Who is Photoshop Beta for?
Tuesday 27 May 2025, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 3,524 views | 1 commentThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
If you use Adobe software, you won't have missed the manufacturer's advertising for Photoshop Beta. Who is this version of Photoshop suitable for?
Photoshop is part of Adobe's photography plan. It is a programme suitable for complex photo edits that aren't possible in Lightroom. Or they are simply more efficient in Photoshop.
Photoshop is much more than carrying out complex photo edits. It allows you to manipulate photos. You can create drawings, do 3D edits, or design leaflets and flyers. Although there are more specialised software packages for that too.
For a photographer, it's simple. You work in Photoshop, in combination with Adobe Camera Raw. Or you work in Photoshop through Lightroom, which ultimately comes down to the same thing. If you can't do something in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom, you choose Photoshop.
So what about Photoshop Beta? To answer that, you first need to know what a beta version of software means. A beta version is a test version. It is software intended for testing new features.
A beta version of software can therefore contain errors. Features may not work properly, or the programme may crash. That is the purpose of a beta version. It is there to discover those errors. Once the (majority of) errors have been found and fixed, it can be introduced in the normal version.
Photoshop Beta is such a test version. It is where new features are tested to remove errors. If you use this version, you will of course have the latest features available first. But the programme may crash, show errors, or produce unexpected results.
Also bear in mind that a feature in the beta version will not necessarily be the same when it is officially introduced. It may look different, be more extensive, or the opposite. That can be confusing, especially if you integrate such a feature into your workflow.
Do you enjoy trying out the latest features first? Then Photoshop Beta is for you. The idea is that you also provide feedback, although I expect most people won't be quick to do that.
Are you using Photoshop for serious work, for example for clients or your own portfolio? Then having a good, stable version is more important than the latest features. In that case, it's better to stay away from any beta version.
Do you want to start using or trying out the beta version of Photoshop? You can install it alongside the regular version. Click the 'apps' icon in the Creative Cloud app, and select the beta tab.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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1 comment
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PvRFotografie
wrote on Wednesday 4 June 2025 at 08:33
| reply
Ik heb ook Ps beta naast de gewone Ps. Interessant om te kijken naar de nieuwe functies die er aan komen. Zoals bijvoorbeeld de nieuwe layout van het action-panel of de nieuwe adjustment brush tool, selection brush tool of Ai functies.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.
Wat ik persoonlijk irritant vind is dat iedere keer na een update van Ps Beta de functie "openen met" wordt overschreven naar Ps Beta i.p.v. de gewone Ps. Dat kan je in Mac OS wel weer terugzetten maar dat moet dan bij de .PSD .PSB en ieder type raw-file opnieuw doen. In mijn geval heb ik Raw-files van verschillende merken cameras, dus dat is vaak een extra handeling. Alleen in Bridge kan je wel aangeven om raw-files te standaard openen met Ps maar dus niet bij dubbel klikken op een file.
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