Adobe Photoshop is widely considered the gold standard in photo editing and digital imaging software. First released in 1990, Photoshop has evolved over the decades into an incredibly powerful and versatile tool used by millions of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you‘re a photographer, designer, artist, marketer or dabbling in creative projects, here are 10 compelling reasons why you should buy Adobe Photoshop today.
1. Industry standard for digital imaging
When it comes to editing photos and creating digital artwork, Adobe Photoshop is in a league of its own. It has been the undisputed industry leader for over 30 years. Photoshop‘s extensive toolset, unmatched capabilities and constant innovation set the professional standard for working with digital images.
Mastering Photoshop is often a prerequisite for creative roles and is a valuable skill to have on your resume. With knowledge of Photoshop, you‘ll be able to communicate and collaborate seamlessly with other creative professionals and teams who are accustomed to the Photoshop workflow. While there are many alternative photo editors available, none come close to matching Photoshop‘s depth, power and prestige in the industry.
2. Powerful photo editing and manipulation
At its core, Photoshop is an extremely capable photo editor equipped with everything you need to make your images look their very best. Its large array of tools allow you to perform both subtle and dramatic enhancements to your photos:
- Use adjustment layers to fine-tune exposure, color balance, saturation, contrast and more
- Retouch images to remove blemishes, smooth skin, whiten teeth and perform other enhancements
- Eliminate unwanted objects or distractions in your images with content-aware fill and healing brushes
- Combine multiple images into a seamless composite with layer masking and blend modes
- Add creative effects, filters, textures, text and graphics to craft unique artistic creations from your photos
- Optimize images for print, web and other digital displays with precise control over resolution, color profiles and output settings
Whether you want to get your photos in perfect shape or explore creative new artistic directions, Photoshop provides the ultimate toolkit to realize your vision. Its non-destructive layer-based editing model gives you the flexibility to experiment freely without permanent commitment, so you can explore multiple variations in your edits and always revert back to the original image if needed.
3. Versatile tools for graphic design and illustration
Photoshop isn‘t just for photographers – it‘s also an extremely capable graphic design and digital illustration tool in its own right. With support for vector shapes, extensive typography controls, advanced layer styles and 3D modeling tools, Photoshop is well equipped for a variety of design tasks:
- Design website mockups, app interfaces, banners and other web graphics
- Create print materials like brochures, flyers, business cards and posters
- Craft unique illustrations, paintings and mixed media artwork with natural brushes and drawing tools
- Add creative text effects with layer styles, warping, 3D extrusion and more
- Build complex compositions and 3D scenes with smart objects, perspective grids and 3D modeling tools
Combine these design tools with Photoshop‘s unmatched photo editing and compositing capabilities and you have a creative powerhouse ready to handle just about any visual design challenge. You can craft marketing graphics, product designs, social media visuals, presentations and so much more, all without leaving Photoshop.
4. Works seamlessly with other Creative Cloud apps
While Photoshop is an impressive tool in its own right, it‘s even more powerful when combined with other applications in Adobe‘s Creative Cloud suite. You can easily exchange creative assets between programs and benefit from integrations that streamline your workflow:
- Preserve layers and editable text when placing Photoshop files into InDesign layouts for print or digital publishing
- Instantly jump into Adobe Illustrator to refine a vector logo or illustration, then continue working on your Photoshop composite
- Enhance video projects with graphic titles, animations and visual effects created in Photoshop and imported into Premiere Pro
- Quickly access your Creative Cloud Libraries with logos, color swatches and other brand assets to maintain visual consistency between projects
- Save time by batch processing images with automated Photoshop actions triggered from Adobe Bridge or Lightroom
This seamless interoperability sets Photoshop apart from other photo editors that lock you into a single isolated app. By investing in Photoshop, you gain a creative tool that plays a central role in an integrated suite of industry leading design apps. You can easily expand your skillset and tackle all kinds of creative projects with confidence.
5. Extensive learning resources available
Adobe has worked hard to make Photoshop more approachable in recent years, but there‘s no denying that it‘s still a massive and complex piece of software. Fortunately, an extensive ecosystem of learning resources has emerged to help users of all skill levels get up to speed:
- Adobe provides a library of free video tutorials on their website to help you learn the basics and master specific techniques
- Comprehensive video courses are available from industry experts on platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, CreativeLive and LinkedIn Learning
- Bookstores are filled with Photoshop guides and training books catering to various experience levels and specialties
- YouTube is an endless source of free Photoshop tutorials, demonstrations and reviews from experienced professionals and passionate enthusiasts
- An active online community of Photoshop users are ready to answer questions, provide feedback and share their knowledge on discussion forums and social media groups
Whether you prefer to learn by watching, reading or doing, there‘s an abundance of quality training material out there to help you get the most out of Photoshop. With some dedicated practice and experimentation, you‘ll be able to evolve your skills and work more efficiently in Photoshop over time.
