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Download Free Version Of Adobe Muse - Create And Publish Web Sites Without Learning Code
August 15, 2011
Adobe has launched a free version of Muse, an app built on the AIR platform that will let you create and publish web sites without having to learn code. You simply mock-up a site like you would in InDesign or Photoshop and then go straight to publishing without having to have a developer code anything.
The inspiration came from a survey that found that 50% of graphic designers still do mainly print work and would love to branch out to the web without having to learn coding.
Here are some FAQ entries from the official Muse site:
When will the Muse (code name) public beta finish?
Muse (code name) will be available as a public beta until we release Version 1, which is anticipated to be in early 2012, at which time customers will need to purchase the application if they want to continue authoring web sites with Muse.
Will Muse be the name of this product?
No. Muse is a code name. We are working with the Adobe branding team to determine the final name of this product.
Why will Muse (code name) be sold by subscription only?
Muse will be sold only by subscription because it will allow the Muse team to improve the product more quickly and be more responsive to your needs. Traditionally Adobe builds up a collection of new features over 12, 18 or 24 months, then makes those changes available as a major upgrade. It is anticipated that new updates of Muse will be released much more frequently, probably quarterly. New features will be made available when they're ready, not held to be part of an annual or biannual major upgrade. This will enable us to stay on top of browser and device compatibility issues and web design trends, as well as enabling us to respond to feature requests and market changes in a much more timely fashion.
How much will Muse (code name) cost?
Muse (code name) will be offered at no charge during the public beta period. It is anticipated that version 1 of Muse will be released in early 2012 at which time customers will need to purchase a license to the application if they want to continue authoring websites with Muse. Adobe anticipates that Muse will be available by subscription only. This will allow us to add new features to Muse regularly and customers will have access to the most up to date functionality which is critical when building standards-based content. Adobe anticipates that Muse will be available as a one-year or month-to-month subscription plan at the following price points:
• One-year for US$180/year (or $15/month)
• Month-to-month for US$20/month
Can I develop sites in Muse (code name) without purchasing the Creative Suite® products?
If you build a site using Muse you need not own any of the Creative Suite applications. Muse will be licensed separately from the Creative Suite on a monthly or annual subscription basis. During the public and private beta testing period Muse can be used to create finished sites for no charge, but subscription pricing will kick in when the product officially ships (in early 2012). Keep in mind that hosting the web site, be it on Adobe's Business Catalyst platform or some third party hosting provider, will be a separate additional charge.
How much will it cost to host my site with Adobe?
The cost to host your site with Adobe Business Catalyst is currently US$9/month.
When the Muse (code name) public beta ends, what will happen to any sites that I’ve published?
If the site you have published is hosted on Adobe® Business Catalyst® as a trial that trial will expire 30 days after the first time you published it from Muse. If in turn you have published and paid to upgrade your Business Catslyst hosted site, or have chosen to host your Muse site with a third party hosting provider, your site will continue to function as it does now. If at some time in the future you would like to make changes to your web site design you will need an active subscription to Muse in order to open the design, update it, then re-publish it to your web hosting provider.
Will Muse address all my clients' needs, or will I end up hand-coding everything?
The assumption is that if Muse can't do all of it, then the entire site needs to be redone with everything hand-coded. That's generally not the case, but it would clearly depend on the specific needs of the site. Today Muse is a great tool for creating websites with high quality visual design and no CMS integration. That will likely change as we add CMS integration and explore enabling creation of websites for mobile and tablets. Just like in the early days of Desktop Publishing when PageMaker could only create a small subset of all the possible typeset publications in the world, Muse today can only create a subset of all the possible websites. However, for website in that subset, it's a far more efficient tool than hand coding.
I plan to upgrade to Lion are there any issues related to Muse that I need to worry about?
We’re currently testing our latest builds with Lion. So far it's a relative thumbs up. We're isolating a bug related to Mission Control and multiple desktops. If you plan on using those Lion features, make sure to place both the palettes and the main app window in the same "desktop". We’ll update our FAQ when we’ve completed testing.
Can I install Muse on Linux OS?
At the time of this writing, there are no plans to certify Muse for Linux. However, Muse is an Adobe AIR® application and AIR does support Linux. Therefore it may be possible to install Muse and run it on Linux, but there will likely be Linux-specific bugs. While we cannot commit to fixing them, if you do choose to attempt to use Muse on Linux we would be interested to learn what bugs you encounter.
