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Adobe says goodbye to its Photoshop Touch app, hello to Project Rigel
Adobe's been keen on new mobile apps as of late, but today it announced the end of the road for one of its more popular pieces of software. As of next week, Photoshop Touch will no longer be available in iTunes, Google Play and other app libraries and the creative software company will not push new updates. Photoshop Touch was a bit of a tough sell at $10, especially when the new round of apps began rolling out for free. The last major update to Touch came in late 2012, and and in the time since, Adobe announced Photoshop Mix alongside its Ink and Slide drawing accessories. And there's a mobile version of Lightroom now, too. With its big mobile push, the company has focused on a stable of apps dedicated to specific tasks, rather than an all-in-one solution like Photoshop Touch.
Adobe brings Photoshop Touch to the iPhone
Just about a year ago at this time, Adobe released an iPad version of their flagship app, called Photoshop Touch. Now, a year later, they've announced a version of the app built specifically for the iPhone's smaller screen, that should be propagating out to the App Store very soon, listed at a price of US$4.99. So what's different? Product Manager Stephen Nielson sat down with TUAW a little while ago to demo the new version of the app, and show off just what's been done differently with the smaller screen. One thing is that despite the touchscreen interface, this is still Photoshop. You can open photos, edit them as you see fit, crop and retouch. It also allows you to edit layers with the standard cloning, brush and effects tools, and do nearly everything the desktop version of the app can do. There are even some things the desktop version app can't do -- Adobe built a "Scribble selection" feature for the touchscreen, where you can simply drag your finger around to select, and the app will intelligently nail your choice down. And there's also a "camera fill" feature, where you can choose a selection, and then use your iPhone or iPad's camera to shoot a picture right there and fill it in. And there's a 3D layer-viewing mode, where you can expand your image out into its various layers, and then drag around the touchscreen to view them in 3D. All of this is powered by Adobe's Creative Cloud service, too, so you can seamlessly transfer to and open photos from your phone, work on them and then save and reopen them up on your desktop. It's all very smooth and simple, and for just $4.99, the app seems like a bargain for any Photoshop ninjas out there. Of course, not everything is perfect. First up, as you might imagine, the iPhone and iPad have power limits that your desktop does not, so the biggest image you can open is a 12-megapixel image with three layers. If you open a smaller image, you can trade that off for more layers, so a 3-megapixel image can run up to 16 layers at a time on the iOS versions. The good news, though, is that if you open up an image with more layers than your iOS device can handle, it gets saved into a new format, so you'll never lose your work. The other big missing piece on the iPhone itself is tutorials -- there are some text-based informational tutorials included with the iPhone app, but the iPad had much more involved tutorials and demos. That's not a big loss, however, and Nielson told us it was mostly just to save space in the iPhone's internal memory. But "by and large," says Nielson, the iPhone version has "just about everything" else the iPad version has, despite it being half the price. As for what Adobe has planned next, Nielson said the company will "continue to explore new features for these apps, but also other apps and other services, especially services and workflows that can be enabled by Creative Cloud." Nielson didn't have any other announcements, but promised more is coming soon. Photoshop Touch seems like an excellent (and much cheaper) version of the image-editing standard, and now it's been ported over successfully to the iPhone. It's too bad the company didn't go universal, but given all of the work that went into this new version, and the comparably much higher price of the desktop software, anyone who uses Photoshop regularly probably won't hesitate to grab it right away.
Adobe outs Photoshop Touch for phones, ready to outfit pockets for $4.99
Jealous about your mates' ability to edit photos and whatnot via their mid-sized slates? Well, Adobe has just announced a solution that's ready to equip your handset of choice. That's right, the pro design software outfit added Photoshop Touch for phones that wields "core" Photoshop capabilities, Scribble Selection and supports those high-res snapshots. The app also sports Camera Fill and other special effects alongside the option to share creations via Facebook, Twitter, email and other applications. Creative Cloud access is here as well, with auto syncing across a device arsenal and a free 2GB storage account to boot. For iOS, you'll need an iPhone 4S, 5th-gen iPod touch or later to get in on the action while the Android version requires Ice Cream Sandwich. Ready to take the leap? A $5 purchase from iTunes or Google Play stands between you and slice of Adobe on that GS III or iPhone 5. %Gallery-179978%
Photoshop Touch adds pressure-sensitive stylus support, iPad Mini optimization
Creating works of art or editing existing pictures using Adobe's Photoshop Touch on the iPad can be a real treat. But up until now, some tablet art aficionados have lacked the all important pressure-sensitive stylus support to create natural pen and brush strokes. That all changes with version 1.4 of the app, which is now available for download. The update adds compatibility with the Pogo Connect, Jot Touch, and various JaJa stylus accessories. This addition is a pretty big deal, and increases the iPad's clout when it comes to competing with other art-centric tablet devices and add-ons. On top of that, version 1.4 also introduces a new user interface for iPad mini users, as well as added sharing support for social networks like Facebook and Twitter. You can download the update -- or purchase the app for $9.99 if you don't already own it -- right now via the App Store.
