About Adobe Creative Cloud (CC)
What is Adobe CC?
CC is Adobe's full software suite manager, used for downloading and managing all their paid premium apps. This includes Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, and many many more. If you just need Acrobat Pro, you would still download it through Adobe CC.
Who has access to Adobe CC?
COE employees have been provided full access to the whole premium paid suite of software. If you are unable to access your software after following the necessary guides below then please submit a tech ticket and we will help you out!
If you do not already have Adobe CC on your machine (remember to try searching for it in your applications) then this is a link to download and install it.
Alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud
Creative Cloud graphics and video products like Photoshop and Premier are pro level tools that can be far too complex to use and learn for simple tasks. However, if you need Acrobat, you will still need Adobe CC. As an alternative for graphics and video work, we have 2 simpler premium tools that may be more usable for our staff:
A very simple web-based tool for graphic design and editing. Far less advanced than Creative Cloud but more than good enough for most people, and it is far easier to use.
As an alternative you can use Canva, which is similar to Adobe express, but less advanced and even easier to use. Most of our staff uses Canva over Express.
Troubleshooting and Learning
Are your apps only showing trial versions or not allowing installation? Then follow this extensive troubleshooting guide!
Adobe Acrobat - Application frozen with popup "Preparing document for reading"
Do you have this popup? Follow this guide!
Can't edit PDFs in Acrobat?
It may be for 3 reasons:
You're using Acrobat Pro with no license
If Acrobat is saying you need to buy a license or start a trial, you need to follow this troubleshooting guide
Almost all COE employees are entitled to an Adobe license, so something is wrong if it is asking for a license
You're using Acrobat Reader instead of Pro
Acrobat Reader is a read-only version of Acrobat that is free. If it is installed it may take priority over Acrobat Pro (which is the version we pay for and allows you to edit PDFs). Make sure to check for and uninstall Acrobat Reader (and do not reinstall)!
You're using the Acrobat Extension for Chrome
Acrobat extension does not have full capabilities and messes with the way your browser handles PDFs. We highly recommend to uninstall it!
Take a look at your Chrome Extensions toward the top right of the Chrome window and compare to the image below to see if you have the Acrobat Extension:
Have an issue regarding an Adobe product? Want to learn how to do something specific in an an Adobe app? Type in and search for the answer on this page!
For example:
How to edit PDF files
How to make a photograph black and white
How to make a GIF
And thousands more!