Adobe Photoshop Turns 20!

Ask any photographer, web designer or artist what photo software they use, and nine times out of ten the answer will be Adobe Photoshop. Why? Quite frankly, it is simply the best photo software available. I can say that, as it has been my photo editing software of choice for 14 years and counting. And I'm not the only one - photographers, designers, and fans all over the world will be celebrating the creative power of Photoshop beginning today, because on February 19, 2010, Photoshop turns 20!

In the United States, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) will be hosting a Photoshop 20th Anniversary celebration in San Francisco at the Palace of the Fine Arts Theater today (Feb. 18). The event will feature Adobe's senior vice president of Creative Solutions, John Loiacono, as well as vice president of Photoshop Product Management, Kevin Connor, Photoshop co-creator Thomas Knoll and Adobe creative director and Photoshop evangelist, Russell Brown. To be a part of this celebration and view the live Webcast, visit: www.photoshopuser.com/photoshop20th.

The celebration continues overseas. Adobe Germany will host a 20-hour online marathon, featuring over 15 local Photoshop "gurus" demonstrating tips and tricks live for Photoshop fans. In India and France, digital imaging contests will be held to showcase the work of Photoshop users. A special Adobe TV broadcast will also air on the anniversary date at http://tv.adobe.com/go/photoshop-20th-anniversary, reuniting the original "Photoshop team" for the first time in 18 years, to discuss their early work on the software and demonstrate Photoshop 1.0 on a rebuilt Macintosh computer.

The Photoshop community is also sharing their favorite stories on Facebook. Connect with the Photoshop team at www.facebook.com/Photoshop or http://twitter.com/photoshop, and add the tag #PS20 to tweets about the anniversary.

Here is a rundown on how it all began.

In 1987, Thomas Knoll developed a pixel imaging program called Display. It was a simple program to showcase grayscale images on a black-and-white monitor. However, after collaborating with his brother John Knoll, the two began adding features that made it possible to process digital image files. The program eventually caught the attention of industry influencers, and in 1988, Adobe made the decision to license the software, naming it Photoshop, and shipping the first version in 1990.

Over its 20-year history, Photoshop has evolved from a simple original display program to a popular application that has over 10 million users worldwide. With each release, Adobe has introduced technological innovations that defy the impossible. Layers, introduced in Photoshop 3.0, gave designers the ability to create complex compositions easier than ever before. The Healing Brush, introduced in Photoshop 7.0, allowed users to magically retouch images by seamlessly removing blemishes and wrinkles, while preserving lighting and texture. Photoshop tools like crop, eraser, blur and dodge and burn have become part of the creative vernacular worldwide.

Within the Adobe Photoshop family, there is a software solution for every level of user to manage, edit, create and showcase images. Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, providing power and editing freedom. Photoshop Lightroom addresses the workflow needs of serious amateur and professional photographers, helping them find, manage, enhance and showcase images. Photoshop Elements software provides accessible tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Snap-shooters can quickly and easily share and edit photos with simple gestures on their iPhone or Android devices. Photoshop.com completes the Photoshop line providing an online photo sharing, editing and hosting resource for all.

"Twenty years ago, Adobe predicted that it would sell 500 copies of Photoshop per month," said Thomas Knoll, co-creator of Photoshop at Adobe. "I guess you could say, we beat those projections! It's amazing to think that millions of people use this software today. We knew we had a groundbreaking technology on our hands, but we never anticipated how much it would impact the images we see all around us. The ability to seamlessly place someone within an image was just the beginning of Photoshop's magic."

Congratulations, Adobe! Here's to another 20 years of groundbreaking photo technology!

Get more information on the entire Photoshop product family at www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/family.