Adobe updates Photoshop Touch to get cozy on the iPad mini and Nexus 7
Less than a fortnight has passed since Adobe sent its slate-friendly photo editing app to Amazon's Appstore. Today, the graphics software outfit is rolling out another update of Photoshop Touch that has been optimized for those smaller slates -- particularly the options from Apple and Google. In addition to the tweaks that account for less screen real estate, version 1.4 also touts support for three pressure-sensitive styli (Pogo Connect, Jot Touch and the Jaja stylus), added effects, performance enhancements and the ability to share your creations to both Facebook and Twitter without the need to head elsewhere. A fresh download is available now from iTunes, Google Play and the aforementioned Amazon repository for $10. Consult the full announcement below if you're looking for a few more particulars.
Amazon adds Adobe's Photoshop Touch to Kindle Fire Appstore
Kindle Fire owners with a penchant for on-the-go image editing will want to take note: Adobe's Photoshop Touch is now live on the Appstore. The app, already a mainstay on iOS and Android's respective markets, has been optimized for Amazon's recent tablet lineup, scaling up for both the 7- and 8.9-inch form factors and retailing for the same $9.99 price. Unfortunately, it won't work for owners of the original Bezos-backed tab since it still runs on the Gingerbread kernel. Sorry early adopters, but that's the price you pay for progress.
Adobe updates Photoshop Touch with support for iPad retina display, bigger images
Adobe has updated its tablet-friendly version of Photoshop to v1.3, bringing along one change that'll make new iPad owners very happy indeed. The interface and text have been up-rezzed to support the Retina display and 12-megapixel images, while everyone else can edit pictures of up-to 10-megapixels in size. The company's also throwing in two new effects -- shred and colorize -- plus new three-finger gestures to ease navigation and a raft of minor bug fixes. So, come on, let's see what masterpieces your jam-smeared digits can create.
Adobe updates Photoshop Touch for iPad with better resolution
When I reviewed Adobe Photoshop Touch in February, I found it generally capable, but the app would downsize any large images you loaded to 1600 X 1600, which was very skimpy. This latest version, 1.2, released today, lets you increase the resolution to 2028 X 2048. Note that you must allow that in settings or it defaults to the standard 1600 X 1600. That's an improvement, but still falls short of even the iPhone 4 resolution (2592 X 1936), the iPhone 4S camera (3264 X 2448) and of course the new iPad resolution of 2048 X 1536 at a dense 264 pixels per inch. There are some other welcome features, including Creative Cloud auto-sync, and new special effects, including the ability to render in a pseudo HDR look. You can also now export to PSD or PNG formats via email, or from the camera roll. The update also sports improved rotate and flip workflow and the option to transfer images to your desktop via iTunes. iPhoto for iOS also downsizes imported images, unless they are being imported through the Camera Connection Kit. Used that way, iPhoto for iOS supports images up to 19 MP. While this latest version of Photoshop Touch still doesn't completely exploit the new iPad retina display, it is a step in the right direction. The update is free to current owners. The app requires an iPad 2 or greater, and iOS 5 or greater.
