If you have ever had a need for photo editing software, chances are you have heard of Adobe Photoshop. Technically speaking, this software is referred to as a raster graphics editor. It was developed by Adobe Systems for Windows on a PC and for OS X on a Macintosh computer. While many graphic artists use the software to edit photos, it can be used for so much more.
A Brief History of Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop was first developed in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll, brothers from the United States. In 1988, they sold the distribution license to Adobe Systems Incorporated. They had originally called their computer program Image Pro but had to change it because that name had already been taken. After all of the licensing went through, Photoshop 1.0 was released in 1990. The Computer History Museum has made the source code for the 1990 version available for non-commercial use.
Throughout the ensuing years, the software was improved upon, adding different features and photo editing capabilities. For instance in 1998, Photoshop 5.0 greatly improved upon the editable type feature by making the text sharper, making it possible to create magazine mastheads and readable web menus. In the year 2001, Photoshop Elements was released, making the complex photo editing software friendlier for the average user. The most recent version is Photoshop CC (version 16.0) which was released in 2015.
Photoshop and Its Many Uses
Because of its unique capabilities, Adobe Photoshop is the go-to software used by graphic artists, designers, and photographers around the world, according to the Houston Chronicle. Photoshop contains many different kinds of tools that allows users to do a number of tasks including:
- Shape tool creates vector graphics
- Crop tool discards portions outside of the chosen selection
- Eraser tool removes content from an active layer
- Magic wand enables user to select neighboring pixels of a similar value
Although commonly used to edit photos, create graphics, and design magazines, book covers, newsletters, and any other type of printed product, it has many more uses in a variety of industries. For instance architects can use the software’s 2-D and 3-D editing and rendering abilities to design more realistic looking models. Animators can use Photoshop to create complex backgrounds and characters by utilizing its multilayered rendering system. Even forensic technicians use Photoshop as a way to enhance crime scene images.
Computer savvy people can even use the program to “photoshop” in a missing family member that might not have been able to make it to the family reunion. It can also be used to make people look better by trimming off body fat or adding hair to balding heads. Because it can be used in this way, many people accuse the photographs of celebrities to be “photoshopped” as a way to make them look more attractive on magazine covers.
Related Resource: Dreamweaver
No matter what it’s used for, Photoshop continues to be the best of its kind of software. Besides the software itself, users can purchase plug-ins to do even more. If you’re in a profession that requires you to create dynamic graphic images or need a software with a multitude of capabilities when it comes to photographs and graphics, you will want to invest time and money into Adobe Photoshop.
Follow
