ that addresses a lot of general questions. And the online documentation for all CS 5.5 applications just went up. There have also been several “Ask a CS Pro” Q&A sessions where Adobe experts answer popular questions about the new release.

And similar to other Adobe software, you may be able to install and run CS5.5 on up to two computers, subject to the terms of the software’s license agreement.

So all this new software has been officially announced, but when will CS5.5 be shipping?
Adobe tells us the date it will be coming out is ~~in early May~~ available now!

Read more about how CS5.5 is different in other ways, or see the new featuresets within each product, or download any of the free trials.

Lastly, one of the frequently asked questions for CS5.5: If you’re still running an older version like CS2, CS3, or CS4, there is currently a grace period in effect where if you buy or upgrade to CS5 now, you’ll get a further free upgrade to CS5.5 once it is released…

[UPDATE (May 4th) – Also available: Our set of direct links for all Adobe CS5.5 trial downloads.]

Do you have any questions about CS5.5? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

Adobe CS5.5 vs. CS5 Comparison – What’s the Difference Between?

ProDesignTools — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:10:28 +0000

Adobe has just unveiled Creative Suite 5.5 – and one of the upgrade questions people are asking is what’s new, what’s different, what’s changed in CS5.5 as compared to previous version(s)? So our job here is to give you a quick “cheat sheet,” or guide to the updates. Adobe calls it “the most compelling release yet” and these kinds of answers can help decide about upgrading…

You may be wondering, why a Creative Suite 5.5? What happened to CS6? See what Adobe’s CEO says about it, or read our launch overview… You might also be interested to know that a CS6 release won’t be out until a long time from now.

CS5.5 updates most of the individual products, but not all… The 11 upgraded applications are: InDesign, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Flash Pro, Flash Catalyst, Flash Builder, Audition, Acrobat X Pro, Media Encoder, and Device Central. Learn more about the new features added to these applications in detail, with our special coverage.

The CS5 tools not revisioned to CS5.5 are Photoshop (Extended), Illustrator, Fireworks, and Contribute.

While Photoshop officially remains at CS5, there is a new Photoshop Touch SDK (Software Development Kit) that allows developers to create companion apps for desktop and mobile use… Read about 3 of the coming tablet apps, or find out more and see a demo of the new Photoshop functions running on the Apple iPad and Motorola Xoom.

In general, Adobe is placing a big focus on broad, multiplatform mobile content development with this release, using with the latest standards. And if you work with video, you’ll notice sweeping performance enhancements in CS 5.5 that enable you to work faster.

All of the suites – Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Production Premium, and Master Collection – have been upgraded. Two new products have been added to the suites: Adobe Audition CS5.5 – with a new version joining the Creative Suite family for both Windows and Mac, and taking over for Soundbooth CS5 – and as widely expected, Adobe Acrobat X Pro – which was released in November and replaces Acrobat 9 Pro.

All other suite configurations remain the same – with the exception of Flash Builder, which improves from the 4.0 Standard version to the new 4.5 Premium edition in all packages.

You can also view comparisons from earlier versions of the Creative Suite, for example CS4 vs. CS5.5, or CS3 vs. CS5.5.

Read more about the new functions within each product (a detailed comprehensive list), or download a free trial instantly. Or see a review of Adobe’s “What’s in CS5.5 for Me?” Q&A session.

CS5.5 pricing across the board remains roughly in line with what it was for CS5, with slight cost increases for some upgrades. Adobe is also offering a subscription option for new purchases of full commercial products (not for upgrades or students/education).

[UPDATE (May 4th) – Also here: Our set of direct download links for all trials for all products.]

Do you have any questions about CS5.5? Just ask them below and we’ll get you answers fast!

What’s New in Adobe CS5.5 Upgrade? A Product Feature Overview

ProDesignTools — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:06:54 +0000

Adobe today has launched Creative Suite 5.5 and we just took a high-level look at how CS5.5 is different from CS5 – and so now here we’ll step through the significant new features at an individual product level, product-by-product…

The upgraded applications and their key new functionalities are detailed below. If you’re coming from further back and would like to know the differences between older versions – like an upgrade from Adobe CS4 to CS5.5, or from CS3 to CS5.5 – the last section will also help.

