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03/27/2008, 12:30am, EDT

Thursday, March 27th

Adobe offers public beta of Photoshop Express

Adobe on Thursday morning released Photoshop Express public beta, a free internet-based application that easily and quickly edits and applies non-destructive digital effects to photos. As a beta product, Adobe promised it would solicit user feedback on product features and functionality and continue to evolve the product over time. The application leverages Adobe's image editing technology and allows users to store up to 2GB of images online for free, make edits to photos, and share them online with using social networking site such as Facebook. The free service, which offers a variety of photo management tools, is available online as a beta product, but the company did not provide any details on a final release date.

The online application allows users to make standard edits, such as removing blemishes and red-eye, converting to black and white, cropping and resizing, and much more. In addition, the software offers functions such as 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." Other sketch-effects tools help enable photos to look like drawings and a Distort feature can distort facial features or objects within the images for a comical or artistic effect.

Adobe's Photoshop Express also offers a variety of sharing options, including uploading and showing off photos and slideshows in an 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 options include animation that "makes photos float and fly across the screen, allowing for viewer interactivity and unique presentation styles."

"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," the company said. "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."

Adobe said an Internet connection and an up-to-date Flash Player 9 are required for the public beta, but it is available to US residents-only in English. The company warned that users may experience slow performance if accessed outside of the US. Future plans include availability in other languages and countries.


Filed under: Graphics/Web Design
Other story tags: beta, internet, Photoshop, photo-editing

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220695 03/27, 9:46am, EDT stunning...
This is bloody incredible and if it is what web-apps promise for the future from Adobe, Google and others and given their platform independence...you'd have to say something along the lines of: "...Redmond, we have a problem!" Hooray!

posted by Feathers

220696 03/27, 9:46am, EDT Tried it last night
- Promising, maybe. A few tools were sorta annoying. Interface was rather "snappy", even on a wireless PowerBook G4...

posted by chotty

220709 03/27, 11:32am, EDT I'm sorry
this product pales in comparison to Aviary ( http://a.viary.com/ )

it seems like a dumbed down version of lightroom and doesn't really deserver the title of photoshop.

Aviary at leaset is a full fledged photo editor.

posted by MadGoat

220713 03/27, 12:21pm, EDT beware of the usagepolicy
adobe will have the rights to use/edit/sell your images. and it is no way to unscribe once you become a user at photoshop express. =(

posted by Guest

220725 03/27, 1:51pm, EDT the only page...
...that seems to be working is the Main Page_ the 'Join Now' Button ain't going anywhere and neither is the 'Test Drive' - 'Sign In' or 'Go Browse Galleries' in either FF or Safari_

posted by UberFu

220735 03/27, 5:34pm, EDT Terms
Yes, the terms are unsettling. From https://www.photoshop.com/express/terms.html

"With respect to Your Content that you submit [...], you grant Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other Materials or works in any format or medium now known or later developed."

...

posted by dronkert

220738 03/27, 7:47pm, EDT ShadowKatana
Was concerned that there might be some questionable terms when PSx asked to have unconditional access to my Facebook account…

posted by ShadowKatana

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