Adobe ripping off Australians

**onionface** · February 15th, 2013, 03:00 AM

Adobe is just one company that is ripping off Australians. Many companies over charge for services in Australia simply because the can.
They use price fixing, and they get away with it.

**Raoul Duke** · February 15th, 2013, 05:43 AM

I'm getting a new cutting edge-ish tablet pc very soon and cs6 cost nearly double what I'm paying for it. I have a shopping list. Hopefully I find a good workflow.

Art rage
Sketchbook pro
Paint Tool Sai
MyPaint
inkscape
Gimp (like photoshop with a crippled leg)

The "creative cloud" is a legitimate rape. They are charging nearly full price for a yearly membership. Maybe if it were stuctured as a payment plan and you got to keep it after you pay it off.

**Farvus** · February 15th, 2013, 07:18 AM

In Poland average laptop costs about 1400zl while Photoshop CS6 costs about 2600zl which is almost twice that price. Creative suite 6 would be something like 4900zl.

Many people in comments under the whole Adobe thing always mention GIMP. I don't think pointing to open-source software as alternative to Photoshop will change much. GIMP is made by enthusiasts in free time so it will progress very slowly in comparison to some paid alternatives where programmers can make the changes full time and really polish stuff. There is for example Serif Photoplus X6 which is paid program but much cheaper and has almost the same functionality and layout as Photoshop. Even stuff like layer groups, layer styles, masks, channels, adjustment layers. Opens up and saves PSD files too. I only wish it was much faster and saved in CMYK color mode :/.

**Qitsune** · February 15th, 2013, 07:35 AM

I like Manga Studio for sketching and inking and they have a light version that's cheap, so if that's your kind of stuff, you could give it a try. It's not as versatile as PS, unfortunately, but maybe paired with Elements it would do what you need.

**HunterKiller_** · February 15th, 2013, 04:36 PM

Not to mention their customer service is horrific.
For the prices they charge, after-sale service should be no less than perfect.

Wow, that CEO...

"Why is the software more expensive for Australians?"

"Creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud, creative cloud."

**Raoul Duke** · February 15th, 2013, 05:27 PM

It's been years since I tried gimp, but I remember it being just like photoshop in the same sense that a BMW is just like a Dodge. Gimp just felt clunky. Particularly the marquee tool, which is already uncomfortable in ps. Hopefully creating art in all those other programs can make the difference.

The only problem I've had with all those other art programs is the lack of a navigator (can't live without it). Hopefully hopefully the pinch and zoom on my new pc makes up for it.

**JFierce** · February 15th, 2013, 05:35 PM

I prefer Gimp to elements. Gimp has a painter patch that is interesting if you can find it. Blending brush and some more intricate brush control options.

Elements is bare bare bones. Manga Studios good and cheap but it's vector based so your lines often can be dull.

**AvP** · February 15th, 2013, 05:50 PM

Sketchbook Pro and Artrage are fantastic little programmes and a damn sight cheaper than Photoshop and Painter!

**Arshes Nei** · February 15th, 2013, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Raoul Duke

It's been years since I tried gimp, but I remember it being just like photoshop in the same sense that a BMW is just like a Dodge. Gimp just felt clunky. Particularly the marquee tool, which is already uncomfortable in ps. Hopefully creating art in all those other programs can make the difference.

The only problem I've had with all those other art programs is the lack of a navigator (can't live without it). Hopefully hopefully the pinch and zoom on my new pc makes up for it.

If you have a windows pc, easy Paint tool Sai has a navigator window, painter 12 also has one too.

Then again there is CS 2

Tho limited, and I like the way the GUI works - free for Mac and windows users http://firealpaca.com/

**HarbingerofIllRepute** · February 15th, 2013, 07:00 PM

Argh! Consummate professionalism be for suckers and scallywags!

(not getting sued however, eh... kinda worth the monopoly I guess)

**Raoul Duke** · February 15th, 2013, 08:26 PM

The thing with ps is all the best artists use it. It's a little hard to find good art made on any other software. So I was skeptical until recently.
This video sold me on sb pro. He does mention that he needs a cintiq to pull this shit off and the intuos doesn't cut it. I'll say the intuos still has it's advantages.

Paint Tool Sai is starting to have some impressive artists flossing it.

Corel Painter is a beauty but doesn't count. The bugs and inconstant controls make it counter productive. The price is still brutal as well.
Art rage seems to have a muddy finish to it. I tried it once and had trouble controlling the effects when detailing. But I've seen artists use it sparingly for great effects.

**Arshes Nei** · February 15th, 2013, 09:43 PM

I found the latest Artrage with better controls than 3 still needs a bit of work but adding in the bristle stiffness and adding in the square head for oils is good.

Sketchbook Pro 6 is a great start, I've found that nowadays some software is more suited for different tasks. I always found doing sketches in Sai, Open Canvas, and Sketchbook Pro more suited than going into PS or Painter.

**FightingSeraph** · February 15th, 2013, 09:54 PM

Has anyone else besides me used Rendera, Photobie, or Paint.NET?

**JFierce** · February 15th, 2013, 10:20 PM

I can second Open Canvas. Especially if you grab a bunch of their sets of brushes and such. Very fun to sketch around with then import to something more structured like PS. Found that to be loads better than art rage or those alternatives.

**Raoul Duke** · February 15th, 2013, 10:25 PM

Seraph-Never heard of them before. How are they? Can you post anything you've done in them?

**QueenGwenevere** · February 15th, 2013, 11:32 PM

Hmm, I always forget Sketchbook Pro has a desktop version... I have the iPad app, which would be pretty nice for sketching if I had a halfway decent stylus (with the stylus I have now it's mostly awkward to use.)

**Arshes Nei** · February 16th, 2013, 12:08 AM

They made better brushes in Sketchbook Pro 6 and the interface is really nice now.

The price in the US is really nice - ttp://amzn.com/B008TN81ZG 37 bucks for the full 30 for the upgrade.

**Raoul Duke** · February 16th, 2013, 12:13 AM

15 mins into this video explains why the ios version of sb pro doesn't cut it for professional work.

This video sold me on the ATIV I'm shopping for.

**Farvus** · February 16th, 2013, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Arshes Nei

Tho limited, and I like the way the GUI works - free for Mac and windows users http://firealpaca.com/

I checked this program. Really cool. If this type of brush painting smoothness and speed was combined with PhotoPlus then it would be even better option than Photoshop

. Alternatives have eithere lots of functions but laggy brushes or fast brushes but not many functions. The only program that has both so far is Photoshop :/