Major Changes to the Creative Suite Products

What’s New in Photoshop (Extended) CS5.1

Is there a new Photoshop CS5.5? Actually, Photoshop’s revision officially remains at “CS5″ for this release, but under the hood it gets a minor upgrade to CS5.1 (version 12.0.4) and comes with CS 5.5 suites… Adobe has updated its internal scripting engine to open the door for applications and devices like iPad, Android, and other computers to drive and communicate with the desktop version of Photoshop CS5. A new cross-platform Photoshop Touch SDK (Software Development Kit) will enable developers to take advantage of these functions.

This new capability provides a direct link between Photoshop CS5.1 and mobile devices and tablets, allowing the creation of companion apps. Some example apps: creating paintings and sketches (Adobe Eazel) or mixing colors (Adobe Color Lava) and seeing these results back in Photoshop, controlling Photoshop’s tools using the iPad as a new input surface (Adobe Nav), and so on. This expandability lets you work directly with your iPad to boost your in-the-moment creativity and inspire your best work. Read more + watch a demo.

For a bigger upgrade to Photoshop we’ll look to when CS6 is released.

Note that CS5.5 will have no impact on the Camera Raw plugin.

What’s New in InDesign CS5.5

Design more engaging digital publications for consumption on any device. Build engaging publications for tablet devices using Folio Producer tools that can integrate with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Create eBooks with embedded audio and video, logical flow, improved typography, and images that resize automatically to fit the viewer’s screen. Reduce the time it takes to create PDF documents that are accessible to people with disabilities. Take advantage of built-in tools for design, preflight, and deliver of documents for print or digital distribution.

New features:

Folio Producer tools – Create, preview and bundle engaging digital documents for tablets
Access to the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite – For production, distribution, and analysis
Enhanced eBook/EPUB authoring – Dynamic image resizing and embedded video & audio
New Articles panel – Control the sequence of text, images, and graphics when you export
Linked text – Link identical text blocks within a layout for consistent changes across doc
Styles mapped to tags – Map styles directly to HTML, EPUB, and PDF tags for standards
Dragging and dropping of anchored objects – Add objects quickly and intuitively
PDF accessibility enhancements – Streamline the creation of documents accessible to all
Open source dictionaries – Use freely accessible open-source dictionaries in your work
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Dreamweaver CS5.5

Design, code, and package websites for phones and tablets. Build cutting-edge HTML5 and CSS3 websites with code hinting and Live View rendering. New levels of interactivity are now easier with jQuery hinting support. The Multiscreen Preview panel allows you to design for multiple devices concurrently. Deploy more securely with new FTPS and FTPES support and enhanced Subversion software functionality. You can now package for iOS and Android with PhoneGap functionality integrated directly into Dreamweaver. Enhanced code hinting includes custom function introspection and PHP 5.

New features:

jQuery Mobile integration – Simple to add a wide range of interactivity to web pages
PhoneGap integration – Build, convert, and package native apps for Android and iOS
W3C validation – Ensure the accuracy of your standards-based web designs with W3C
FTPS and FTPES support – Deploy files more securely with enhanced FTP support
Improved Multiscreen Preview panel – Design for a range of devices in a single panel
Enhanced CSS3 and HTML5 support – Code for the future with the latest features
Cutting-edge Live View rendering – Now with an updated WebKit rendering engine
Better CSS inspection – Without reading code or needing to use a separate utility
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Flash Professional CS5.5

Simplify the creation of immersive experiences that present consistently across desktops, smartphones, tablets, and televisions. Target the latest platforms, including Adobe Flash Player 10.2, Android, Apple iOS, webOS, and Adobe AIR 2.5. Manage multiple FLA files that target various devices, and efficiently create, test, package, and deploy content. Use the improved Code Snippets panel to visually preview and add over 20 new code snippets, including ones optimized for mobile and application development. Help ensure the integrity of your files with a new auto-save and file recovery feature, copy and paste layers, and intelligently scale artwork.

