MAX was attended by around 15,000 people who were able to see the new Creative Cloud tools, as well as attend workshops led by Adobe experts, designers and artists such Jessica Hische, Natasha Jen, and Ron Howard, a film director.
The launches of this year focused on streamlining the existing apps, opening Adobe’s tools up to a wider market and enabling users work across multiple platforms.
Photoshop for iPad
Photoshop for iPads will be released in 2019. This was one of the biggest announcements this year. Adobe promised that the app would not be a “watered-down version of desktop app” and that it had been redesigned to work on touch screens.
Users will have access to Photoshop’s Layers Tool and be able save PSD files in the cloud. This allows them to edit and open files on multiple devices, much like Google Docs. Adobe has not confirmed a specific release date, but it has said that the app will be available sometime next year.
Premiere Rush is a mobile video editing application
Adobe’s new “all-in one” video editing application, Premiere Rush, is aimed at YouTube creators and influencers. Users can create and edit videos while on the move, add text, color, music, and motion graphics. They can also upload their videos onto multiple social media channels. Users can sync files and save them in the cloud to allow them to edit on both a desktop computer and mobile device. Adobe claims that the app is an intuitive tool for online video creators. It allows them to create footage of “professional quality”, even if they are not experts in audio, colour, or video.
Currently, the app is only available on Windows, MacOS and iOS devices. An Android version will become available next year. Here is more information .
Creative Cloud updates
Adobe has announced dozens of updates for its Creative Cloud Suite, including features that automate repetitive tasks using artificial intelligence.
A layout adjustment feature in InDesign automatically resizes elements on a page, including images and texts, when the page margin, bleed or size of the document is changed. This eliminates the need to correct layouts manually. A ‘Content Aware Fit’ tool automatically detects the content within an image, and can crop or fit the image to a frame, eliminating the need to crop or edit images manually.
Adobe Stock and GoPro have partnered to create a library of assets created by GoPro’s own studio. Assets include aerial and undersea scenes, dramatic landscape images, and POV action photos. GoPro representatives told the press that the partnership reflects a changing landscape of stock photography. Users are now seeking more exciting alternatives than traditional stock photos.
The addition of Ctrl+Z for multiple undos in Photoshop CC was a minor, but welcome change. MAX attendees greeted this feature with enthusiastic applause. A new ‘Content Aware Fill’ tool makes it easier to remove or replace objects in an image. A frame tool lets users create text or shape frames, and then drag images into the frame. Photoshop has also added a new homepage, with in-app tutorials as well as a section called ‘What’s New.’ This will help users get the most out of Photoshop.
Adobe XD focuses more on voice in the new version. A new voice prototyping feature allows users to test out voice interactions for Google Home and Amazon Alexa, as well as other voice-activated gadgets. The tool allows users to set voice triggers, responses, and preview these interactions within the application.
Auto-Animate is another feature that makes it easier to create animations within digital prototypes. For example, you can add carousels to digital prototypes by dragging the left or right (details are available here).
Adobe’s Typekit service is now Adobe Fonts, and it is available to all Creative Cloud subscriptions (including those for single-app subscriptions). Adobe ID holders will have access to the basic font collection. Adobe will release new fonts every day for 30 days. Adobe has also simplified its fonts service. All fonts are available for desktop and web use, meaning no more “web-only” fonts. Adobe has also removed the page view, domain and synchronization limits from all designs.
Project Aero – a new tool to create AR experiences
Adobe has developed a tool to create AR experiences. Project Aero is in private beta at the moment (users are able to sign up here for early access ), however Adobe claims that it will enable both individuals and companies to create AR content, without needing to know how to code.
The brand writes in a blog on the project: “While creatives have heard about the potential for new immersive platforms, they’ve been out of reach. These platforms each require a different set of skills, including new programming languages, tools and runtimes. To make AR mainstream, both authoring and delivering content must be solved within a consistent immersive platform. This is exactly what we intend to do. The project is part a larger plan to make existing applications such as Photoshop “AR ready”. Adobe announced earlier in the year that they were working with Apple, Pixar and others to develop a file format that would allow users to create AR within Photoshop.
