If you don't have Photoshop, or are contemplating an upgrade, the best path to take is a fully functional trial version. If you're not sure if Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or even Photoshop Lightroom is going to serve your purpose, or you want to compare and balance out which variation best suits your specific needs, or even if you just want to play around and figure out if image editing is for you - my top tip would be to download a trial version. In this article I'll show you how it's done, completely legally and with Adobe's blessings. I'll also add some quick thoughts on the three different versions available and the audience I believe each one suits best.
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop is considered by many to be the most powerful image editing software in the world, however, along with power comes price, as it's also true that it's amongst the most expensive image editing software in the world. It's designed primarily for professionals and comes in either the standard or extended version; the latter of which includes many medical, video and 3D advantages.
My advice to anyone starting out is to check out Photoshop Elements (below) first. The full version is overkill and unnecessary for the vast majority of Photoshop users who just want to fix photos and design web graphics in their spare time. If you work in the trade, work with images for a living (and therefore spend a lot of time doing so) or are ultra serious about your hobby then the full version of Photoshop is for you.
You can download a fully functioning 30-day trial from the Adobe website here.
Photoshop Standard - approximately - £460 ($700)
Photoshop Extended - approximately - £665 ($1000)
Photoshop Elements
This version of Photoshop is designed primarily for the home enthusiast and although not as powerful as the full version, does include many of its functions, tools and commands. It surprises me time and time again just how much you get for your money, with the price closer to one tenth of the full version; Elements will fit the needs of most people that want a solid, reliable and powerful solution to working with their images.
If you're new to Photoshop and want to decide which version is going to be best for you, I'd suggest starting with Elements. If it doesn't do all that you need then try the full version, but if you're satisfied or not in the market to pay big money for the full version then I'll guarantee you won't be disappointed.
You can download a fully functioning 30-day trial from the Adobe website here.
Photoshop Elements - approximately - £60 ($90)
Photoshop Lightroom
This version is for serious photographers who shoot to the RAW format (although JPEG and TIFF will work just fine too) and take pride in the post processing of their images. It's also a great tool for organising and tagging, displaying and printing digital images. Whilst it's true that many of these features are available inside the full version of Photoshop using the Camera Raw plug-in, and Photoshop Elements using it's variation of Camera Raw, the convenience and overall experience of Lightroom is in my opinion the complete package for Photographers.
Don't get me wrong, it doesn't replace Photoshop and Photoshop Elements completely, especially if you want to make advanced edits that are not available inside Lightroom. Instead it complements them. It maintains non-destructive modifications easily and quickly.
You can download a fully functioning 30-day trial from the Adobe website here.
Photoshop Lightroom - approximately - £200 ($300)
Things to keep in mind-
Don't forget, if you want to own the full version of Photoshop or Lightroom, you'll probably have the option of upgrading every 18 months or so (that's how often Adobe tends to bring out newer versions of the same product) and whilst you don't have to upgrade, many people do to take advantage of the latest technologies and features that they afford. These upgrades can be relatively expensive and add up to around a third of the purchase price.
Like I wrote in the text above, many users fall into the trap of buying software that is more powerful than they need. Most Photoshop users don't even use half of its functionality, and there are many instances I'm sure that users would be better off (financially) buying Elements. Whatever you decide to do, download a free trial version first, have a play, try out your own workflow, see what results you get. If you have time, there's nothing stopping you from trying all three and comparing before you leap head first into the one you think is best.
You will need to sign up for an Adobe account before downloading, if you haven't already got one, it's as simple as signing up at 3photoshop.com, enter the details that are requested, confirm by email and you're ready to go.
I decided to write this article because I really believe a free trial from Adobe is an incredibly good deal, especially as it's the full version you’re trying and not some locked, alternative software. It's free and easy, so why not, huh?
Good luck