New features:

Expanded platform & device support – Reach audiences on the latest players & runtimes
Efficient workflows for mobile dev – Manage multiple FLA files for different devices
Content scaling when resizing stage – Quickly optimize for different screen sizes
New code snippets & improved code snippets handling – Speed with the new pick whip
Seamless mobile testing – Run and test content directly on the device over USB
Incremental compilation – Use asset caching to reduce compile time and deploy faster
Pinning support for inverse kinematics – Define more complex kinematics movement
Enhanced layer controls – Copy and paste layers across multiple files and projects
Symbol rasterization – Use new options to easily export content as bitmaps
Work with the latest device profiles – With Adobe Device Central CS5.5 emulation
Streamlined publishing and document settings – Change settings quickly and efficiently
Auto-save and file recovery – Protect your work with this new safeguard
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Flash Catalyst CS5.5

Rapidly prototype user interfaces for Flex based websites and applications. Collaborate intelligently, and roundtrip projects with developers who use Flash Builder 4.5. Create resizable applications and components, craft more precise and expressive transitions and effects, and efficiently design developer-built custom components. Build wireframes faster with a new Common Library panel, a new Align panel, and numerous user-requested enhancements. Publish projects as SWF or Adobe AIR files, and leverage the reach and consistency of the Adobe Flash Platform.

New features:

Full designer-developer workflow – New bidirectional collaboration with FB 4.5
Resizable applications and components – Fit various screen sizes or resolutions
Enhanced timelines and animations – Easily craft expressive transitions and effects
Common Library panel – Quickly design with native components and placeholder graphics
Custom skinnable components – Craft the visual appearance of custom components
Global interaction targeting – Define user interactions more efficiently
New Align panel – Better align and distribute objects with the new Align panel
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Flash Builder 4.5

Take advantage of new support for mobile application development and testing, significant coding productivity improvements, and a new roundtrip workflow. Using Flash Builder 4.5 Premium and Adobe Flex 4.5 (“Hero”), you can leverage a common code base to write applications for Android, Apple iOS, and BlackBerry Tablet OS, while sharing code from your web and desktop applications. Code faster using new code templates, code completion, and code-generation features. Target multiple versions of the Flex framework, leveraging new Premium features to help accelerate the development and maintenance of older versions of Flex.

New features:

Mobile application development for multiple mobile platforms – Major mobile support
Preview, debug, and profile mobile applications – One-click using emulator or device
Package and sign mobile applications – Deploy, package, and sign required resources
Code templates – Leverage best-practice code templates (snippets) for ActionScript
Metadata code completion – Suggestions enhance existing content assist functionality
Code generation – Use Quick Assist/Fix to access a wide range of development aids
Designer-developer project workflow – New roundtripping with Flash Catalyst CS5.5
Custom Spark component creation for designer skinning – Rapidly prototype and build
Customizable Flash Builder – Customize how Flash Builder generates code and keys
Design View improvements – Accelerate development with enhancements to Design View
Latest platform support – Benefit from broad new platform support
Improved performance to support large-application development – In 60% less time
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Premiere Pro CS5.5

Edit video faster than ever with Premiere Pro CS5.5′s robust toolset. Experience the benefits of true native format support and breakthrough performance with the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine (see all supported graphics cards), now offering 64-bit support and GPU acceleration on workstations and laptops. Efficiently export to a wide range of devices, work easily with dual-system sound, enjoy enhanced project exchange with Final Cut Pro and Avid software, as well as other Adobe software and gain a highly efficient editing workflow that dramatically boosts your productivity.

New features:

Flexible, precise, and reliable editing tools – Edit powerfully the way you want
Even faster Adobe Mercury Playback Engine – Now on laptop and desktop computers
Speedy, reliable encoding for multiscreen delivery – With Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5
Roundtrip workflows with Adobe Audition – Audio workflows with new Audition CS5.5
Direct integration with Adobe Story – Import Adobe Story scripts, including metadata
Closed-captioning support – Play back and display 608 and 708 closed captions
Enhanced Canon XF native support – Preview Canon XF footage + use camera metadata
Streamlined collaboration – Enhancements with Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in After Effects CS5.5

Smooth unstable camera moves with the new, high-quality Warp Stabilizer, and create beautiful depth-of-field effects with the Camera Lens Blur effect integrated with the camera. Timecode support takes the guesswork out of editing source footage. Quick stereo 3D setup adds to a fast, native 64-bit workflow, while Roto Brush and Imagineer Systems’ mocha (included) streamline compositing projects. Continue to work smoothly with colleagues who have not yet upgraded with the option to save the project in After Effects CS5 format. Add natural falloff to 3D lights. Work with a wide variety of formats, including RED Rocket with RMD metadata, XDCAM EX, and CinemaDNG.

