So, where then does Photoshop on the iPad fit? Who is
it for? What does it do? I’m so glad you asked.
If you ask 100 people how they use Photoshop,
you’re likely to get a hundred different answers, but
most people can agree on the things that Photoshop
does better than any other application: features and
workflows, such as selections and masking; composit-
ing, or “creative imaging” as we often call it (blending
modes and many, many layers); and retouching and
type would appear on every list. These are the areasthat the Photoshop team has started (I need to empha-
size “started,” because these are deep buckets, and
experience is critical as you reimagine a subset of the
gold standard for a touch environment: it’s a journey).
The most impressive thing about this undertaking is
that the iPad version of Photoshop is indeed running
real Photoshop code, which means your existing huge
PSD and even PSB files (those are the really massive
Photoshop files) can be opened and edited, just as
you’d hope.GOING MOBILE
BRYAN O’NEIL HUGHES
PHOTOSHOP ON THE iPAD
A couple of issues ago, we presented an overview of all the Adobe mobile apps, and last issue we covered
Lightroom on mobile; both are key to understanding Photoshop’s place and leveraging its power. Where
Photoshop on the desktop is the ultimate Swiss Army knife, or as I often refer to it, “a garage with every
tool you could ever want,” Photoshop on the iPad is born in a world where we have task-based, focused
solutions for photography, such as Lightroom, cutting-edge drawing and painting applications such
as Adobe Fresco, and deep integration with your camera to create unique assets, using applications
such as Adobe Capture. Where Photoshop on the desktop carries 30 years of legacy, Photoshop on
the iPad has the freedom to focus on what it does best, and to integrate natively with workflows beyond
its core competency.