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As such, to get the most out of Photoshop without paying even more, you should use free Photoshop plugins. However, with so many free Photoshop add ons available, it can be difficult to identify the best ones for your needs. This is why we have compiled a list of the 10 best free Photoshop plugins. Download Adobe Photoshop CC 2020 21.1.0 (64-bit) (latest version) free for Windows 10 PC/laptop/tablet. Safe Download and Install from the official link! Adobe Photoshop download features: Adobe Photoshop direct, free and safe download.
Key Details of Adobe Photoshop
- Crop, remove objects, retouch, combine photos, and reimagine the art of photography
- Last updated on 04/08/20
- There has been 1 update within the past 6 months
Learn how you can take your photography further with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom with this Adobe demo video.
Editors' Review
The bottom line: Photoshop CS5 greatly expands the toolset that Adobe offers in its flagship product, charting new ways to make image manipulation easier while making older tools work better than before. Don't worry about the lack of a new interface; the new ways to get your project done make this version a must.
Photoshop has been in the English lexicon as a term to edit images for a long time, but the latest version of Adobe's flagship program stretches the canvas of manipulation much further than ever before. The look of the program has changed so little from Photoshop CS4 that users of that version should be instantly comfortable with this major update, but Photoshop Creative Suite 5 Extended gives photographers, artists, designers, and LOLcats obsessives a stunning array of new tools. Among the new features in Adobe's flagship image-editing software are automatic lens corrections, High Dynamic Range toning, automated editing tools, and significant improvements to creating 3D images.
Installation and setup
Photoshop installation is straightforward, although it does require an Adobe account. Users can choose to purchase a license key immediately, which you will receive by e-mail, or try out the program for 30 days. When you receive your key, you can copy and paste the entire string directly from your e-mail into the first dialog box, and the other boxes will automatically populate. Both Photoshop CS 5 and the Extended come from the same 980MB installer for Windows, or 1.1GB on a Mac.
Photoshop installation is straightforward, although it does require an Adobe account. Users can choose to purchase a license key immediately, which you will receive by e-mail, or try out the program for 30 days. When you receive your key, you can copy and paste the entire string directly from your e-mail into the first dialog box, and the other boxes will automatically populate. Both Photoshop CS 5 and the Extended come from the same 980MB installer for Windows, or 1.1GB on a Mac.
Depending on your Internet connection, Adobe says that users can expect download times of anywhere from 14 minutes on a corporate LAN to nearly 90 minutes on slower connections. On a Windows 7 computer with 2GB of RAM and a 2GHz processor on a T1, the download took around 40 minutes.
The Adobe installation process doesn't play well with Mozilla programs such as Firefox and Thunderbird, so those must be shut down before the installation can be finished. You can use other programs while installing, but CPU slowdowns are likely on many computers.
Adobe still refuses to have a Windows installation process that's respectful of standard program installation behavior. Associated program icons do not install into an Adobe folder in your Start menu, but are rather unceremoniously dumped into your Start menu's All Programs pane. First-time upgraders should note that Adobe will not override your previous installation of Photoshop, so you'll have to remove it manually. This may be annoying to some, but it's actually reasonable behavior given the cost of the program and the desire of many users to fully explore the trial. It would be nice if Photoshop came with a utility for removing previous versions, instead of having to go through the imperfect Windows uninstallation tool.
The installation and uninstallation frustrations aren't deal-breakers, obviously, but a little bit more attention here from Photoshop would result in a smoother process.
Interface
Unlike the dramatic interface overhaul that accompanied its predecessor, there's so little new to the look and feel of Photoshop CS5 that it's barely worth mentioning.
Unlike the dramatic interface overhaul that accompanied its predecessor, there's so little new to the look and feel of Photoshop CS5 that it's barely worth mentioning.
The Workspace switcher has been modified so that you can drag it out of the drop-down menu across the menubar. Doing so can push the menubar itself down to a second level, which might take up too much screen space for some people. Pre-existing workspaces can be deleted, custom ones added, and generally the workspace concept has gotten a bit more user-friendly.