New features:

Warp Stabilizer – Make your footage look like it was shot on a Steadicam or camera dolly
Camera Lens Blur – Create soft-focus effects with fantastic depth-of-field control
Source timecode support – Take the guesswork out of source footage edits
Stereoscopic 3D workflow improvements – Animate & composite 3D projects more easily
Light falloff – Control how light intensity falls off across 3D distances, like in real life
RAW digital cinema workflow improvements – Gain instant access to HD source formats
Color LUT support – Get consistent color in your workflow by using industry standards
XDCAM EX export – Lets you roundtrip footage shot on popular Sony cameras
Save As After Effects CS5 – Work on projects with colleagues still using AE CS5
More efficient rendering – Benefit from improved disk caching + other performance wins
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Audition CS5.5

Bring new efficiency and editing power to your post-production project with Adobe Audition CS5.5, now available for both Mac OS and Windows. A supercharged, new audio engine helps you get more done quickly with background processing, simultaneous multiple sessions, and effects-editing during playback. Native, multichannel file support lets you apply the best editing and effects in the business to your surround projects. New and improved noise reduction and sweetening make it easy to clean up production audio. With the versatility that fast-turn projects require, Adobe Audition gives you complete control over every aspect of your audio.

New features:

Audition joins the Creative Suite family – New Audition replaces Soundbooth in the suite
Native Mac OS support – Record, mix, edit, and master with new cross-platform toolset
High-performance audio engine – Work faster throughout the audio production process
Roundtrip editing with Premiere Pro – Sweeten audio for video easily with full integration
Project exchange with third-party NLEs & popular DAWs – Move sessions + share files
Native 5.1 multichannel support – Edit multichannel and mix your projects in 5.1 surround
Royalty-free content in Adobe Resource Central panel – Thousands of sound effects
Native audio effects – Improve performance with native support for audio effects
Simplified XMP metadata panel – View and edit XMP metadata using a simplified interface
Auto-saved XML session files – Save your sessions in the robust and flexible XML format
High quality DSP effects – Improve audio with professional effects
History panel – Edit, arrange, and mix with confidence, knowing you can easily revert back
…plus more, or download a free trial

What’s New in Acrobat X Pro

Experience the full power of Adobe Dynamic PDF to deliver next-generation PDF communications. Customize PDF Portfolios with an all-new collection of professionally designed layouts, visual themes, and color palettes. Use the new Action Wizard to automate, standardize, and share multistep tasks. Search and reuse scanned content with greater accuracy through improved optical character recognition (OCR). Seamlessly integrate PDF files into SharePoint workflows. Confidently send large files with easy-to-use services at Acrobat.com.

New features:

Assemble PDF Portfolios – Quickly assemble content using the new PDF Portfolio Wizard
Automate tasks with the Action Wizard – Create, manage, and execute frequent steps
Improve scanning results – Enjoy improved scanning, OCR, and export to Word or Excel
Integrate with SharePoint – Work seamlessly with PDF files stored in Microsoft SharePoint
Streamline commenting – Access comments and markup from a single, unified tool pane
Access frequently used tools – Add your favorites to the Quick Tools area for fast access
Optimize PDF file viewing – Maximize screen with new Reading Mode heads-up display
Improved web experience – Open and view online PDF documents faster and easier
Work with Office 2010 – Create PDF files with a single click from within Microsoft products
Share files online at Acrobat.com – Now send large files easily and with confidence
…plus more, or download a free trial

And Illustrator, Fireworks, Contribute CS5

These tools stay at CS5 for this release. See when CS6 could be available.

What’s New in the CS5.5 Suite Editions

The new suite offerings remain structurally similar to CS5… There are five suites: CS5.5 Design Premium & Standard, CS5.5 Web Premium, CS5.5 Production Premium, and CS5.5 Master Collection. The different suite configurations are the same as before except Audition CS 5.5 merges with and takes over for Soundbooth CS5, and then all the other components enjoy the upgrades detailed above. Flash Builder 4.5 also moves to the Premium version from the Flash Builder 4 Standard which was included in the CS5 suites.

Differences from Older Versions (CS4 or CS3)

What if you’re not currently on CS5, but would like to compare from prior versions of Creative Suite? Like upgrading from CS3 to CS5.5, or from CS4 to CS5.5…

To answer that, check out the differences between Adobe CS3 vs. CS4 vs. CS5 vs. CS5.5 – for the complete picture!

Read more about how CS 5.5 is different in other ways, or on the key launch details…

Or see a replay and transcript of Adobe’s “What’s in CS5.5 for Me?” Q&A session.

