Here is just a brief overview of the new features available in Photoshop CS; the most powerful version of Photoshop to date, now satisfying upgrade requests of the most demanding users worldwide.

An upgraded file browser which has its own menu system, ability to act as a lightbox, resizable preview, info and folders windows, enhanced ability to sort, rotate, and flag files.  Photoshop users have more control than ever before!  You can have huge preview sizes and even create and register metadata across entire folders.

The super powerful Shadow/Highlight adjustment tool you won't believe the power of this adjustment.  Forget to use a fill flash or want to bring up the lightness in the shadows?  (The FBI could use this to solve crimes).  Now you can make adjustments you've only dreamed of making night into day and balancing out photographs like never before.

There is also a Photomerge function (for creating easily creating panoramas), photo filter adjustment, the incredibly time-saving Match Color adjustment.  With Match Color you can apply the light and color settings from one image to any other image to get the perfect balance.  This is an incredible feature for fast color correction and modification.

You also have the color replacement tool which is perfect for re"painting" an image in another color (a house, a shirt) or for doing red-eye reduction.  I do some hilarious color replacements in the Photoshop CS Features CD.

Designer's have long been asking for the ability to type on a path (which can be done in Illustrator), now it can be done right in Photoshop.  There is also non-square pixel support for DVD producers; this helps prevent that stretched pixel effect. 

More powerful features include internal layer sets (you can have up to 5 layer sets within a layer set), customizable keyboard shortcuts, a preview filter gallery, crop & straighten (great for automating scanned in images), render fibers, 16 bit color support (doubling the color data) and the awesome layer comps.  Layer comps allow you to showcase different states of the document without having to turn layers on and off so you can show different comps to your client (or yourself).

My favorite upgrade?  The ability to move the document around (with Hand tool or space bar) when in the full screen modes; I just love it!

Is it worth the upgrade?  If you use Photoshop at all seriously, then it's a no-brainer.  I'd also recommend getting the Creative Suite if you are a multi-media producer who wants to have your options open; it's simply the best bargain for all the programs you're getting.  When you order the Photoshop Designer Package you will receive the free Photoshop CS Features & Tutorials CD (not sold separately).  It covers video tutorials on all of the new features!

To find out from Adobe themselves click here.

- Orion Williams copyright 2004