We’re on the Adobe Help Forums every day and regularly see users posting queries like “Can’t install Photoshop from the Creative Cloud” or “CC 2019 won’t download,” or “my product updates aren’t working”… It could be for the free trials or for the full paid versions.

Often the issue is related to one or the other download managers (DLM) that Adobe uses to deliver its software install­ers. Over the years and for various tools, they have used the Akamai Down­load Manager, the Adobe Down­load Assistant (ADA), the Adobe Applica­tion Manager (AAM), and now the Creative Cloud’s CC Desktop App.

Adobe employs these helper utilities because their downloads are usually large – multiple gigabytes – and download managers can help correct for unreliable Internet connections, and resume a download after it has been paused or unexpectedly broken.

But it turns out there can be interactions between the DLM and configurations of your computer, web browser, anti-virus software, Internet connection, or something else which causes it not to work. Read more…

One of the biggest strengths of the Adobe CC 2019 release is receiving a complete set of creative tools with an ongoing stream of updates included at no extra cost… We no longer have to wait years for our products to innovate and keep pace with evolving technologies; instead we receive the latest and greatest features and improvements as soon as they are ready.

Since the initial launch of CC in 2013, Adobe has regularly issued new upgrades for each individual app about once every 3-4 months, bringing new power and capabilities to all subscribers.

Normally the Creative Cloud works seamlessly with these ongoing product updates… The CC Desktop App runs quietly in the System Tray and notifies the customer that a new upgrade is avail­able for any of the included applications like Photoshop CC, and (optionally whenever desired) the user clicks one button to auto­matically download and install the update in the back­ground.

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Last October, Adobe unveiled the new CC 2019 Release, which the company says is the biggest product launch since they first introduced Creative Cloud over six years ago. Pam Clark, Senior Director for Photoshop, exclaimed, “Today is by far the largest product announcement and launch experience of my career on the Photoshop team, and at Adobe. We have never delivered so much amazing new innovation to customers on the same day. I can’t wait to see what you create!”

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Something very rare is going on this week, and we thought you should know about it. For the first time ever outside of the traditional Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale period, Adobe is currently offering a major discount on Creative Cloud to the general public…

For a limited time (until Friday, March 1st), first-time subscribers to the Creative Cloud ‘All Apps’ plan can score a 25%-43% discount off the regular prices for your first year. This matches the all-time lowest prices ever offered on these popular products.

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With over 15 million paid members for Creative Cloud and growing, we often get this question from readers: “What’s a good book to get started with the most popular Adobe tools?” While there are a lot of great CC books for sale on Amazon, why not begin with an excellent title that’s available to everyone for free, and that you can download instantly?

Over the years, we’ve compiled a collection of over 30 free books that you can download and use for learning all of Adobe’s different creative tools… But there’s one volume that always stands out as a favorite – and even better, it has just been republished in a brand new expanded edition for the CC 2019 tools.

So if you’re just getting going with (or would like a solid primer covering) the core Creative Cloud design tools, then what better than a step-by-step guide that will teach you the essentials of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, and Muse from the ground up?

So here it is: the very helpful “Adobe CC Design Basics” that will give you all of this for free, courtesy of author Professor Thomas Payne… The book works by intro­ducing and explain­ing the tools in a logical way that builds upon what is previ­ously learned. These applica­tions present a vast array of buttons and gadgets that can be over­whelming to the new user. This book makes sense of it all, not showing how every­thing works, but instead giving a found­ation and a path to learn about all those controls and what they can do for you.

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Let’s face it, Adobe’s traditional product prices seemed expensive over the years, espe­cially if you’re on a student’s budget. The last perpetual version available, Creative Suite 6 from 2012, historically had full prices ranging from $399 for Dream­weaver through $999 for Photoshop Extended and on up to $2,599 upfront for the Master Collection suite, which contained all CS6 applications. As cool and powerful as this software was, it’s hard to afford when you’re in school – even after the student/teacher discount.

Adobe eventually stopped selling CS6, as the version reached EOL and end of support – but fortunately the company still offers deep discounts for education customers on the latest CC release. A few years ago, in fact, they increased the discount on Creative Cloud to up to 70% off the regular prices. And while there are a lot of misconceptions about CC, the main products like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, etc., still download and run on your desktop as normal.

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Adobe Acrobat has undergone a tremendous evolution in recent years. When the new Acrobat “DC” generation first arrived in 2015, people weren’t quite sure what to make of it. But now, almost four years later with several major releases plus fully-integrated mobile apps for PDF management, document scanning, and electronic signatures, the Document Cloud has arrived and most of us wonder how we ever got along without the workflow productivity it brings.

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Longtime readers know that we offer a series of free books for Adobe software with over 30 different titles that anyone can download on how to best use the different major products… These books have been extremely popular and well-received.

But since Adobe software is all about creating, for a long time there was a missing part: a collection of free books simply about building your creativity – something that everyone in the world can use and benefit from… So here is that set! You can legally download and use the five PDF e-books below to inspire your own creative process and help improve your work, no matter what you do in life. They are (in our view) all easy, enjoyable, and enriching reads.

Book #1: The Creative Aid Handbook (142 Pages)

Co-creators Richard Tapp and Nicole Smith of Kooroo Kooroo rightly describe The Creative Aid Handbook as a outside-of-the-box resource to get your creative juices flowing: “We wrote, designed, and illustrated a book featuring unusual tips to nurture your creative well-being, boost your creative intellect and foster internal inspiration. Meant to serve as a mini-resource for your creative projects and food for your creative thoughts. Read more…

What are the differences between the types of Creative Cloud membership? This is a question we get a lot, so here’s a handy comparison guide on the major differences between Creative Cloud for Teams vs. CC for Individuals. In another article, we already covered the all the differences between Creative Cloud Student & Teacher vs. regular editions.

Creative Cloud for Teams is Adobe’s volume licensing solution for businesses, studios, design shops, agencies, companies, offices, schools, and other organizations. It includes everything that CC for Individuals does, but gives you substantially more features and capabilities for managing and working with different users. It’s meant for groups (such as small to midsize businesses and departments) with multiple seats using the products at the same time. For large businesses, Adobe recommends Creative Cloud for Enterprise.

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Here’s the brand new edition of a very handy resource from James Wamser – a complete reference to all versions and features of Adobe Photoshop from CS1 to CC 2019… Similar to his InDesign handbook, it’s called the Adobe Photoshop New Features Guide: From CS to CC – and this 97-page ebook is available for free download now:

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