Adobe ships Photoshop 7

17th April - 2002
By Ian Burley

UPDATE: win one of three copies during May 2002 - click here.

Adobe has started shipping version 7 of Photoshop, the benchmark bitmap image editing package.

There is a long list of improvements and we will be reviewing both the Mac and Windows versions of Photoshop 7 shortly.

Highlights include improved access to EXIF header information on digital camera files, more comprehensive image file browsing facilities, more versatile scripting support for automated processes and some interesting new tools, including a so-called ‘healing brush’ which is said to be ideal for retouching photos.

For now, here is the official Adobe press release:

Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Now Shipping

Photoshop 7.0 Delivers a Comprehensive Tool Set to Help Photographers and Designers Meet Creative and Production Challenges

SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 16, 2002 (NASDAQ: ADBE) - Adobe Systems

Incorporated, the leader in network publishing, is now shipping Adobe® Photoshop® 7.0. Photoshop 7.0 software delivers a comprehensive tool set for users to meet creative or production challenges and complete the widest variety of image-editing tasks.

Known for its unmatched precision and consistently superior output for print, Web and other media, Photoshop 7.0 offers a breadth of new tools to achieve fresh, sophisticated effects and other previously unachievable creative results.

"With an installed user base in the millions, every version of Photoshop has a significant impact on creative professionals, and with Photoshop 7.0, many features are offered that directly address the growing market of digital photographers," said Ed Lee, Director, Digital Photography Advisory Service, at Lyra Research. "The extended functionality in Photoshop 7.0 demonstrates Adobe's commitment to their customers."

Major enhancements include the File Browser, which is an image organization tool that allows users to browse image thumbnails; quickly rotate, sort, rank, and batch rename images, as well as view EXIF (Exchangeable Image File) information from digital cameras. The new Healing Brush feature simplifies the photo retouching process by allowing users to effortlessly remove dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other flaws. At the same time it preserves the shading, lighting, and texture of an original image. Photoshop 7.0 also offers many creative tools including the new Painting Engine, which allows users to simulate traditional painting techniques.

The new Scripting Support plug-in enables Photoshop 7.0 users to automate repetitive tasks from basic manipulation of single objects to complex control of multiple documents, and completely replace manual workflows across multiple Adobe applications. Instructions for downloading the Photoshop Scripting plug-in installer, which supports AppleScript, JavaScript, and Microsoft Visual Basic scripting languages, can be found at http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/photoshop.

In addition, Photoshop 7.0 now incorporates ZoomView technology, provided by Viewpoint Corporation, which will allow customers to link to a site and deploy large, print-qualityimages online.

"Photoshop 7.0 has created quite a stir among our customers," said Doug Eckrote, senior vice president of purchasing and operations, CDW. "CDW is Adobe's No. 1 reseller in the U.S., and we have received a significant amount of pre-orders for this product."

Shipping with Photoshop 7.0 is ImageReady® 7.0 software, which offers specialized features for accomplishing advanced Web-production tasks and creating highly sophisticated Web graphics and animations. Photoshop 7.0 is tightly integrated with Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe InDesign®, Adobe GoLive®, Adobe LiveMotion, Adobe Premiere®, Adobe After Effects® and Adobe Acrobat®. It also integrates with Adobe AlterCast®, the company's dynamic imaging server software, which streamlines managing and updating large image libraries.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Photoshop 7.0 is now available for an estimated street price of £450+VAT. Registered users of earlier versions of Photoshop can upgrade to version 7.0 for £100+VAT. The four popular Adobe Collections software suites, the Design Collection, Digital Video Collection, Publishing Collection and Web Collection, also have been upgraded to feature Photoshop 7.0. Upgrades from Adobe Photoshop Elements are available directly from Adobe for £395+VAT.For further information customers should call 020 8606 4001 or visit http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/photoshop

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