Adobe CC Express is becoming the ultimate one-stop design tool
Watch out, Canva.
Adobe has unveiled a suite of new features for Creative Cloud Express, its collection of web and mobile apps for simple design and creative tasks. And leading the charge is the new content scheduler, which lets users plan, schedule, preview, and publish social media posts all in one place.
As we noted in our Creative Cloud Express review, it’s an incredibly intuitive interface, and the fact that it can be used in-browser makes it ideal for those who don’t have the time or disk space to install large programs. Also, you can now stick with the free tier as long as you like, which is how it's already made it onto our list of the best graphic design software as the best free option right now.
"Adobe Express is deeply invested in helping people thrive in the Creator Economy, where it’s easier than ever for anyone to build an audience and monetize their content, products, and services. Building a successful social media presence with content that resonates and stands out with audiences is critical," Adobe says.
Thanks to Adobe’s recent acquisition of the social media content and planning tool ContentCal, CC Express is going to be getting some handy content management features. Users will be able to plan, schedule, preview and publish social content to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all from within CC Express, using a drag-and-drop calendar interface.
This is a feature that Canva Pro users already enjoy, and it looks like it's only coming to the paid-for tier of CC Express – free-tier users won't get to use it. You can head straight to Adobe to try out CC Express for yourself, starting on the free tier or going straight in with the paid-for option.
Other recently announced features include:
Font recommendations: CC Express will now recommend complementary fonts for a user’s design, using contextual clues to pick from the most popular fonts in Adobe’s library.
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Copy/paste shortcuts: This is a small addition, but it sounds like a useful timesaver. Copy and paste keyboard shortcuts will now allow you to quickly duplicate images, design assets, and text with preserved font and style.
Colour palette search: Adobe has made some updates to the colour palette UX, adding a search bar to make it easier to find the right colour for a particular design. Users can search by keyword, or browse Adobe’s popular palettes, and colours can be searched for by theme, holiday, emotion and more.
These updates are likely to further cement CC Express’s standing as an easy-to-use editor for a plurality of creative tasks, and addition of social media scheduling could see it taking a bigger bite out of Canva's userbase. Adobe is yet to confirm exactly when the changes are coming, but they should arrive soon. If you're interested in trying a heftier Adobe offering, then check out our guide to how to download Photoshop.
Also, if you're a student, Adobe is currently running some incredible discounts on its full Creative Cloud package, with up to 60% discounts on popular programs like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator and more. Check out all the Adobe Creative Cloud special offers to find out more.
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Jon is a freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art, technology, and the intersection of all three. When he's not scouting out news on the latest gadgets, he likes to play around with film cameras that were manufactured before he was born. To that end, he never goes anywhere without his Olympus XA2, loaded with a fresh roll of Kodak (Gold 200 is the best, since you asked). Jon is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq, and has also written for in Digital Camera World, Black + White Photography Magazine, Photomonitor, Outdoor Photography, Shortlist and probably a few others he's forgetting.
- Daniel JohnDesign Editor