Does Muse support Search Engine Optimization?
Muse is designed to generate search engine friendly code. For example, Muse offers the ability to customize keywords. You can set Meta Data tags by updating the Page Properties, to add keywords that are relevant to your site's content. When you work with text content, you define and use relevant HTML block tags to create structured text, such as H1, H2, etc.
Search engines look for well formatted page containers in the code and parse the relevant text content from headers to use when assigning page ranking. Additionally, Muse includes automatic and manual use of ALT text for images, proper semantic markup using unordered lists for menus, widgets etc. These are all important factors to improve the searchability of the published site.
The Business Catalyst platform also has the ability to automatically generate sitemaps and specify if the site is indexable by search engine crawlers. We plan to eventually make this available for Muse generated websites. Search engine optimization though is a quickly changing field and search providers are constantly tweaking and changing their search algorithms. (They make revisions to how pages are ranked, and may ignore overloaded keywords). When optimizing your site's SEO, an effective strategy is to have meaningful content with effective copy that generates lots of incoming links.
What browsers will my Muse designs by compatible with?
Muse creates cross-browser compatible code for you, so that you can focus on your design. The Muse team currently tests and optimizes output for the following browsers:
· Firefox 4.0 and 5.0 for Mac and Windows
· Internet Explorer 7, 8 and 9 for Windows
· Safari 5 for Mac
· Chrome for Windows
What languages is Muse (code name) public beta available in?
Muse (code name) will be available only in english during the public beta period.
Will Muse (code name) be available in other languages in future?
We plan to localize Muse in more languages in time for our early 2012 launch. We’re still confirming the list of languages and will publish that list once the plan is finalized.
Where can I get help with a technical question?
We have a community powered support system at muse.adobe.com/support. There are already hundreds of questions that have been answered, and if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for you can post a question to the community. The site is monitored by Muse team members as well as an active community of Muse prerelease testers.
Do I have to host my website with Adobe?
If you wish to host a website created in Muse on a platform other than Adobe Business Catalyst you can use the File > Export HTML feature to create a local copy of all the files for your website which you can then FTP up to the hosting provider of your choice.
Is it possible to host sites created with Muse with other hosting providers?
Yes, you can use Muse to build sites and then publish them with a different host provider. Follow these steps: Choose File > Export to HTML. Export the site files to a local folder on your machine. Use Adobe® Dreamweaver® or a third-party FTP client to connect to the host provider using your client's account information. Use an FTP application to upload the site files to the server.
Where are your data centers located?
Adobe Business Catalyst operates data centers in 3 different continents to help our customers get optimum response times from their websites. Our data centers are located in:
• North America (New Jersey, USA)
• Europe (Dublin, Ireland)
• Asia Pacific (Sydney, Australia)
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onOne Photoshop Plugins Sale - Plus Exclusive 10% Discount
onOne has launched a big sale that has reduced the prices of every one of their plugins. Visit onOne for full product descriptions. And if you decide to purchase one of their plugins, use our exclusive discount code - PSSPPT06 - for an additional 10% discount. Here's a list of the sale prices (before our 10% discount is applied):
Perfect Photo Suite $299.95 / $149.95 (upgrade)
Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 includes all of the onOne Software products and works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture. Five of the products in the Suite even work as stand-alone applications now.
Perfect Resize 7 $199.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
The next generation of Genuine Fractals is still the industry standard for image enlargement. Works with Photoshop CS5, Lightroom, and Aperture or as a stand-alone application.
Perfect Layers $69.95
Perfect Layers is the fast and easy way to bring a layered workflow to Lightroom and Aperture. Perfect Layers works with Lightroom and Aperture or as a standalone application.
FocalPoint $99.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
Add realistic depth of field to your images. Works with Photoshop CS5, Lightroom, and Aperture or as a stand-alone application.
PhotoTune $99.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
Getting great color in your images is not as hard as you think. Works with Photoshop CS5, Lightroom, and Aperture or as a stand-alone application.
Mask Pro 4 $99.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
For removing unwanted backgrounds, Mask Pro is the Photoshop plugin recommended by Advanced Photoshop magazine. Works as a plug-in for Photoshop.
PhotoTools $99.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
Instantly give your photos the professional look. Works as a Photoshop plug-in.
