k during the Beta phase. Photoshop Express is clearly aimed at snapshooters, with a relatively simplified toolset. You won’t find Curves or Layers–two features which make Photoshop such a powerful tool–for instance. Nevertheless, Photoshop Express’s features, which include Variations-like interfaces for color correction, contrast, saturation, exposure, sharpen, soft focus, and a kind of healing tool, called “touchup”. In a quick test drive, we found some of the tools to be quite effective, others clumsy to use. But that’s why Adobe wants feedback.
For details, read the Adobe press release:
Adobe Launches Photoshop Express Public Beta / Free Online Software Brings Photoshop Technology to Anyone Taking Digital Photos
SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 27, 2008 – Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe Photoshop Express public beta, a free Rich Internet Application (RIA) available to anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos with eye-catching effects. During the public beta period, Adobe will solicit Photoshop Express user feedback on product features and functionality, which will continue to evolve over time. As the newest addition to the Photoshop family line, Photoshop Express has taken much of Adobe’s best image editing technology and made it simple and accessible to a new online audience. Photoshop Express allows users to store up to 2 gigabytes of images online for free, make edits to their photos, and share them online in creative ways, including downloading and uploading photos from popular social networking sites like Facebook.
“Photoshop is trusted technology that has changed the visual landscape
of our world. Now, Photoshop Express allows anyone who snaps a digital
photo to easily achieve the high-impact results for which Adobe is
known,” said Doug Mack, vice president of Consumer and Hosted Solutions
at Adobe. “Photoshop Express is a convenient, single destination where
you can store, edit and share photos whether you’re at home, school or
on the road.”
Simple, Fun and Accessible
With Photoshop Express, digital photos can be uploaded and sorted
anytime, edited non-destructively to always preserve the original image,
and shared from anywhere, on any Web browser. In a few easy clicks,
Photoshop Express empowers anyone to make standard edits, such as
removing blemishes and red-eye, converting to black and white, cropping
and resizing, and much more.
No experience is required to add special effects that will impress
friends and family. In keeping with its one-click approach, Photoshop
Express offers tricks like Pop Color which selects an object in an
image, mutes the background color of the photo and allows the user to
swap the object’s color so it jumps off the page. Sketch effects help
photos look like drawings and the Distort feature allows you to distort
facial features or objects within the images for a comical or artistic
effect. Even users with limited photo editing knowledge can simply
select what looks best from a line-up of sample photos with visual hints
showing different variations of the added effect.
Photoshop Express offers a variety of creative sharing options,
including uploading and showing off photos and slideshows in your own
online “Gallery” hosted by Adobe, or conveniently embedding or linking
photos to social networking sites and personal blogs without having to
leave the application. Slideshows never looked better with animation
that makes photos float and fly across the screen, allowing for viewer
interactivity and unique presentation styles.
Adobe Photoshop Family
Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended are at the heart of the
Photoshop family, joined by solutions for users at every level who want
to bring out the best in their digital images. Photoshop Lightroom
addresses the workflow needs of professional and serious amateur
photographers. Photoshop Elements provides exciting tools and sharing
options for photo hobbyists.
Photoshop Express is the latest step Adobe is taking to leverage the
advanced technology that underpins its award-winning creative products
and deliver it to new online communities. In early 2007, Adobe also
announced the availability of Adobe Premiere Express, an online video
editing and mash-up tool on partner sites such as MTV and Photobucket.
Adobe Premiere Express leverages the functionality found in Premiere
Elements, a fully-featured desktop video editing program.
Free and Available Now
Adobe Photoshop Express beta is available now for free via any Web
browser at . Photoshop Express was
created with Flex, Adobe’s free, open source framework for building
RIAs. Flex applications provide a consistent, rich user experience
across operating systems and all major browsers, including Firefox,
Internet Explorer, Safari and others. An Internet connection and an
up-to-date Flash Player 9 are all that are required to experience Adobe
Photoshop Express. In its early phases, Photoshop Express is available
to US residents-only in English. Users may experience slow performance
if accessed outside of the US. Future plans include availability in
other languages and countries.