If you’re interested in Adobe products, try subscribing to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter or Facebook… You can also just enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.

CS5.5 or CS6? New Adobe “Sneak Peek” Preview Videos Out

ProDesignTools — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:57:09 +0000

[UPDATE (Oct. 12th) – See also the new sneak videos out for Photoshop Image Deblurring and InDesign Liquid Layout from Adobe MAX 2011...]

Similar to how they did before the launch of CS5, Adobe has been quietly slipping out a bevy of “sneaks” (now numbering 16 videos) for new features that may be in a forthcoming release of the Creative Suite…

“Check out what new technologies, features and innovations the Adobe product teams are working on behind the scenes. Stay tuned to get an early glimpse of what could be next from Adobe.”

The products covered include: InDesign, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Audition, Adobe Story, Media Encoder, Flex, Flash Pro, Flash Builder and Flash Catalyst.

Given the recent news of a “mid-cycle release to CS5″ (e.g., CS5.5), and a forecast for when CS6 could be out, one question might be in which future version might we see these new capabilities?

Well, Adobe tips their hand once again – because at the end of a couple of these videos they flash the graphic, “CS5 is Evolving: April 11th, 2011″……
Which says to us, you might expect some of these features soon, in fact you might expect more about them next week!

The company has scheduled a special session with Creative Suite Evangelists on Monday, and is tweeting: “CS5 is getting even better. Stay tuned to #Adobe.com on 4/11, and join this Q&A“

Join us on Facebook for a live Q&A with Creative Suite Evangelists Terry White (Design), Greg Rewis (Web), Paul Trani (Flash Platform) and Jason Levine (Digital Video & Audio) from 9am – 10am PDT on Monday, April 11. They will be answering all your Creative Suite questions, so start thinking about what you’ve been dying to ask.

So here are some of the significant new preview demos… For the complete set, please see the Adobe Technology Sneaks 2011 page.

[UPDATE (April 11th) – Right on schedule, Adobe CS5.5 is out!]

Sneak Peek of Mobile Application Development with Flex and Flash Builder

Serge Jespers demonstrates how to create an application that can run on several devices running Android, Blackberry or iOS using an upcoming release of Flex and Flash Builder.

Sneak-Preview of New Motion Stabilizer for After Effects

Watch Steve Forde, Adobe’s Product Manager for Adobe After Effects, demonstrate the Warp Stabilizer, a new way to transform shaky hand-held footage in After Effects.

Sneak Peek: New Overlay Creator Panel in InDesign

Colin Fleming, Adobe Solutions Engineer, shows how easy it is to create interactivity from InDesign for documents destined for tablet devices via Adobe Digital Publishing Suite.

Sneak-Preview of Adobe Audition

Watch Colin Smith, Adobe’s Senior Solutions Engineer for video products, share the future of Audio in Adobe’s Creative Suite software.

For the rest of the sneak peeks and for the other products, currently 16 in total, see the Adobe Technology Sneaks 2011 page…

And stay tuned.

[UPDATE (May 3rd) – CS5.5 is now available and shipping, including free trial downloads.]

When is Adobe CS6 Coming Out?

ProDesignTools — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 05:16:10 +0000

[UPDATE (May 2012) – Creative Suite 6 is now shipping!]

It’s common for folks to want a sense for when Adobe’s new releases of Creative Suite are coming out. And we’ve covered this topic before for CS5, ahead of its launch date.

But regarding the future now…

On Tuesday much was shared, as we learned Adobe is preparing a “mid-cycle release to CS5,” which ~~will be available later this year~~ is out now (CS5.5).

On the same publicly-available conference call, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen also gave some guidance on the possible roadmap for the company’s CS products going forward… And the news is: the CS5 cycle still has a lot of time and runway left:

Question

And with respect to the CS5 mid-cycle release, is that going to impact the timing of CS6?

Adobe CEO

Well, I think the way you can look at that is the real goals for the mid-cycle release are to continue to enhance the functionality, as I mentioned… [see the features hinted for a likely CS5.5]

And then you can expect another release in 2012.

So right there he’s implying Adobe CS6 would ship sometime next year, a good ways down the road…

Of course, Adobe develops this software on a continual basis, so there is always the next version of Creative Suite coming at some point… It’s easy to get paralyzed by that. As with any technology (software or hardware), steady evolution means that anything you buy today will eventually be supplanted with a future release or model. But, we all still have to get our daily work done – and the software saves time (equals money), so arguably there’s good benefit to running the most productive (latest) versions sooner rather than later.

