skip to navigation

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Reviews
06:35 PM - May 16, 2007

Box: Adobe Photoshop CS3 Standard, Windows] Wondering whether or not to upgrade to the new Adobe Photoshop CS3? Wondering which version of Photoshop CS3 (Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended) might be best for your particular needs? Considering whether or not to buy Photoshop CS3 for the first time? Curious about what the experts are writing about the new Photoshop CS3? Below are some well done reviews by top-notch experts who go into detail about the new features, improvements, and the pros and cons of Adobe’s new Photoshop CS3.

• Adobe Photoshop CS3
  An extensive, multi-page review of CS3 with screenshots and QuickTime demos (the Quicktime demos/examples are quite helpful!).
  • The first page covers the loss of ImageReady, what features of ImageReady are still available in Photoshop, and the need for Fireworks for animated GIF images now.
  • Page two covers PS CS3 interface changes, including the new palette and docking scheme.
  • Page three covers PS CS3 additions to tools, adjustments and filters, including the Quick Selection Tool, Refine Edge, new Curves dialog, black and white conversion.
  • Page four covers more PS CS3 adjustments, including brightness and contrast, Photomerge, Auto-Layer Blending and Alignment, Auto-align and auto-blend layers, the Clone tool revisited, and the Clone Source palette.
  • Page five covers PS CS3 improvements to filters, including Smart filters, compatibility with older versions, Camera RAW 4, Vanishing Point, Extended-only Vanishing Point features.
  • Page six covers features unique to Photoshop CS3 Extended, including Advanced HDR image editing, 3D layers and texture editing, Texture editing in CS3 Extended, and 3D layer quirks.
  • Page seven covers more PS CS3 Extended goodies, including the new Analysis features - DICOM image and Matlab support, Measure and Count tools, Image stacks. Also covered are the new animation and video layers (“a more pixel-pusher friendly melding of ImageReady animation with a basic After Effects”).
  • Page eight covers PS CS3 speed, stability, and benchmarking.
  • Page nine provides a PS CS3 review conclusion with a review summation and bullet points of pros and cons.
  Terrific review and great source for learning more about Photoshop CS3 Extended and CS3 Standard. [Review dated 04/24/2007, by Dave Girard, for ars technica.]
• First Look: Photoshop CS3 Extended - Graphics tool gets 3D, enhanced video features [Box: Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, Windows]
  As the subtitle suggests, David Nagel’s review goes into detail about the new 3D and enhanced video features of Photoshop CS3 Extended while also touching on other new features, tools, and improvements. All along the way, you’ll find plenty of helpful screenshots and examples.
  • David Nagel first covers the features unique to Photoshop CS3 Extended, including CS3’s new 3D graphics support, importing 3D objects, manipulating 3D textures, and a helpful Q&A about CS3’s 3D capabilities.
  • Next he covers the new video features in PSCS3 Extended, including the new ability to “open any supported video type simply by using File > Open”, the improved animation timeline feature, the new ability to “keyframe Photoshop layer styles, such as Bevel and Emboss, Drop Shadow, Pattern Overlay, etc.,” export video to a number of formats, the new video layers support, the ability to use all of Photoshop’s native tools with video editing, and much more.
  • Nagel also briefly touches on new features for the medical, manufacturing, and engineering fields.
  • Then Nagel briefly discusses some of the new features common to CS3 Extended and CS3 Standard, including improved performance, non-destructive filters and improvements to the Vanishing Point filter. He mentions new tools such as Black and white conversion, Improvements to Curves adjustments, Adjustable cloning with a preview overlay, Adjustable healing with a preview overlay, the Quick Selection Tool, Refine Edge, the new automatic layer alignment and blending, Enhanced 'Merge to 32-bit HDR', and Photomerge with 'advanced' alignment and blending.
  • Lastly he briefly discusses the CS3 interface changes.
  Nagel’s review is especially helpful for those curious about the new 3D graphics and video features. [Review dated 3/27/2007, by David Nagel, for Creative Mac.]
• Review: Adobe Photoshop CS3
  “There are high-school seniors who have never lived in a world without Photoshop. Does this venerable application still have room for improvement?” Extensive review of Photoshop CS3 with lots of screenshots. Headings/topics:
  • Peppier Performance,
  • Interface Changes,
  • Tonal Corrections,
  • Brightness/Contrast,
  • Black and White,
  • Selecting and Filtering,
  • Smarter Smart Objects,
  • Smart Filters,
  • Editing and Compositing,
  • Improved 32-bit Support,
  • Output, Camera Raw 4,
  • The Last Word (summation).
  [Review dated 04/23/2007, by Ben Long, Senior Editor, CreativePro.com.]
• Photoshop CS3: Sprawling upgrade offers new features and goes Intel-native
  A shorter, more concise review than others listed here. Covers:
  • Interface hits and misses - the new palette and docking scheme;
  • Better images - the new Black & White dialog box, Curves dialog box, Camera Raw 4;
  • Smarter filters - new features that enable you to alter images without changing their original pixel data;
  • Selecting and retouching - the new Quick Selection tool, the Refine Edge tool that replaces the Feather tool, and the new Clone Source panel;
  • Performance;
  • a well-written summation;
  • Macworld’s buying advice.
  This review provides a helpful quick read that highlights the new and improved features of Photoshop CS3. [Review dated 04/19/2007, by Jim Heid, for MacWorld.]

Flavors of Photoshop CS3, Package Bundles [Box: Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium Upgrade, Windows]

There are numerous ways to purchase Photoshop CS3. As usual, upgrade prices are a better value for those with existing versions. If you use other Adobe products and can manage purchasing a package, the prices per program reduce even more. I’m not trying to gloss over the fact that Photoshop is indeed pricey, however!

Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Web Premium [Windows]For my work, I upgraded to Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Web Premium from Macromedia Studio 8 (Flash Professional 8, Fireworks 8, Dreamweaver 8, Contribute 3) after hunting through my software to see how I could get the best price. The CS3 Web Premium package had the best value for my needs since it includes Photoshop CS3 Extended, Flash CS3 Professional, Illustrator CS3, Fireworks CS3, Dreamweaver CS3, Contribute CS3, and Acrobat 8 Professional. You may not need all that or you may need other programs, such as Adobe’s robust video production software products. Adobe offers several different packages to try to meet a variety of needs. [Box: Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Production Premium Upgrade, Windows]

Below I’ve listed amazon.com links to all the Adobe Photoshop programs and bundled packages that include Photoshop CS3 or CS3 Extended.

Photoshop CS3, Photoshop Creative Suite CS3 Packages for Windows

Links to product information via Amazon.com:

Photoshop CS3, Photoshop Creative Suite CS3 Packages for Mac

Links to product information via Amazon.com:

top