Adobe Creative Cloud

Stationery Direct

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Who is using Adobe's Creative Cloud?

To be honest I am still running CS5.5 and it does everything I need it to, just wondering if the latest versions are that much of an improvement over what I have to warrant the upgrade to the monthly fee?
 
Depends what you do.

I got by with CS5.5 but there's a few nice touches - Photoshop has artboards - which is very handy.

Indesign has preview online - which is very good - and it's simple to use - no messing around with epubs - just send a link and they can view on laptop, mobile/tablet etc.

Illustrator has a few fancy gadgets - effed if I know what they do. I just draw and get work done and all my life I've ever used then pen and pathfinder tool.


There are some great pluses with Adobe Stock, CC Libraries, and a few other things
 
You can always trial it for month and see what it's like. Of course save legacy files too in case you want to go back.
 
Still on CS5.5 too. I don't like the new payment model at all so I'm steering away from Creative Cloud. Most of my work now involves using Sketch to design, so I find I'm able to get by with the older versions (aside from random crashes thanks to a Mac OS 'upgrade'). If it aint' broke, don't fix it.
 
Still on CS5.5 too. I don't like the new payment model at all so I'm steering away from Creative Cloud. Most of my work now involves using Sketch to design, so I find I'm able to get by with the older versions (aside from random crashes thanks to a Mac OS 'upgrade'). If it aint' broke, don't fix it.

Yeah agreed but I am increasingly finding that I am struggling with files supplied from newer versions
 
I'm still running CS5 as it does all I need and I don't like being tied into monthly payments.

I think that when I upgrade my Macbook, I might give Affinity a go instead of Illustrator as I've heard lots of good things about it.
 
Yeah, I was looking at Affinity too, their promo video really got me excited and it seems to resolve the issues I have with Illustrator as a whole.

Yeah agreed but I am increasingly finding that I am struggling with files supplied from newer versions

The main issue I have is InDesign. It's not very professional having to request for files to be back-saved so I can open them in CS5, though I don't often receive ID files from others, and if I do it's normally from a mate who knows to export to an earlier version.

I'd have leapt on CC if it weren't for the payment model. Cloud-based is nice, as is being able to pay monthly, but I don't like having my arm bent up my back and forced to keep paying in order to use the package.
 
It's the lack of 'ownership' that keeps me off subscription software, even after subscribing for say 3 years you still don't own any software, even an 'older version' whereas if you'd spent the upfront cost on a non sub package you'd have 'paid the same' over the same period.

The annoying thing is literally EVERY major player in the software market is joining the bandwagon. Not everyone want's to do subscriptions but most are removing the straight up purchase options. There are some 'smaller' 3D packages still staying with purchase and blender seems to be improving all the time but it's not cheap working on the 'engineering' side of 3D unfortunately :( I just wish some of them would do a pay x for 3 years of our subscription package but keep our package after 3 years without any further updates.... that would work for me.

In regards to adobe cc, it's new 'added cloud features' mean nothing to me as I can't actually use them due to it causing me to breach my nda's....not to mention I wouldn't use any cloud service for work/important data which I didn't control due to security/privacy concerns. I'm not saying some aren't good value, MS office with 1tb storage etc is pretty good value but things like adobe cc don't really seem to add much value add in my view, hell for most of my usage I could likely get away with gimp lol.

I do like the 'idea' of being able to sign up to something for a month though say if you need a particular program for a certain job but never again.
 
At £40 (less than a months Adobe subscription) Affinity is worth a try.
Looks like it does everything I need and as a plus, it's not from Adobe.
I've heard a lot of people saying it's more intuitive than AI and has a lot of great features.
My Mac is too long in the tooth otherwise I'de have downloaded the free trial.

Interested to hear if anyone else has given it a whack.
 
Paul - even if you were to buy the software - or say upgrade on the old model from CS5.5 to CC15 - the upgrades were roughly €600 - not sure what that is in Pounds... anyway - the cloud subscription is only 24.99 per month for the software (where you can purchase 1 month only if you wish).

Even still over 1 year that's €299 per year.

CS5.5 was in 2010 - even better CS6 was released in 2011.

So in the 4 years since CS6 you would have to upgrade 4 times at the tune of €600 a year - that's a whopping €2400.

With the CC subscription, 4 years only costs €1200.

What I'm saying - even if you stayed on CS5.5 and continued working on files that were sent to you in cS6 to Cs15 - then you'd still need to request files in the older format of IDML.


That being said - if you do get newer files - you can purchase a single app use for 1 month, and do the conversion yourself, for €24.99.


@Levi
I understand that you want 'Ownership' of the software. Lets be reminded that software is only ever Licensed to the End User - it's always been leased, that's the same with fonts and any type of software. You have paid for the license to use the application, but the ownership remains with the author who holds the rights of copyright of software, distribution, sale and copy etc.


