Adobe Unveils Lightroom Public Beta and
Delivers New Technology for Digital Photography Workflows
Professional Photographers Instrumental in Developing New
Modular
Software to Import, Manage, Develop, and Showcase Images
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jan. 9, 2006 - Adobe Systems Incorporated
(NASDAQ:ADBE) today introduced the public beta of Adobe(r)
Lightroom(tm), an all-new digital imaging solution for
professional
photographers. With its modular, task-based and streamlined
environment, Lightroom's goal is to deliver a complete
photography
workflow. As Adobe collects more feedback from photographers,
modules
and feature sets will likely change, as customers decide on
their
popularity and priority within digital photography workflows.
Initially
available as a beta for Macintosh, Lightroom will later support
both the
Windows(r) and Macintosh platforms.
"We first showed an early version of Lightroom at the Adobe
Ideas
Conference in April 2005 to demonstrate a new streamlined
digital
photography experience, from capture to print," said Shantanu
Narayen,
president and chief operating officer of Adobe. "Today's
Lightroom Beta
leverages Adobe's renowned digital imaging innovation, in areas
such as
raw image processing, so that even in beta form photographers
will find
world class technology that complements Photoshop. We look
forward to
the feedback from the photography community as we refine the
product
over the next few months."
New Open Architecture Focuses on the Image
Lightroom Beta has been designed with a radical new user
interface that
puts the focus on what photographers really care about: the
image. With
just one click, the control panels and tools fade into the
background in
Lights-Out mode, allowing the image to take center stage. The
innovative Identity Plate feature allows photographers to apply
their
own branding to the application and its output, so that it
becomes their
own personal gallery for showcasing work. Photographers also
can
rapidly scroll through hundreds of images and Quick One-to-One
Zoom
allows instant magnification of the finer points within the
image.
"Lightroom defines the future workflow for the professional
digital
photographer," said Seth Resnick, a premier corporate, editorial
and
stock photographer. "It delivers exactly the functions
photographers
need to speed up their workflow in a way that was never before
possible."
High-Quality Raw Processing
Leveraging industry-leading Adobe Camera Raw technology,
Lightroom
supports over 100 cameras and incorporates raw conversion into a
single
workflow experience. Adobe continues to advance the state of
the art in
raw processing, as evidenced by the new split-toning controls
which
create richer black and white images. This extends
photographers'
creative control, providing new parameters for making
adjustments and
more freedom to address precise areas of the photograph on the
histogram. Upon import, files can be converted to Digital
Negative
format (DNG) or renamed and segmented by folder or date.
Images can also be showcased via slideshows with drop shadows,
borders,
Identity Plates and different colored backgrounds. The size and
position of the images can be manipulated and delivered in
Macromedia
Flash(r), Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML formats.
A
variety of templates are offered for contact sheets with the
ability to
add identity plates or produce a fine art print.
Pricing and Availability
The public debut of Lightroom Beta for Macintosh OSX 10.4.3 will
occur
at Macworld 2006 on January 10, 2006 in San Francisco at Booth
#1307 and
is available for free download from the Adobe Labs Web site at
requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4.3, 1 GHz PowerPC G4
processor, 768
MB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. Regular updates to the
software will be posted on the site, feedback will be collected
and the
final product is expected to be introduced in late 2006. Further
details
around pricing, system requirements and availability have yet to
be
determined.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and
information -
anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information,
visit
###
(c) 2006 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe,
Flash,
Lightroom, Photoshop and the Adobe logo are either registered
trademarks
or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States
and/or
other countries. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer,
Inc.,
registered in the United States and other countries. Microsoft
and
Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All
other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
