By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator
Golden Triangle PC Club
May 2007

Adobe's Photoshop CS3, the premier product in the image editing software genre, just keeps on getting better and better. Photoshop has long been the superior image editor product, and most all professional graphics artists have long since standardized on Photoshop as their "go-to" application when needing to edit and improve the quality of their graphics files.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, the professional image-editing standard and leader of the Photoshop digital imaging line, delivers more of what you crave. Groundbreaking creative tools help you achieve extraordinary results. Unprecedented adaptability lets you custom-fit Photoshop to the way you work. And with more efficient editing, processing, and file handling, there's no slowing you down.

Two Editions of Photoshop CS3

The new CS3 version of Photoshop is now available in two editions, including the CS3 Standard and the CS3 Extended. The Extended version includes all the features in CS3 Standard plus powerful new tools for editing 3D, editing motion based content, and performing image analysis. There are also major new tools for animators, medical professionals, and scientists.

The CS3 Extended version is found in four of the six permutations of Creative Suite 3, including the Design Premium, Web Premium, Production Premium, and Master Collection. The Standard version of Photoshop CS3 is bundled only in the Design Standard. Web Standard users get no Photoshop at all, having to rely on Fireworks CS3 instead.

Photoshop CS3 Extended also will run in Windows Vista and Windows XP, and on Mac OS X 10.4. The program performs well on all platforms, but MacIntel users will experience the greatest leap in speed, because of the software's Universal Binary status.

What's New in CS3?

In either of the new versions of the app, nothing is more apparent upon launching the application than its drastically overhauled interface. Palettes now reside in docks that run along the right side of the interface. These docks can be minimized so that only palette icons are showing. You can gain more precious screen real estate by pressing the Tab key to dismiss the palettes.

You can now also hover your cursor near the edge of the screen to make the palettes spring back into view, offering perfect when you need them, gone when you don't accessibility. However, docks are restricted to your main display, and there are no presets for dual displays.

The other key new feature that on its own justifies the cost of the upgrade for many users is non-destructive filtering. Before, even something as basic as sharpening an image created an irreversible change to the photo. Now, if you decide a few days later that you may have over-sharpened an image, Photoshop CS3 solves this problem.

The solution to this problem takes advantage of the Smart Objects feature introduced in Photoshop CS3. If you first convert your image layer into a Smart Object, filters applied to that layer now appear listed beneath it in the Layers palette and are eternally editable. Simply double-click a filter's name to adjust the settings. Also, you can drag the filter names up and down to experiment with the order in which they're applied, which can make a big difference. Also, the Smart Object's layer mask lets you selectively apply filtering to discrete regions of the image. This feature is a real breakthrough for Photoshop, as you now have image editing with almost total flexibility.

The new Black and White command allows you to customize a color image's conversion to monochrome by boosting or de-emphasizing ranges of color found in the original. This control is virtually identical to one found in Adobe's Lightroom, even using a variation on Lightroom's "targeted adjustment" tool. If you want to brighten the sky in an image, simply click in the sky and drag to the right to brighten it. Dragging left darkens it. Photoshop automatically targets the correct color range and adjusts the command's Blues slider as you drag in the image. However, this feature is easy to miss in the Photoshop interface.

Another feature that has seen huge changes is Camera RAW. For starters, it now opens not only RAW formatted images, but also the JPEGs and TIFFs that might be found on your camera card. Camera RAW also now contains many Photoshop features, such as cloning, healing, and monochrome conversion. Note that this Camera RAW power has been expanded well beyond its initial reason for existing. With so many options, you may well feel the "paradox of choice" and be at a loss for which corrections to make, and where, and when.

There are many other additional excellent new features and enhancements. Working in tandem, the new Quick Selection tool and Refine Edge command add a helpful new technique for making selections in images. Quick Selection lets you paint a selection right on your image, and Refine Edge helps smooth away any ragged edges. The Auto-Align Layers command makes it easy to take the best elements from similar shots and combine them into one perfect picture. Finally, the Clone Source palette lets you define and recall up to five cloning source points, with an optional overlay to help you position your cursor before you start cloning away.

