How to Learn Adobe

Adobe Creative Cloud is the gold standard for creative work across industries, as you will discover in your job search. Being proficient in these applications helps you produce high-quality work for a portfolio, which improves your chances of entering your chosen career field. 

There are so many options for learning Adobe that it can initially be overwhelming. Choosing among books, video tutorials, and classes depends on your learning style and personal preferences.

Here, we’ll discuss the various methods of learning Adobe to help you decide where you’d like to begin.

What is Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a computer software application that allows users access to all the different Adobe programs. Creative design and marketing professionals typically use it to create content for print, video, or online distribution. You can find professionals in nearly every industry that uses Adobe Creative Cloud, including advertising, website design, and video editing.

At the center of the creative community, Adobe Creative Cloud connects creativity with collaboration, as the cloud-based systems allow you to share work with fellow creatives and work from anywhere. Adobe’s spectrum of programs allows you to edit photos, create stunning digital designs, build websites, and edit videos. Adobe Creative Cloud stores all your programs under the same roof, allowing you to switch easily between programs as needed. Using Creative Cloud can also introduce you to new programs you have not used before to help upgrade your career. 

Read more about what Adobe is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Adobe?

Adobe Creative Cloud is a one-stop shop for all creative projects, and several applications are industry leaders for creative software. Adobe has over 20 applications, though typically, when referring to Adobe Creative Cloud, people think of the top five most popular; After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. However, Adobe Creative Cloud has much more to explore. 

Adobe offers applications to fit every project, from allowing users to view and edit PDF files to designing and publishing web pages. The top five applications allow users to edit photos and videos, create visual effects and motion graphics, and create page layouts, typography, and illustrations. With other programs like Adobe Spark, users can create social media or web content directly from their computer or phone. Dreamweaver allows users to publish web pages with a simplified code engine. Adobe Aero focuses on the world of augmented reality. There are endless possibilities for creating with Adobe Creative Cloud.

In-Person Adobe Training

Course and bootcamps are essential options for becoming proficient in new skills for a current or new career path. Adobe applications are no exception, even considering the many free resources available. To learn Adobe, you can take in-person or online courses. Traditional classroom courses allow students to meet like-minded individuals and receive direct guidance, support, and feedback from their instructor. Some may feel that traditional in-person courses hold them more accountable as they learn, forcing them to arrive on time and participate to get the most out of their education. However, students who take in-person courses have to factor in the additional commute into their day. This commute can be challenging for those who live in rural areas and need to travel long distances to a nearby city to attend classes. In-person options also negate the ability to take courses from a more comfortable place. 

However, if in-person training is the best method for you, check out Noble Desktop’s in-person Adobe classes. These courses cover various applications and range from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the depth of training you seek. Noble Desktop’s campus in New York City enables students from surrounding areas like New Jersey or Philadelphia to easily commute to their courses. Those outside the New York area can use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool to find in-person Adobe classes in their area. The tool allows you to filter by course length and cost to find the course that fits your needs. 

Live Online Adobe Training

Virtual online training continues to grow in popularity as the internet provides more online learning opportunities. Virtual learning is a convenient solution for students with busy schedules or living in remote areas too far from in-person courses to commute. Live online training enables them to learn the necessary skills without worrying about making it to class on time. Attending online classes also allows students to work in the most comfortable environment, like at home or a local coffee shop. Live online learning offers multiple freedoms for learning new skills. However, some people may find online courses distracting or less engaging without a clear separation between work and home. Online learning may also be more challenging for those seeking in-person classroom engagement. 

Noble Desktop has several live online Adobe classes for those intrigued by online learning. Unlike the self-paced structure of on-demand courses, Noble’s courses are all taught live through teleconferencing. Students can learn from expert instructors, interact with their classmates in real time, get instant feedback on assignments, and have their questions answered promptly. Noble’s Classes Near Me tool can also find other live online Adobe course providers. Other providers include General Assembly, ONLC Training Centers, Lumenbrite, and Ledet Training. These providers have courses covering multiple Adobe applications with skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced. 

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Free introductory Adobe courses are a great start if you want to learn a new skill but are too busy to take an entire course. Noble Desktop offers several free seminars covering various topics. To get started with Adobe, check out the Intro to Adobe Creative Cloud seminar, where students receive an overview of the software and its applications. 

Noble Desktop is not the only provider offering free Adobe courses. Udemy offers several courses that cover a variety of design skills as well as a few Adobe applications. Coursera offers beginner courses in several Adobe applications. Through Coursera, students can audit longer courses for free, including a course on graphic design fundamentals. However, if those options do not work for you, there are hundreds of tutorials on YouTube for each Adobe application. When going through these video tutorials, focus on the most recent uploads to ensure you learn the most up-to-date software and trends, as Adobe updates regularly.

Read about more free Adobe videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand Adobe Classes

A schedule filled with personal and professional responsibilities may make it impossible for you to devote a set amount of time per week to learning a new skill. Taking an on-demand, self-paced Adobe class might be the perfect solution for learning a new skill without sacrificing anything on your busy schedule. These courses can be accessed at any time, allowing participants to engage with as much course content as they want in a given session. 

