I'm Dropping Adobe

Well, I'm going to try.

Good day, my grand Legion!

I am aware many of you may already be comics or media producers, and this one is for you. Or if you’re going into the art field, this may help you.

Adobe has been the Emporer of many decades and dynasties. If you’re unfamiliar, Adobe is the brand that owns Photoshop, Illustrator, and a large swath of programs that have evolved over the years in digital video and design. It’s the industry standard for digital creation. Until last year, I subscribed to a program called Clip Studio Paint. I used Photoshop for my webtoon run and then the first few pages of Envy Issue 1. Then I swapped about four pages in. It took about a week to get a feel for the basics, then another month or so to learn some of the ins and outs. It was a smooth swap all things considered. It got me thinking, “Do I need to pay $70.00 a month for adobe?” The answer was of course! Adobe still has Illustrator and Indesign, and I have to have those. Not to mention the perks of having Acrobat and the other various program I MIGHT need in the future!

Fast forward to last week and I heard more diabolical shenanigans going on in the Adobe headquarters as the task of canceling a membership was tedious and the standard price had gone up to $90.00. I started to consider the math, and I had paid Adobe well over $5,000 in the past 10 years I have been subscribed. I have had various student and grandfathered discounts, but it inevitably goes up.

I started to look up some alternate programs, and I have found that there are stand-alone live image trace sites, and a suite called Affinity. They have the big three for publishing, photo editing, and vector design. As far as I can tell, it takes care of all the basics left from the Adobe programs. It has a 6-month free trial and a one-time $50.00 fee. If I can save all the money from Adobe then I will. Times are hard enough.

The biggest hurdle may be the loss of Acrobat, which is kind of ironic because it’s one of the least interactive, but it does a large chunk of work for my PDFs and file management. Clip studio paint is leaps and bounds better for comic creation and significantly cheaper and I believe if that can happen, anything is possible.

Also, if you’re in the area, the Deep South Para Comi-con is happening tomorrow and Sunday! I’ll be there with all the new stuff and I’d be overjoyed to meet you! Come meet some of the most knowledgeable ghost hunters, exorcists, and mediums! All info and links below.

Thank you for reading and kind regards,
Suzerain Dionna