Photoshop CS3 Extended

The additional money spent on the Extended version of Photoshop CS3 buys a wide range of additional tools. Computer animators will undoubtedly benefit the most, since for this market, the Extended version is quite compelling. Those working in 3D should be pleased that they can now import common 3D file formats and rotate and scale the 3D objects, all within Photoshop. The program has long been a popular choice for creating texture maps, but now you can edit textures and see them update on the models without having to leave Photoshop.

Photoshop CS3 Extended also opens video files and allows you to paint and clone right on the frames. Furthermore, you can add layers and animate their position, opacity, and layer styles by setting keyframes in a new timeline straight out of Adobe After Effects.

Extended also now has the ability to open the DICOM medical imaging format. There are also measurement and analysis tools designed specifically for architects and scientists.

Once again, Adobe has put massive amounts of power in Photoshop CS3, especially the new CS3 Extended version. However, these powerful tools can easily overwhelm newcomers. This is why Adobe wisely also provides other less intensive image editing tools, such as Photoshop Elements, and now Photoshop Lightroom. For digital imaging professionals, Photoshop CS3 remains the tool of choice.

New Features

Smart Filters
Add, adjust, and remove filters from an image without having to resave the image or start over to preserve quality. Nondestructive Smart Filters allow you to visualize changes without altering original pixel data.

Quick Selection and Refine Edge tools
Make selections in a snap. Loosely draw on an image area, and the Quick Selection tool automatically completes the selection for you. Then fine-tune your selections with the Refine Edge tool.

Advanced compositing
Create more accurate composites by automatically aligning multiple Photoshop layers or images based on similar content. The Auto-align Layers command quickly analyzes details and moves, rotates, or warps layers to align them perfectly, and the Auto-blend Layers command blends the color and shading to create a smooth, editable result.

Streamlined interface and palette management
Maximize screen space for editing while keeping essential tools accessible. Palettes are now arranged in convenient, self-adjusting docks that can be widened to full size or narrowed to icons or even a thin, self-revealing strip at the edge of your monitor.

Better raw image processing
Process raw images with increased speed and superior conversion quality using the Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, which now adds support for JPEG and TIFF formats; new tools including Fill Light and Dust Busting; compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software; and support for over 150 camera models.

Faster, more flexible asset management with Adobe Bridge CS3
Organize and manage images more efficiently with Adobe Bridge CS3, which now delivers improved performance, a Filter panel for easier searching, the ability to group multiple images under a single thumbnail, the Loupe tool, offline image browsing, and more.

Enhanced Vanishing Point
Take perspective-based editing to a new level with the enhanced Vanishing Point, which lets you create multiple planes in an image, connect them at any angle, and then wrap graphics, text, and images around them to create packaging mock-ups and more.

Enhanced 32-bit high dynamic range (HDR) support
Create and edit 32-bit images and combine multiple exposures into a single, 32-bit image that preserves the full range of a scene — from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights. New image processing and alignment algorithms deliver superior results.

Peak performance
Experience native performance on Intel and PowerPC based Macs and Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista systems.

Black-and-white conversion
Easily convert color images to rich black-and-white and adjust tonal values and tints with a new tool. Experiment with the included black-and-white presets, or create and save your own custom presets to achieve the best results.

The Professional Image-Editing Standard and Its Standard Features.

Photoshop CS3 helps you work more efficiently, explore new creative options, and produce the highest quality images for print, the Web, and anywhere else. Photoshop CS3 lets you freely experiment without sacrificing precision, or editing capability. In addition, this powerful program supports the following features.

Professional toolset
Create original images or modify photos using a full assortment of painting, drawing, and retouching tools

Improved File Browser
Quickly preview, tag, and sort images; search and edit metadata and keywords; and automatically share batches of files from the improved File Browser

Customized workspace
Work the way that's best for you by saving personalized workspace and tool settings and creating customized keyboard shortcuts

History palette
Experiment freely knowing you can instantly undo or redo multiple steps with the History palette

Filter Gallery
Browse Photoshop filters from the Filter Gallery, where you can preview stacked effects

Layers
Achieve sophisticated results by compositing images, text, and effects on hundreds of layers that you control by grouping into sets, color coding, and locking

Layer Comps
Create design variations for clients more efficiently by saving different combinations of layers within the same file as Layer Comps

