What is Adobe?
Adobe is a computer software company based in San Jose, California. Founded in 1982, Adobe is known for improving the digital experience with its creative software applications. The four main cloud services they provide are the Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, Experience Cloud, and Creative Cloud Express. The Creative Cloud is one of Adobe’s most popular applications and is expanded on further in this article.
What is Adobe Creative Cloud?
Known for digital media, Adobe Creative Cloud— or Adobe CC, is a group of software applications used for creating and editing graphics, videos, and web pages under one umbrella. Included in the Creative Cloud plan, you have access to twenty-five apps available for desktop, five apps for mobile, and sixteen apps for web.
If your goal is to improve your photo, graphic design, video, illustration, UI, UX, or social media skills, the Adobe Creative Cloud will benefit you. These applications will help you source your creative ideas into a platform that simplifies how to produce professional-level work. If you are unsure how to operate these programs, Adobe has tutorials available for you so you can learn quickly and on your own time.
What are the twenty-five desktop applications?
The desktop applications included in Adobe Creative Cloud are:
- Acrobat DC Pro
- Acrobat DC Standard
- Acrobat Reader
- Adobe Character Animator
- Adobe Dimension
- Adobe Fresco
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Lightroom Classic
- Adobe Media Encoder
- Adobe Scan
- Adobe XD
- After Effects
- Animate
- Audition
- Bridge
- Dreamweaver
- Illustrator
- Illustrator on iPad
- InCopy
- Indesign
- Photoshop
- Photoshop on the iPad
- Prelude
- Premiere Pro
- Premiere Rush
Which Applications Are Used the Most?
Depending on your design goals, a few of the applications that the Creative Cloud offers are used more often than others. Out of the twenty-five apps, the three primary applications that you should be aware of are Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign.
What is Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a design application that works with vector graphics to create illustrations with colors, shapes, and typography. Vector graphics are based on a mathematical formula and have an independent resolution. The benefit of using vector graphics instead of raster graphics is that they are not composed of pixels. This means that you can make your images as long or as short as you would like without damaging the quality of the image. Using Illustrator, you can interchangeably move to different technological devices to create mediums in print, web, and video.
Best Used For (Illustrator):
Illustrator is best used for creating banners, logos, typographic posters, t-shirts, and of course, illustrations. It is not good for multi-page layouts, image editing, or integration of image and type.
Best File Types (Illustrator):
When saving files, the best formats to use are Adobe Illustrator Document (.ai), Adobe PDF (.pdf), and Illustrator EPS (.eps). Adobe Illustrator Document (.ai) can only be read by Illustrator. If you want to save internally, then .ai is the best way to save your file. Adobe PDF (.pdf) can be read by PDF readers. If using .pdf you will want to remember to keep the “Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities” checkbox on so you can continue to edit your document later on. Illustrator EPS (.eps) is the standard file to use if you are working with artwork but has lessened in popularity due to its issues with flattening files containing transparency and large file size. If you save with Adobe PDF or Illustrator EPS, Illustrator will also save a .ai copy internally.
What is Photoshop?
Photoshop is an image editing software that works with raster graphics. Raster graphics are made up of tiny pixels. The pixels make the image resolution dependent, meaning that the amount and size of pixels can improve or reduce the image quality. Photoshop is used by photographers, graphic design specialists, illustrators, and many other professionals. A benefit of Photoshop is its layering application. Layering allows the user to create multiple layers that can each be edited independently.
Workspace (Photoshop)
You can create workspaces to individually customize Photoshop to you. Depending on your purpose for using Photoshop, you can set it to hide some panels you never use and keep those that you use often. To find workspace, click the window tab at the top left corner of your screen and click “workspace” from the drop-down menu. From there, you will find a list of preset workspaces to choose from depending on your industry.
Best Used For (Photoshop)
Photoshop is best used for image editing and arranging, creating web graphics, and retouching. Photoshop is not good for multi-page layouts, designing logos, or typesetting.
Best File Types (Photoshop)
For Photoshop, the best file types to use are Photoshop Document (.psd), Tagged Image File Format (.tiff), and Portable Document Format (.pdf). Photoshop Document (.psd) is the native file format for Photoshop so it can handle the strong features of Photoshop well. Whenever you open a file in Photoshop, it is converted in .psd format. Tagged Image File Format (.tiff) is the universal standard for commercial printing but it can have large files. Portable Document Format (.pdf) is the most common and can perform as well as .psd and .tiff. Using .pdf allows you to choose JPEG or ZIP compression.
What is Indesign?
Adobe Indesign is a software application that provides you with the tools to create aesthetic graphics for print and digital media. It operates with a layout program that works by listing preset layouts you can use to simplify arranging your text and images on the page. Ingrained into it are guides and grids to help you evenly position items by using exact measurements. It is primarily used for its professional-level typesetting features.
Best Used For (Indesign)
Indesign is the best choice for multi-page documents, brochures, advanced typesetting, master pages, and image and type integration. Indesign is not good for specialization.
Best File Types (Indesign)
The file types Indesign is good for are Indesign Document (.indd), Portable Document Format (.pdf), and Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpeg). Indesign Document (.indd) is the native file format for Indesign. When you are working on a file in Indesign, it is a .indd file. This is a good file to use if working on multi-page projects. Portable Document Format (.pdf) is a good file-saving format for most Adobe applications because they save without altering the information. Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpeg) is an ok way to save but be careful because they can expand the size of the documents they save.
Disadvantages of Adobe Creative Cloud:
With all the advantages of adobe, the main disadvantage is the subscription model it operates by. It cost $52.99 a month for an individual plan. For a student and teacher plan, you can purchase all these features for $19.99 per month. Adobe Creative Cloud is a great way to expand your artistic capabilities but be aware that it can come at a price.


























