Introduction
Among Adobe’s lineup of creative software, Creative Cloud Express is one of their only browser-based applications, giving users the power to create and access their content on the go without an application download. If you are looking for a mobile experience, they also offer this service as an app for both phones and tablets.
Creative Cloud Express is designed to be a quick, easy, and approachable way to create multimedia content with options to design posts for both Facebook and Instagram (and additionally Instagram stories), posters and flyers, logos, youtube thumbnails, collages and so much more. Opposed to its other Adobe siblings like Illustrator and Photoshop, Creative Cloud Express streamlines the creation process with drag and drop functionality and full libraries of ready-to-use templates, photos, icons, and other design assets.
Background
Originally introduced in 2016 as Adobe Spark, it came as an amalgamation of three existing mobile apps, Adobe Post(Graphic), Adobe Slate(Photo), and Adobe Voice(Video). With the combination of these forces came a powerful in-browser content creation experience targeted towards anyone looking to design for social media.
It carried the name Adobe Spark until December 2021, when it was updated and rebranded as Adobe Creative Cloud Express. With the update, more functionalities were added, pulling aspects from applications like Adobe Acrobat as well as adding better cross-application integration with photoshop and illustrator.
Process
To begin using Adobe creative Cloud Express, Adobe has a collection of tutorials to help you get started. From how to select and move layers to how to invite project collaboration and setting up google drive integration, this small library of 14 videos, each less than 60 seconds long, is the perfect way to get your feet on the ground.
Additionally, Adobe provides user guides for learning how to remove backgrounds from images, resize images, convert videos to gif format, and more.
Brand information
Adobe Creative Cloud Express has both a free-to-use version and an upgraded premium version. Currently, the premium subscription is offered with a 3-month free trial and then a monthly charge of US$9.99 or a yearly charge of US$99.99. As of January 2022, access to premium features is not included with a standard Creative Cloud All App subscription.
Below is a chart comparing the functionality between the Free and Premium plans:
|
Free |
Premium |
|
|
Templates, Design Assets, and Adobe Fonts |
Limited access to only free-to-use content |
Complete access to both free and premium content. Access to over 20,000 licensed Adobe Fonts, curved type, grids, and font pairs |
|
Adobe Stock |
Limited access to only free-to-use photos |
Complete access to the entire collection of over 160 million royalty-free Adobe Stock collection |
|
Editing and Photo Effects |
Basic editing and photo effects including remove background and animate |
Access to all free editing and photo effect features as well as Premium features like refine cutout, resize, and graphic groups |
|
Conversion Features |
None included with this plan |
Complete access to features to convert & export to and from PDFs and other file types |
|
Web and Mobile Access |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Additional Application Access? |
None |
With a premium plan, you also gain access to premium features within the Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe Photoshop Express, Adobe Spark Video, and Adobe Spark Page applications |
|
Storage |
2GB |
100GB |
References
1Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Adobe Spark). (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/express/
2Adobe Creative Cloud Plans, Pricing, and Membership. (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html#edu-cc-all-apps-includes
3Pricing | Adobe Creative Cloud Express. (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/express/pricing
4TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands. (2016a, May 19). TechCrunch. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/19/adobe-debuts-spark-a-suite-of-mobile-and-web-tools-that-lets-anyone-create-visual-content/
5TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands. (2016b, May 19). TechCrunch. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/19/adobe-debuts-spark-a-suite-of-mobile-and-web-tools that-lets-anyone-create-visual-content/
6Tutorials | Adobe Creative Cloud Express. (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved January 1, 2022, from https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/tutorials