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Image editing software that allows for everything from minor touch-ups to entirely new creations

Image editing software that allows for everything from minor touch-ups to entirely new creations

Vote: (4,377 votes)

Program license: Trial version

Developer: Adobe

Version: 25.2

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac

Vote:

Program license

(4,377 votes)

Trial version

Developer

Version

Adobe

25.2

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac

Pros

  • Comes with hundreds of tools and features
  • Simple interface that even newcomers can quickly learn
  • Many third-party plugins and custom brushes to expand on the default tools

Cons

  • Requires a stronger computer
  • New users will need time to learn all the tools and features

Adobe Photoshop is a powerful and versatile image editor with many different tools and options. This is one of the most recognized image editors in the world and it's easy to see why. Both beginners and advanced users will find useful tools that can help you edit an existing photo, create a new design or do nearly anything else that you need.

Simple Interface

Adobe Photoshop has been around for many years and has gone through numerous iterations. Each one seeks to make the program even better for users while adding new tools and features. The interface is mostly simple. While new users unfamiliar with graphic design or image editors might feel overwhelmed initially, this program does a great job of packing many tools into a small space. It won't take long to master the basics. The interface is as streamlined as possible so that you can easily find whatever tool you're looking for.

To make things even easier, you can customize the interface so that specific tools that you need are front and center. It only takes a few minutes to change the interface to match your needs. There are also several default tool layouts to choose from. You can chose from motion design, website design, graphics, painting, photo editing and more. Each layout shows certain tools specific to that task.

Even the icons have been designed so that newcomers can easily understand them. Each icon has a flat 2D appearance. This has been shown to be the preferred style for new and advanced users because they are easy to understand. While new users will need time to learn about all the tools, the interface makes it simple to find exactly what you're looking for.

The interface is primarily gray, which may not sound exciting, but it actually works very well for this program. It makes it easy to see the digital canvas without anything else getting in the way. Some similar programs use a white background, but this can take attention away from your image. Others are blank and let you see the computer background, but that can be distracting. This gray background ensures that your picture really shines.

Document Templates

Photoshop has many templates to choose from. For example, you can choose a template for photo collages, textured geometric pictures, film covers and more. You can go through the "Filter" menu and choose whether you want to see templates for websites, mobile devices, illustrations, print and more. While these templates make it easier to create certain projects, you can also select a blank document and design from scratch if you would prefer that. You can also make your own templates or choose from recent documents that you created.

Touch Controls

While most people use a mouse or digital pen with Photoshop, there are also touch controls if you are using a mobile device or touch-enabled computer. You can perform basic tasks like choosing a tool, selecting an option and painting on the digital canvas. There are also touch controls to scroll through images, undoing the last action and zooming in and out of the image.

Layers

Photoshop is really known for its layers feature. This used to be a rare feature that only Photoshop and a few select programs had, but now it's a common feature. Regardless of that, you'll love how versatile layers can be. This allows you to create overlapping digital canvases so that it's simple to edit the overall image.

Many artists will place the lineart on one layer and each color on a separate layer. This makes it much easier to change colors or apply effects. It also improves the overall quality of the image. You can also apply different effects to each layer and overlap them for unique images.

Custom Brushes and Plugins

You're already getting lots of brushes, tools, filters and more with the default version of Photoshop, but you can add even more to make this program better for you. For example, you can create custom brushes in seconds. This allows you to make unique shapes or patterns that you can use over and over again as needed. Simply make the pattern or shape, tell Photoshop to make it a brush and now you can use it with ease.

Plugins greatly expand your number of tools. A plugin can give you movie editing feature, improve photo retouching, enhance the color swatch and so much more. Photoshop is an established program with a massive audience. As such, developers are always making third-party plugins to expand on the default tools.

Adobe understands this and makes it simple to install plugins. Just put the file in the right area, click a few buttons and the plugin will be installed. This allows you to add hundreds of new tools in a matter of seconds.

Video Editing

One of the newest features with Photoshop is video editing. This was recently introduced and it allows you to either make simple videos exclusively in Photoshop or you can export the files to more advanced video editors. You can make use of numerous cropping tools, filters and exposure settings to get the images just right.

Photoshop has also added keyframes and tracks so that create a video within a few minutes. Adobe has some video editing programs and they included their rendering engine in Photoshop so that you can make videos with ease. Each track is like a separate layer and can be individually edited.

You can work with clips and split, trim or edit them. There are even some basic audio tools that allow you to set the volume and when the audio fades in and out. You can also select the resolution of your video.

Pros

  • Comes with hundreds of tools and features
  • Simple interface that even newcomers can quickly learn
  • Many third-party plugins and custom brushes to expand on the default tools

Cons

  • Requires a stronger computer
  • New users will need time to learn all the tools and features

Pros

  • Enormous Potential
  • 3D Object Editing
  • Realistic Brush Physics
  • Adobe Bridge Integration

Cons

  • Premium Hardware Requirements
  • Overly Complex

Adobe Photoshop is one of the benchmark image creation and editor apps available on the market. It can do just about anything you can imagine, ranging from retouching photos to full illustrations and 3D design. The software has a number of tools and features that combine in different ways to produce nearly endless effects. Thankfully, the software includes a vast library of tutorials to teach you how to take full advantage of everything it has to offer.

When you first open Adobe Photoshop, you'll probably be overwhelmed by the amount of options and tools at your disposal. However, if you're dedicated and willing to put in the time to learn and practice, you can achieve results that no other app can match. You can add artistic filters that you can customize for your project, you can adjust color levels with ease, and you can add alpha channels. With the help of masks and textures, you can make further changes. What you can do with this software is truly limited only by what you can imagine.

Many people are unaware the Photoshop also has a built-in video editor for basic changes. You can drag and drop clips along the video timeline to assemble the ideal footage.

Photoshop has two basic areas of operation. The first is the workspace, and the second are the panels. The panels surround the workspace and hold all the tools you might need. You can also use the panels to modify tools for your specific needs. You'll also use the panels to manage layers. Layers are the literal levels that overlap with each other to form the full image and every effect added to it.

When you first open the app, you'll notice the user interface has adopted the same dark gray color found in other image editing software like Adobe Photoshop Elements, After Effects, and Premiere Pro. This is a good change because it helps you focus on the workspace with fewer distractions. You can change the background color under Preferences if the default isn't to your liking.

While Adobe Photoshop might be the best in its category, it's not an app designed for widespread common use. The software has a steep learning curve and an equally steep price that makes it more appropriate for professional or semi-professional use. Advanced hobbyists could also benefit from the utility found in Photoshop. Of course, without Photoshop, the professional world of photo editing and digital illustration would be no where near as advanced or skillful. With each new version of the software, Adobe adds more features that keep up with the modern world.

If price and difficulty are no concern for you, and you simply want the best image editing software you can buy, then Adobe Photoshop is your best choice by far.

Pros

  • Enormous Potential
  • 3D Object Editing
  • Realistic Brush Physics
  • Adobe Bridge Integration

Cons

  • Premium Hardware Requirements
  • Overly Complex