It requires 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or later, 8MB RAM, and 4GB available hard-disk space. I tested on a 3.4GHz Core i7 PC running 64-bit Windows 10 with 16GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 1650 graphics card. Only consider installing Photoshop on a fairly powerful PC or Mac.
I counted no fewer than 11 of these processes in the Windows Task Manager running even when no Adobe software was ostensibly running and after I'd exited the Creative Cloud manager app. Note that it installs a slew of background processes on your system, many of which run even when you're not using a Creative Cloud application.
This Creative Cloud utility also lets you browse and easily install plug-ins. It's also where you find Adobe news, stock images, and the Behance creative social community (more about this later). To install the application, you first install the Creative Cloud desktop program, which handles updates and syncs your files online.
And if you don't want to pay a cent, you can use the free, open-source GIMP software, though doing so can be a painful, counterintuitive experience if you're used to the convenience and polish of Photoshop. Those who feel this way may want to consider options such as Corel's surprisingly capable PaintShop Pro ($79.99), CyberLink PhotoDirector ($99.99), or even Adobe's own Photoshop Elements ($99.99), all of which can be purchased outright. You can no longer have the option to buy a one-payment perpetual license for Photoshop, which annoys some users who don't like the software-as-a-service model.
If you choose to pay month-by-month, the Photoshop plan is $31.49, but if you prepay for a full year, it's $239.88, which works out to $19.99 per month. A full Creative Cloud subscription, which gets you all of the suite's design applications as well, costs $54.99 per month with annual commitment. If you want both big photo apps and 1TB of online storage, you can get the $19.99-per-month photography plan. You need to hunt around the site to find that deal, which I recommend. Or you can get the Photography plan with 20GB for $9.99 per month, which also gets you Photoshop Lightroom (our Editors' Choice winner for photo workflow software) and 10 Adobe Stock images. You can sign up for a Photoshop single app plan for $20.99 per month (with annual commitment), which gets you 200GB online storage. To get the latest version of Photoshop, you need a Creative Cloud subscription. Another tool that was once greatly anticipated but never delivered fully on its promise, Camera Shake Reduction, is also gone. For example, 3D modeling functionality is moving out of Photoshop into the company's Substance 3D suite of products. (Opens in a new window) Read Our ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2022 ReviewĬonversely, some features are being removed from Photoshop. It also adds more precision for 16-bit image previews, an improved Harmonization Neural Filter, and, as always, support for new digital cameras and lenses.
The latest update for September 2022 adds a more detailed, cloud-powered option for Subject Select search within Preferences and the welcome ability to give interface elements, like that glaring blue Share button, a more neutral and less distracting appearance. More utilitarian tools like cloud-stored files and Pattern Preview also appeared recently. Updates to Photoshop continue to include features that use Adobe's Sensei imaging AI technology, like mind-blowing Neural Filters, Sky Replacement, Landscape Mixer, and Color Transfer. Because of this state-of-the-art leadership position and the polish and usability of the software, Photoshop gets a rare rating of five out of five stars and is an Editors' Choice winner among image editing applications. Adobe updates things frequently, adding innovative capabilities and support for new formats. Designers and photographers alike find the most-and the most advanced-tools available for their crafts in this application.
If you need layered image editing, typography, drawing, and a multitude of effects, you need Photoshop. Photoshop started the digital image manipulation revolution more than 30 years ago, and Adobe's groundbreaking application continues to be the best photo editing software money can buy (or rent, to be more precise).