[IMPORTANT NOTE – Adobe stopped selling CS6 entirely several years ago – here’s why… So the CS products are not being made by the company, nor legitimately for sale through any channel in any country, from any vendor or reseller.]

Some folks think it might be a good idea to try to save a few bucks and buy Adobe software off of eBay, Craigslist, Amazon Marketplace, or from any vendor or seller who is unfamiliar.  It could be Creative Cloud, CS6, Photoshop, Lightroom, Acrobat, Elements, or any other title – in a retail, student, full or upgrade version… or sometimes it’s the “OEM” scam, or the plausible-sounding “extra” volume/enterprise license swindle, or an illegal black or “gray market” import.

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

The first problem is that Adobe does not recognize these venues as valid or authorized resellers, they are fully disregarded and invalid. So as a result, Adobe will not officially recognize any of those buyers as actually owning their software. Yes, you read that right.

Meaning, you think you own the genuine article but effectively you don’t. You cannot provide an accepted proof of purchase – so you can’t formally prove you own the products. You may not be able to transfer the software to someone else, nor be able to get product support or upgrade to the next version, etc…  You also aren’t able to return the software to get your money back from Adobe like you normally can.

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Last week at the annual MAX conference, Adobe launched the new 2020 release of Creative Cloud – and everyone wants to know what’s new, what’s different, and what’s changed between CC 2020 and the previous CC 2019, CC 2018, CC 2017, CC 2015, CC 2014, CC 2013, or 2012’s Creative Suite 6?  Or more to the point, what are the key new features and advancements in the 2020 upgrade versus prior versions?

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“Creativity for All” is the key theme of the all-new CC 2020 release, which was just announced by Adobe this week at their annual MAX conference. This next generation of Creative Cloud includes hundreds of new features and advancements across their product line, focusing on three core goals: faster, more powerful & more reliable tools, creating anywhere & anytime with anyone, and exploring new frontiers…  CC 2020 is the next major release following the CC 2019, CC 2018, CC 2017, CC 2015, CC 2014, and CC 2013 versions, which in turn replaced CS6 from 2012.

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Now that the Adobe CC release has become ubiquitous with over 18 million paid customers, some folks are asking us whether the new versions of the tools in the Creative Cloud can read or save older data/document/project file formats like CS6, CS5.5, CS5, CS4 & CS3…

In fact, since Adobe’s flagship creative toolset CC 2019 is now seven major releases past CS6 from 2012 (which they no longer sell), file version compatibility can some­times be an important decision point in moving forward.

In the past, new Adobe product versions have often brought different or expanded file formats to support significant new features – and customers want to know if their existing projects will easily carry forward with them when they upgrade, or if they will be able to save back to older formats for coworkers or clients who may still be running an earlier revision of the programs…

OK then, here’s how it works. Generally, your new CC tools will be able to open and use any and all earlier CS project and data files – including CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, and CS6 files – with no problem or loss of information. In other words, all Adobe software is able to read or import file formats from previous versions of the same program – and it should happen seam­lessly and automatically. The only exception to this is Premiere Pro, where it’s best to open/edit projects in the same versions that created them.

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UPDATE (Nov. 2019) – The new Creative Cloud 2020 direct download links are now available.

Adobe has just made a big change to the version availability and usage of its creative software products, both for CC and CS applications…

Since the advent of Creative Cloud in 2012, subscribers have been able to use any version of the CC products that has ever been released. Some customers use prior versions due to compatibility with evolving system requirements, or because co-workers have standardized on the same earlier release.

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OK, so your old computer is running out of gas, you’re upgrading or changing systems, adding a new machine, or switching from a PC to a Mac, or vice versa — and you want to move over your copy of CC/Creative Cloud or CS6 (or CS5 or CS4 or CS3) Adobe software — what do you do, and how do you do it? Just follow our complete guide below, which also works for other Adobe desktop products such as Acrobat, Elements, Lightroom, Captivate, and more.

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

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With the fast-growing adoption of Adobe’s Creative Cloud and the recent release of the all-new CC 2020 versions of creative applications, some readers are telling us they’re not certain if they need all the tools that are included in the complete Creative Cloud offering, or aren’t ready or able to join for US$50 a month…

The complete (or All Apps) Creative Cloud membership gives you the latest-and-greatest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Animate (Flash Pro), Adobe XD, Dimension, Character Animator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and others – together in a well-integrated suite with ongoing product upgrades included as soon as they’re available.

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With tight production and delivery schedules, the ability to repair or re-purpose a shot can make a big difference. First introduced and evolved in Photoshop, Content-Aware Fill for Video is now available to editors and visual effects artists allowing you to remove unwanted elements from video clips, such as production equipment, boom microphones, vehicles, people, signs, logos, or special effects wires that have inadvertently been included in a shot.

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“Creative Treat” to Be Part of New Accuracy-in-Naming Initiative

SAN JOSE, Calif.—April 1, 2019—Citing continued confusion over the Creative Cloud name introduced seven years ago, Adobe Systems announced today that it is relaunching its flagship product line as “Creative Treat.”

Commenting on the move, Founder John Adobe explained that too many people were still thinking Creative Cloud meant that mainline desktop tools like Photoshop and Illustrator were run­ning as online applica­tions in a web browser – something he says will never actually happen.

“Creative Suite was the old model, and Creative Cloud is the new model,” Mr. Adobe said. “And yes, it has some important cloud-based services – but now with Creative Treat, we finally have a name that represents the sweet experience you should expect as a customer when using all these great tools,” he added.

Origins of the New Name

“With the thousands of innovations added since the release of CS6, plus complete access to full versions of all our top software for an affordable price, using these delicious new creative prod­ucts is really a treat, most of all,” he explained.

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One of the biggest strengths of the Adobe CC 2020 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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