San Francisco, June 22: Software major Adobe has started testing a free version of Photoshop on the web in a bid to open the service up to everyone.
According to The Verge, the company is currently testing the free version in Canada, where users can access Photoshop on the web through a free Adobe account.
The software major has described the service as “freemium” and plans to eventually disable certain features that will be exclusive to paid subscribers. Enough tools will be available for free to perform what Adobe considers to be core Photoshop functions.
“We want to make (Photoshop) more accessible and easier for more people to try and experience the product,” said Maria Yap, vice president of digital imaging at Adobe.
Adobe first released its web-based version of Photoshop in October, offering a simplified version of the app that could be used to handle basic edits. Layers and basic editing tools have made the jump, but the service hasn’t come close to including the app’s full range of features, according to the report.
Instead, Adobe designed it primarily as a collaboration tool — a way for an artist to share an image with others and have them chime in, leave a few annotations and make a few small adjustments, and give back, he added.