6. In demand skill for creative jobs
In today‘s visually driven digital world, Photoshop skills are in high demand across many industries. Photoshop proficiency is a requirement in most job listings for positions involving visual design and content creation, including:
- Graphic designers
- Web designers and developers
- UX/UI designers
- Photographers and photo retouchers
- Video editors and motion graphics artists
- Digital marketers and social media managers
- E-commerce product photographers and editors
- Digital artists and illustrators
Even if your career path isn‘t directly in the creative field, having Photoshop skills can open up valuable opportunities to contribute to the visual identity of your company or organization. Designing an email newsletter, enhancing photos for your website or social media campaigns, creating attractive presentations and pitch decks – Photoshop empowers you to elevate all kinds of everyday business communications with compelling visuals.
By investing the time to learn and master Photoshop, you‘ll be adding a highly marketable and lucrative skill to your professional profile. You may even discover a new passion and pivot your career in an exciting creative direction. In our digital media saturated world, Photoshop expertise will continue to be a major asset.
7. Flexible subscription options
In 2013, Adobe shook up its business model by introducing the Creative Cloud subscription service. Rather than paying a one-time perpetual license fee, users can now pay a monthly or annual subscription that includes access to the latest version of Photoshop and free ongoing updates.
While the subscription model was initially controversial among users, it has made Photoshop significantly more accessible by lowering the cost of entry. Individuals can get Photoshop for $20.99/month with an annual plan, or $31.49/month with a month-to-month plan. For $52.99/month, you can access Photoshop and the entire collection of 20+ Creative Cloud apps. And special discounts are available for students, teachers and businesses.
The subscription model ensures you always have access to the latest features and updates without additional upgrade costs. Your Photoshop license can be used on both Windows and Mac computers and even an iPad. And your Creative Cloud subscription includes cloud storage for easy backup and sharing of your creative work.
While you can still purchase a perpetual license for the last pre-Creative Cloud version (Photoshop CS6 from 2012), you‘ll be locking yourself to an outdated version that will become harder to run on modern computers over time. For a modest ongoing investment, the Creative Cloud subscription keeps your Photoshop toolset up-to-date and is the best choice for the future.
8. Constant innovation and improvement
Adobe isn‘t resting on its laurels with Photoshop – they have continued to push the app forward with exciting new features and technologies. Over the past few years, Photoshop has gained:
- Major performance improvements for faster editing on large complex documents
- AI-powered neural filters for creative photo manipulations and enhancements
- Expanded support for touch and stylus input on Windows tablets and iPads
- Cloud documents for seamless editing across desktop and mobile devices
- New automated selection tools and one-click background removal
- 3D design space with enhanced modeling, materialing and rendering tools
- Integrated in-app learning experiences with step-by-step tutorials
- Support for editing UHD/4K video content and rendering video previews
And this steady stream of innovation shows no signs of slowing down. By committing to Photoshop and the Creative Cloud, you can be confident that you‘re using a best-in-class tool that will continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of creatives and visual storytellers.
9. Vibrant creative community
When you become a Photoshop user, you‘re joining a massive worldwide community of designers, photographers, artists and other creative individuals. This vibrant creative community is a valuable resource for inspiration, motivation, advice and camaraderie:
- Share your creative work and get constructive feedback on platforms like Behance, Instagram and Dribble
- Participate in Photoshop challenges, contests and collaborative projects to stretch your skills and get recognition
- Find answers to your technical Photoshop questions on the official Adobe forums or Reddit‘s r/photoshop community
- Attend Adobe MAX and other creativity conferences to learn directly from Photoshop experts and network with your peers
- Discover an endless supply of Photoshop tutorials, brushes, actions, textures, overlays, templates and other resources to use in your own projects
Photoshop is more than just a tool – it‘s a global cultural force with its own language, aesthetic trends and inside jokes. By tapping into the collective knowledge and generosity of the Photoshop community, you can propel your own creative growth and journey in exciting new directions.
10. An essential tool for modern visual communication
We live in an intensely visual world. From the internet and social media to movies and advertising, we are constantly bombarded by images competing for our attention. In this hyper-visual landscape, compelling and polished visuals are more important than ever.
Adobe Photoshop is an essential tool for anyone who wants to effectively communicate visually in the modern world. Whether you‘re a hobbyist looking to take your photos to the next level or a creative professional producing work for clients, Photoshop provides everything you need to make your ideas come to life on the screen.
As you develop your Photoshop skills, you‘ll gain the power to create images that educate, inspire, persuade and express your unique artistic vision to the world. You‘ll be able to design your own graphics, retouch your photos, create digital paintings and illustrations from scratch, mock up website designs, and so much more. The creative possibilities are truly endless.
Ultimately, Photoshop is more than just a piece of software – it‘s a gateway to participating in our increasingly visual culture as an active creator, not just a passive consumer. By investing in Photoshop, you‘re not just gaining access to an industry leading tool, you‘re unlocking your potential to leave your mark on the world. And that is perhaps the most compelling reason of all to buy Adobe Photoshop today.