Cloud features are additional to use if you want - you don't have to use the Cloud Services. You will always retain the ownership to your work - Adobe cannot and will never see your Files. The only thing that happens that's a bit shit is that if your Subscription Lapses you can't access the software to open the source files.



I love the Creative Cloud and it gives me full access to the entire Adobe Suite to do any project that comes up, from Sound to Video editing, presentations, books, epubs, animations, web, etc.

All Apps - all in - €64.99 a month.

If I'm not making €64.99 a month then I"m in the wrong business!

Plus I can push the costs of the subscription to the client.


The best thing about being part of the cloud - your apps are always up to date.
 
Plus don't forget the support for CS5.5 has ended and support for CS6 will cease soon.

With new OS upgrades there is no guarantee those apps will ever work in newer OS.
 
After hunting out the tiny reply button....
@Levi
I understand that you want 'Ownership' of the software. Lets be reminded that software is only ever Licensed to the End User - it's always been leased, that's the same with fonts and any type of software. You have paid for the license to use the application, but the ownership remains with the author who holds the rights of copyright of software, distribution, sale and copy etc.
True but assuming you don't have any reason to have the license revoked you can continue to use said programs until they either no longer work or you need to upgrade, you don't need to do upgrades each year as seen by some of us still using older versions. With subscription models you don't have that option so if you have money issues, which lets be fair isn't uncommon with freelancing, you may end up in a situation, albeit rare, where you need money to pay for the subscription renewal but can't get that money until the work is finished. The problem is that you're unable to finish the work due to no active subscription (is there still that 3 month window on subscription checking if offline?), with 'owned' software you don't have that issue.

Cloud features are additional to use if you want - you don't have to use the Cloud Services. You will always retain the ownership to your work - Adobe cannot and will never see your Files. The only thing that happens that's a bit shit is that if your Subscription Lapses you can't access the software to open the source files.
ah yes trust in adobe's online security, well most companies actually of late.....they'd never let anyone get access to the important stuff like your bank or personal details....

The best thing about being part of the cloud - your apps are always up to date.
Well that isn't always a good thing, just ask some of the users of windows 10... there's been a number of updates that have caused issues including not being able to access the pc completely due to an automatically installed update that they can't stop.

I'm just waiting on the 'subscribe to get the latest updates' of your operating system to come through....
 
@Levi
Sorry don't have much time to rebutt!

Where it's not always a good thing to be constantly on the newest version, you can control it quite easily in the preferences to not upgrade, or to roll back to previous versions. I can go back to Creative Cloud CC, CC14 and so on.

There's merit in moving away if you're not happy with the subscription model - I'd consider it myself if I was in a tight spot.
 
@hankscorpio. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying subscription models don't have a place and I know you don't have to update to the latest adobe cc but you would still lose access to it if you stopped paying.

Maybe I'm just old school or it comes from my Dad being a builder but I just like to 'own' the software I use because I view them as tools rather than a service. Ultimately I can work without or around most services I need to subscribe to (well except electric due to the pc lol) but I can't work without my tools (pc, software, pens, paper etc).

The biggest issue designers have is where exactly can we move to, it's not like adobe isn't the defacto software to use meaning anything we move to might not be supported by say our printers for example. Windows and OS-X both have other alternatives and in some cases they're cheaper and/or better the Adobe alternatives but because of 'status' adobe has in the design field you're kind of 'forced' to use adobe in some way.

Maybe we can do a thread on alternative software..... krita, mischief, blender, affinity, pixelmator etc
 
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I have full list of all alternatives to all of Adobe suite. I've no problem posting it.

Adobe is the industry standard and the author of the pdf...but there are alternatives.

I wasn't a fan go C C when it launched. But I really do like it.
 
@scotty & @Paul Murray

I've seen that 'Affinity' before but never paid any attention to it until you guys mentioned it and holy shit, wow! It looks too good to be true! I wonder how easy it would be to make the transition from Illustrator & Photoshop, or is it a whole new process where you pretty much have to start from scratch to get to grips with how things work. I guess anything can look incredible if you know what you are doing and more importantly, how to do it - the promo vids make it look easy.
 
Regarding this topic, I am staying away from Adobe's Creative Cloud for as long as I possibly can (which will be a very long time!) for all of the reasons mentioned above. Happy with my CS6. Do not wish to pay monthly. I want to pay once and be free to use the software for many years until I feel the need to upgrade. I never 'upgrade' year in, year out. I like the good old days, much simpler lol.
 
Carl you could take a look at krita (opensource and free) and mischief (limited free version or cheap full featured) too, they're both pretty powerful in their own rights :)
 
Carl you could take a look at krita (opensource and free) and mischief (limited free version or cheap full featured) too, they're both pretty powerful in their own rights :)
Thanks, I mean I don't have any issues with the good old fashioned, industry standard Adobe CS, but always good to keep an eye on alternatives I suppose.
 
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