A recent Bloomberg media interview with Scott Belsky, the founder of Adobe, revealed that Adobe is planning to launch a full Photoshop app for the iPad.
Adobe currently has a free app available for the iPad in the form of Adobe Photoshop Express. This pared-back app offers limited editing controls, designed mainly for editing on the go, rather than the full editing suite available on computer systems. As iPads get larger and begin to replace laptops for plenty of consumers, it makes sense for Adobe to expand its capabilities beyond its traditional realms.
Both Bloomberg and Forbes suggest that a more expansive iPad app will launch sometime in 2019, with more details expected to be released at the annual Adobe Max Conference, taking place in Los Angles this October.
In his interview with Bloomberg, Belsky said; “My aspiration is to get these on the market as soon as possible.
“There’s a lot required to take a product as sophisticated and powerful as Photoshop and make that work on a modern device like the iPad. We need to bring our products into this cloud-first collaborative era.”
At this stage, several questions remain unanswered. Which features will it include? How will it set itself apart from other photography apps already available for the iPad such as Tilt Shift and Colour Splash, as well as of course Photoshop Express?
We have compiled a list of some functions that we would like to see included in the potential new iPad app, as well as aspects that Adobe might like to consider:
1. Compatibility with the latest iPad Pro and a stable platform
Arguably first and foremost, any new Photoshop app must be compatible with the latest version of the iPad Pro (likely to be released in 2019.) With faster processing speeds and image quality, Photoshop needs to be easy to use, with a stable platform so it does not crash.
2. Ability to handle raw images
This is likely to be a potential stumbling block for Adobe, but one most enthusiast photographers will absolutely demand. It should be able to handle the large file sizes of raw format images, with regular updates to ensure compatibility with the latest camera models.
3. The operating framework should remain consistent
People love familiarity. Once Adobe has the operating framework in place for its Photoshop app, they should not radically change it further down the line. Updates would ideally be limited to bug fixes, new features and operational improvements – rather than big sweeping changes.
4.Make the product affordable and sensibly priced
Adobe are highly likely to include an iPad version as part of the already existing subscription based CC package. However, for those users who only require iPad access, a cheaper, but potentially more-limited subscription, is something that is likely to appeal to amateurs and enthusiasts.
5.Photoshop for the iPad must not be oversimplified
For it to be considered worthwhile, the full iPad Photoshop app should keep the vast majority of functions found on the PC/Mac version of Photoshop. We don’t want Adobe to go down the same route as it has with the iPad version of iMovie, which some say is far too simple.
6. Seamless link between the iPad and computer app Photoshop versions
Adobe must include a method to seamlessly work on and save your photos on both the iPad and Computer apps.
It would also be great for designers if it could effectively collaborate with other creative cloud software such as After Effects and InDesign, allowing you to use the same photo and incorporate effects from these programs.
7. Incorporate Apple Pencil accessory effectively
We’d love to see special functions for the Apple Pencil, or other stylus accessories. Perhaps it could be used to perform different functions on the iPad app, such as more precise photo cropping and photo selection, or the ability to use it with the Clone Stamp tool or the Healing Brush.
We’d love to hear your views on the potential release of a full Photoshop version for the iPad. Let us know what functions you would like to see included in the app, and whether you’d use it in conjunction with your existing CC subscription.
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