Toolbox icons have been redrawn with a softer touch. This has the unfortunate effect of making them look mushy and out-of-focus against their gray background. At least the iconography is the same, so the spot healing brush tool still looks like a band-aid, but this was not a welcome change.
Despite lacking the aesthetic sensibility of its cousin Lightroom 3 (Windows|Mac), the overall layout of Photoshop remains consistent. It's not easy to use, nor is it hard to get used to the modular layout of adjustable panels. Further optional improvements can be made courtesy Adobe Labs' Configurator, for customizing some parts of the navigation. Although the CS4 interface improvements were appreciated, the UI is essentially mundane and in desperate need of refinement. It's sadly ironic that the premiere image editor looks like a cockpit.
Features and support
The new features in Photoshop CS5 completely sell the program. It's a bit hard to fathom that a program that's been around for 20 years continues to innovate and improve as much as Photoshop has, but this version of Photoshop, officially v12, doesn't just stretch itself here. It expands the limits of editing achievement, simplifying previously complex tasks and introducing new ones. It's not reinventing the wrench as much as it's making it do new things that everybody can immediately understand. This review won't cover all the new features and enhancements since there are more than three dozen feature changes alone, but we'll look at some of the best and most important.
The new features in Photoshop CS5 completely sell the program. It's a bit hard to fathom that a program that's been around for 20 years continues to innovate and improve as much as Photoshop has, but this version of Photoshop, officially v12, doesn't just stretch itself here. It expands the limits of editing achievement, simplifying previously complex tasks and introducing new ones. It's not reinventing the wrench as much as it's making it do new things that everybody can immediately understand. This review won't cover all the new features and enhancements since there are more than three dozen feature changes alone, but we'll look at some of the best and most important.
The new Mini Bridge should directly affect every user's workflow. It opens a functional version of Adobe Bridge in a panel, speeding up processing by cutting down how often users have to jump out of the main Photoshop interface. Mini Bridge can be launched from the top of the interface to the right of the menubar, from the MB icon. As with any of Photoshop's panels, the Mini Bridge can be resized and moved around the window as needed.
On first launch, the Mini Bridge took longer than expected to read files before it could be used. After that initial sluggishness, it loaded smoothly, even after rebooting the computer. It was noticeably faster to launch images from either Bridge or Mini Bridge into Photoshop compared with the previous version, but sticking Bridge access directly into Photoshop is a long-overdue innovation.
Automatic Lens Correction automates a task that previously could be completed by hand only. As CNET has noted elsewhere, Adobe based the tool on close measurements of multiple camera bodies and lenses so that Photoshop can take over the time-consuming effort of removing barrel and pincushion distortion, darkened corners from vignetting, and colored fringe on the edge of images from chromatic aberration.
You can tell that Adobe expects this feature to be a big selling point because it's one of the few new features that comes bound to a hot key. Ctrl+Shift+R will bring up the lens correction panel, also accessible from the Filter menu. You can toggle on or off vignetting, chromatic aberration, and lens distortion correction, which are the three major fixes that the filter looks for; adjust how the filter affects the edge of the image; edit camera and lens profile search criteria; or create custom profiles. The camera profiles seemed to be limited in our testing to more-recent models. For example, the tool lacked profiles for Canon bodies older than the 50D.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing debuted back in CS2, but it's been greatly enhanced for this version. A new feature in the Merge to HDR panel called Remove Ghost will tidy up any minor alignment issues between your three HDR source images, and you can select which of the three images to base the final image on. The new HDR toning under Adjustments lets you fake that trendy HDR look without having to merge multiple images. This works fairly decently, but expect best results on images that have tricky lighting situations or are underexposed.
Content Aware Fill improves Photoshop's ability to intelligently replace part of an image with pixels derived from other, nearby colors, noise, and tone. The feature can be used as part of the spot healing brush tool for fine replacements, or lassoed selections to replace large or unusually shaped chunks from an image.
The feature introduces a redone method of resampling from the image. The differences between how the tool performs here versus in CS4 are not readily apparent since the changes in pixelation and accuracy depend too greatly on the situation. Tests with the spot healing brush revealed no differences to its CS4 predecessor, but that doesn't mean its not working. In general, it felt like there was less of a problem with incorrect sampling, but this wasn't really quantifiable, as it still occurred in some cases.