Adobe Photoshop Touch brings the flagship retouching app to the iPad 2
Adobe has finally gone and done it. An iPad version of Photoshop called Adobe Photoshop Touch is out for the iPad via the App Store. It's tremendously impressive and to a lesser degree a bit frustrating. Let's start with the good stuff, because there's plenty of it. Getting a sophisticated photo app running on the iPad is no small task. It requires many controls and a lot of ways to complete tasks that differ from their counterparts on the desktop. Adobe has given this a lot of thought, and while Photoshop Touch isn't as full featured as Photoshop CS5, it brings a boatload of functionality to the tablet which will make every photographer anxious to buy the US$9.99 app without hesitation. Here's a brief run down of the features: Layer Support Image browsing from Facebook and Google Image search Selection tools Filters (including sharpen, gaussian blur, drop shadows, bevels, gradient maps, pencil, scratches and 21 more) Curves, shadow/highlight adjustments, temperature, replace color, black and white, invert, brightness/contrast, and noise reduction Editing features including crop, image size, add text, warp, add gradients and more If you use Photoshop, most of these tools will be familiar to you. New tools include the Scribble Selection Tool (which allows you to select and extract parts of an image) among others. When you are done editing your image, you can save it to your camera roll and share it via email, Facebook or Adobe Creative Cloud (after creating a free account). Adobe Creative Cloud offers 2 GB storage for free. You'll be able to buy more when the service comes out of beta later this year. At that time Creative Cloud will be a $49.99 yearly subscription. Once your image is on the Adobe servers, you can download it on any other device with web access. The app does not support Apple's iCloud. You can print your image via AirPrint if you have supported printers or an OS X app like Printopia. Using the app was fairly intuitive. There are 13 built-in tutorials and a link to online help, though there's no complete help document. The tutorials are not in video form, but rather step-by-step directions that you can move forward and backward through as you choose. I found the instructions effective and easy to understand. If you are already a Photoshop user, you understand the concepts of making adjustments to an image. If you are not already Photoshop-savvy, the basics aren't hard to pick up. I'd like to see many more tutorials, and I hope future updates will add them. You can get an idea of the depth of the features in Photoshop Touch by looking through the screenshots I've posted. There is a lot to this app, and most Photoshop functions are carried over other than masks. There are some negatives, of course. The most glaring issue is that the maximum output size of an image is 1600 x 1600 pixels. This is simply too small, and is much less resolution than output by the iPhone 4 (2592 x 1936) and 4S cameras (3264 x2448). I can assume the resolution was held down to keep performance snappy on the iPad, but I would expect an app with these features to handle higher resolution images. Maybe the rumored iPad 3, with what will likely be better specs, can do more. While the app supports layers, which is a major positive, there are some limitations. For example, if you add a text layer, you can't go back and edit the text. You'll have to delete the layer and start again. Another limitation is that saving an image means losing layers, as files are saved as JPEG images to your iPad camera roll, or when you send them via mail or to Facebook. If, however, you save to the Adobe Creative Cloud, layers are preserved. You can download the image from your Adobe storage but you'll note right away that the image is in PSDX format and Photoshop won't load it. To fix this you must download the Creative Cloud plug-ins from Adobe so Photoshop CS5 can open your file. Note: CS5 or 5.5 is required, so earlier versions of Photoshop won't load the files at all. Photoshop Touch has familiar tools like the lasso tool, but placing boundaries precisely is difficult because your finger covers up the screen. A stylus might be more practical for that kind of work, and of course Photoshop Touch provides some more automated selection tools. My tests of the app were positive. Overall performance was good. It can take a few seconds to render some effects, that's to be expected. Features worked with no issues, and for a first iPad version I saw no bugs, freezes or crashes. In my tests, Photoshop Touch was solid. Overall, Adobe Photoshop Touch is a tremendous achievement. Ever since the iPad came out, it has been criticized as a consumption device, and not a creative tool. Photoshop Touch is yet another app that has made that argument seem nonsensical. Any serious photographer should consider buying this app. No, it's not the full Photoshop experience. I wouldn't expect that in a $10 app. Rather, I think of it a bit more like Adobe's Photoshop Elements. It's scaled down from Photoshop, but contains the most used and wanted features. I am still troubled about the file size limitation. That's what I'd like to see Adobe fix first. There are other photo editing apps for the iPad that preserve the original file size, so it's not impossible. Photogene is just one example of many iPad apps that can output files at original resolution. Adobe Photoshop Touch is a 50 MB download, and must run on an iPad 2. The original iPad just doesn't have the horsepower to make the app viable. Photoshop Touch requires iOS 5, and you'll want to sign up for the Adobe Creative Cloud if you want to work on your images on Photoshop CS5 and keep your layers intact. This is a great first effort from Adobe for the iPad. Photoshop Touch will only get better over time, but as it stands now I think many photographers, both pro and amateur, will want this reasonably priced and powerful photo editor. Check the galleries below for a look at Photoshop Touch being used. %Gallery-148713%
Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10
Keeping its promise to include iOS users in the Photoshop-enabled slate party, Adobe has announced the arrival of its Photoshop Touch iPad app today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sporting a number of core PS features and new tools especially designed for use on tablets, the new release joins the Adobe Touch Apps family with further iOS software expected to drop in the coming months. This mobile version of Photoshop enables users to create layered images from several different photos, make edits, apply pro-style effects, touch up photos and carry out several other essential tasks directly on their Apple slate.A Scribble Selection Tool makes for easy deletion of unwanted objects simply by scribbling on what's a keeper and then on what needs to go. Refine Edge technology offers some help for those tedious soft-edged selections and integration with both Facebook and Google Image Search makes sharing your edits a breeze. The aforementioned upcoming iOS releases include Collage (moodboards), Debut (presenting and reviewing work), Ideas (sketches), Kuler (color exploration) and Proto (web and mobile application prototyping). But for now, you can snag Photoshop Touch for your iOS 5 wielding iPad 2 from the iTunes App Store for $9.99. If you're in search of some more details before taking the leap, hit the gallery of screenshots or the full PR below.