— Adobe: CS6 on Track for “Late in Q2″ with Very Compelling New Features

— Sneak Previews of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash Pro, Illustrator & Premiere

— Win New Photoshop CS6 + Lightroom 4 FREE! ($1000 Giveaway)

— What’s the Difference Between Photoshop CS6 vs. CS5 – What’s New in Features?

Adobe Creative Suite 5 Is Now Shipping!

ProDesignTools — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:50:05 +0000

Yes, CS5 is out! It looks like a phenomenal release, and we have full coverage – including new products, pricing, configurations, system reqs, videos, “what’s new” feature lists, and more:

ALL CS5 products are immediately available for purchase and instant download, with free shipping on all Adobe orders over €500/£350 in Europe and the U.K. (no coupon or promo code is required)…

On Adobe’s site: If you’re considering upgrading from your current software, here’s a helpful upgrade guide. Also new is an excellent FAQ covering purchasing policies and key product changes… The online documentation for all CS5 products also just went up.

Lastly and importantly, the CS5 free trial downloads and Student and Teacher Editions
(up to 80% off) are also now available!

[UPDATE (May 13th) – Adobe CS5 is now shipping and downloadable in 16 languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Czech, Polish, Russian, and Korean.]

CS5 Launches April 12th: When Will It Ship?

ProDesignTools — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:59:45 +0000

[UPDATE (April 30th) – CS5 is now shipping!]

As you may have heard, Creative Suite 5 will be launched on April 12 with a big rollout event that Adobe anticipates over 200,000 people to sign up and attend… So we’ll all learn about what’s coming – but we won’t be able to use or download the software yet – for that we have to wait further. But when will that happen? Well, there’s a lot of misinformation and stray guesses out there about when the shipping date(s) will be, so we thought it might be instructive to take a look at exactly how things happened last time for CS4, eighteen months ago…

So here is our analysis on what CS5′s important dates will be, if the CS4 model is followed – although please note these are our own working estimates and not from Adobe:

Product Release Matrix	Creative Suite 4	Creative Suite 5
* Our estimate † Updated 4/23 to reflect latest intelligence
Preannounce Date	September 6, 2008	March 23, 2010
Official Launch Date and Event (with Pricing Out and Preorder Open)	September 23, 2008	April 12, 2010
First Product Shipping Date (Full Release Date in English)	October 15, 2008	~~May 4~~ April 30†*
Ship Date for Other Languages (e.g., French, German, Japanese)	November 3, 2008	~~May 24~~ May 7†*
Downloadable Free Trials Available	November 10, 2008	~~June 1~~ April 30†*
New Student Editions Available	November 17, 2008	~~June 7~~ April 30†*

Confirming this analysis to some extent comes actual word from Adobe, although not widely disseminated… Buried deep inside a transcript of last week’s first-quarter earnings conference call, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was quoted as saying in response to an analyst’s question about the availability of CS5:

I know there’s been some confusion about what we mean by “launch” versus what we mean by “ship.” On April 12th, we’ll talk a lot more about the new features and functionalities of the suites, the various product configurations, and what we’ve done with pricing. We have some new products which will factor into the pricing moving forward. And then traditionally, four weeks later or so, you tend to ship the English version followed by the major language versions a few weeks after that. The early feedback has been very positive.

So there you have it – hopefully installing in May. Now the next most commonly-asked question out there is, “if I buy CS4 now, will I get a free upgrade when CS5 ships?” Also known as the Adobe free upgrade “grace period” question… We’ll cover that in a coming article.

[UPDATE (May 6th) – Adobe CS5 French and German versions are now available / Français Maintenant Disponible / Deutsch Jetzt Verfügbar]
[UPDATE (May 10th) – CS5 is now also shipping and downloadable in Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, and Portuguese.]

When is CS5 Coming Out?

ProDesignTools — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:15 +0000

[UPDATE (April 29th) – Creative Suite 5 is now shipping!]

[UPDATE (April 16th) – We've put together new estimates on likely CS5 shipping timeframes, plus information on Adobe's "free upgrade" grace period for CS4.]

When will Adobe Creative Suite 5 be released? That seems to be a big question of the season… Now that it’s March, let’s take another look. If you search the Adobe site for CS5, you’ll find some good tidbits, particularly about Flash Pro CS5 and Photoshop CS5, but little that’s concrete on timing.