One of the most difficult Photoshop tricks has just gotten strikingly easier thanks to what Adobe calls 'intelligent selection.' It allows users to define a selected area, and then gently refine using the Refine option under the Select menu to more accurately include challenging selection areas such as fur, clouds, and feathers. It worked extremely well with hair, and slightly less so with the more discernible echidna spikes.
It sounds simple, but the introduction of the Smart Radius and Decontaminate colors functions in intelligent selection provides a stunning breadth of control during image masking. Following the tutorials for this is essential, because learning to do it right can impressively enhance your image control while cutting down on your workflow from CS4.
Puppet Warp sounds like it could be a filter to Muppetize people in your photo. It's actually a localized warping tool that gives you the ability to accurately recompose selected aspects of an image, such as changing a straight leg to bent. It can't add content where it hasn't existed, so it works best when used on a subject shot in profile, but the tool itself worked well.
Once you've created a selection, choose Puppet Warp from the Edit menu and apply pins where you want to create pivot points in the image. Playing around with them, you can stretch a selected area between two pins. Unlike the complicated intelligent selection, Puppet Warp took seconds to learn. Of all the new tools, this is probably the most fun to use. The tool may not appear to have much practical use, but it can easily lend itself to basic but creative 3D implementation without having to upgrade to Photoshop Extended.
Photoshop is not the best digital painting program around, but the new Mixer Brush and Bristle Tips features give it a much stronger easel to stand on. Briefly, the Mixer Brush lets you add multiple colors to a single brush tip and then blend them to whatever colors already exist on your canvas. Users can define how wet the canvas is, how fast paint gets re-added to the tip, the mix rate between brush and canvas colors, and whether the brush is refilled, cleaned, or both after each paint stroke. Bristle Tips provides similarly fine-tuned control over the brush tip, including shape, length, stiffness, thickness, angle, and spacing.
Although some photographers might swear otherwise, it's not necessary to use a tablet for photo editing. This was not the case with the new painting tools, where a standard mouse did not provide the kind of detailed control required to manipulate the tools properly. Still, by building out the painting options, Adobe's clearly trying to keep Photoshop competitive across all major disciplines.
Enhanced 3D tools remain the clearest difference between regular Photoshop and Photoshop CS5 Extended. If you don't need them, don't get the more expensive version. If you do, though, there are several notable new features. Adobe Repousse streamlines the process for converting 2D artwork into 3D, then provides a bucketload of options for altering the design. There's nothing revolutionary here except a reasonable, solid effort at reducing workflow. It's effective, and it's hard to argue with less than six steps to creating a 3D letterform.
Photoshop Extended users will get an equally quick workflow for adding realistic textures to 3D models. The program comes with a stack of textures, which users can edit and save as their own, as well as create custom textures from scratch and download new ones off the Web. There's also new options for introducing image-based lights for dynamic light sourcing on complex models, shadow capturing, and improved ray tracing. Much like the painting tools, the 3D options are not a full-on replacement for a 3D renderer, but they will do quite admirably for users looking to regularly add 3D pop to their art without having to shell out for a modeling suite.
Other changes include tweaks to everything from the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in to tool menus. Raw processing has earned itself some better tools for reducing noise, and adding vignettes and grain to give stills a more filmlike quality. The Raw tool in general also feels less jittery than its CS4 predecessor, and it now will automatically downsample your 16- or 32-bit raw image down to 8-bit JPEG when you save it. The relatively complicated process of straightening images has been replaced by a Straighten button in the Ruler tool. Throw in the Alt or Option key and you'll straighten without cropping. (Note that to fully undo the straighten, you have to go back through your Actions panel. Ctrl/Cmd+Z won't work.)
When cropping, you can add an overlay grid after you set your crop boundaries. You can now prevent the Sharpen tool from creating artifacts by using the Protect Detail option, copy colors as a hex number, and gain a modicum of collaborative tools via the deeper hooks to Adobe's online CS Review. This crosses over tightly with Illustrator (Windows|Mac), Premiere (Windows|Mac), and InDesign (Windows|Mac).
