Macworld - USA (2019-12)

(Antfer) #1
8 Macworld • December 2019

NEWS


code as the desktop version. This, in turns, allows
iPad users to easily and swiftly switch between
desktop and mobile versions of their projects
thanks to the cloud version of Adobe’s PSD file
format. Adobe also uses this as an incentive to start
keeping your files in its cloud, which shouldn’t be
too much of a storage problem if you keep included
files limited to recent projects.
We haven’t spent a lot of time with Photoshop
on the iPad, but it’s clear the interface is familiar
enough that Photoshop veterans should have no
trouble finding their way around. The tool palette
is on the left – and it includes familiar tools like the
clone stamp and healing brush – while on the right
you’ll find menus for layers and adjustments for
levels, gradients, and blends.
Unfortunately, it’s also missing popular features
like the pen tool. As Adobe explains in its blog
post announcing the release, this mobile version
currently emphasizes “workflows, compositing,
masking and retouching”. To give you an idea of
just how much is missing, Adobe’s landing page
says that a coming feature is the ability to rotate
canvases. If you’re a serious artist, you’ll still end up
doing the majority of your work on the desktop.
But considering that you can easily switch back
over to desktop Photoshop, Photoshop on iPad
still comes off as a good option for lightweight edits
on the sofa or in coffee shops. This version even
supports the Apple Pencil, and if Adobe Photoshop
for iPad gets robust enough, some artists may even
grow comfortable using their iPads over Wacom
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