You can now use Photoshop in the browser

Who would have thought that Adobe would do this with two of its hobbyhorses? The software company has now announced that both Photoshop and Illustrator can now be used as web applications rather than standalone programs. Currently, they are still in beta status, but soon the cross-platform web apps will be made available to everyone else.

Practical browser application

What an announcement! During Adobe’s Adobe MAX conference, the company announced that browser apps to two of its most successful softwares are set to launch. To get Photoshop and Illustrator to this point, it had taken years of collaboration with Internet company Google. Despite their beta status, the results are already impressive. In particular, the Photoshop web app can already be used flawlessly. Accordingly, Creative Cloud subscribers can now also download the app. Those who want to use Illustrator as a web application, on the other hand, will have to wait a little longer. According to Adobe, the software for vector graphics is currently still in a closed beta. Who would like to make itself available as a tester, can already sniff in. For this one would have to request only from Adobe an invitation.

More features planned for Photoshop

At first glance, the features of Photoshop’s web application may seem a bit limited. Currently, you can only access files that are already in your Creative Cloud. The documents with the extension “.psdc” can then be viewed and commented on. A few tools for rudimentary editing are also available. These include classics like the eraser and the brush. Of course, this is not supposed to be the end of the line. Adobe emphasized at its conference that many more tools should find their way into the web application over time. But how do your files find their way into the web app? All you have to do is open your Creative Cloud. Here, select the document you want and choose the “Open in Photoshop on the web beta” option. Now you can open the file in the web application.

Web application saves storage space

A big advantage over the traditional software is certainly the small amount of storage space that the web application requires. At just under 20 megabytes, it is a fraction of the size of the several hundred megabyte software alternative. This not only saves storage space, but also gives you faster access when you’re away from your home computer or notebook. The small web app can be downloaded quickly from anywhere. The saving of the many megabytes is made possible by Service Workers. Once you have sent a source file to the web application, it is stored temporarily even without an Internet connection. If you then call it up in the browser, it is only about 150 kilobytes that have to be sent to your system in order to open the document.

The family of browser applications is growing

The move on Adobe’s part is quite commendable and makes it clear where the trend is headed. With reliable Internet accessible almost everywhere these days, it makes sense to bring web applications to life. A look at the market shows that the number of web apps is growing. Now, with Photoshop and Illustrator, there are even two absolute “software classics” in the circle of browser applications. We are already curious to see the quality of the two applications once they have left beta status.