Lesson 2: Buying Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is the most commonly used photo editing software available today. Not only is Photoshop more expensive than most other editing software, but it's not the best option for everyone.
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Introduction
If you're thinking about purchasing or upgrading to the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, there are some important things to consider before you buy. For example, you'll need to learn more about the different purchasing options and choose the version of Photoshop that's right for you.
Photoshop purchasing options
If you're interested in buying Photoshop, you have several options to choose from:
- Photoshop CC: If you want to buy the full version of Photoshop, you'll need to pay a monthly subscription fee for Adobe Creative Cloud. Photoshop CC is available for both Windows and Mac.
- Photoshop Elements: If you don't need all of the features of the full version of Photoshop, you might consider buying Photoshop Elements instead. Photoshop Elements is available for both Windows and Mac.
- Mobile apps: If you want to edit photos on the go, there are a few Photoshop mobile apps available for iOS and Android. However, most of these apps may be less powerful and offer less control than the full desktop version.
- Alternative software: If you don't need all of Photoshop's features—or if you're trying to save money—there are many other image editing applications you can use. You can review our lesson on Photoshop alternatives to learn more about some free and low-cost applications you might be able to use instead.
Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop CC
Unlike many other applications you may have used, you cannot buy a boxed copy of Photoshop CC. Instead, you'll need a subscription plan through Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe's cloud-based software service. Then, you'll download Photoshop CC to your computer. A Creative Cloud subscription includes other benefits, including cloud-based storage for your Photoshop projects. You'll also receive the newest version of Photoshop whenever it's made available, so you'll never have to worry about upgrading to the most recent version.
You can subscribe to Creative Cloud for about $10 per month (or about $120 per year). Previously, you could purchase a boxed copy of Photoshop without a subscription, but it would typically cost more than $700. While this means the cost of entry for using Photoshop is much lower than it was in the past, keep in mind that this subscription fee will add up over time, especially if you plan to keep the subscription for several years.
You can also buy other Adobe applications through Adobe Creative Cloud, including Lightroom, Illustrator, and InDesign. There are different plans and pricing options available depending on your needs. Visit this page for more information on purchasing a Creative Cloud subscription. If you still have questions about how Creative Cloud works, you can visit Adobe's Creative Cloud FAQ page.
Photoshop Elements
If you don't need all of Photoshop's features, you might consider purchasing Photoshop Elements instead. You can think of Photoshop Elements as Photoshop Light. It gives you access to some of the most popular features from the full version, but it generally costs less than $100 and does not require a subscription. If you don't have a lot of previous experience with image editing, Photoshop Elements may be a good option for you.
Missing features in Photoshop Elements
Below, you'll find a list of some of the main limitations of Photoshop Elements. These are somewhat advanced features, which is why they're not included in this version. If you've never heard about some of the things we mention below, don't worry—we'll cover several of them throughout the tutorial.
- Adjustment layers: Elements has a limited selection of adjustment layers. For example, you won't be able to create a Curves adjustment layer, though it does have a similar feature you can use.
- Layer masks: Elements does not allow you to create layer masks. However, you will be able to edit layer masks for adjustment layers. You'll also be able to edit existing layer masks when working with files created in the full version of Photoshop.
- Layer groups: Elements does not allow you to create new layer groups. However, you will be able to view existing groups when working with files created in the full version of Photoshop.
- Color options: Elements does not include as many advanced options for adjusting color, like the Channels panel. It also has limited support for working with different color profiles and color spaces (such as CMYK).
- Drawing tools: Elements does not include several of the commonly used vector-based drawing tools found in Photoshop, like the Pen tool and Paths panel.
- 8-bit mode: Elements is mostly limited to photos that use 8-bit mode; it offers very little support for 16- and 32-bit modes, which many photographers use to get even higher-quality photos. However, 8-bit mode still offers a high level of quality—it's actually the mode most digital cameras use—so for many people this will not be a major limitation.
Photoshop for mobile devices
If you want to edit photos on the go, Adobe offers mobile apps. They vary in both features and price, but you should be able to find one that meets your needs:
- Adobe Photoshop Express: Available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, this free app allows you to make quick changes to your photos, like cropping and applying simple filters. You can also purchase additional feature packs for a small price.
- Photoshop CC on iPad: Scheduled for release in 2019, this app will be just as powerful and fully-featured as the desktop version of Photoshop. While Adobe hasn't yet released many details, it will likely require an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.
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Photoshop brushes let enhance your artwork and designs with custom styles and themes. There is an abundance of free brushes online, but the vastness of the interwebs makes it hard to find exactly what you're looking for. This article attempts to bring together all the best places for Photoshop brushes, all in one nifty page. Here, you'll find 15 resources for building your Photoshop brushes collection.