Text on a path
Create eye-catching typography by placing text on paths or within shapes. Edit the text at any time, even in Adobe Illustrator software

Artistic brushes
Simulate traditional fine-art techniques with dry and wet brush effects, pastel, charcoal, and more. Even use brushes to add special effects such as grass and leaves

Special effects filters
Easily experiment and achieve amazing results by accessing more than 95 special effects filters. Preview and apply more than one filter at a time with the new Filter Gallery

Color correction
Improve the color, contrast, and dynamic range of any image with a comprehensive set of professional color-correction tools

Healing Brush
Effortlessly remove dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other flaws with the Healing Brush

Comprehensive
16-bit support Perform more precise editing and retouching with expanded support for 16-bit images in core features, including layers, brushes, text, shapes, and more

Integrated digital camera raw file support Get truer, higher quality output by working with the complete raw data files from most major digital camera models

File Browser tagging
Protect your images by adding key copyright information in the editable metadata panel of the File Browser

Enhanced ImageReady user interface
Create and modify Web designs faster with multiple object selection, object grouping, and smart guides

Improved Photoshop integration
Enjoy quicker, more seamless integration between Photoshop and ImageReady, plus automated file saving and common commands, tools, and shortcuts

Image slicing
Slice complex, layered images and apply appropriate format and compression settings to each area before exporting as an HTML table

Variable data support
Easily import database and spreadsheet information to automate the production of Web graphics

Macromedia Flash file export
Use ImageReady CS to create Macromedia Flash (SWF) animations, complete with vector artwork and variable text

Non-square pixel support
Create and work with different aspect ratios to accommodate non-square pixels without distortion

Guide presets
Easily design using video-specific presets that show action-safe and title-safe areas of the screen

Enhanced 16-bit compositing
Perform more precise matte painting, 3D rendering, and other advanced film compositing with expanded support for 16-bit images in core features, including layers, brushes, and more

Layers-to-files export
Quickly integrate layered Photoshop artwork with a variety of video editing and compositing systems using the built-in Export Layers to Files command

Continued Powerful Features

Create with unmatched power
timesaving file handling with Adobe Bridge
Simplify file handling with Adobe Bridge, the next-generation File Browser, where you can process multiple camera raw images at once; resize, rate, and label thumbnails; quickly review images in Slideshow mode; search metadata; and more.

Multitasking
Take advantage of compact floating mode in Adobe Bridge to process images while simultaneously working in Photoshop CS3 or other CS3 applications.

Viewing options
Easily browse your Adobe Creative Suite and other graphics files in Adobe Bridge; present your images with features like Slideshow and Filmstrip mode; scale thumbnails to any size using a slider; and view and edit metadata.

Automated batch processing
Automatically process batches of images in Adobe Bridge to rename, convert format, adjust exposure, create a web gallery or Adobe PDF Presentation, and more.

Rating and labeling
Quickly rate and label photos in Adobe Bridge so you can instantly bring up your best shots.

Sophisticated search
Easily find any image using sophisticated search capabilities in Adobe Bridge that let you specify a variety of parameters. Save searches as Collections that you can recall anytime.

32-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) support
Create and edit 32-bit images, and combine multiple exposures into a single, 32-bit image with expanded range—from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights.

Shadow/Highlight correction
Quickly improve the contrast of over- or underexposed areas of an image, including CMYK images, while preserving the overall balance of the photo.

Revolutionary Vanishing Point
Achieve amazing results in a fraction of the time with the groundbreaking Vanishing Point, which lets you clone, paint, and paste elements that automatically match the perspective of the surrounding image area.

Image Warp
Easily create packaging mock-ups or other dimensional effects by wrapping an image around any shape or stretching, curling, and bending an image using Image Warp.

Spot Healing Brush
Effortlessly retouch photos—including 16-bit images—in a single click with the advanced power of the new Photoshop CS3 Spot Healing Brush.

One-click red-eye correction
Instantly neutralize red eyes with the one-click red-eye correction tool, which supports 16-bit images and lets you set pupil size and darkening level.

Optical lens correction
Easily correct common lens distortions, such as barrel and pincushion, and fix chromatic aberrations and vignetting.

