Adobe Photoshop is a popular tool for creating and modifying photos. Individuals use Photoshop for a wide variety of reasons, from personal use like retouching family photos to professional use like editing images for marketing campaigns. Popular tools within Photoshop include photo retouching, color adjustments, zoom, and special effects, just to name a few. This program is used by Photographers, Photo Retouchers, Digital Painters, Graphic Designers, and even Web Developers.
If you already know how to use Photoshop, you might consider learning several other graphic design tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. Individuals in professions like Graphic Design often learn several (if not all!) of the tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, which we’ll cover in more detail below. Just think: you may even be able to take images you created or modified in Photoshop for use in these other apps!
InDesign and Illustrator
Adobe InDesign enables individuals to create beautiful layouts for both print and digital media. More specifically, this software is used to design the layouts for items like books, magazines, newspapers, PDFs, websites, and posters, among other things. InDesign is commonly used by individuals in industries and sectors like book publishing, graphic design, marketing, advertising, and corporate communications. That’s because this program can handle large amounts of text.
Individuals who learn InDesign also frequently learn Illustrator, as the two are both helpful when it comes to creating beautiful designs. While InDesign was specifically created for developing layouts, Illustrator is used to develop vector-based graphics or artwork. This means individuals can use Illustrator to create graphics for websites, videos, logos, icons, and patterns.
Illustrator is frequently used for company branding efforts and web design. Because graphics are vector-based, it’s easy to scale images for whatever purpose is needed. These images are created using artboards within the program, which is a blank canvas for the user to create designs. A huge bonus to Illustrator’s artboards is that you can have up to 1,000 separate mock-up pages, so you don’t need to create multiple files for every variation of a design you create.
Learn InDesign and Illustrator
Students who enroll in a graphic design degree program through a college and university may learn InDesign and Illustarator as part of their course curriculum. Alternatively, professionals may be able to learn these programs as part of continuing education or professional development opportunities while pursuing their design-related careers.
You may also consider learning InDesign or Illustrator by enrolling in an online course through schools like Noble Desktop. In particular, Noble offers classes in both virtual and in-person formats at its Manhattan campus. These courses have small class sizes, making it easy for individuals to receive individualized instruction and feedback.
Noble’s Adobe InDesign Bootcamp teaches students how to use InDesign to create attractive layouts, including adding images, text, and photos. In this class, students also learn how to design multi-page layouts and learn techniques for professional typesetting.
Individuals may also consider enrolling in Noble’s Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp. In this course, students learn how to create vector graphics and use Illustrator’s various tools, including Pen, effects, layers, and blends, among others.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is a program used to create design prototypes for websites and mobile applications. These prototypes can then be used to seek client feedback before actually designing the end product, enabling everyone on a design or product team to get on the same page before production. For example, a UX Designer could use Adobe XD to create several interactive prototypes for a website. After finalizing the design, a Web Developer could then refer to the prototype when actually building the website.
Learn Adobe XD
You can learn Adobe XD through self-study by seeking out online tutorials or videos, such as those you can find on YouTube. Alternatively, Noble Desktop offers courses in both in-person and virtual formats. This is a great option for those who prefer to learn in a structured environment where they can receive individualized support as needed.
Noble’s Adobe XD Bootcamp begins with an introduction to this design software. This includes learning how to use Adobe XD for user interface and user experience design. By the end of this two-day course, students will know how to create animations using the auto-animate tool, add sound effects, and share designs with developers, among other things. This class meets for 12 hours.
After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a video-editing program that enables professionals to create motion graphics animation, special effects, and motion tracking, as well as fix errors in videos post-production. This program uses layers, making it easy to experiment with different effects and only keep those that suit your needs.
Learn After Effects
Individuals who are studying animation or film in school may have the opportunity to Learn After Effects as part of their degree program. Alternatively, individuals may be able to teach themselves how to use this program using online tutorials and resources.
If you prefer to learn in a more structured environment, you can also consider enrolling in an in-person or virtual course. Noble Desktop has an After Effects Bootcamp that teaches individuals how to create motion graphics and animations. To begin, students gain a basic foundation using the After Effects workspace, then move on to more complicated techniques like motion tracking and creating animated 3D layers.
Wrap-Up
Photoshop is an incredibly useful tool, especially for those in creative professions. Taking the time to learn programs that complement Photoshop, like Adobe XD, InDesign, and After Effects is a great way to expand your knowledge and develop your professional career.
If you’re interested in learning several of the tools discussed above all in one course, you may consider enrolling in Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate. In addition to teaching basic design fundamentals, this class also teaches Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. This certificate program is a particularly great option for those who want to pursue a career in graphic or digital design since it provides students with the opportunity to complete projects as part of their portfolios.