Probably the most notable new feature is the Content Aware tool which makes editing Photoshop more "intelligent" plus there's a new design and a streamlined interface. In addition, basic video editing functions have been added for the first time.

When you first open Adobe Photoshop CS6, the most eye-catching thing is the revamped colorful user interface. However, if you don't like the new look, you can revert to the old grey interface via Preferences - Interface. Beyond this however, there are some useful new features.

Content Aware

Content Aware intelligently moves selected objects and adjusts them accordingly with the background or surrounding objects. This enables you to simply drag and drop objects in Photoshop much more easily without having to readjust the background. Don't like the position of a person in an image? Just move them to another position instantly and the background automatically adjusts.

Video Editing

Adobe Photoshop CS6 brings video editing to Photoshop for the first time. Its integrated with all of Photoshop's traditional tools which makes it very powerful when it comes to retouching scenes, adjusting colors and filter sets etc. It also allows you to add audio tracks although it's not very advanced otherwise.

Bridge file browser and Mini Bridge

Adobe Photoshop CS6 features a more powerful file browser which allows you to sort and manage pictures according to specific metadata. The fully integrated file browser with thumbnail previews photos quickly and opens them instantly for easier library management.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 brings some interesting new features to this powerful photo editing software. Particularly interesting is the Content Aware function which makes retouching and manipulating photos incredibly easy.

Download Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended 13.0.1.1 in Softonic

The new Adobe Illustrator CS6 uses the same interface style as the rest of applications in the Adobe suite: a clean, almost minimalist window with reduced toolbars, nested windows and support for tabbed documents – which makes it easier for you to work on several projects simultaneously.

Adobe Illustrator is the perfect tool for all kinds of design. Whether you’re a professional web designer or you just want to create a poster and some invites for a friend’s party, your creativity will be boosted with Adobe Illustrator's impressive set of drawing tools, brushes, color processing tools and gradient effects – not to mention the wide array of filters and special effects with which you can add the final touch to your drawing.

As with any other vector drawing tool, Adobe Illustrator feels really complex for first-time users: toolbars full of strange icons, many new functions and features to learn... Luckily the program includes a bunch of templates to get you started, as well as a thorough help section where you'll find the answer to all your doubts and problems.

Adobe Illustrator is seamlessly integrated with other Adobe tools (such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Dreamweaver), something that makes your work more powerful if you're already used to working with Adobe apps.

Adobe Illustrator is the reference when it comes to vector designing and drawing. It features an impressive set of tools, filters and effects and is perfectly integrated with other Adobe apps.

Download Adobe Illustrator CS6 16.0 in Softonic

Most notable is the Content Aware tool which makes editing Photoshop more "intelligent" plus there's a new design and a streamlined interface. In addition, basic video editing functions have been added for the first time.

When you first open Adobe Photoshop CS6, the most eye-catching thing is the revamped colorful user interface. However, if you don't like the new look, you can revert to the old grey interface via Preferences - Interface. Beyond this however, there are some useful new features:

Content Aware

Content Aware intelligently moves selected objects and adjusts them accordingly with the background or surrounding objects. This enables you to simply drag and drop objects in Photoshop much more easily without having to readjust the background. Don't like the position of a person in an image? Just move them to another position instantly and the background automatically adjusts.

Video Editing

Adobe Photoshop CS6 brings video editing to Photoshop for the first time. Its integrated with all of Photoshop's traditional tools which makes it very powerful when it comes to retouching scenes, adjusting colors and filter sets etc. It also allows you to add audio tracks although it's not very advanced otherwise.

Bridge file browser and Mini Bridge

Adobe Photoshop CS6 features a more powerful file browser which allows you to sort and manage pictures according to specific metadata. The fully integrated file browser with thumbnail previews photos quickly and opens them instantly for easier library management.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 brings some interesting new features to this powerful photo editing software. Particularly interesting is the Content Aware function which makes retouching and manipulating photos incredibly easy. Please note however that this beta version may be unstable and if you need a reliable version, its recommended to use the stable Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Download Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended 13.0 Beta in Softonic

With Adobe InDesign you'll be able to create all sorts of documents, from simple flyers to complete ebooks, as well as labels, brochures, presentations, certificates, newsletters and more. This new version also lets you adds interactivity to your creations by inserting video and sound, and then exporting the result as Flash (SWF) or an interactive PDF.

