Photoshop for iPad had a bit of a bumpy start back in November, with creatives complaining that the tablet-specific app was lacking several key features of the desktop version. Thankfully, Adobe is continuing to enhance the app with software updates every month, and now it is improving another key aspect – the price.
Adobe has decided to bundle Photoshop for iPad, and Adobe Fresco Premium (its painting and drawing app), for $9.99 per month. While not an outright price reduction to either app on its own, it's a tidy 50% discount for anyone who wants both, which were previously $9.99 per month each.
The bundle isn't exactly a head-turner for existing Creative Cloud users (The Photoshop and All Apps plans already include both iOS apps), but it's a great deal for creatives who are only interested in the standalone iPad versions. Don't forget to check out our best iPad apps for designers for more essentials.
The bundle is great news for creatives working exclusively on an iPad (Image credit: Adobe)
In a blog post about the new bundle, Adobe waxes lyrical about how both apps work together. "Like peanut butter and jelly," it says, "cookies and milk, or sand and surf, some things are just better together." Beautiful. Adobe then provides two tutorials on how to use both apps together: how transform your photo into a painting (using Adobe Fresco's live brushes), and how to add watercolour splashes to a design (which Adobe describes as a "hot trend").
Things are looking up for Photoshop for iPad (Image credit: Matt Smith)
Giving users two apps for the monthly price of one is a generous move from Adobe, and the addition of Fresco's thousands of additional brushes should make Photoshop for iPad a more enticing proposition for creatives. While we were a little underwhelmed in our initial Photoshop for iPad review), this bundle, along with recent updates adding new features such as object selection and Adobe Fonts support, are moving the Creative Cloud experience on iPad in the right direction. And with Illustrator for iPad around the corner, it could be about to get even better.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