You can now change the opacity of more than one layer at a time, create layer masks from transparent layers, and use lens correction profiles when stitching using Auto-Align in Layers. Layer settings will also remember your previous settings.
Mac users will see some specific improvements for their computers. A 64-bit Photoshop is no longer a pipe dream, with a 32GB RAM ceiling. The Finder-to-Photoshop workflow finally supports drag-and-drop, and the Cmd+H hot key will ask you whether you want to hide Photoshop or hide Extras the first time you use it. Trackpad gestures can be disabled, too.
There's no doubt that the major features changes create a strong framework for CS5, but its the addition of these detail-oriented fixes that sell the picture of CS5 as an upgrade worth getting.
Photoshop support is available on several levels. There are the free Adobe-sponsored forums, FAQs, and knowledge base articles. Given Photoshop's popularity, these should be sufficient for individual users. However, Adobe also offers per-incident support that can range in cost from $29 to $249. Technical phone support is available Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. To 7 p.m. PST, and customer service phone support is available seven days a week during the same hours.
Though this may seem stingy, Photoshop's complexity is best-suited for users who don't mind learning stuff on their own or from a forum. The Help menu also comes with a direct link to Adobe's Photoshop Support Center, which provides an Adobe AIR-based interface for accessing Adobe's collection of how-tos and community advice.
Performance
For users who didn't make the jump to CS4, the new version of Photoshop will feel like it's got jet boots on. It opens faster, opens complex raw, PSD, and TIFF images faster, and processes faster. There are still noticeable lags during resource-intensive tasks, but without a doubt it feels like a better-performing version.
For users who didn't make the jump to CS4, the new version of Photoshop will feel like it's got jet boots on. It opens faster, opens complex raw, PSD, and TIFF images faster, and processes faster. There are still noticeable lags during resource-intensive tasks, but without a doubt it feels like a better-performing version.
As noted above, CS5 is fully compatible with Mac x64, although it won't run on legacy PowerPC computers or any version of OS X older than 10.5.7. Windows XP users should have Service Pack 3, whereas Vista users are recommended to use at least Service Pack 1. Of course, Photoshop is compatible with Windows 7 as well. The minimum requirements for basic Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended are fairly rigorous, so if you've got an older computer it's recommended that you make sure it's compatible before purchasing.
Benchmarks from CNET Labs will be added to the review when they become available.
Conclusion
Because of its position as the industry standard for professional image-editing and the use of its name as a colloquialism for all kinds of image manipulation, many users mistakenly believe that Photoshop is a must-have program. It's needed for professional work, but contains far too many tools, far too much power, and is far too complicated for casual use. Not convinced? Hopefully the $699 price tag ($199 for upgrades) will scare you off. There are effective alternatives to Photoshop, including Adobe's own Photoshop Elements (Windows|Mac), as well as a multitude of freeware.
Because of its position as the industry standard for professional image-editing and the use of its name as a colloquialism for all kinds of image manipulation, many users mistakenly believe that Photoshop is a must-have program. It's needed for professional work, but contains far too many tools, far too much power, and is far too complicated for casual use. Not convinced? Hopefully the $699 price tag ($199 for upgrades) will scare you off. There are effective alternatives to Photoshop, including Adobe's own Photoshop Elements (Windows|Mac), as well as a multitude of freeware.
That said, some photographers might not want to wait for the upcoming Lightroom 3. For them and others considering upgrading or buying new, there's simply no reason not to get it. The comprehensive range of improvements to Photoshop CS5 makes this version compelling and nearly impossible to ignore.
Adobe Photoshop CS5
- Rank (4/5)
- Reviews: 547
- License: Trial version
- Downloads: 56.2k
- Version: CS5
- Compatible: Windows, macOS
Don’t know if the use of Photoshop CS5 free is totally legal? Then go on reading this post. You will discover all the important information regarding this program. Moreover, you will learn about safe methods of getting Photoshop CS5 free and examine several excellent analogs to this program.
Photoshop CS5 Free Benefits
- Remarkable workflow
- Updated HDR imaging
- Auto lens correction
- Puppet Warp
- Updated Raw processing
- Content-Aware Fill
- Saves XFL files
- Helpful guides and customer support
FAQ
- What is the price of Photoshop CS5?
