Your Favorite "New" Photoshop Features

[Rich54]

I am still using Photoshop CS5, which must be at least ten years old by now. I don't feel any pressing need to upgrade, but I'm curious whether there are any new Photoshop features introduced in recent years that you absolutely love, use all the time and cannot do without. What "big thing" am I missing by sticking with my outdated CS5?

For whoever is interested, please list the new features you particularly like and a brief description of what they do.

Rich

 

[Argos]

Hard to tell, because i cant remember what cs5 had XD, maybe the camera raw filter included in photoshop,..

One thing i discovered that looks pomising and interesting its the neural filters, its still on testing i think because there are not too many and says beta in most of them XD.

But i made some captures so you can see what it is, its in spanish sorry XD




I downloaded this one and seems to change the face expresion, hair direction, light direction , i used add age in this case.



This one is not impmented yet, seems to transform sketches into portraits



This one you can dowwnload and use. for colouring photos.

 

[Rich54]

Those all look interesting. CS5 does not have a built-in Camera Raw filter. That's one feature I wish I had.

 

[polarwoc]

Probably Liquify is not in CS5? Even if it is, the "Face Aware Liquify" is a great add.

"Auto select Subject" is definitely a feature that will save a lot of time on most photos.

I can not remember if some of the selection tools were part of CS5?

 

[JeffK]

Rich - I've seen your work and it is very impressive. In fact, when you "like" my work, I consider it a great compliment. So what more can a newer version offer you than what you have and what you can do with it?

The simplest answer would be more power, convenience, and more automated choices. I jumped in on PS late in the game and am still climbing the learning curve - and enjoying every minute of it. In fact, my Windows 7powered laptop is on the verge of the permanent Blue Screen of Death so have just ordered a Win 10 machine. Now really looking forward to downloading PS 2021 with the additional enhancements it brings. Couldn't run that on my Win 7 machine.

Or maybe to put it another way. I have a 2006 Honda Civic with about 130,000 miles on it. Also have a 2019 Nissan SUV with less than 20,000 miles. Both cars get me from A to B when I drive them. Both are reliable and always there when I need them. Just one of them does it with a bit more convenience, comfort, and power. But either one gets me to where I want to go.

So it's up to you. My approach is repair when I can and replace only when I have to.

but then again, I'm old. Then again, I'm still here.

- Jeff

 

[Rich54]

Probably Liquify is not in CS5? Even if it is, the "Face Aware Liquify" is a great add.

"Auto select Subject" is definitely a feature that will save a lot of time on most photos.

I can not remember if some of the selection tools were part of CS5?

CS5 does have Liquify, which I use a lot, but it does not have face-aware liquify.
CS5 also has the Refine Edge suite of selection tools, but I've never had much success with them. I suspect they've been improved in more recent versions.

 

[Rich54]

my Windows 7powered laptop is on the verge of the permanent Blue Screen of Death so have just ordered a Win 10 machine. Now really looking forward to downloading PS 2021 with the additional enhancements it brings. Couldn't run that on my Win 7 machine.

I upgraded to a powerful Windows10 PC five or six years ago and I was concerned that CS5 might not be compatible. It works just fine, but whenever the next version of Windows is released, that might finally force me to abandon CS5.

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi @Rich54
Here is a link that shows the major new features in each release. A decent reference to scan and see what the newer version each were offering:
https://www.proglobalbusinesssolutions.com/adobe-photoshop-versions/

-------So features that I have appreciated ( I cannot remember for sure in CS5 had some of these)

Better and more content aware tools and workspace (sweet)
Improved Vector Tools (e.g. Curvature Pen Tool)
Video editing (video and frame animation) - I don't use much yet real nice when I do
Use of Smart Filters (and in particular Camera Raw Filter and Liquify with multiple face recognition)
Linked Smart Objects
Camera Shake Reduction
Better Shape Tools
Enhanced Layer Styles (can add more than on of a given type)
ACR improvements (eg DeHaze)
Content Aware Cropping (nice yet not a must)
Select Subject
Auto Select Layer
Previewing of different Blend modes (just scroll down you don't have to select)
Select and Mask is better



------Features of interest yet not used much (so far)

Artboard
Frames
Pattern Preview (on CS 2021)
Can use mathematical equations when adding numerical info in input boxes
Symmetry Mode

Hope this is helpful
John Wheeler

 

[IamSam]

Hey Rich, sorry to be so slow in responding. Crazy times for me right now.

I really can't comment on the latest version version since I'm still using 20.0.8 No particular reason other than my mac is a little long in the tooth and would probably have issues with the newer versions. Right now, 20.0.8 runs stable and without problems. As I'm more "old school", I have not seen any new features that I absolutely can't live without for the moment. So many of the newer automated features don't work as well as tried and true methods. However, when I upgrade my mac I will most certainly update Ps and give the new features a good workout.

As far as what's been added since CS5, my list is consistent with those mentioned above.

It will sound cheesy, but one thing I can seriously remember really appreciating that was not present in CS6 or earlier, was this one feature in the properties panel that allows you to independently edit the radii of a rounded shapes!! Having this ability saved me tons of work and time on specific projects.



I'm sure there may be a few other small seemingly insignificant changes that were added in later versions. If I remember any, I will add them.

 

[Rich54]

Hi @Rich54
-------So features that I have appreciated ( I cannot remember for sure in CS5 had some of these)

Better and more content aware tools and workspace (sweet)
Improved Vector Tools (e.g. Curvature Pen Tool)
Video editing (video and frame animation) - I don't use much yet real nice when I do
Use of Smart Filters (and in particular Camera Raw Filter and Liquify with multiple face recognition)
Linked Smart Objects
Camera Shake Reduction
Better Shape Tools
Enhanced Layer Styles (can add more than on of a given type)
ACR improvements (eg DeHaze)
Content Aware Cropping (nice yet not a must)
Select Subject
Auto Select Layer
Previewing of different Blend modes (just scroll down you don't have to select)
Select and Mask is better

Thanks John... good list. The enhanced layer styles would be of interest to me. Many times, I've wished that I could apply strokes or bevels multiple times in the same layer. I'll also look into the video editing. I've experimented a little with primitive animation of multople layers, but Photoshop video was always of interest.

 

[Rich54]

I really can't comment on the latest version version since I'm still using 20.0.8 No particular reason other than my mac is a little long in the tooth and would probably have issues with the newer versions. Right now, 20.0.8 runs stable and without problems. As I'm more "old school", I have not seen any new features that I absolutely can't live without for the moment. So many of the newer automated features don't work as well as tried and true methods. However, when I upgrade my mac I will most certainly update Ps and give the new features a good workout.

I'm pretty "old school", too. When CS5 came out, a brand new feature that they heavily promoted was Puppet Warp. But other than trying it a few times to learn the tool, I never seem to have a need for it. Of all the features everybody's mentioned above, probably my number one is that I wish I had the ACR filter within Photoshop. I currently use ACR from Adobe Bridge, but it only supports limited file types.

 

[IamSam]

Yes, I use ACR more than I realize, I guess I'm just used to it by now.

One of my strong interests from days gone by was animation, especially cinemagraphs where I was importing video clips. It was one reason I upgraded to CS6 in those days because they introduced video editing. I still exclusively use the video timeline for creating GIF's of an kind, it's just much easier. I prefer other programs for actually editing video such as Final Cut Pro, but I could easily use Ps if I needed to.