Adobe Systems Inc. today announced the release of the Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit (SDK), which enables developers around the globe to create mobile as well as tablet applications that interact with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software.

 

This newly released Photoshop Touch SDK and new scripting engine in Photoshop CS5, allows Android-, BlackBerry Tablet OS- and iOS apps to interact with Photoshop on the PC.

 

The company itself employed this Touch SDK to develop the first three Photoshop CS5 companion apps for Apple’s iPad: Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop.

 

Adobe Color Lava enables creative professionals to employ their iPad to mix colors, resulting in custom colour swatches as well as themes. These can then be transferred into Photoshop (on their PC). Adobe Eazel allows digital artists to create realistic paintings on the iPad and also introduces a new kind of interaction between “wet” and “dry” paints. These paintings can be sent directly to Photoshop CS5 for compositing or further creative alterations.

 

The final app, Adobe Nav, boosts workflow efficiency by enabling users to select and control Photoshop tools by utilising their iPad as the input surface, customise the toolbar, browse and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop files or easily create new files.

 

“Our research shows that creatives are adopting tablets faster than any other group and we heard loud and clear that they want to use their devices to interact with Photoshop, the tool they depend on most of all,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Solutions, Adobe.

 

“The apps that we announced today show some of the creative ways tablets can work with Photoshop and over the next few months Photoshop’s vibrant developer community is going to dazzle us with innovative apps that further integrate tablet devices into creative workflows.”

 

Developers can access the free Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK as of today for Windows and Mac OS platforms on the Adobe Application Manager via the company’s website. The Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav applications for Photoshop are expected to be available in early May 2011, with prices ranging from $1.99-$4.99 (around R13-R33), via iTunes App Store.