Adobe Releases Creative Suite 3

Twelve Adobe programs are available in their upgraded CS3 versions, making Monday's release the largest in Adobe's 25-year history.

Artists and producers take heed: Monday marks the release of Adobe’s Creative Suite 3, making all your CS2 software officially out of date. Adobe’s Master Collection is comprised of 12 different programs, including Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, Adobe Encore CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe Illustrator CS3, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, and Adobe Soundbooth CS3.

As usual, the changes Adobe made to its software packages mostly target improvements to professional workflow. For instance, Photoshop will get smart filters that allow a user to apply them, keep working, and later unapply them without having to start from scratch and redo everything. Other improvements include edge refining, advanced compositing, movie painting, scalable 2D and 3D measurement tools, and a streamlined interface – and that’s just Photoshop. For a complete list of upgraded features for all 12 programs, visit Adobe’s Master Collection page.

The full-blown Creative Suite runs for $2,499 alone, or $1,399 as an upgrade, but Adobe includes a range of options for developers to choose a toolset tailored to them. Design and web editions are both available in standard and premium flavors, along with a Production Premium edition for video producers. Adobe provides both a chart and a product selector to help consumers figure out which package is best-suited to them.