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Adobe Systems unveiled its Adobe Creative Suite 6 product line along with its Adobe Creative Cloud cloud-based subscription service for creative professionals.
Adobe CS6 is a toolkit for design, Web and video professionals that features new releases of 14 Adobe applications and four Creative SuitesAdobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium, Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard, Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection.
The new subscription-based offering, Adobe Creative Cloud, will provide users with the ability to download and install every Adobe CS6 application. Creative Cloud also integrates Adobe Touch Apps into everyday work, introduces cloud-based sync and store capabilities, and powers the publishing of apps and high-impact Web experiences, Adobe said.
Creatives get a ton of innovation across CS6, with milestone releases of all our flagship products, said David Wadhwani, senior vice president of the Digital Media Business at Adobe, in a statement. With CS6 and Creative Cloud, were also introducing new products, new mobile workflows and advanced publishing capabilities that show we are laser-focused on ensuring design, Web and video pros have everything they need for the delivery of high-impact content and apps.
In a blog post about the new release, Wadhwani said:
“Creative Suite 6 is a killer release with hundreds of new capabilities rolling up to four focus areas:
- Application Performance. The Mercury performance work we started a couple years ago has now made its way to our imaging, video and illustration tools.
- Enhanced User Interface. Our tools are increasingly enabling direct, on-canvas editing of your content.
- Efficient development for Multiple Devices. Our tools are taking a practical approach to creating responsive content, so your web sites or apps look great regardless of the device or orientation theyre viewed in.
- Adobes unique secret sauce. The stuff that make things previously impossible suddenly possible.”
Meanwhile, Adobe officials said the performance and workflow enhancements in Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe Illustrator CS6 and Adobe InDesign CS6 will result in significant time savings for print, Web and mobile projects. In Photoshop CS6, designers will experience incredible performance, powered by the Adobe Mercury Graphics Engine, enabling near instant results from essential editing tools, including Liquify, Puppet Warp, Transform and Lighting Effects.
Photoshop CS6 contains several key, new features, like Process Version 2012, the Adaptive Wide Angle filter, and Blur tools, as well as helpful enhancements to previous features like the Crop tool and Content-Aware filling, said Martin Evening, a renowned photographer and Photoshop Hall-of-Famer, in a statement. This new functionality will be useful for any design or photography professional who uses it and, through speedy adoption, it will definitely help streamline Photoshop users workflows.
Adobe has built on Photoshops Content-Aware capabilities with advanced new Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move features. Illustrator CS6 debuts a revamped modern interface, and features include a new image tracing engine, easy pattern creation and the ability to apply gradients to strokes. The Mercury Performance System delivers speed and stability, including 64-bit support for Mac OS and Windows. And InDesign CS6 streamlines the creation of multiple layouts from a single set of content with new Adaptive Design ToolsAlternate Layout, Liquid Layout, Content Collector Tools and Linked Content.
Meanwhile, Adobe announced that Adobe Muse, the companys tool that enables designers to create and publish HTML5 Websites without writing code, is coming out of beta.
Adobe also beefed up its tooling for HTML5 development. Web pros can integrate HTML5 animations, created with Adobe Edge preview, into their Dreamweaver projects. And Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 addresses the challenge of responsive Web designs with the ability to build fluid grid layouts replacing the manual process of creating and configuring separate CSS-based interfaces for phone, tablet and desktop. And with integration with Adobes PhoneGap Build service, Dreamweaver CS6 enables Web developers to create native mobile applications for multiple platforms.
Moreover, Adobe Flash Professional CS6 users can transition their skills to HTML5 using the Flash Professional Toolkit for CreateJS. Flash Professional CS6 also helps designers create exciting and impactful gaming experiences, and advancements include the ability to generate sprite sheets that improve workflows and performance. In addition, prebuilt native extensions and new packaging options that leverage the latest Adobe Flash Player and AIR runtimes help expand and ease app delivery to Android and iOS devices.
Adobe also announced Adobe Creative Cloud Student and Teacher Edition, and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Student and Teacher Edition for institutions, educators and students. The new release and supporting educational resources help K-12 and higher education institutions enhance teaching and learning, and better prepare students for their future careers.
We are now in the era of the 3Cscreativity, communication and collaborationdriven by how digital media is revolutionizing teaching and learning, said Jon Perera, vice president of worldwide education at Adobe, in a statement. Adobe Creative Cloud and CS6 applications make it easier for educators to create and deliver stunning digital education content across devices, cloud, and social platforms.
In addition to 14 new CS6 point products and four Creative Suite editions, Adobe is now delivering its first cloud offering for students and educators. Adobe Creative Cloud is a hub where students and educators can explore, share and deliver creative content using any of the Adobe Creative Suite 6 desktop applications. By offering integration with Adobe Touch Apps, headlined by Photoshop Touch, Adobe Creative Cloud enables new mobile workflows, from ideation to publishing, that bring the power of Adobe innovation to the classroom via iPad and Android tablets, Adobe said.
More than 100 education institutions worldwide participated in the beta program for CS6 and Creative Cloud, including Lake City High School in Coeur dAlene, Idaho; The Academy of Art; Rochester Institute of Technology; and Carnegie Mellon University.
According to David Holzemer at Carnegie Mellon University e-learning and media design, Adobe Creative Suite 6 software is a real game changer for us. The new Mercury Graphics Engine running at 64-bit will cut my production time in half, and time is always critical for a very small staff serving such a large institution. Adobe Creative Suite 6 is invaluable to my e-learning team.
Adobe Creative Suite 6 products and Adobe Creative Cloud are scheduled to be available within 30 days and can be preordered now. Adobe continues to offer 14 CS6 point-products as well as Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium ($1,899), Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard ($1,299), Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium ($1,899) and Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection ($2,599) for purchase. Upgrade pricing is also available to eligible customers. Customers can purchase CS6 products via Adobe.com and through select retail, resellers and online stores. More information on product pricing is available at www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite.html.
Adobe Creative Cloud membership for individuals is $49.99 per month based on annual membership and $74.99 per month based on month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of $29.99 per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available.