Digital design and artistic creation are now intrinsically linked to technology and how we use it.
While many old masters used physical canvases, and many still do, the advancement of technology and the rise of the internet has also given rise to whole new types of artistic expression.
These range from comics on Instagram to digital portraits of fictional characters to animations on YouTube.
With so many new avenues to explore for intrepid artists, whole new areas of art and content have been created, much of which has defined our modern age.
Still, in order to create these wondrous pieces, people need the foundation, the materials, and the technological programs in order to do it.
This is where photoshop comes in, one of the popular and used digital creation tools online today. However, is it actually any good?
Photoshop may be popular, but popularity doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a quality tool. Is it really worth the price?
Today, we will examine photoshop and tell you whether it is worth purchasing or not.
What Is Photoshop?
Photoshop is an image editing program developed by Adobe Systems. It was first released in 1988 as a way to combine images together into a single file.
The early versions were very basic and only had about 15 features.
As time went on, however, the program grew more sophisticated and now boasts over 300 different features and functions.
The most recent version of Photoshop is Photoshop CC 2021. It’s available for both Macs and PCs. It can be downloaded directly from Adobe’s website.
The latest version offers all-new features such as layer masks, adjustment layers, and smart object support.
Photoshop allows users to edit photographs, illustrations, videos, drawings and other media files.
It provides advanced editing capabilities such as painting, drawing, cropping, retouching, and color correction. It can even convert scanned documents into high resolution images.
These days, Photoshop is often used for web graphics, photo manipulation, video editing, multimedia presentations, and much more.
How Does Photoshop Work?
In order to understand how this powerful software works, let’s take a look at some of its key elements.
First things first, a user needs to open up Photoshop. Once opened, they must then load their image into the program.
They can either choose to import a picture using a camera, scan something using a scanner, or just drag and drop pictures onto the screen.
After selecting what they want to upload, they can start making changes to it. In fact, there are dozens of different ways to accomplish virtually anything.
For example, if someone wants to add text or change colors, they simply select those options and click “apply”.
You can make adjustments like brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, and more.
Once finished with the edits, the person can save his/her project in several formats. There are also numerous templates to use when saving your project.
Some include:.psd, .jpg, .png, .gif, .tiff, .bmp, .jpeg, and others.
If you’re unsure of what format to use, you can always ask around before deciding, or look at what the rest of your picture’s formats on your computer are saved as.
Since everyone uses photoshop differently, there are bound to be countless tutorials out there that will help you get started.
There are literally thousands of free resources on the internet that teach you how to use Photoshop.
From simple guides to step-by-step tutorials, there’s plenty of information to learn.
Whether you’re looking to improve your artistic skills or just want to master Photoshop, you’ll find everything you need here!
Is Photoshop Worth Getting?
Yes! We think Photoshop is absolutely worth getting because of its versatility.
It allows you to take pictures, draw, sketch, paint, crop, resize, add text, and pretty much anything else you want to do.
If you’re looking to make some changes to your photos, it makes this process a lot easier than if you tried doing it manually.
Plus, you can share your creations with others via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
If you don’t know what you’re doing with Photoshop, you can easily learn how to use it right away.
There are plenty of tutorials out there that teach you how to use Photoshop step-by-step and show you exactly how to accomplish certain tasks.
However, if you already know how to use and are using GIMP, Photoshop will probably feel redundant.
That being said, there are many things you can do with Photoshop that you cannot do with GIMP.
For example, you can create 3D models using Photoshop, you can create vector shapes, and you can apply special effects to your images.
You can also use Photoshop to enhance your photography skills. With the help of various tools, you can change colors, adjust exposure, and do many other edits.
Photoshop also has a bunch of built-in filters that allow you to turn ordinary photos into works of art. Another great feature is the ability to create custom brushes.
These brushes let you quickly apply textures and details to your designs.
So basically, Photoshop is a useful tool for anyone who wants to improve their artistic abilities.
In addition to helping you make beautiful artwork, Photoshop helps people become better photographers. It lets you modify digital photos, so they look perfect.
As an added bonus, Photoshop is a very stable program. This means that it rarely crashes.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a slow internet connection or not. Even when you’re working on large projects, Photoshop never slows down.
So yes, we’d definitely say that Photoshop is well worth getting.
How Much Does Photoshop Cost?
Photoshop costs $20.99 USD per month on a repeating subscription from Adobe, or on a yearly basis at a cost of $239.88.
This is quite expensive for most people, as most of us don’t have $200 lying around and can’t really afford $20 per month.
However, there are some sales throughout the year when you can buy a one-year subscription for only $50.00.
Additionally, Adobe offers a 7-day trial period which gives you full access to all features in Photoshop.
You can purchase all the apps that Adobe offers, like Illustrator and Lightroom, in a monthly subscription for $52.99, but unless you use them a lot, then it isn’t really worth it.
The benefits of paying this price is that Adobe constantly updates and reworks their products, so you know they are going to be some best.
Can I Get Photoshop For Free?
While it’s technically possible to download Photoshop without paying any money, you’ll be limited to just 7 days of free usage.
After that time, you’ll need to pay for an annual or monthly subscription.
What Programs Should I Use Instead Of Photoshop?
There are loads of free alternatives to Photoshop. Some of these include: Affinity Photo (Windows), Krita (Linux), Paint.net (Windows), and Gimp (Unix).
These are all excellent options and are equally good at accomplishing similar tasks to those that Photoshop provides.
Affinity Photo comes with everything that Photoshop does, including layers, adjustment layers, a selection brush, etc. You can even export files directly into PSDs.
It’s a bit easier to navigate than Photoshop, though. If you want something simple, this would be the best option.
Krita is another free alternative. It’s fairly new compared to the rest, but it’s been gaining popularity fast.
It’s super powerful, yet still very user-friendly. One drawback is that it runs slower than Photoshop.
Gimp was originally created by Richard Stallman. He later sold his share to the Gnome foundation, which now owns it.
There are three versions, each offering different functionality. The newest version is Gimp 2.8, which includes lots of new features.
If you’re looking for something simple, then Gimp might be your best bet.
It’s also the fastest photo editing software out there, so if speed is what you’re after, then this might be what you are looking for.
Paint.Net allows you to edit images using either Windows Explorer or the built-in file browser.
Unlike other image editors, Paint.Net has no layer support. It’s purely designed for quick edits.
It’s probably the simplest way of editing pictures.
You can create images, apply filters, crop, rotate, adjust colors, add text, draw shapes, etc. It’s great for beginners, as it’s easy to learn how to use.
Conclusion
Photoshop is definitely one of the best options for design and artistic editing around today.
The reason many people are put off from getting it is its reputation for being a bit complex and its price.
However, if you feel you need to use it, give the 7-day free trial a whirl before committing to it. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
