Adobe's Creative Suite is one of the best software packs out there for professionals, but the suite is prohibitively expensive for most people. If you can't drop the cash, you can still get a similar experience with free or cheap software. Here's how to build your own Creative Suite.
Adobe Creative Suite is more than just Photoshop: it contains other software that helps you build web sites, design logos, edit video, layout books, and more. Recently, Adobe accidentally gave free access to the 2005 version of Creative Suite for free, and it's clear demand for even outdated versions of the software is high. You can't get as great of an experience with free software as you can with Adobe's offerings, but you can at least get close. Whether you're a student looking to test the waters of design before diving into the Creative Suite, or you're just an amateur who doesn't need all the bells and whistles, these free replacements to Adobe's lineup offer enough for most of us.
Note: Mac users on OS X Mountain Lion may need to download X Quartz to get some of this software running since Apple dropped X11 support in Mountain Lion.
Build Your Own Adobe Creative Suite with Free and Cheap Software
Adobe Creative Suite is more than just Photoshop: it contains other software that helps you build web sites, design logos, edit video, layout books, and more. Recently, Adobe accidentally gave free access to the 2005 version of Creative Suite for free, and it's clear demand for even outdated versions of the software is high. You can't get as great of an experience with free software as you can with Adobe's offerings, but you can at least get close. Whether you're a student looking to test the waters of design before diving into the Creative Suite, or you're just an amateur who doesn't need all the bells and whistles, these free replacements to Adobe's lineup offer enough for most of us.
Note: Mac users on OS X Mountain Lion may need to download X Quartz to get some of this software running since Apple dropped X11 support in Mountain Lion.
Build Your Own Adobe Creative Suite with Free and Cheap Software
- Best Replacement for Photoshop: GIMP
- Best Replacement for InDesign: Scribus
- Best Replacement for Illustrator: Inkscape
- Best Replacement for Premiere: Lightworks or VideoLAN Movie Creator
- Best Replacement for Dreamweaver: KompoZer or Learn to Code
- Best Replacement for After Effects: Blender or Wax
- Best Replacement for Flash: Various Tools
- Best Replacement to Acrobat: Preview or PDF-XChange Viewer / Foxit Reader / Sumatra Reader