[UPDATE (May 6th) – The next release is announced! Learn more about new Adobe CC.]
Normally in the weeks before a new version of Creative Suite comes out, we don’t have a very concrete idea of what will be in it…
However this year – thanks to the early upgrades already out for Creative Cloud members, some telling blog posts, several “first look” videos, and a “major reveal” at the recent NAB show – we have already a pretty good picture of some of the major new features that CS7 (let’s call it) will include. Adobe says all of the new products will be included in the Creative Cloud as soon as they’re out.
Here below we’ve compiled some of the key information on what’s new and expected in the upcoming release, and will keep this list up to date as we move forward…
Adobe promises much more will be revealed in the presentation on May 6th – so stay tuned!
What’s New in CS7 vs. CS6?
So here’s a quick run-through of some of the top new features we expect for the top applications (click the product names for more details):
— Photoshop: Copy CSS support, Image Deblurring, Conditional Actions, plus lots more.
— Illustrator: Package Files and “Unembed” Images functions, Links Panel enhancements.
— InDesign: Retina Display and native 64-bit/Cocoa support with dark UI, plus QR Codes.
— Dreamweaver: Improved HTML5 support, new CSS Designer panel, better FTP transfers.
— Flash Professional: 64-bit architecture, native Cocoa, faster, more reliable, + new UI.
— Premiere Pro: Too many to list – see the “NAB Reveal” sneak peek videos.
— After Effects: Impressive new “Refine Edge” Rotoscoping and much, much more.
— Audition: Sound Remover, Preview Editor, Native 64-Bit Performance, Favorites Panel.
— Prelude, SpeedGrade, Media Encoder: See the first looks.
— Inclusion into suite editions of new Acrobat XI Pro, which is already in the Cloud.
— More to come – we will keep this list updated going forward…
[UPDATE (May 21st) – Confirmed: see all of the differences between new “CC” vs. CS6.]
If you want to know what’s different in CS6 going back to prior releases, check out the comparisons of earlier versions of the Creative Suite, for example CS6 vs. CS5 or CS4.
See Also
- Free Adobe Stock! Download 1,000,000+ top images
- How to save 60% with the Student & Teacher Editions
- Download free Adobe books (choose over 30 titles)
- How to join Adobe’s Creative Cloud for free
- Free Adobe CS6 Tutorials – 30 hours of video training
- The 10 most common myths about Creative Cloud
To follow this story going forward, subscribe to our RSS feed or like us on Facebook or Twitter… You can also enter your email and have new articles sent directly to your Inbox. We are reader-supported; when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cs7
How about Fireworks CS7? Is FW even alive?
Hi Bartek, nice to see you again. We haven’t heard anything about the next release of Fireworks yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s not coming… Everyone will find out more about the new versions of all the Creative Suite and Creative Cloud tools at Adobe’s big keynote presentation on May 6th – so not much longer to wait.
Very excited about this.
Will Photoshop CS7 and Lightroom 5 integrate seamlessly into and with Master Collection CS6?
Hey Paul, that’s a good question. The Lightroom 5 beta version actually uses the same Process Version (PV2012, its core imaging engine) as Lightroom 4, which is also the same version that powers Photoshop CS6 and the current Adobe Camera Raw 7.4.
Usually Adobe keeps the PV in sync between new releases of Lightroom and Photoshop, so that images can be easily swapped between the two tools.
So if LR5 sticks with the same PV in its final release (which is likely), then we would expect Photoshop CS7 to use the same imaging engine – and thus both upgrades should be fully compatible with the CS6 tools and LR4.
for cloud users, how will the upgrade happen… is it a full replacement or in-place update?
thanks!
Greetings Troy, nice to see you again. Adobe has said that when the next version ships (call it CS7), current Creative Cloud users will have the option to download either CS7 or CS6 (or both) to their desktops.
If you already have CS6 installed, new Creative Suite releases are always available to run side-by-side (non-conflicting) with previous versions – so you can have them alongside each other on your computer, or just uninstall CS6 and go with CS7 instead… It’s your choice.
This sounds very cool!
I have a question, sort of a dual question:
Will I be creating any future problem for myself by buying a boxed copy of Adobe CS (from an AUTHORIZED retailer) rather than buying it directly from Adobe?
I work at a school. I noticed a few months back that the student/teacher edition of Design & Web Premium got increased (on Adobe’s site) from $450 to $600 – irksome as I have been accumulating extra cash with an eye to purchasing it. Just yesterday I was in an Office Depot and saw the Mac OS Student/Teacher Edition of Adobe CS 6 Design and Web Premium for $450. If I buy it there, instead of buying online directly via Adobe’s website, will I make any problems for myself later (for example when I try to buy a future upgrade)? $150 savings is quite a bit!
And the second question: Am I within the “free upgrade to CS7 once released” window yet? (Or at least am I in your semi-educated opinion?) And, does that window (generally) even apply when a boxed copy is purchased from an authorized retailer (versus buying directly online from Adobe)?
I would LOVE to save the $150 by getting the software from Office Depot, especially if I will get a complimentary upgrade to CS7 when it comes out. But I want to make sure I know what I’m getting before I buy.
Thanks for your time and as always for your expert input!
Welcome Mike, you may have heard that there actually will not be a CS7 release but rather a new version called “Adobe CC” that is available via Creative Cloud membership only.
So future upgrades from CS6 are possible but only to the Cloud where Adobe is offering discounts. Same thing goes for users of earlier versions.
You might be okay with your idea, but we generally don’t advise trying to buy Adobe software from third parties because there are a ton of fakes out there, plus you typically cannot return the software once opened.
Adobe has a terrific return policy for direct purchases where you can return their products within 30 days for any reason, including if they are already installed or if you decide you want something else instead.
Also if you have any issues with your education validation, you could not return an open box to a retailer – whereas you could easily get a refund if you bought directly from Adobe.