5 Questions about Photoshop CC
I very much doubt you missed the recent announcement from Adobe about the new version of Photoshop coming in June. To recap the next version will be called Photoshop CC and comes with some nice new features.
Adobe has also changed the way we purchase Photoshop (along lots of its other software titles) to a subscription only system that it calls Creative Cloud. This seems to be sending shockwaves rippling around the internet and as is so often the case not everything you read is true.
As someone who’s used Creative Cloud for the past year I’m well placed to give my impressions of the experience, so here are my answers the top 5 questions (in particular order) I keep hearing.
Please take a deep breath and read the whole post before commenting as I will be actively moderating them.
I’m happy with current version of Photoshop. Will that keep working once Photoshop CC comes out?
If you’re happy with your current version of Photoshop and either don’t want or need the new features of Photoshop CC then absolutely nothing will change for you. In fact I’d suggest you stop reading this now and get back to the more enjoyable things in life.
I’ve been told I must be online in order for Photoshop CC to work.
My PC is permanently online but my laptop is rarely online. Photoshop is installed on both machines and both work in exactly the same way. In fact unless I told you I was a Creative Cloud user, you’d never know the difference. Photoshop needs to running whilst you’re online once every 90 days otherwise it might stop.
I don’t like the idea of all my files being in the cloud.
Neither do I and neither do Adobe. The cloud bit of “Creative Cloud” is where you download the software from and where you can choose to save work too. I keep all my photo, files, videos etc firmly on my PC. However I do use my Creative Cloud space to share things with clients, friends and with you. Check out my Friday Freebies to see that in action.
At the end of my subscription I’ll be left with nothing
I suppose that’s true. If you stop subscribing you’ll be left with whatever you used before you started using Photoshop CC. I look at it like this. Every year I pay a small fortune for insurance on my photo gear and at the end of the year I get nothing in return… assuming I haven’t made a claim. At least with Photoshop you get something back whilst you’re subscribed.
If I stop subscribing will I loose access to my files?
If they’re on your hard drive then they’re not going anywhere. If you’ve used a new feature of Photoshop CC such as Camera Raw as a smart object layer then it will not be editable in older versions of Photoshop but it’ll still be there and your file will still open. You can also open PSD files in Photoshop Elements and a dozen other software packages from companies other then Adobe.
Photoshop CC won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s fine. If you want the latest and greatest offering from Adobe or like me you need Photoshop and Premiere Pro the Creative Cloud is the perfect fit.
One more thing. If it wasn’t for Adobe’s Creative Cloud then there would have been a lot less Friday Freebies on gavtrain over the past year… just saying 😉
Actually the question is, “After I’ve stopped subscribing to CC, will I still be able to print and render my PSD files?” Because presumably I’ll not be continuing to edit.
Haven’t heard any suggestion that PSD support is being pulled from Elements or Lightroom
Yes you can print your PSD’s from Elements and Lightroom to name but two 🙂
I don’t like the “Cloud” idea.. it just limits everything you do without subscription. Say if I would like to just edit 1 photo, just 1 and you need to subscribe the whole month/year again.. it doesn’t worth it..
If you only need to process one photo then Photoshop isn’t the tool for you. Elements would be a better fit 😉
I use CS6 which will last me for quite a few years because, even though I have had it for a couple of years now, I am still learning about it’s features by watching your training videos. My question is aimed at yourself Gavin. When you upload your training videos in the future will you still include CS6 or will they all just be for CC? I know on some of your videos you tell us how to do whatever it is your instructing if using Elements.
It took me ages to save up for CS6!
Photoshop CS6 is only 13 months old and there’s plenty of life in it yet 🙂
I have just purchased a Nikon D5200 and have spent hours trying to get a plug-in so CS5 will recognize my RAW (RAW to the Core) files. Only to find out the plug-in from Adobe will only work with Photoshop CS6! Nice Adobe, ugh! Anyway, I noticed your comments about CC and RAW with a smart object will not work if your CC subscription expires. Do you mean I would not be able to edit a RAW file as I normally do? That is, if I saved it as a PSD. Sorry, I have no idea what a “smart object” is except I have seen that there is such a thing. I am assuming I would be able to edit it if it was not a smart object. Clear as mud? I would really like to be able to view and edit my Nikon D5200 pic’s. So, for now I am shooting RAW and JPEG!
The problem is I think Adobe stopped making Photoshop CS5 before Nikon released the D5200, so it’s not surprising you’re having a problem opening RAW’s. The soloution (other then upgrading) is to use the FREE Adobe DNG converter. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=106&platform=Windows
It converts your NEF files to DNG which is backwards compatible with CS5 🙂
You can always convert them (raw files) to TIFFs or even better to DNG files (which are also RAW but universal type) and Adobe provides free converter (i believe this last bit is/was true). I havent used it since i convert my .ORF files to DNGs while importing.
