Adobe Unveils 2015 Creative Cloud Release

Adobe has launched a milestone release of its flagship Adobe Creative Cloud tools and services. The 2015 release of Creative Cloud includes major updates to Adobe’s industry-defining desktop tools, including Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, Premiere Pro CC and InDesign CC; as well as new connected mobile apps for iOS and Android. The company also shipped Adobe Stock, the industry’s first stock content service to be integrated directly into the creative process and the tools creatives use every day (see separate press release). In addition, Adobe announced an expanded Creative Cloud enterprise offering that includes enterprise-grade administration, security, collaboration and publishing services for design-driven brands, businesses and large organizations.

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Since Creative Cloud was introduced in 2012, Adobe has championed the idea that mobile devices should be integral to the creative process, with free companion mobile apps working seamlessly with CC desktop tools. Adobe today released Brush CC, Shape CC, Color CC and Photoshop Mix on Android for the first time, bringing connected mobile workflows to millions of creatives worldwide. Adobe has also updated many of its popular Creative Cloud mobile apps for iPhone and iPad, including Adobe Comp CC, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Illustrator Draw, Brush CC, Shape CC and Color CC.

 

In addition to these updates Adobe debuted Adobe Hue CC today. Hue CC provides an easy way to capture and share production-quality lighting and color schemes — for video, film and broadcast — by using an iPhone camera and then applying these light and color moods into a Premiere Pro CC or After Effects CC project.

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At the heart of Creative Cloud is Adobe CreativeSync, a signature technology that intelligently syncs creative assets: files, photos, fonts, vector graphics, brushes, colors, settings, metadata and more. With CreativeSync, assets are instantly available, in the right format, wherever designers need them — across desktop, web and mobile apps.  Available exclusively in Creative Cloud, CreativeSync means work can be kicked-off in any connected Creative Cloud mobile app or CC desktop tool; picked up again later in another; and finished in the designer’s favorite CC desktop software.

 

“The 2015 release of Creative Cloud is packed with innovation. Adobe Stock, our brand new stock service, makes 40 million photos, vector graphics and illustrations accessible directly within your favorite CC desktop apps. Our CreativeSync technology deepens the connections between desktop apps and mobile apps on iOS and Android; and major updates to Creative Cloud’s infrastructure and administrative capabilities make this an essential upgrade for enterprise customers,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “Creative Cloud 2015 is our most powerful and comprehensive release to date.”

 

“We know that companies that foster creativity are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers in terms of revenue growth, based on Forresters Creative Dividends research released late last year,” said Umang Bedi, Managing Director – South Asia, Adobe. “Enterprises of all sizes, SMBs, creative professionals and serious hobbyists will find this release of Creative Cloud most useful. Not only does it put the power of mobile in the hands of creatives and makes them much more agile and productive; with deep connections with Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS) and Adobe Marketing Cloud it allows businesses to make, mobilize, manage, measure, and monetize content in a secure fashion thus transforming their own and their customers’ businesses.”

 

Desktop Tools Take Giant Leap Forward

With the 2015 release of Creative Cloud, Adobe magic and Mercury performance provide speed and technology breakthroughs across 15 CC desktop applications, including:

 

  • Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Photoshop CC introduces Artboards, the best way to design cross-device user experiences in a single Photoshop document and quickly preview them on a device; and a preview release of Photoshop Design Space, a sleek new work environment focused on the needs of mobile app and web site designers.
  • Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC both gain the new Dehaze feature, which appeared first as a MAX sneak in October 2014. Dehaze, eliminates fog and haze from photos, including underwater shots, for startlingly clear images.  Haze can also be added to a photo for artistic effect.
  • Premiere Pro CC furthers its lead in the market with the addition of the Lumetri Color panel for powerful color corrections using intuitive sliders and other simple controls; and Morph Cut, which makes it easier to deliver polished interview content by smoothing out jump cuts in talking-head shots to create a cohesive, polished sequence.
  • After Effects CC now has Uninterrupted Preview to allow artists to adjust a composition’s properties and even resize panels without impacting playback. Also, the groundbreaking Adobe Character Animator brings 2D figures to life using a webcam to track facial movements, record dialog and apply movements in real time onto a pre-configured character.
  • Illustrator CCis now 10 times faster and 10 times more precise than CS6. Powered by dramatic boosts to its Mercury Performance Engine, users can now pan and zoom smoothly without delays. With the new Chart tool (preview), designers can also create beautiful custom charts and share them with others via CC Libraries.
  • InDesign CC gets its own Mercury performance surge with zooming, scrolling, and paging through complex documents now twice as fast. InDesign now also allows users to publish and distribute documents with a single click.
  • Dreamweaver CC has new responsive web design capabilities that let designers quickly lay out and build production-ready sites that adapt to any screen size.
  • Adobe Muse now includes instant access to premium fonts from Typekit.
  • And much, much more. Additional updates to these and other CC desktop applications make this one of Adobe’s biggest releases in years.

 

Creative Cloud Enabling The Digital Transformation of Enterprises

Major enhancements to Creative Cloud for enterprise were also announced today: a solution for large commercial, education and government customers who must radically speed the development and publishing of customer experiences, as part of their digital transformation strategies. This edition includes all the product features from today’s Creative Cloud 2015 release, plus expanded security options and deep connections with Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS) and Adobe Marketing Cloud. Two new security capabilities ensure protection of corporate assets, including customer-managed encryption keys and a new managed service hosting option, which offers dedicated storage behind a customer’s firewall.  Creative Cloud for enterprise also supports an upcoming release of DPS, empowering existing teams in organizations to rapidly design and publish mobile apps without writing code. A public beta of this major update to DPS is available this week, with more information available here. Content from Creative Cloud for enterprise also syncs with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), a key component of Adobe Marketing cloud, to accelerate marketing campaigns by streamlining creative-to-marketing workflows.

 

Adobe Stock Content Service Launched, With Deep Creative Cloud Integration

The company also announced Adobe Stock, the industry’s first stock content service to be integrated directly into the creative process and the tools creatives use every day. Adobe Stock, a new stock service, makes 40 million photos, vector graphics and illustrations accessible directly within CC desktop apps.

 

The launch of Adobe Stock shakes up the $3 billion global stock image market, as Adobe customers are active contributors to stock image services and regular purchasers of stock content. An estimated 85 percent of creatives who buy stock content use Adobe tools; and more than 90 percent of stock content sellers use Adobe software in the preparation of their photos and images. In addition to utilizing the Adobe Stock service, creatives can contribute work to Adobe Stock, accessing a worldwide community of motivated stock content buyers. Adobe also announced it will offer industry-leading rates to photographers and designers contributing content to Adobe Stock. Adobe Stock is based on the acquisition of stock content provider Fotolia, earlier this year.

Adobe Stock is available now in 36 countries and 13 languages worldwide, including the US, UK, Australia and Japan. It is expected to be available in India in the near future. Adobe Stock is also available as a standalone stock service, stock.adobe.com, where designers and marketers, who are not yet Creative Cloud members, can download, purchase and sell stock images.

Pricing and Availability

Today’s updates to CC desktop and mobile apps are immediately available for download by Creative Cloud members as part of their membership at no additional cost.  Membership plans are available for individuals, students, teams, educational institutions, government agencies and enterprises. For pricing details, click here. For details of the new features and capabilities launched today click makeit.adobe.com.

 

About Shakthi

I am a Tech Blogger, Disability Activist, Keynote Speaker, Startup Mentor and Digital Branding Consultant. Also a McKinsey Executive Panel Member. Also known as @v_shakthi on twitter. Been around Tech for two decades now.

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