1. Blendfu
Blendfu is a unique site for obtaining Photoshop brushes: the site allows you to preview and test individual brushes in a brush set, saving you a ton of time in having to install them. Blendu has plenty of categories so you won't have a hard time finding exactly the theme and look that you're searching for. Besides Photoshop brushes, Blendfu also provides GIMP brushes.
2. BrushKing
BrushKing is a gallery-style Photoshop brushes showcase. Hovering over a brush set's thumbnail will reveal more information about it such as how many downloads it has, who the brush designer is, how many brushes are in a set, and licensing details.
3. DeviantArt: Photoshop Brushes
DeviantArt, the leading online graphic design community, has a great quantity of high-quality, user-submitted Photoshop brushes. There are many brushes to peruse and download, including popular themes of fractals, splatters and flourishes, as well as kitschy and unique sets like angel wings and anime eyes.
4. Brusheezy
Brusheezy indexes a lot of Photoshop brushes gathered from all over the internet. You can filter brushes by category, Photoshop version (for compatibility), or sort them by Downloads, number of comments, user ratings and the date they were added. Apart from Photoshop brushes, Brusheezy also presents Photoshop Patterns.
5. PS Brushes.net
PS Brushes.net currently archives over 500 brush sets. What's great about PS Brushes.net is that they provide previews of each brush in the set so that you can see precisely how each brush looks, as well as what their dimension (in width) is. PS Brushes.net has many categories to select from, making it easier to navigate through the site.
6. Obsidian Dawn
Obsidian Dawn is a resource for free Photoshop brushes, patterns, and tutorials. The Photoshop Brushes section contains many useful and attractive Photoshop brushes sorted into useful categories like Designs Brushes and Nature Brushes.
7. QBrushes.com
Qbrushes.com is a Photoshop resource site displaying high-quality Photoshop brushes from different talented designers. There are many findability features on the site, making it easy for you to hunt down the exact types of brushes you need. For example, you can browse by tags, or browse by categories like Abstract or Grunge.
8. myPhotoshopBrushes.com
myPhotoshopBrushes.com aggregates and shares Photoshop brushes from various designers and artists willing to share their wonderful creations. Besides quality brushes, the site also offers other Photoshop resources, such as Photoshop patterns and custom shapes.
9. FBrushes
FBrushes currently showcases over 4,000 individual Photoshop brushes and over 200 brush sets. The site groups brush sets in an intuitive manner, into themes such as Vintage and Splatters.
10. Designers brush
Designers Brush is a collection of high-quality Photoshop brushes. If you're looking for Photoshop patterns, well, they have that as well.
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11. Gfxfever.com:Photoshop Brushes
Gfxfever.com is dedicated to web designers, and is aimed at sharing graphic and web design freebies and resources. The Photoshop Brushes section has a ton of beautiful brushes for you to download freely. Just as with many other brush sites, you are able to rate brush sets so that others can know the quality of a particular set.
12. In obscuro: Brushes
In obscuro provides plenty of free brushes in various themes. They're all available with the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license so that you can download and use them freely under the stipulations of the license. There are many types of brushes to choose from, such as Photographic brushes and Grunge brushes.
13. GetBrushes
GetBrushes is your guide to top-notch, downloadable Photoshop brushes online. GetBrushes has a forums section for discussing topics related to Photoshop and graphic design.
14. Adobe – Photoshop Brushes
The maker of Photoshop, Adobe, has a section that few people know about: the Photoshop brushes section. At Adobe, you'll find close to 1,000 brush sets to download and choose from. Check out the Most Popular section to see what people are downloading the most.
15. Design Blogs and Sites
Websites and blogs dedicated to discussing graphic and web design often give away freebies that readers can download. Here are a few sites that offer them:
15.1. Smashing Magazine Brushes
Some sets they offer
15.2. Psdtuts+ Freebies
Some sets they offer
- 17 Cloud Vector Brushes
- Hi-Tech Brush Set
- Swirl Brushes
15.3. Six Revisions Freebies (shameless plug)
Some sets we offer
15.4. BittBox Freebies
Some sets they offer
15.5. Arbenting Freebies
Some sets they offer
- Kaleidoscope Photoshop Brush Pack
- Grunge Texture Pack 1
15.6. BrushLovers.com
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Some sets they offer
- Scrubbed Prime
- Dotted Neon Lines
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What's your favorite spot?
Where do you go to obtain your Photoshop brushes? Why is it your favorite site? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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