
The more complex a program is, the harder it is to design an interface that allows users to get what they want from it without overwhelming them. It uses the nice dark gray background that helps your content pop out from the rest of the interface, instead of the less appealing neutral gray that used to characterize it (although you can switch back to it, if you want). Photoshop has a surprisingly clean and effective user interface, although the general design principles haven’t changed much over the course of its lifespan. Instead, we’ll look at the user interface, how it handles image editing and creation, and some of the other advantages of working with Photoshop. Note: Photoshop is a huge program, and there are so many features that even most professional users don’t take advantage of all of them. I’ve worked with a wide variety of image editing programs (both Windows and macOS) over the course of my career, and I’m always on the lookout for new programs and methods to improve my professional editing workflow and my personal practice.Īfter all the programs I’ve tested, I still keep coming back to Photoshop as the most flexible and comprehensive editing program available. I began working with Photoshop 5.5 in the early 2000s in a school computer lab, and my love of the graphic arts was born. Hi, my name is Thomas Boldt, and I’ve been a professional photographer and graphic designer for over a decade.

If you purchase the Photography plan, you’ll stay current at a cost of $120 per year, and you can definitely expect a major version release (or several) before you’d have reached an equivalent cost. When the last single-purchase version of Photoshop was released, it cost $699 USD for the standard version, and $999 for the Extended version which included 3D editing support. Some users take issue with the subscription model, but it’s actually a pretty good system for those who want to stay current. It’s also possible to purchase any of the Creative Cloud apps (including Photoshop CC) as a single standalone product for $20.99 per month, but it would make far more sense to choose the photography bundle option for half that price. You can also get access to Photoshop as part of the full Creative Cloud package which includes all of Adobe’s professional applications for $52.99 USD per month.


The most affordable is the Photography plan, which bundles Photoshop CC with Lightroom CC for $9.99 USD per month. Photoshop CC is available in one of three Creative Cloud subscription plans.