Smart Sharpen
Easily counteract common image blurring with fine correction control based on the specific blur types: motion, lens, and Gaussian.

Camera raw workflow enhancements
Process an entire photo shoot in a fraction of the time by simultaneously adjusting color, curves, cropping, and more—and continue working in Photoshop! With support for a comprehensive range of digital cameras, Photoshop CS3 lets you automatically adjust settings, convert to Digital Negative (DNG) format, and apply nondestructive edits to batches of images.

Advanced noise reduction
Polish digital photos with advanced noise correction in high-ISO shooting plus JPEG artifact reduction.

Special effects filters
Achieve amazing results with more than 95 special effects filters. Easily preview and apply more than one filter at a time from the Filter Gallery.

Web animations
Quickly create dynamic GIF animations—using one or more images—directly within Photoshop CS3 by taking advantage of the new Animations palette and layer palette animation options.

Customize with unprecedented adaptability
Custom menus and keyboard shortcuts Set up and save custom menus and keyboard shortcuts for quick access to the features you need.

Custom, task-based workspaces
Reduce onscreen clutter by choosing from task-based workspaces, or create your own with just the tools you need.

Adobe Help Center
Quickly get answers from the new, floating Adobe Help Center window with improved search features and convenient, task-based topics.

Enhanced automation
Use the new Image Processor command to process camera raw images, and use new built-in Actions to prepare images for film and video.

Event-based scripts
Accomplish more in fewer steps with event-based scripts that automatically activate at specified points in your workflow.

Variables
Instantly produce repetitive graphics with Variables, which automatically populate your design with data from spreadsheets or databases.

Convenient video preview
Design for broadcast more easily by previewing your Photoshop CS3 images on an NTSC or PAL monitor connected to your computer by IEEE 1394/FireWire/i.LINK.

32-bit HDR
Create and edit 32-bit, High Dynamic Range (HDR) images for the widest range and richest detail.

Work with unparalleled efficiency
Multiple layer control Select and move, group, transform, and warp objects more intuitively by clicking and dragging directly on the canvas. Easily align objects with Smart Guides.

Smart Objects
Perform nondestructive scaling, rotating, and warping of raster and vector graphics with Smart Objects. Even preserve the editability of high-resolution vector data from Adobe Illustrator software.

Smart Guides
Design faster by automatically aligning objects to each other using Smart Guides.

WYSIWYG font menu
Quickly select typefaces from the font menu, which now displays a sample of each font.

Adobe Creative Suite integration
Work more smoothly across Adobe Creative Suite components with color-setting synchronization in Adobe Bridge, consistent viewing of onscreen color, and unified Adobe PDF file creation settings.

Instant video preview
See your broadcast graphics as they’ll appear to the audience, while you’re still building them. With one click, you can preview your Photoshop CS3 images on a television monitor connected to your computer by IEEE 1394/FireWire/i.LINK.

High-capacity RAM compatibility
Make the most of systems running 64-bit processors. Photoshop CS3 can address approximately 3.5 GB of RAM on a Power Macintosh G5 running Mac OS X, a Windows XP 64-bit Edition system running an Intel Xeon processor with EM64T, or an AMD Athlon 64 or Opteron processor.

Simultaneous multiple-image editing
Save time by processing batches of raw images at once with nondestructive editing, including color settings, cropping, straightening, adjusting curves, and more. Even process images while continuing to edit or retouch them.

Digital camera and Digital Negative (DNG) support
Take advantage of support for a comprehensive range of digital cameras, and help ensure a lifetime of access to your digital camera raw files by converting them to the DNG format.

Automatic adjustments
Instantly improve the appearance of images by automatically adjusting the exposure, contrast, and color of raw files.

Enhanced web photo galleries
Quickly display your photos online and gather feedback from viewers using web photo galleries that can now also include animations and sound.

Adobe Photoshop Services
Upload photos directly to Adobe Photoshop Services to share and order prints—even in large formats. Adobe Photoshop Services are provided in conjunction with Kodak EasyShare Gallery, the leader in online photo services and a Kodak company. (Note: Adobe Photoshop Services are not available in all countries.)

Adobe PDF Presentation
Present your images in universally accessible Adobe PDF files, which include support for transitions and security options.