Smart Objects are ability of Photoshop which I dont use either. I think only heavy duty PS guys, who have 20+ layers and go back to re-edit their files, use this feature. I shoot way more then i can sort/grade and edit and i Dont have time to reedit old files.
Was talking to Frank Doorhof about this and he came up with a good idea. If you take out a 2 year subscription and then don’t continue your subscription, then maybe you should be able to use 1 piece of premiere software such as photoshop. I think that’s a great idea 🙂
I’m still not sure that I want the upgrade, I use cs6 and its great!
I don’t like the idea of using the cloud and storing images and files on the web at all. Things get stolen all the time and nothing is secure on the internet.
I also don’t like the idea of paying money every month and getting nothing at the end, its like renting a house or buying a house and many people would rather buy a house than rent.
T
The cloud storage is optional. I find it handy but I wouldn’t use it for day to day use… 20gb wouldn’t go that far 🙂
Well explained as always.
I sort of wonder what the motivation by adobe is, to change things like this though, I would have thought its in part to combat pirated versions of PS, which is fair enough, hopefully it will make it harder for the pirates.
Steve
It looks as though I had reached my limit with CS6 and LR4 Gavin. I do not make my living with my cameras nor have I ever needed anything more that PS – LTR and ACR. My only hope is that my NAPP membership does not need to be terminated because of CC. There must be lots of people in my situation and I only hope that we will not be left out in the cold. I hope I can continue to learn from you and others and not be hampered by not being part of the Cloud. Thanks for the information and the Friday Freebies. I have watched, from a distance, your career blossom into a very successful adventure and became addicted to your 15 Minute challenges and product reviews. I am happy for you and Adorama and wish only the best for you and yours. I know that you will not forget where you came from and neither will those who share your passion for photography and (baking?) LOL Your Friend and Mine, Lenny
Thanks for the kind words Lenny 🙂
over the past 6 months i have been considering using photoshop but the lack of funds stopss me at the minute but now with all this i am completely lost and confused.
do i still need to purchase photoshop and then subscribe or do i download it with subscription.
sorry if i sound so dumb but all this is so confusing to me
From mid June you can either buy Photoshop CS6 for a one off fee or you can subscribe to Photoshop CC. Photoshop CS6 is just over a year old so there’s plenty of life in it. Photoshop CC will have the newest features and you’ll keep getting updates as soon as Adobe release them, for as long as your subscribed.
If you’re starting from scratch the Photoshop CC will cost you a lot less up front then Photoshop CS6… either way I’d take a 30 day free trial of Photoshop, Elements and Lightroom so you can choose the best solution for you.
Full Photoshop CS has been the aspirational piece of software for the serious amateur who’ll often only upgrade every other issue, CS6 was only a marginal gain over CS5 Extended. The professional will always be able to offset the price as a business expense. As fewer and fewer readers of Digital Photo will justify PS CC do you expect that there will be more tutorials featuring new photo packages that go beyond Elements? Will we see the rise of Corel, Nikon or Apple packages, with perpetual licences, that may not exceed CC but approach it? How will that affect Adobe?
All good questions Simon and it won’t surprise you to know I don’t have the answers… Time will tell 😉
Hi Gavin,
cost will always be a concern, I use elements mostly but have had limited access to my son’s student edition of CS5 will there still be student versions of CC as I see that as a great introduction to the Adobe range.
Has there been any costings released for the new CC or any other info or are they still feeling their way?
There is a student version of both Photoshop CC and the full Creative Cloud Suite. Pricing information is on Adobe’s website.
Still confussed. I still have CS3, does a good job but lacks the improvements that the later versions offer. If I subsribe to Photoshop CC where does the program live, on my PC or in the Cloud, or is CS3 somehow updated?. Also does the license allow you to have CC on a desktop and a laptop?.
Is LR5 and CS3 an alternative to CC?
Or is the case if I am asking these questions then I do not need it.
The name Creative Cloud is very misleading but Photoshop CC lives on your PC.
You can have both Photoshop CC and CS3 installed on your PC without any problems. Your copy of CS3 will remain unaltered.
Just like previous versions of Photoshop, the new Photoshop CC can be installed and run on two PC’s at the same time.
LR5 and CS3 would work really well as would LR5 and Elements 11
Finally the best way to answer your questions will be to download the 30 day free try out on Adobe’s website… once it’s realesed in mid June.
Hi Gavin,
Keep up the great work, and your talks are inspiring.
I can see Adobe incorporating more PS functions into LR in the future to keep the photographers happy, from my experience with PS it is a tool that goes far further than most photographers would ever need.
Thanks
one of the few voices of reasoning and understanding out there … judging by the amount of misinformation and hearsay it appears that Adobe have tried to shoot themselves in the foot even before the new features are released in the CC version.
for owners of retail versions and downloads of PS CS3 and up, subscriptions start from £8.78 a month for the first year. There is no single app i.e. Photoshop as an educational version, instead students have to subscribe at a heavily discounted price to every application at £15.88 a month … previous educational versions are not counted as a full retail version and subscription would cost £17.58 a month for a single app.