Adobe brings Touch Apps family to Android tablets, Creative Cloud looms on the horizon
Back in October, as you may recall, Adobe unveiled its Touch Apps family -- a collection of six tools designed to make life easier and more tactile for tablet-using creative types. Today, those apps are finally available on the Android Market, for tablets running Android 3.1 or higher. The sextet includes Photoshop Touch, Collage and Proto, among other Adobe products, each of which is priced at $9.99. These applications will also play a central role in Adobe's forthcoming Creative Cloud initiative, which will allow users to share, view and transfer files across multiple devices. That isn't expected to launch until the first half of next year, while the full suite of Touch Apps for iOS users should be released by "early 2012" (Adobe Ideas is the only member currently available on iTunes). Android slate wielders can get their hands on all the Touch Apps now, though Adobe says they'll need at least an 8.9-inch, 1280 x 800 display. Check out the source link below for more details, or head past the break for the full PR treatment.
Adobe releases trio of Photoshop Touch Applications for the iPad
Adobe announced the immediate availability of its Photoshop Touch applications for the iPad. The three touch-friendly apps use the touchscreen of the iPad and interact with Photoshop CS5 on the desktop. The trio includes Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop. Color Lava lets you mix and match color swatches to create new colors on the iPad. Eazel lets you draw using the touchscreen of the iPad and Nav lets you use common Photoshop tools as well as browse open Photoshop documents on the iPad. There are many excellent applications that let you paint on the iPad, but these apps let you create and seamlessly share your projects with the desktop version of Adobe CS5. All three apps were created using the Photoshop Touch Software development kit and showcase what is possible with this touch-centric SDK. The apps are available now from the App Store. Adobe Nav for Photoshop is the cheapest of the bunch with a price tag of US$1.99. Adobe Color Lava comes in second at $2.99 and Adobe Eazel is at the top with a semi-premium price of $4.99.
Photoshop Touch apps and SDK extend desktop functionality to iPad and other tablets
Any discussion about Adobe and the iPad seems to always devolve into a Flash vs. HTML5 debate. For today at least, Adobe's hoping to temporarily refocus the conversation on a trio of new tools that extend desktop Photoshop functionality to the iPad via native iOS apps. First up is Adobe Eazel, an iPad drawing app that lets you create a five-fingered painting on the iPad before transferring it back over WiFi to the Photoshop application running on your Mac or PC. Adobe Nav turns the iPad into a Photoshop companion device by extending live controls and menu bars from the Photoshop workspace to the iPad's display. Finally, there's Adobe Color Lava which turns the iPad into a hi-tech color mixing palette. Of course, these are just the first in what Adobe hopes to be a full range of Photoshop extensions hitting app stores just as soon as devs get their talents around Adobe's Photoshop Touch programming tools (consisting of a Photoshop scripting engine and enhanced SDK) for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS devices (available for Mac and Windows platforms today). Expect to see the Eazel, Color Lava, and Nav Photoshop Touch apps arrive next month -- alongside the 5.5 update to Adobe's Creative Suite (and free Photoshop update for CS owners) expected on May 3rd -- with prices ranging from $1.99 to $4.99. Until then, why not feast your eyes on a video preview posted after the break?
