Adobe Creative Suite is an integrated package of graphic design software programs. Creative Suite 4 (CS4) is Adobe’s fourth version of the package, which bundles several applications that most graphic artists use on a regular basis. CS4 was released in late 2008, and is available in multiple permeations, with each edition geared toward a different type of user. The interface of all the components in CS4 is consistent throughout, and allows users to view and open documents created in different applications in a single window, using the newly designed tabbed interface.
- There are six different editions of CS4: Design (available in standard and premium versions), Web (also available in standard and premium versions), Production Premium and the Master Collection, which contains all the different components. Design Standard is the lowest-priced edition of CS4, and includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat Pro. Programs that are available in other editions of CS4 include Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Premiere Pro, Flash and Encore, along with several others.
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Photoshop was popular long before CS debuted.The first release of CS in 2003 contained graphics and design programs that had previously been available as stand-alone packages, but were bundled together for a lower price point. Adobe had previously purchased PageMaker from Aldus, Dreamweaver and Flash from Macromedia, and it included these packages as well as adding some new programs to subsequent versions of Creative Suite, including Adobe Bridge, a file organization and photo cataloging software.
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InDesign has replaced Quark as #1.The greatest impact that Adobe Creative Suite had in the industry was the widespread recognition of InDesign. Prior to its release in CS, InDesign was a previously obscure program that was a direct descendant of PageMaker, the default desktop publishing (DTP) package during the initial computer boom of the late 1980s. By the mid-1990s, QuarkXPress was the undisputed king of layout software, replacing PageMaker. But in a rare case of a new software package quickly overtaking an industry’s Goliath, InDesign delivered a knockout blow that Quark never recovered from. However, some tech pundits cite Quark’s arrogance and bullying tactics as another major reason for its demise.
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Do your homework before buying.Adobe Creative Suite has become the default package for virtually every designer and creative agency, due to its integration ability and familiar commands in all the packages. Unfortunately, it is not cheap: At Adobe’s Web store, CS4 Design Standard lists for $1,399 for a full version and $399 for users of a previous version to upgrade (all prices as of 2009). Because buying any version of Adobe CS4 is expensive (the least expensive is Web Standard at $999; the most expensive is Master Collection at $2,499), so deciding what your current and future needs are is time well-spent. Although every component of CS4 is available a la carte, it is always more economically feasible to buy them as a bundle, rather than separately.
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All print shops use Adobe CS.Adhering to a set of standards in the graphic industry is mandatory; production houses, graphic shops and printers have to work with a uniform standard that allows diverse users to work with the same format and versions of files. Adobe has found the sweet spot that virtually every user of graphic software is looking for; the ability to easily and efficiently work with files created in multiple applications. Furthermore, by offering different edition of CS is also a helpful tactic to allow users to only pay for what they need, so designers who don’t need software to build websites can opt for the Design Standard package, which doesn’t include Dreamweaver, Adobe’s Web software.