Customer Reviews

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard [OLD VERSION]

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I have been upgrading Photoshop ever since my initial purchase of the CS suite years ago. Each edition has been more powerful and intuitive than the last. Recently, I decided to learn to create vectors for use in my Linworth books ABC, Follow Me!: Phonics Rhymes and Crafts Grades K-1 and for sale on the Web. I discovered that my version of Illustrator was outdated and much more difficult to use than more current versions. I ordered an upgrade of Illustrator to CS3 from Adobe, but the registration would not work. If you have a suite, you can only upgrade to another suite. Unfortunately, I was on deadline for a big project and waited too long to return the software. This year, I decided to just replace the entire suite, since I may also try my hand at POD book design for my adult poetry and painting.

I called Adobe support to make sure that my version of CS did, indeed, qualify for this upgrade. It did! Everything has installed perfectly and, so far, the software performs flawlessly on my Vista Ultimate system. I am still learning the Wacom pen, but the interface promises exciting possibilities in all three of the applications. I also appreciate the upgrade of Acrobat, a program I use often to deliver files to clients. My old one worked with Vista, but gave me error warning messages every time I called it up.

I did have to update the drivers on my graphics card, but this was easy and the Adobe site gave full instructions. I have enjoyed downloading plugins and actions from Adobe Exchange. There are some great resources. Tutorials are also available on the site.

For users familiar with the CS line, you will find many improvements here, especially in the interface. In Photoshop, I find the auto tone adjustment to be far more accurate than previous auto adjustments. I seldom use these, but I am scanning old prints for a family calendar and this feature has come in handy. I shoot Camera RAW with my Nikon, and there is a new version just for CS4. The changes are not dramatic, but I think it is a little more precise.

I recommend that you buy this product soon if you are planning to upgrade. The introductory price on the upsell is great.

If you are new to CS, you will probably need a book.The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
Adobe Illustrator CS4 Classroom in a Book


Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard Upsell from Creative Suite 1 or 2 (intro price) [Mac]Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard Upsell from Creative Suite 1 or 2 (intro price)
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade
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