Photoshop CS2 will include an enhanced tool for touching up blemishes, multiview file browsing and the ability to update an image across its many iterations with one edit.
Adobe Systems in May will release a new version of Photoshop, its signature digital imaging program. Photoshop CS2 will include an enhanced tool for touching up blemishes, multiview file browsing and the ability to update an image across its many iterations with one edit.
"In light of the four million digital SLRs [single lens reflex cameras] expected to ship this year, more photographers than ever will be making Photoshop CS2 their digital darkroom of choice," Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of digital imaging and digital video products at Adobe, said in a news release.
Photoshop CS2 will be available either as a stand-alone product or as part of Adobe's Creative Suite 2 for Mac OS 10.2.8 and higher and for Windows XP Service Packs 1 and 2 in May for U.S. and Canadian customers. It will become available to international customers around the beginning of June.
The news release for the new version was dated April 4 but was leaked onto the Internet sometime Sunday or Monday. Adobe has since removed the original version of the release—too late, however, to keep it from being cached by search engines and being widely disseminated.
Adobe Systems Inc., of San Jose, Calif., declined to comment on the new software.
Among its new and upgraded functionalities, Photoshop CS2 will come with an enhanced Spot Healing Brush for dispensing with such common photography bugaboos as red eye, blemishes, lens distortions, noise and blurring.
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Meanwhile, a Smart Objects feature will have the capabilities to scale and manipulate pixel-based and vector-based images without sacrificing image quality and to make linked duplicates so that one edit can update an image across its many iterations.
The new release also comes with an upgraded File Browser feature. Now called "Adobe Bridge," it is described as a "hub for productivity, imagery and creativity," with multiview file browsing across all applications in Creative Suite 2. Through it, users will have one-stop purchase access to stock photos from five stock-image providers.
To read more about how Photoshop is evolving to meet digital imaging needs, click here.
Photoshop CS2 includes added features for those working with film and video. It allows for nondestructive editing and for the creation and retouching of 32-Bit HDR (high dynamic range) images and FireWire Previews, which allow users to export and view images on a television monitor.
Other new Photoshop tools include Image Warping, which enables users to stretch, twist or wrap an image into a desired shape, and Vanishing Point, which lets users retouch, paint or clone objects without losing visual perspective.
To improve its usability, the new version can be customized to fit users' needs. They can set their own presets, define scripts to automate various tasks, set Multiple Layer Controls and highlight their favorite items.
The estimated street price for Photoshop CS2 has been listed at $599, while licensed users of any previous version of Photoshop may upgrade to CS2 for $149.
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