The latest version of Adobe InDesign includes important new features that will enhance your workflow and boost your productivity. The new simplified object selection, for example, makes it easier to control objects in your document. Also, the perfect integration of Adobe InDesign with the new Adobe CS Review (part of the new CS Live online services) helps you share your work and receive feedback from colleagues and customers in a very easy way.

Like in any other Adobe application, the learning curve in Adobe InDesign is quite a steep one, but the results are worth the effort. The program is thoroughly documented, so as long as you're willing to learn, you'll be making the most of Adobe InDesign in a relatively short period of time – especially if you're used to other Adobe apps, as Adobe InDesign makes use of the same interface style.

With Adobe InDesign CS6 you'll be able to design professional-looking layouts both for printing and digital publishing.

Download Adobe InDesign CS6 in Softonic

As long as you have some degree of artistic talent, it's possible to give your digital photos a creative new look by applying effects to them. DreamLight Photo Editor is a program dedicated to helping you do just that, and adding special effects is as easy as opening a photo, then viewing the preview of an effect before selecting it to apply it to your image.

There are dozens of different filters to choose from in DreamLight Photo Editor and all are clearly divided into different categories. One of the best things about DreamLight Photo Editor is the fact that you can apply as many effects to the same image as you please, giving you the ability to get very creative (though, of course, it's easy to go overboard sometimes).

Annoyingly, the Undo feature in DreamLight Photo Editor only removes the last effect you applied, so we often found ouselves having to restart if the combination of filters we added didn't look right. Despite its name, DreamLight Photo Editor doesn't actually include any image editing tools, meaning that you'll still need to use an external graphics app to process any other changes after you've added the effects.

It's much easier to use than Photoshop, but if you have the Adobe app already then you certainly won't need DreamLight Photo Editor.

Download DreamLight Photo Editor 4.2 in Softonic

Download Adobe Photoshop CS2 update 9.0.2 in Softonic

Let's make a point: we are not talking about fine design here. The only cute available templates are the cartoon ones. The Holiday, Travel and Sport ones are a fairly basic and I wouldn't recommend them if you are looking for something slightly cool or stylish. That said, if you are not too fussy, they will save you lots of time when you have to make an announcement to your acquaintances.

A nice feature allows you to upload a photo which you can resize and rotate so that it will fit exactly the apposite photo space in the template. The program automatically takes care of the card's layer level as sometimes your picture will be surrounded by stars and circles. It is also possible to modify the default text which is useful considering it is often miswritten. The good news is that you can download more cartoon themes!

Photo Card Maker will let you create lovely cartoon photo cards to send around in image format. It is very easy and fast to make announcements or best wishes with this free program, so if you like cartoon-style cards, don't hesitate longer and give it a try.

Download Photo Card Maker 1.0.1 in Softonic

Download Inkscape 0.48.2 in Softonic

If you want to display your drawings online, you have two options: either scan hard copies of your drawings or draw them directly on your computer. TwistedBrush Open Studio lets you do the latter in impressive fashion once you learn how to use it.

If you have already tried the full version of TwistedBrush, you may find TwistedBrush Open Studio quite limited. While it has many of the same features, TwistedBrush Open Studio has conspicuously fewer paint brushes available. Several of the more detailed brushes are available for add-on with a purchase however. Some of these include Fractal Brushes, Pro Clips, Pro Trees and Plants, Blender Brushes and Art Tool Brushes.

TwistedBrush Open Studio can also be a little tricky to learn how to use. While it comes with a quick-start guide that opens upon start-up, this guide is primarily made up of screenshots. If you need more information than what's provided within each shot, there are no links to click. There's also no select tool, which many users have become accustomed to with Adobe Photoshop. This could take some getting used to.

That said, the brush selection is still pretty impressive, and you can create some fantastic pieces of digital art with TwistedBrush Open Studio. It just takes some practice!

Despite including only basic tools, TwistedBrush Open Studio offers a great means by which to create digital artwork from scratch on your PC.