Improved printing workflow
Easily configure your desktop inkjet printer for accurate color output.

Bottom Line Recommendation

Photoshop CS3 is the professional image-editing standard for creating, editing, and retouching images that can be used in all media, including print, the Web, and wireless devices. Photoshop empowers users to get more done under tight deadlines and exceed client expectations, or simply meet their own demanding standards with the highest-quality results. This version of Photoshop has many new features that are targeted at professional photographers.

Photoshop CS3 addresses the needs of people who create or work with high-end images. While Photoshop CS3 customers fall into many diverse areas, Photoshop CS3 will particularly appeal to customers in the following three areas:  photography, graphic design, and Web design. These folks work as professional photographers, graphic and Web design professionals, and technical image editors in architecture firms, medical organizations, and law enforcement agencies, just to name a few types of professions that integrate Photoshop in their operations.

These professionals also work in Web and graphic design departments and studios, pre-press service bureaus and commercial printers, ad agencies, magazines and newspapers (photo journalism), video production departments and studios, and commercial and portrait photo studios.

Photoshop CS3 provides designers with an environment and all the necessary tools to automate production steps and file preparation for various media so they can focus on being creative. The program also empowers them to explore new creative options with a powerful new paint engine and artistic painting capabilities, makes work more efficient with enhanced retouching, and supports an organized file access and a more customizable workspace.

Photoshop empowers web designers to work more efficiently with convenient batch processing and the smoothest workflow possible to stay ahead of their deadlines, offers creative tools to help Web designers out-do their competitors, as well as themselves, and provides a seamless workflow for Web designers and developers to effectively transition images and efficiently update Web content.

Without a doubt, Adobe's Photoshop CS3 is absolutely a must-have application for all graphics artists, especially those involved in producing highly professional images for integration in any company's marketing or image building efforts. Customers who own earlier versions will also likely find the new features in CS3 well worth the upgrade price. Professionals already skilled in Photoshop will definitely want to consider this new version CS3.

Those new to image editing software may instead want to start with Adobe's super, scaled down version of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements 5. For a mere $99.99, Photoshop Elements 5 provides a super collection of tools that will delight, as well as challenge folks new to working with this type of software.

Add-On Functionality

With the many years of solid success dominating this field of graphics and image editing software, as you might expect, there has developed a major "after-market" of tons of add-on applications that are specifically developed to add still more power and more features to Photoshop. These many add-on programs are expressly written to be run on a machine that already has a copy of Photoshop installed. This indicates how important Photoshop is to this industry and to its millions of satisfied customers.

Price

$999 - Photoshop CS3 Extended - Full Price
$349 - Photoshop CS3 Extended - Upgrade Price
(must have a serial number, and a previous version on same platform)

$649 - Photoshop CS3 - Full Price
$199 - Photoshop CS3 - Upgrade Price
(must have a serial number, and a previous version on same platform)

System Configuration Requirements

Windows Machines

Intel P-IV, Centrino, Xeon, or Core Duo (or compatible) processor
Windows XP (SP2), Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise
(certified for 32-bit editions)
1GB free hard disk space (additional free space required during installation)
512MB RAM
64MB video RAM
1,024 x 768 monitor resolution with 16-bit video card
DVD-ROM drive

QuickTime 7 software required for multimedia features
Internet or phone connection required for product activation
Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos and other services

Macintosh

PowerPC G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor
Mac OS X v.10.4.8
2GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
512MB RAM
64MB video RAM
1,024 x 768 monitor resolution with 16-bit video card
DVD-ROM drive

QuickTime 7 software required for multimedia features
Internet or phone connection required for product activation
Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos and other services

Online services, including, but not limited to, Adobe Stock Photos and Acrobat Connect, may not be available in all countries, languages, and currencies. Availability of services is subject to change. Use of online services is governed by terms and conditions of a separate agreement and may be subject to additional fees.

Contact

Adobe Systems, Incorporated
Corporate Headquarters
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, California 95110-2704
408-536-6000
800-833-6687
FAX 408-537-6000

Order Online at Adobe Corporation
http://www.adobe.com/store/main.jhtml

You can also order from other retailers or online vendors.