Adobe Creative Cloud, which came into being in October 2011, uses a software subscription method which means you purchase and download the products over the Internet. Because of this instant method of updating the software, you always have the latest version available. 

I said in an earlier posting that there were 23 different software packages available in the CC version, but the ones I use most are Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Bridge, InDesign, and, to a lesser extent, Dreamweaver.

For sure there are alternatives to Adobe products that are cheaper, and some are even free. But if you want the always new, Rolls-Royce of graphics-based software, Adobe is where you belong. Here’s where you can find the latest prices.

Presently  Adobe allows for either a monthly or annual subscription of either individual products or the entire suite of software.  We at webclearly found that we wanted so many of their offerings that it wasn’t cost effective to cherry pick so we get the whole package. We’ve purchased them for several years now so we’ve had a lot of opportunity to learn the ins and outs of several of their products and we are happy.

Probably the software with the most features, and therefore the one that takes the longest to learn, is Photoshop. Of course, it’s best to start off simple – try manipulating an image or two of your own: crop, resize, save – these are the basics and what you should look to accomplish first. There are tutorials on YouTube for these manipulations, heck there are tutorials on how to open Photoshop and set up the workspace, everything you’ll ever need to learn can be found via a search engine. However, if you live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area there is an alternative: your local library.

The public libraries of Washington, D.C., Fairfax County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Prince William County, all offer free access to Lynda.com where you can find tutorials for Photoshop – and so much more. Lynda.com is reason enough to get a library card.

If you still want to go the Google route, just enter Beginning Photoshop tutorials and you’ll find literally millions of results for you to peruse. The ones I come back to include:

Dansky (https://www.youtube.com/user/ForeverDansky) nice, measured tone, explains at a reasonable pace;

Unmesh Dinda (https://www.youtube.com/channel/unmesh) the opposite of Dansky, excited, fast talking, interesting use of English, strangely compelling;

Anthony Morganti (https://www.youtube.com/user/AnthonyMorganti), Goes into lots of detail at a steady pace (some would say slow) covers many types of software and puts out more videos than anyone else I subscribe to; and Helen Bradley (https://www.youtube.com/channel/helenbradley), very pleasant voice, explains complicated procedures in a simple manner, and, like the other people I just listed, she also covers Lightroom and Illustrator. 

There are other YouTube creators that I see sometimes but the list above contains my go to people to explain everything Photoshop and it’s less formidable than ploughing through Google search results.

My experience with YouTube tutorials (and I’ve seen a LOT) is it’s really a matter of finding a presenter who goes at a speed that suits you, teaches at your level, and whose accent and presentation style you can live with. There are lots of YouTube presenters out there and the accents and style range from transfixing to fingernails on the chalkboard.

Do you have a favorite?