This year, even before the official release of the new version of the program, the Internet has already been flooded with its reviews. The reason is simple – a couple of months before the start of Photoshop CS6 sales, Adobe has posted a beta version for free download. This is a very good practice, and it remains to wish it to become a tradition. The benefit of such a step was huge, both for users who were able to evaluate useful changes in advance, and for the developers themselves, who could identify all critical errors with the help of a million army of curious.

 

As many users noticed during beta testing, the most noticeable innovation of Photoshop CS6 was the updated interface. The theme, used by default, is darker than in previous releases. However, with the Shift+F1 and Shift+F2 key combinations, you can easily switch between four design options. These shortcuts are more successful than F1 and F2 offered by developers during beta testing, because they do not require the user to edit the list of default hotkeys.

In the new Photoshop, you can change not only the whole theme of the design, but also separately – the background of the workspace. You may try it using business card mockup. The fastest way to do this is to right-click on it and select one of the proposed options. From here you can also go to the palette and use it to select any color for the background.

Simultaneous manipulations with several layers

For example, when working with a multilayer file, there is always one useful function – editing of several layers simultaneously. Add a checkbox with this option to the interface? Integrate the new command into the context menu? Make a new button somewhere in the interface? All these questions Adobe developers have to solve for every little thing. And any changes in the program should be made so that no one would be hesitant later in the “intuitive interface” of the new version.

Some “pros” and “cons”

Of course, in the new version of Photoshop is not all as smooth as we would like. Some tools require improvement, especially when working with 3D, when the program then starts to slow down, then suddenly closes for no apparent reason.

The redesigned module for lighting control is also quite controversial. Now it is tied to a three-dimensional engine and therefore puts a fat cross on very old video cards. If the previous version could work on an older PC, the CS6 will already be “started” with serious limitations – the Lightning Effects filter, as well as the new Oil Paint, will not be applicable at all. Therefore, if your computer is inactive in the Photoshop performance settings, the block of parameters responsible for using the GPU capabilities is inactive, you should think about whether it is worth updating.

Conclusion

In general, Photoshop CS6 fully meets expectations. The functionality of the program becomes wider, but there are no frankly useless options. The latest version is a good bunch of improvements to the old tools, plus a few new filters and a module for working with video, moved from the Extended edition. This version will not revolutionize computer 2D graphics, but the daily work of designers with this editor will certainly be easier. And most importantly – thanks to the auto-saving function, the work done will not be lost due to failure. And this, you should agree, is a huge argument in favor of Adobe Photoshop CS6.