Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for Windows now available; new version comes with deluxe CD-ROM, bonus content, Adobe Type on call and Adobe Acrobat Reader

Business Wire, Nov 11, 1994

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 1994--Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) Friday announced the availability of Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for Windows, a significant upgrade that adds new and enhanced composition, editing and production features to the industry-leading image processing software.

The new version also takes advantage of the latest operating system advances, including full 32-bit support under Microsoft Windows 3.1 and symmetric multiprocessing under Windows NT version 3.5.

"When Adobe Photoshop 3.0 became available for Windows, there was a loud applause among those users. Before Adobe Photoshop, Windows users didn't have this kind to power with any other software program," said Matt Keefe, president of TX Unlimited, a San Francisco-based firm specializing in image editing and manipulation.

"The new enhancements to version 3.0 such as Layers, is going to make a huge difference in the flexibility of our compositing. Plus, features like the Filter Factory plug-in allows us to create customized `signature' effects for our corporate and advertising clients."

Significant new features of Adobe Photoshop 3.0 include support for multiple layers and new color correction tools. Multiple layers support allows users to manipulate elements of an image on separate layers, much as they would use separate sheets of acetate when using manual techniques.

Users can also attach a Layer Mask to any layer, allowing them to apply effects and vary the opacity of a layer without destroying the original layer data.

New color correction tools improve the process of achieving color fidelity when adjusting images for CMYK output. Selective Color Correction lets users specify precisely the amount of ink in a given color plate, saving time and money on unusable film.

The Replace Color feature lets users create masks based on specific colors and allows color correction by adjusting hue, saturation and brightness values. CMYK Preview provides a "soft proofing" capability for previewing work in CMYK without first converting the image.

Gamut Warning highlights any areas in an image that are out of CMYK gamut. The new Sponge tool allows users to saturate or desaturate color areas to bring them into gamut for correct color separation output.

The improved user interface provides many enhancements, including redesigned floating palettes, a new Commands palette and a new drag and drop feature, giving users more control over their workspace.

For example, redesigned floating palettes can be combined and arranged in any order, and the new Commands palette lets users create custom command buttons for quick access to the most frequently performed tasks.

To save time when using filters, users can preview the effect of a filter before actually applying it to the image. The new drag-and-drop feature lets users quickly copy and paste images between documents or layers without using menu commands.

Other new features in Adobe Photoshop Version 3.0 include the Lighting Effects filter for applying a variety of lighting effects to an image via multiple light sources, with a range of colors, intensities and angles; the Dust & Scratches plug-in for removing dust and scratches from scanned images to facilitate retouching and photo restoration, and the Filter Factory plug-in for creating and naming new Adobe Photoshop plug-ins.

The new IPTC caption support lets users add file information to an image such as the photographer's name, date and location the photograph was taken, photo caption and other information required by the worldwide IPTC newspaper standard.

Adobe Photoshop 3.0 comes standard with application software on floppy diskettes as well as on the Deluxe CD-ROM, which also includes Adobe Acrobat Reader, user tutorials, stock photography, sample third-party plug-ins and a digital art show. A second CD-ROM includes Adobe Type On Call.

Version 3.0 offers identical features and interoperability for the Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms. The Macintosh version of the Adobe Photoshop 3.0 program was released last month and runs native on the high-performance Power Macintosh computers.

Price and Availability

Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for Windows is available immediately from Adobe Authorized Resellers. The suggested retail price is $895 and includes both CD-ROM and floppy diskette media. Registered owners of any previous full version of the Adobe Photoshop program may purchase a Version 3.0 upgrade directly from Adobe for $149.

Anyone purchasing Adobe Photoshop version 2.5 after June 15, 1994, will receive a free upgrade to version 3.0. Customers with Adobe Photoshop LE may upPage grade to the full version of Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for $199. For more information, customers should contact Adobe at 800/833-6687.

PhotoStyler Upgrades

Adobe will be offering upgrades from PhotoStyler for the Windows environment to Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for Windows for $199. The company announced this week that it will discontinue the retail version of PhotoStyler due to product line overlap.