As for a lifetime license, the price of Photoshop CS5 is $699 for the full version and $199 for an upgrade. But you can also use a free trial version.
- How to launch Photoshop CS5?
Select the Adobe Photoshop CS5 application file, which is supposed to be installed in the Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS5 folder.
How to launch Photoshop CS5 in 32-bit and 64-bit modes:
- Close Photoshop CS5.
- Go to the Program Files (x86) > Adobe > Adobe Photoshop CS5 folder.
- Double-click the Adobe Photoshop CS5.exe file.
- Is it still possible to use Photoshop CS5?
You still have a chance to upgrade Photoshop CS5 to CS6. $199 is the price for non-extended versions.
- Is Photoshop CS5 compatible with Windows 10?
Yes, to install Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Windows 10 – you just need to launch the setup file in Compatibility Mode for Win 7. Right-click on the file, go to Properties >Compatibility, pick Win 7 and double-click the setup file. Mind that Adobe Application Manager doesn’t work on Win 10.
- Is there a free program similar to Photoshop CS5?
Yes, you can use the mobile version of Photoshop called Photoshop Express. It is available for Android and iOS smartphones.
Another Way to Use Photoshop CS5 Free
In case you are frequently editing pictures on the go, for instance, on a smartphone, an official mobile Ps version–Adobe Photoshop Express is a must-have for you. It is available free of charge, boasts integration with Creative Cloud and even the presence of its own cloud.
- Rank (4/5)
- Reviews: 56
- License: Free
- Downloads: 23k
- Version: Express
- Compatible: iOS, Android
Photoshop Express Benefits:
- Remarkable picture collages
- Opens RAW files
- Plenty of effects and filters
- Possibility to add borders and text
- Fast corrections
- Noise elimination
- Fixes perspective
- Application of blur
Photoshop Express is a limited Ps version compatible with iOS and Android. The application provides integration with Facebook, Adobe ID management, and 3G data transfer options.
The application is praised for an intuitive interface and doesn’t require special skills. So, it will be of interest to newbies in the fields of graphic design and photography. The platform is free of charge, which is especially relevant for individuals, students, beginning professionals, employees of startups and small companies.
Pirated Version Photoshop CS5
There are many websites that offer users to download the program with an activated license for free. I would like to warn you against clicking on such links and downloading software from questionable sites. Below, I’m going to state the main reasons why you shouldn’t do it.
It Is a Crime
Perhaps someone isn’t concerned about this issue and they don’t consider the use of hacked software as something shameful. But the criminal code thinks otherwise.
- Discover how to buy Photoshop at the cheapest price.
No Tech Support
If something goes wrong after you have clicked on the “Photoshop CS5 free download” link and installed the program, you can’t configure it, or there are some problems, you are left alone with all this. Because no one will provide you with technical support – you aren’t a customer of the company that has developed this product.
If you purchase a license, you will be able to communicate with developers through technical support, solve a lot of issues directly with them and get expert advice.
- View how to get Photoshop CS6 for free.
The Absence of Updates
Using the official version, you instantly provide yourself with the latest updates. Using the Photoshop CS5 version, you may forget about updates, risk losing your personal data and downloading plenty of viruses.
Photoshop CS5 Free Alternatives
Yes, Photoshop is the most professional and powerful program among the best photo editing software for PC. But you can also find many free analogs.
1. Adobe Lr
- Possibility to manage and organize pictures
- Lens and camera correction
- Advanced tools for in-depth color correction
- Face detection and marking
- May perform unstably on weak PCs
Lightroom is the most suitable option for those who are interested in the in-depth color correction, editing of RAW pics and managing photos. Besides, many users admire Lightroom for its remarkable picture post-production feature-set along with the provided brushes and presets. All of this makes it possible to get professionally edited pictures even for novices.
The software was originally developed as a streaming tool and an addition to Photoshop for experienced shooters. But soon, it turned into individual software. Lightroom is basically meant for converting RAW files. Its functions correspond to the Camera RAW module, but the arrangement of tools is different, and the selection of tools is more varied.
- Read myComplete Lightroom Review.