But if you look to coverage of a financial conference the CEO spoke at last week, the Wall Street Journal writes: “CS5 is slated for release in April, though Narayen wouldn’t comment on a release time frame at the conference. Narayen said Adobe will ship its new version of Flash around the same time as CS5, in the first half of this year. ‘Data points and reviews point to a really solid release’ of CS5, he said.”

So it sounds like at this point there is still no official date from the company, but the financial community (whose jobs depend on researching this type of info) is expecting it to be available in the mid-spring. And if it were to come three years after the CS3 release, and eighteen months after CS4, then it would be in the second half of April – so with any luck, not too much longer to wait…

What’s more, Adobe has historically offered a “grace period” of sorts with major product releases, wherein if you buy the current version within a certain window of the new release, you can get the current software now plus a free upgrade to the new version when it comes out. Meaning quite possibly, you could buy a CS4 product and then get CS5 later at no additional cost…

We’ll have more specifics on that program here as the CS5 release date approaches, plus full coverage of launch details, so stay tuned.

ProDesignTools » suites

Adobe CS6: Can No Longer Upgrade from Single Tool to a Suite

Related Posts

Adobe Releases CS6 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials

Related Posts

What’s New in Adobe CS6 Upgrade? A Product Feature Overview

Major Changes to the Creative Suite Products

What’s New in Photoshop CS6 (Standard & Extended)

What’s New in Illustrator CS6

What’s New in InDesign CS6

What’s New in Dreamweaver CS6

What’s New in Fireworks CS6

What’s New in Flash Professional CS6

What’s New in Premiere Pro CS6

What’s New in After Effects CS6

What’s New in Audition CS6

What’s New in Encore CS6

What’s New in Prelude CS6

What’s New in SpeedGrade CS6

What’s New in the CS6 Suite Editions

Differences from Older Versions (CS6 vs. CS5.0, CS4 or CS3)

Related Posts

News: All CS6 Upgrades Now Only Available through Adobe Direct

Related Posts

Adobe CS6 Was Announced April 23, but When Is the Release Date?

Related Posts

Adobe CS6 vs. CS5.5 Comparison – What’s the Difference Between?

What’s New in CS6 vs. CS5? A New Feature Version Comparison

When Can You Get It?

Related Posts

Adobe CS6 is Here!

CS6 Pricing, Upgrades, Availability, and Requirements

When Is the Release Date?

Related Posts

Sneak Peeks of CS6: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Flash, Premiere & More

Related Posts

Adobe: CS6 Due Out “Late in Q2″ with Very Compelling New Features

Related Posts

When is Adobe CS6 Being Released, including Photoshop CS6?

What else do we know about CS6?

Adobe Photoshop CS6 – a Sneak Peek

What other features coming in CS6?

Related Posts

Adobe Confirms Release Cycle for Creative Suite; CS6 Out Mid-2012

Related Posts

Adobe Releases CS5.5 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials

Related Posts

Adobe CS5.5 is Out!

Why CS5.5? — Industry Landscape is Rapidly Changing

CS5.5 Pricing, Upgrades, Availability, and Requirements

Related Posts

Adobe CS5.5 vs. CS5 Comparison – What’s the Difference Between?

Related Posts

What’s New in Adobe CS5.5 Upgrade? A Product Feature Overview

Major Changes to the Creative Suite Products

What’s New in Photoshop (Extended) CS5.1

What’s New in InDesign CS5.5

What’s New in Dreamweaver CS5.5

What’s New in Flash Professional CS5.5

What’s New in Flash Catalyst CS5.5

What’s New in Flash Builder 4.5

What’s New in Premiere Pro CS5.5

What’s New in After Effects CS5.5

What’s New in Audition CS5.5

What’s New in Acrobat X Pro

And Illustrator, Fireworks, Contribute CS5

What’s New in the CS5.5 Suite Editions

Differences from Older Versions (CS4 or CS3)

Related Posts

CS5.5 or CS6? New Adobe “Sneak Peek” Preview Videos Out

Related Posts

When is Adobe CS6 Coming Out?

Related Posts

Adobe Creative Suite 5 Is Now Shipping!

Related Posts

CS5 Launches April 12th: When Will It Ship?

Related Posts

When is CS5 Coming Out?

Related Posts