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Introduction
All students, faculty, and staff have access to web-based tools included in Adobe Acrobat Studio.
Additionally, faculty and staff have access to Adobe Creative Cloud Pro Plus, including Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Acrobat Pro includes every tool you could need for working with PDF files.
- Adobe Creative Cloud Pro Plus includes Adobe Express and Firefly for quick and AI-enhanced production of visual communications, as well as pro tools like Photoshop, Premiere, and InDesign, among others, for fine-tuned control of every aspect of your creative project.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Project
Before you sign in to use Adobe apps, you must determine which version of the app best serves your purposes: a web-native version you use in a browser window, or one installed locally on your computer.
While full-featured applications like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator offer advanced editing capabilities, novices or users seeking quick graphics, simple page layouts, or light content generation should start with web-based tools:
- Adobe Express: Use Adobe Express for quick graphics, page layouts, and basic photo or video editing without a steep learning curve.
- Adobe Firefly: Use Adobe Firefly to generate images and text effects using simple generative AI prompts.
- Adobe Acrobat: Use Adobe Acrobat to view, edit, create, sign, and convert PDF documents.
For those who prefer full control over every element in a project and have time to acquire all of the necessary skills, use the full Creative Cloud apps. Some Creative Cloud apps—Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom—are available in web-native editions that run entirely in a browser. Before you download and install any of those three, consider experimenting with the web-based versions to see if they meet your needs. If so, avoid installing those apps to conserve hard drive space.
Next Steps
Learn how to log in and start using web-native versions in the Running Adobe Apps in a Web Browser knowledge base article.
Learn how to use the Creative Cloud desktop app to install apps such as Photoshop or Premiere in the Installing Adobe Apps knowledge base article.
Find resources for learning to use the Creative Cloud apps in the Software Training & Support Resources knowledge base article.