Adobe refreshes its Creative Cloud with 2015 rollout

• Integration across Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps, including Android support
• Creative companies tend to outperform less creative counterparts by a factor of 1.5

ADOBE Inc has launched a new release of its flagship Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) tools and services, which includes major updates to its desktop tools such Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, Premiere Pro CC and InDesign CC; as well as new connected mobile apps for the iOS and Android platforms.
 
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 organisations.
 
Since the introduction of Creative Cloud in 2012, Adobe has been saying that mobile devices should be integral to the creative process, with free companion mobile apps working seamlessly with desktop CC tools, the company said in a statement.
 
Adobe has now released Brush CC, Shape CC, Color CC and Photoshop Mix on Android for the first time. It 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.
 
Making its debut is Adobe Hue, which the company said provides an easy way to capture and share production-quality lighting and colour schemes – for video, film and broadcast – by using an iPhone camera and then applying these light and colour moods into a Premiere Pro CC or After Effects CC project.
 
“The 2015 release of Creative Cloud is packed with innovation,” declared David Wadhwani, senior vice president of Digital Media at Adobe.
 
“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,” he added.
 
CreativeSync is Adobe’s signature technology that intelligently syncs creative assets such as files, photos, fonts, vector graphics, brushes, colours, settings, metadata and more. These assets are then instantly available, in the right format, wherever designers need them – across desktop, web and mobile apps.
 
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 favourite CC desktop software, Adobe claimed.
 
Creativity makes business sense
 
The 2015 Creative Cloud comes with an array of media and entertainment tools being made available at any point, Adobe said in a statement. This allows users to be more productive and make imaginations come to life, it added.
 
“We know that companies that foster creativity are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers in terms of revenue growth, based on Forrester’s Creative Dividends research released late last year,” said Adobe Asia Pacific president Paul Robson (pic).
 
“The research also revealed that more creative companies enjoy greater market share and competitive leadership than their counterparts.
 
“Among the leaders in market share, creative companies tend to outperform their less creative counterparts by a factor of 1.5.
 
“Adobe continues to develop technology and services to help companies, educational institutions, governments and creative professionals realise their creative vision,” he added.
 
New features

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Photoshop CC introduces Artboards (pic above), a new 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 new work environment focused on the needs of mobile app and website 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 adds the Lumetri Color panel for powerful colour 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, Adobe claimed.
 
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 Adobe Character Animator brings 2D figures to life using a webcam to track facial movements, record dialogue and apply movements in real time onto a pre-configured character.
 
Adobe claimed that Illustrator CC is now 10 times faster and 10 times more precise than CS6. Powered by boosts to its Mercury Performance Engine, users can now pan and zoom smoothly without delays.
 
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, the company said.
 
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.
 
Finally, Adobe Muse now includes instant access to premium fonts from Typekit.
 
Pricing and availability
 
The new 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, visit: https://creative.adobe.com/plans. For details of the new features and capabilities visit: https://www.adobe.com/sea/creativecloud.html.
 
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