Adobe's MAX creativity and design conference is set to kick off this morning, and during the MAX event, Adobe plans to show off several upcoming software updates and new software experiences that are coming to its product lineup later this year.

All of Adobe's Creative Cloud apps are being updated with new features. Photoshop, for example, is gaining a new universal search bar with visual search options, stock templates, tighter integration of SVG elements, and better support for SVG color fonts, while Illustrator is gaining font, text, and glyph enhancements along with new alignment tools for creating pixel-based artwork.

Adobe Experience Design CC (XD), Adobe's tool for designing and prototyping, is gaining support for layers and symbols, along with the ability for users to comment on shared designs, making it easier to get feedback from clients. During the first half of 2017, XD will also support real-time sharing and collaboration features along with visual versioning to make it easier to keep track of changes.

adobexdlayers
After Effects features a new 3D rendering engine that can render 3D elements up to 20x faster, while Premiere Pro is gaining new virtual reality capabilities and optimized video publishing for social networks. The new software is able to auto detect virtual reality video, applying the proper settings. Character Animator is getting faster puppet creation and animation that better integrates with Photoshop and Illustrator. Team and Enterprise users will soon be able to co-edit video files in Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Prelude with updated workflows.

Mobile apps are also being updated. Photoshop brushes will be able to be used in Sketch, and both Sketch and Draw will gain layer blend modes. Comp, meanwhile, will gain auto mockups and the ability to copy/paste within and across documents.

Project Felix, being unveiled at MAX, is an upcoming tool that allows graphic designers to make high-quality photo-realistic images using 2D and 3D assets, even without experience using 3D software. Project Felix includes 3D models, materials, and lights sourced from Adobe Stock, and there are options do to things like adjust camera angles and lighting to make the perfect product shot.

projectfelix
Adobe Spark, available today as a free service, is designed to allow Adobe Creative Cloud users to create social graphics, web stories, and animated videos. Spark is available to everyone, but paid members will have exclusive features, including the ability to remove Adobe branding from projects.

Adobe is officially bringing its Adobe Stock Contributor site out of beta, allowing Adobe users to sell their photographs and design work to other Adobe users. Adobe Stock is gaining an improved image search feature and a new auto-keyword option that makes it easier to find what you're looking for.

adobestockvisualsearch
Adobe is also announcing a new partnership with Reuters, incorporating Reuters video and photography of news, sports, and entertainment events, and it is introducing a new way to purchase fonts through the Adobe Typekit marketplace.

Adobe's Creative Cloud updates will be available to Creative Cloud subscribers before the end of the year. For more details on the upcoming features that will be available in Adobe's range of Creative Cloud apps, make sure to check out Adobe.com.

Tag: Adobe

Top Rated Comments

Release Avatar
105 months ago
So is this going to turn into another "I'm just a hobbyist that wants to use these pro applications but I'll chime in to complain about the subscription?"

Me, I make my living using Creative Cloud. I have no problem paying the fee. I like the constant updates and features MUCH more than having to wait and then buy an upgrade each year. And yea, I know I'm doing that by paying the monthly fee but it's in the background. I don't even have to think about it. Every 6 months or so, a new version. I like it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
verniesgarden Avatar
105 months ago
Everyone complaining about the monthly payment issue forgets it solved one massive headache. Compatibility, when you have to send the printer a photoshop 5 file because they haven't updated in 10 years.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
buttongerald Avatar
105 months ago
So is this going to turn into another "I'm just a hobbyist that wants to use these pro applications but I'll chime in to complain about the subscription?"

Me, I make my living using Creative Cloud. I have no problem paying the fee. I like the constant updates and features MUCH more than having to wait and then buy an upgrade each year. And yea, I know I'm doing that by paying the monthly fee but it's in the background. I don't even have to think about it. Every 6 months or so, a new version. I like it.
This is me as well. I upgraded to the Creative Cloud almost instantly and I am perfectly fine with it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
baryon Avatar
105 months ago
With every Adobe update, there's a very real chance of your new app completely getting messed up, freezing, crashing, etc... Downgrading is also almost impossible even if you have a backup. So those of you working on important stuff: don't upgrade until you're 100% done with your important stuff and your income doesn't depend on it.

Back when new versions came every 1.5 years, a bug would eventually get sorted out and you'd be able to use the app for most of that time. But now by the time bugs get fixed, a new version is out with new bugs.

Just like with macOS, the frequent updates of Adobe apps for every tiny thing mean that you're far more likely to have to constantly live with bugs you have to work around. No version ever has time to grow up and mature.

The number of times I've updated and had Photoshop or Premiere not open anymore, my projects getting messed up, or the interface having a huge bug — has taught me to stick to "If it ain't broke now, consider yourself lucky because it will most certainly be broke in the next update."
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SBlue1 Avatar
105 months ago
Everyone complaining about the monthly payment issue forgets it solved one massive headache. Compatibility, when you have to send the printer a photoshop 5 file because they haven't updated in 10 years.
The same printer still uses Photoshop 5 because he does not want to pay Adobe again. So the headache is still there.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
c.s. Avatar
105 months ago
I want Adobe to succeed. They make great tools. Unfortunately their cloud and mobile services are extremely mediocre. I don't know any professionals using their 20GB of storage to sync anything or use any of the cloud libraries. Dropbox is so much better, faster, and I know where all my assets are. I've given up on the iPad. I can't even open and edit a PSD -- I don't see how it fits into a professional workflow. Far better to just carry a 12-inch MacBook to have the full version of every program with all my fonts.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...