Download TwistedBrush Open Studio 17.24 in Softonic

ArtRage faithfully recreates the effect of drawing on canvas with the drawing board taking-up your whole screen. Tools such as pencil, airbrush, chalk and paintbrush are all easily available but whichever one you use, it is the realistic canvas feel which really impresses. The latest release has been improved further with the addition of watercolor, text, and sticker spray editing options. Optimally, ArtRage would be best utilized with a drawing tablet but without one, its still pretty good.

If you haven't got a steady hand, then ArtRage even lets you cheat by tracing around real images. Indeed, the attention to detail goes as far as allowing you to experiment with metallic paint for gold leafing, sprinkling glitter and filling in large areas with the paint roller. Smudging and smearing also add to the impressive artistic touches possible with this app.

The main frustration with ArtRage is simply that many of the mouthwatering features are only available in the full version which you have to purchase and this demo will only give you a flavor of what it can really offer.

ArtRage is an excellent artists application which brings a more authentic artistic experience for purists.

Download ArtRage Studio Pro Demo 3.0.8 in Softonic

Artweaver is the perfect tool to give free rein to your imagination and creativity. It includes more than a dozen different brushes – each of them with their own tweaks and settings - to create all sorts of effects. The brushes try to convey the feeling and result of using actual drawing tools, and I have to say they do a pretty good job!

Some of the brushes included in Artweaver are acrylics, chalk, charcoal, felt pens, pastels, oils and pencils, among others. There are also a few special filters and adjustments you can use when editing images, but the program's main focus is on drawing.

Artweaver stands out for some other interesting features, like support for layers and transparency, a history windows like the one in Photoshop and a comfortable, customizable interface.

Artweaver is a powerful drawing tool with an great selection of brushes to create impressive works of art.

Download Artweaver 3.0.4 in Softonic

The best thing about MyPaint is that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. There are no complicated menus and the interface is really simple, almost minimalist. You can concentrate on your canvas and let your inner artist out, without any distractions.

MyPaint includes a wealth of different brushes, conveniently organized in different categories. Plus you can configure each brush to the smallest detail, and also create new categories in a very easy way. Each brush produces a different result on the screen, always trying to emulate the actual material: oil painting, watercolor, charcoal, marker, acrylic, etc.

Though you can use it with a standard mouse, MyPaint is meant to be used with a graphic tablet, as it supports different types of pressure – which contributes a lot to the feeling of realistic painting.

MyPaint is an excellent editor with which you can create great drawings or quick sketches in an easy way.

Download MyPaint 0.9.0 in Softonic

It can be a pain to try and edit your photos one by one, especially if you want to do something simple like renaming them. Photopus is a great application that makes batch editing a breeze. It also includes a ton of filters and effects to add to your photos.

You can easily import photos one by one or choose an entire folder. Unfortunately Photopus doesn't support drag and drop, which is a shame. You can crop, flip, rotate, and resize photos all at once. There are also a ton of different effects to choose from to apply to all your photos at once.

In use, Photopus is quick to process photos, even when applying filters to them. Photopus supports almost all file formats but you will have to pony up some cash for the pro version if you want to edit RAW images.

Photopus is a simple to use and speedy batch photo editor, which is great for simple photo batch edits.

Download Photopus 1.1.5 in Softonic

In this latest release of Open Canvas, there are a ton of new features including a new Tool Palette, Color Sampler, Preset Manager, Grabber Control, Menu and Shortcut Key. The Tool Palette is probably the most interesting and welcome innovation. OpenCanvas 4.5 features a new elegant look with a standardized size of Tool Palette and it now supports docking, window shading and adsorbing when moving the palette. In addition, much more workspace can be used efficiently than before.

In summary, OpenCanvas lets you experiment with traditional painting while enjoying the advantages of computer design.

Download OpenCanvas 4.5.09e in Softonic

Still in beta, OpenPaint suffers from a little instability, but is otherwise functional. The tools are basic - you get a brush and pencil with no settings, the fill, spray and basic shape tools and a few more.

With no line tool, OpenPaint is actually more basic than Microsoft's version. There isn't really anything to help you create images - you need steady mouse control, and have to accept this app won't be able to create very subtle images. OpenPaint's instabilities are more annoying - occasionally when you use the shape tool, your shape might disappear after you've drawn it.

As Microsoft Paint still ships with Windows, there's little reason to use OpenPaint which offers no advantages, and isn't improved with it's extreme simplicity!

Download OpenPaint 1.2 Beta in Softonic