The course options you choose will depend on your skill level. If you’re new to Adobe, start with one of the beginner courses to allow you time to become comfortable with all Adobe applications. More advanced courses are available if you have experience in a particular program, like Photoshop, but want to learn more skills. Some on-demand courses are free, and while they are budget-friendly, topic videos are generally introductory. Pay options are available in program subscriptions or course fees and provide more in-depth training. 

On-demand courses are great options for learning programs at your own pace and rewatching the videos as needed. However, it’s not a learning style that suits everyone. Without set deadlines or an instructor’s motivation, discipline is required to hold yourself accountable for watching the course videos. But if this option fits your learning style, it can be beneficial to familiarize you with these new programs.

Which Learning Method is Right for Me?

There is a wealth of resources available for helping beginners learn Adobe applications that cover various learning styles. Experiment with the different options to discover which works best for you. Free seminars, on-demand classes, and online tutorials help teach you application fundamentals at no or low cost. But if you want to learn Adobe Creative Cloud for a career change or prefer a structured learning environment, classes in different applications would serve you best. 

Considering your schedule is part of deciding which learning method works best for you. If you work full-time and other activities fill your non-work hours, attending a structured course at the same time every day or even a few times a week may be difficult. In that case, opting for a self-paced course or video tutorials may work better. However, if you have a more flexible schedule or prefer more structured learning, consider courses offered in-person or live online. 

Why Learn Adobe?

Businesses use print, web, and video advertisements to capture our attention and tempt us into paying for a product or service. Companies need to hire individuals who know how to create these images, graphics, and videos. Knowing how to generate such products is a lucrative skill to have on any resume. Adobe applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are in-demand skills that can prepare you for several career opportunities. Career possibilities include Graphic Designer, Digital Designer, Digital Marketer, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI) Designer, or Motion Graphics Designer. Each of these creative careers offers competitive salaries and can often provide remote working opportunities.

Learning Adobe Creative Cloud applications allows you to build a foundation of design skills, diversifying your creative talents and opening more doors for different creative career paths. Suppose your professional aspirations change and you want to take on more or different Adobe applications. You will then have a foundation of skills to build upon, which can help you in other career areas.

Read more about why you should learn Adobe.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

Adobe Creative Cloud holds over 20 applications for users to download and use for their creative projects. Learning these Adobe programs can be challenging for those new to the software, and it requires time and patience to master each application. Users can learn multiple programs at once and become proficient in each. So while it may initially seem too complicated, users have various options to make learning easier. 

Before jumping in head first to learn the complexities of Adobe Creative Cloud, beginners with the software should have some other versatile skills that will help them be successful from the start. Beginners should understand their computer's capabilities to ensure it can run Adobe Creative Cloud. Knowing how to navigate a computer system makes it easier to learn the software. Those interested in current design trends can also limit their learning to the applications used to create those designs. For example, designs in a hand-drawn style would require Adobe Illustrator as opposed to Photoshop.

Adobe offers subscriptions for all of the applications available. Depending on the program, these subscriptions can range from $10 to $55 monthly. It’s wise to choose only the applications you want to use instead of paying for all of them right off the bat. 

Read about how difficult it is to learn Adobe. 

Key Insights

Settling on the best learning method can be challenging, but Adobe has many resources to help you. Being objective about where you are in your Adobe learning journey can help you decide the best way for you to learn. 

• Beginners may consider less expensive options like free seminars, on-demand courses, or video tutorials. 
• In-person and live online training may be more appropriate for those who prefer more structured learning.
• In-person training provides personal interaction with classmates and instructors. 
• Live online training allows you to skip the commute and learn wherever you are most comfortable and offers instructor interaction.
• Consider cost, knowledge level, personal learning style, and goals when determining your learning path. 

Learning options are available to meet your needs, no matter your schedule, knowledge level, or learning style. 

Learn Adobe with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop provides several Adobe Creative Cloud Classes that meet any schedule or learning style. Participants have the option to attend in-person courses at Noble's campus in Manhattan, or they can opt to take courses virtually from anywhere in the world. Each option has students working closely with expert instructors in small groups. Noble also provides a free retake option within one year, allowing students additional time and opportunities to hone their skills without paying for another course. 

Learning Adobe Creative Cloud can be daunting; however, the Intro to Adobe CC Bootcamp is available for students who want to learn only a few applications quickly. This course covers several Adobe applications, introducing students to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. Students use each application to work through real-world exercises and projects. For those with a little more time on their hands who want in-depth training on more programs, the longer Adobe Creative Cloud Bootcamp devotes more time to work with each application. 

Additional options are available for those looking for more career-oriented learning. The Graphic Design Certificate dives into Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, while covering concepts surrounding the graphic design career. For more training on using Adobe programs to design web or mobile interfaces, there is the UI Design Certificate. As part of this course, you will work closely with Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition to learning the programs for your field of interest, you will develop a portfolio to send to potential employers.