Is Photoshop Always the Right Answer?
Adobe Photoshop's rich, mature toolset gives users so many possible approaches. Whatever your project or visual problem—you're likely to find a way to do it.
But, it's expensive. You have to weigh that richness against your budget and likely frequency of needing those tools. I often recommend other software applications when I'm working with budget-conscious clients.
I've often recommended Pixelmator or Sketch to people who have to make their own creative, but who only do so occasionally. The caliber of both output and user experience is professional, with a much lower price. Pixelmator opens PSD files without flattening the layers. I also believe there is a tool to import AI files into Sketch unflattened, though I haven't tested it.
As a UX designer with interests in content and research, my workday is often comprised of a ton of disparate tasks. Visual design is just one, and it doesn't always make budgetary sense for me to subscribe to Photoshop for a given project. Also, Sketch is generally more popular in my industry right now.
It's also surprising what you can get Apple Pages to do in terms of layout. I've recommended it to arts organizations and non-profits, focusing on teaching design principles instead of software. They end up with professional quality creative over which they maintain control.
Photoshop: $600/year for individuals ($50/month)
Sketch: $99/year
Pixelmator Cost: $30 (MacOS) and $5 (iOS)—neither a subscription
Pages: $19.99 (MacOS) —with a free iOS app
Adobe does a lower rate of about $30/monthfor students and teachers — but, I'm not a qualifying student or a teacher at the moment. Even if I were, it would take a pretty specific reason to alter my established workflow.
I'm happy re-up my Adobe Creative Cloud subscription when it makes sense for a project. But, people whose budgets can't sustain its cost don't need to fear using solid products like Pixelmator and Sketch instead. They will be happy with those tools' usability and output quality, with minimal learning curves.
— October 2017