2. GIMP
- Open-source
- Functions may be customized
- Rich feature- and toolset
- Works with various file types
- Functions with limits
GIMP is an optimal open-source Photoshop CS5 free analog for everyone who isn’t willing to purchase advanced image editors yet. It is perfect for performing operations at a basic level, like painting, retouching images, file conversion with different formats available, online batch image processing.
GIMP is compatible with such operating systems as Windows, Mac and Linux. Moreover, GIMP supports the majority of widespread file formats: GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF.
- Read my Full GIMP Review.
3. PhotoScape
- Speedy performance
- Decent optimization
- Support of numerous file formats
- Screen capture
- Lacks certain functions
- Edited files may lose quality
How To Get Photoshop For Free Windows 10
PhotoScape is a decent Photoshop CS5 free analog for a desktop or laptop running on the Windows operating system. In the opinion of many novice users, this software may replace Ps when it comes to many digital photo editing situations. The user space is organized in the form of bookmarks– each of them solves a specific task.
Additional sets of shapes and stickers are offered for a fee, at $0.99 per set you like. You can also purchase all paid sets at once and activate tools marked PRO for $29.99. Whether it is worth it or not is a matter of individual needs.
- Check out my Full PhotoScape Review.
4. Pixlr
- Users may download files or save them to cloud
- A Chrome App is present
- Capable of zooming via mouse wheel
- Professional filters
- The presence of ads and bugs
Pixlr is an excellent option for those who are searching for an online Photoshop CS5 free analog. Both individual users and enterprises may take advantage of this Flash-based platform without paying anything – but the situation may change in the future. Pixlr is a perfect fit for the cases when you need to make a quick edit on the move.
The application requires users to be connected to the Internet – that’s it. To start editing a picture, you only need to upload it from the device, as with any other regular picture editor. You shouldn’t worry about the security of the files uploaded online. They are set to private, along with the picture editing manipulations you make. Besides, Pixlr doesn’t save copies of the files to its system.
- Read more about Pixlr Photo Editor.
![How To Get Photoshop For Free Windows 10 How To Get Photoshop For Free Windows 10](https://i0.wp.com/www.rushinformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Photoshop-Portable-CS6-Free-Download-Windows-10-8.1-7-Offline.png?fit=1095%2C635&ssl=1&resize=1280%2C720)
Photoshop Free Trial
5. LightZone
- UI is easy to understand
- Edits pictures quickly and efficiently
- Non-destructive process
- Capable of organizing pictures
- A free registration is required
LightZone is a picture post-production program with professional capabilities. Users won’t have any trouble figuring it out and will gain full control over the process. With the help of LightZone, it is possible to perform image editing quickly and effortlessly and don’t fiddle with multiple adjustments. Moreover, plenty of shooters find LightZone useful when it comes to correcting exposure in images.
LightZone catches the eye with its non-destructive editing of images of different formats, including RAW. On the whole, it is a great Photoshop CS5 free analog due to the provided hassle-free picture post-production process.
- Read myFull Lightzone Review.
Freebies
Qualitative actions and overlays are in high demand among Photoshop CS5 users. These tools are created by skilled image editors and can enhance any image just in one click. Check out free actions and overlays that I have prepared for you below.
Double Exposure
A perfect action to merge a portrait shot with a cityscape one. You will see a seamless result within a minute.
- Read my about Photoshop CS5 Portable.
Portrait
Apply this action to portraits to add red cheeks. The action preserves all the details and textures, even enhancing them.
Light Flare
How To Get Photoshop For Free
Emphasize the initial beauty of the shot by using this overlay. It adds vibrancy and saturation to colors, making them more realistic and true-to-life.
Red Smoke
This overlay is used to enhance the visual appeal of fashion photographs. Apply it to shots that feature a dark background and lack vivid colors.
Rainbow
The rainbow effect added by this overlay is absolutely stunning. It is perfectly suitable for outdoor portraiture and landscape photography.
Download Photoshop CS5 Free
Click on this reliable “Adobe Photoshop CS5 free download” link and get the program for the PC in a legal way. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced user or a total newbie, you are sure to get a hang of this program and produce edits made at a professional level.
Ann Young
Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more