This seems to me to be similar to leasing a car. You make monthly payments but never actually own anything. Looking at the prices, £17.58 per month for a single product, seems to be a case of after 2 years, you would have paid the same as buying it outright. That’s all well and good for those who need to have the latest update but for the hobbyist, those who upgrade every other or 3rd upgrade, it is going to work out more expensive. And that is before the price goes up in a year or so. Sorry but I don’t think this will last.
A possible knock-on effect will be the reluctance of those who don’t want to subscribe to CC not buying new DSLRs. Adobe will probably stop updating the ACR plugin for CS6. That said, although have CS6 (sponsored by my employer, I couldn’t afford/justify spending that sort of money, I have a family to feed,) Lightroom has all the features I usually need and I rarely fall back onto using CS6 for photos. Those Photoshop features I do use are available in Elements and third party LR plugins. Changing PSE to a 64 bit program and making it able to edit 16 bit photos would make a lot of amateurs who could never afford CS/CC very happy. I guess we’ll be waiting a long time for that. Good article as always. Thank-you.
I would encourage any enthusiastic amateur to find someone who has a student card and get the student/ teacher edition of CS6 a massive saving to be had. I can see the benefits for a professional like Gavin of using the cloud, but not for someone who only occasionally uses it like myself, I mainly use LR4 for processing my photos but do have a use for photoshop occasionally.
Seen a lot of misinformed comments around so thanks, Gavin for clearing up the main points. I’ve been using CC for about 9 months and love the fact that you can use the whole spectrum of Adobe products for a reasonable monthly fee.
For those that are PS ‘hobbyists’ Adobe had a free download of CS2 available (not sure if it is still there), I always have a copy on a USB just in case.
Adobe products have always been on the pricey side, however this new initiative keeps the flow of finances continuous. It is basically a move from selling products to selling services. Unfortunately for us, this amounts to nothing more than yet another monthly bill we have to pay along with rent, mortgages, utilities, etc. Ultimately, you continue to pay and pay and pay, but own nothing. I may not mind paying $800-1000 dollars on software because in the end, it’s mine indefintely. Now I’m being asked to pay indefintely and own nothing. I’m intensely disappointed that Adobe has made the decision to go down this road. I’m not a professional photographer, but they do have my sympathy for being forced to add another recurring expense to their financial burdens. In the future, I would imagine that my relationship with Adobe will inevitably come to an end as they eventually stop support and updates for my version of Photoshop. Shame on you Adobe. At least we’ll always have Gavin. 🙂
I remember reading somewhere that Adobe will be updating Photoshop CS6 with bug fixes, new cameras in RAW and compatibility with the next OS updates (Windows 9). I don’t know how long that will continue but hopefully you’ve got a good few years of use there.
Alternatively Lightroom and/or Photoshop Elements offer most of what Photographers need and they are subscription free.
I read that too Gavin, but I think they also said it was very dependant on the release of the operating system and the cost to integrate it … Windows users are luckier in the sense that most version of Photoshop back to Photoshop 7 worked on operating systems up to VISTA, my guess there is still a lot of life in CS6 for Windows users … judging by the amount of software from Adobe sitting on my shelf that doesn’t work, or at best is very flakey Mac users might not be as lucky.
I think the way I see this, is CC hasn’t been created to assist me in the post processing of images, it’s been created to assist Adobe in an attempt to increase revenue. Will the subscription cost be equal to the cost of CS6 over say 3 years, or would the cost of the subscription over 3 years cost more? I don’t know, but I can guess.
Tbh I buy software to use, not to subscribe to only to find it ran out and I have to pay for it again, the concept is very alien, I’m not into world of warcraft either. I’ve hardly been able to use my Telescope in the last year, should I pay for it again now the weather is getting better and can bring it out of hibernation?
CS6 is good, subscription in my opinion is bad, so I’m happy to stick with CS6, or the next companies real product should one come along thats better, though it wouldn’t surprise me if the move to subscription has the opposite to the desired effect and less people spend their money on it and revenues decrease. It’s a shame, but it does feel like CS6 is the end of the road to me, but lets see what the future holds 🙂
a downside to cc is that adobe only accept credit cards and not debit cards for there subscriptions and if like me you only use a debit card you won’t be able to subscribe come on adobe let us debit card users subscribe
You can buy 12 months Creative Cloud subscription cards from retailers… I bet they’ll take debit cards 😉
thanks gavin
Hi Gavin, I have read through all the q &a’s. I will be subscribing to the photoshop CC. The last version I have is adobe photoshop 5.0 lol. My question is, I am trying to either purchase or integrate Camera Raw 9.1 but do not know how, where to get it. What comes first? Please help! Thank you!! 🙂
You can’t buy Camera RAW 9 on it’s own, it’s only available as part of Photoshop CC (or CS6 but with less features).The nearest you can get to buying it would be Lightroom 6