PhotoFrame $99.95 / $69.95 (upgrade)
Add the perfect finishing touch to your photos or create an album layout design. Works with Photoshop CS5, Lightroom, and Aperture or as a stand-alone application.
Exclusive 15% Discount On Topaz Plugins, Bundles And Upgrades
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code PHOTOSHOPSUPPORT during the checkout process at Topaz Labs for an instant 15% discount on any Topaz product, including bundles and upgrades.
Topaz Labs Photoshop plug-ins are specifically designed to expand a photographer's creative toolbox by harnessing powerful image technology developments. Photographers everywhere are now taking advantage of the creative exposure effects, artistic simplification, unique edge manipulation, and top-of-the-line noise reduction offered in Topaz products. The Topaz Photoshop Plugins Bundle is a super powerful Photoshop plugins package that includes the following Topaz products:
Topaz Adjust
Deliver stunning and dynamic images with this uniquely powerful plug-in that features HDR-like abilities and enhances exposure, color and detail.
Topaz InFocus
Topaz InFocus uses the latest advancements in image deconvolution technology to restore, refine and sharpen image detail.
Topaz Detail
A three-level detail adjustment plug-in that specializes in micro-contrast enhancements and sharpening with no artifacts.
Topaz ReMask
The fastest and most effective masking and extraction program with one-click mask refining.
Topaz DeNoise
Highest-quality noise reduction plug-in that removes the most noise and color noise while preserving the most image detail.
Topaz Simplify
Provides creative simplification, art effects, and line accentuation for easy one-of-a-kind art.
Topaz Clean
Take control of the detail depth of your images with extensive smoothing, texture control and edge enhancement tools.
Topaz DeJPEG
Drastically improves the quality of web images and other compressed photos.
Learn more about the Topaz Photoshop Plugins Bundle. Download a free trial version.
Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask - Exclusive Instant Discount
The 4 1/2 out of 5 star review of Fluid Mask at MacWorld begins by saying that this "Photoshop plug-in takes the pain out of extracting backgrounds," and goes on to recommend the latest version, stating that "Fluid Mask is a very effective tool for separating objects from their backgrounds. It offers a variety of useful features for tackling almost any difficult image, from wispy hair to complex foliage. Online video tutorials and live training sessions help ease the learning curve."
Our friends at Vertus, the makers of Fluid Mask Photoshop Plugin, have set up a special exclusive discount for PhotoshopSupport.com. Go to our Fluid Mask page for a special, exclusive discount link.
Fluid Mask is designed for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously. In a streamlined interface and workflow, Fluid Mask instantly shows key edges in the image and provides comprehensive easy to use tools that work with difficult-to-see edges and tricky areas like trees & lattices. Fluid Mask will also preserve all-important edge information for a professional quality cut out. Go to our Fluid Mask page for more info.
Special Deals On Nik Software Photoshop Plugins - Viveza, Complete Collection - 15% DISCOUNT COUPONS
Follow the links below and the 15% discount will be AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED to any purchase you make, or use our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for the instant 15% discount. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, and The Complete Collection (big savings).
Nik Software The Complete Collection (Plugins Bundle)
The Complete Collection includes all of Nik Software's latest award-winning plug-in software titles for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture including: Dfine, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Sharpener Pro.
The Complete Collection features products with Nik Software's patented U Point® technology, giving photographers the most powerful tools for precise and natural photographic enhancements and corrections without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.
The Complete Collection is offered in two editions: (1) the Complete Collection Ultimate Edition includes support for every plug-in to work in Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture, and offers Color Efex Pro 3.0 to work in Capture NX 2 as well. (2) the Complete Collection for Lightroom and Aperture includes support for each plug-in to only work in Lightroom and Aperture. Click here to compare both editions
Color Efex Pro 3.0
52 photographic filters with over 250 effects for professional quality images.
Completely Original. Completely Indispensable.
Nik Software Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. The award-winning Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are widely used by many of today's professional photographers around the world to save time and get professional level results. Whether you choose the Complete Edition, Select Edition, or Standard Edition, you’ll get traditional and stylizing filters that offer virtually endless possibilities to enhance and transform images quickly and easily.
Patented U Point technology provides the ultimate control to selectively apply enhancements without the need for any complicated masks, layers or selections. Control color, light and tonality in your images and create unique enhancements with professional results. With 52 filters and over 250 effects found in Color Efex Pro 3.0, you can perform high quality retouching, color correction, and endless creative enhancements to your photographs. Download a free Trial version.
