An industry standard
October 16, 2019
An industry standard
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Adobe Photoshop
We use Photoshop to prepare product mockups for clients, create flat web designs, build digital assets, and for basic retouching and editing. I am currently the only team member using Photoshop, though we do periodically work with interns who assist with build-outs for clients. I also have sharing access to other clients' libraries which I help manage, maintain & create assets within their CC files & folders. Using Photoshop CC, we are able to easily share assets without having to relink or manually send linked/packaged assets. It also helps clients have access to the assets created during a project without having to do a large file transfer at project completion (works best if they have their own CC account that we can contribute to since library ownership is non-transferrable).
- Lots of tools & solutions that allow it to be used for both quick & simple tasks and for more complex editing projects.
- Ability to access, use and add to Library assets quickly and easily.
- Ability to run automation/scripts to expedite manual processes that are repeated.
- Graphic layers, adjustment layers, and masks provide flexibility when editing to best achieve the desired result.
- Compatibility with a Wacom pen tablet for increased control and precision when using tools.
- Certain updates and key commands differ in Photoshop than in other CC products (like Illustrator and InDesign), which makes switching between products a little cumbersome (e.g., in Photoshop the default is for images to scale in-proportion, in Illustrator you must hold shift to retain proportion).
- On dual display monitors, sometimes the palettes have difficulty displaying correctly (e.g., splitting between displays) and application window settings have to be switched in order to reset it.
- There are so many tools and capabilities, it can be overwhelming for new users or to feel like you really have a grasp on everything it can do.
- Actions don't work with Libraries, so if you need to place a logo (e.g., for watermarking), it still has to be done locally, which makes sharing actions between team members very difficult and must be re-setup locally for each person.
- Photoshop is included in my Creative Cloud subscription, which makes it very affordable on a per-app basis.
- The ability to use Photoshop in conjunction with other Adobe software offers more control over how those elements display and print.
- Clients often struggle with providing quality assets or graphics, and Photoshop offers the ability to improve/modify those items (within reason) or customize stock assets to better match the client's look & feel.
- The common misconception from clients is that Photoshop is a magic cure-all and that any issues can be resolved by "Photoshopping it", which can create difficulty when trying to create quality designs.
- Photoshop has been integral in web design and development processes, offering a way for clients to provide feedback before development begins, and for more control over the production process to ensure assets get loaded to the site at consistent & accurate dimensions.
Canva is useful for non-designers to create text-based assets using provided templates. This is ideal for use in things like social media, which often needs a lot of graphics resources for regular posts, but can be taxing for a design/production team with other initiatives on the docket. Canva does have limitations, even with paid plans, and should not be considered a replacement for Photoshop, but rather a way to provide other marketing team members with self-service resources. Knowing this, it's important that brand guidelines be established and monitored to ensure anything developed outside the design team maintains a consistent look & feel. Anything beyond basic color adjustments, scaling & cropping would be a better fit with Photoshop.
Do you think Adobe PhotoShop delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Adobe PhotoShop's feature set?
Yes
Did Adobe PhotoShop live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Adobe PhotoShop go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Adobe PhotoShop again?
Yes