Skip to main content

Adobe Creative Cloud update brings new Content Aware features, boosts performance

adobe cc june 2016 update
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Adobe today released an update to its Creative Cloud suite of design applications, focusing on improving efficiency and removing friction from a user’s workflow. The update (June 2016) provides greater automation, better performance, and more integration across applications, while also introducing some key new features for Photoshop. Adobe CC subscribers can download the update now through the Creative Cloud app.

A central focus of the new update is Adobe Stock, the company’s stock image library and service. In what Adobe has dubbed the One-Click Workflow, Adobe Stock is now available within CC applications, including InDesign and Photoshop. Users can search for images and preview them directly in the application, then arrange, edit, and even purchase them – all without opening a web browser. Adobe Stock has grown to offer more than 55 million royalty free images, graphics, and videos, and now Adobe is making it easier to find the highest quality files with the new Premium Collection, a curated library that contains nearly 100,000 images that meet the standards of top agencies around the world.

“[We worked] with some inspiring artists and great photographers for that exclusive image you might want to use for your special project,” said Paul Trani, Adobe Creative Cloud Evangelist, said during a demo.

Photoshop also received some love in this update. First, the new Content Aware Crop tool will automatically fill in the gaps when straightening a crooked photo, so that less image data is lost to cropping (Adobe gave a sneak-peek of this feature in May). This is perfect for landscape photographs, which can now easily be leveled in post without sacrificing too much of the original angle of view.

Second, the Liquify tool is now face-aware, able to detect a person’s eyes, mouth, and nose automatically for instant adjustments.

According to Adobe, Photoshop's new Face-Aware Liquify is "an easy way to create artistic effects with facial features using the Liquify Tool while keeping the face in proportion."
According to Adobe, Photoshop’s new Face-Aware Liquify is “an easy way to create artistic effects with facial features using the Liquify Tool while keeping the face in proportion.” Image used with permission by copyright holder

And finally, the new Match Font tool can detect text, even in flattened images, and suggest what font it is. Introduced as a “sneak” during last year’s Adobe MAX conference, not only will it recommend fonts installed on user’s system, but also within Adobe TypeKit, with the option to install them with one click from within Photoshop. This has the potential to save hours of work for graphic designers, who may be provided with a flattened JPEG from a client that has multiple fonts that need to be matched.

The new Match Font feature can identify the font used in a flat image, and suggest related fonts.
The new Match Font feature can identify the font used in a flat image, and suggest related fonts. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Other features introduced with this update include improved support for VR content in Premiere Pro (new field-of-view mode), Character Animator Preview in After Effects that automatically matches animations to a the speech and movements of a person in real life (this feature was used in a recent episode of The Simpsons, where Homer answered viewer questions in real-time), faster export of assets and art boards in Illustrator (export assets in multiple formats and resolutions, all in one click), and the ability to set user permissions for CC Libraries for improved collaboration between teams and clients.

Editors' Recommendations

Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
How to remove location data from your iPhone photos
How to transfer photos from an iPhone to an iPhone

We all love making memories, and a great way to collect those memories is to take a quick snap of a gorgeous landscape, a party in full swing, or a particularly incredible meal. The Apple iPhone now also adds a location to your pictures, meaning it can collate those images together into a location-themed album, or show you all the shots you've taken in a specific location. It's a fun little addition, and it's one that adds a lot of personality to the Photos app.

Read more
‘Photoshopped’ royal photo causes a stir
The Princess of Wales with her children.

[UPDATE: In a message posted on social media on Monday morning, Princess Kate said that she herself edited the image, and apologized for the fuss that the picture had caused. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote, adding, "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."]

Major press agencies have pulled a photo of the U.K.’s Princess of Wales and her children amid concerns that it has been digitally manipulated.

Read more
Nikon sale: Get up to $700 off select Nikon cameras and lenses
nikon d780 review product  1

Crutchfield has a huge sale on many different Nikon cameras with some of the best camera deals that we’ve seen in a while. With nearly 30 different items in the sale, the best thing that avid photographers can do is take a look for themselves. However, if you want a little insight before you dive in, take a look at what we have to suggest below.

What to shop for in the Nikon sale
Nikon makes some of the best DSLR cameras around with our overall favorite -- the -- available for $2,197 reduced from $2,297. The camera is perfect for both photographers and videographers with a 24.5-megapixel full-frame image sensor. Its rugged magnesium-alloy body is weather-sealed against dust, dirt, and moisture so it’s great for all occasions. The Nikon EXPEED 6 image processor is optimized for low-light performance while maintaining long battery life with an autofocus sensor module with support for 51 focus points. You just need to add a lens to reap the benefits with features like the 273-point phase-detection AF system detecting and tracking subjects throughout the entire frame.

Read more