Viveza
The most powerful tool to selectively control color and light in photographic images without the need for complicated selections or layer masks.
Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.
U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing. Download a free Trial version.
Silver Efex Pro
Complete power and control to create professional quality black and white images in one convenient tool.
Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your photographs. For the first time, all the advanced power and control required for professional results have been brought together in one convenient tool.
Featuring Nik Software’s patented U Point technology to selectively control the tonality and contrast of the image, Silver Efex Pro includes advanced imaging algorithms to protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black and white film types, a variable toning selector for adding traditional toning techniques, over 20 one-click preset styles, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine that help produce the highest quality black and white images possible from your color images while providing more freedom to experiment. Download a free Trial version to use Silver Efex Pro.
HDR Efex Pro
Experience the power, control, and creative expression of HDR. This all in one toolkit lets you achieve your best HDR images ever, ranging from the realistic to artistic.
HDR Efex Pro is the essential new standard for creating amazingly high quality realistic to artistic HDR images with a revolutionary new all-in-one workflow. HDR Efex Pro includes a vast selection of one-click visual presets for incredibly fast results, advanced tone mapping algorithms, powerful and detailed HDR controls, and patented U Point® technology
Follow our discount coupon links, or enter our exclusive discount coupon code - NIKPSS - during the checkout process at Nik Software for the instant 15% discount. This exclusive discount coupon code can be applied to all the latest Nik Software Photoshop plugins, including Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, and The Complete Collection (big savings).
Site Grinder Web Design Tool
There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.
Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.
Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, SiteGrinder turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, SiteGrinder is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks. Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download.
WordPress Photoshop Plug-in Creates Wordpress Blogs & Sites
Designers can now create PSD to WordPress Themes in Photoshop with Media Lab's NEW SG3xpress for Wordpress Photoshop plug-in. In addition, Media Lab has released the SG3xpress Add-on for its SiteGrinder 3 for users who wish to add advanced blog and WordPress Theme-building to the already powerful SiteGrinder 3 website creation software.
If you know Photoshop then you already know enough to start creating WordPress themes and blogs for yourself and your clients. Creating a blog or a WordPress site in Photoshop is easy with SG3xpress. Now you can go directly to WordPress with your design saving even more time and money for yourself and your clients.
Free Plugins And Extras For Photographers And Designers - onOne Free Products - Fully Functional, No Expiry Date
onOne is offering some nice free products for photographers and designers. This software is not the same as the demo products they also offer. These free downloads are fully functional and do not expire. Customers who download these products will also receive special promotional pricing from onOne. The free products include the following:
PhotoTools 2.5 Free Edition - Add a professional look to your photos with the PhotoTools 2.5 Free Edition plug-in for Photoshop. Includes 26 professional-grade actions and photographic effects to make your images stand out from the crowd.
PhotoFrame 4.5 Free Edition - Add the perfect finishing touch to your photos with the PhotoFrame 4.5 Free plug-in for Photoshop. Includes 30 professional-grade edges, backgrounds, textures, adornments, and even full-page album layouts. Discover a whole new way to get outstanding results inside of Photoshop.
Perfect Presets for LightRoom - Designed to provide a streamlined workflow and make you more creative, these presets for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom were designed to help you get the most out of Lightroom.
Perfect Presets for Aperture - Designed to provide a streamlined workflow and make you more creative, these presets for Aperture 3 were designed to help you get the most out of Aperture.
Perfect Presets for Camera Raw - Designed to provide a streamlined workflow and make you more creative, these presets for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) were designed to help you get the most out of your Raw images in Adobe Photoshop.
Free Photoshop Templates - Album templates, layouts, backgrounds and edges to save you time in Photoshop.
lynda.com Online Training Library - View Free Video Clips
Subscriptions to the lynda.com Online Training Library provide anytime access to tens of thousands of video tutorials covering Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, web design, digital imaging, 3D, digital video, animation, and many other topics. View free video clips.
For less than a dollar a day, members have the opportunity to stay current and keep skills sharp, learn innovative and productive techniques, and gain confidence and marketability - all at their own pace. Premium subscriptions include instructors’ exercise files so that members can follow along with the exact examples onscreen. Customers learn at their own pace and may stop, rewind, and replay segments as often as necessary. View some free video clips (high resolution).
