Workflow improvements:
The new version of Adobe Photoshop is part of the new Adobe Creative Suite 2, which provides more workflow with the integration between Adobe applications using Adobe Bridge (figure 1). The new version is more users friendly, saves much time and gives you the ability to create professional outputs in fewer steps with its new features.
In addition to the Adobe Bridge, The new Adobe creative suite includes improvements in the color management by providing a simplified printing interface for color management. As well as Version Cue 2.0, which enable you to manage files either by one user or in workgroup.
Figure 1. Adobe Bridge browser
Photo editing improvements:
Photoshop CS2 includes many new features to improve the photo editing process such as The Camera Raw plug-in, which enable you to apply your setting to a batch of images, The High Dynamic Range, Optical lens correction, noise reduction, Smart Sharpen filter and Spot Healing tool.
With the new Photoshop, you do not have to worry about the red eye problem any more because it removes this problem with the new red eye correction feature. Also, The Blur effects are enhanced with new Blur filters like Box Blur, Shape Blur and Surface Blur.
Design enhancements:
The new Adobe Photoshop CS2 includes great improvements for designers. For example, you do not have to create a perspective to your image manually or relay on third party plug-in to create the perspective effect you need, the new Vanishing Point do it for you.
Also, you do not need to worry about image distortion when you transform your image; the new Smart Object feature creates multiple instances of your image or vector, and updates them all at once (figure 2). As well as the ability to control multiple layers.
In addition to the above design features, which I think it is the most useful for designers, there are some other new features like image wrapping, the ability to create animation, Japanese type features, smart guides and integrated online service.
Figure 2. Free transforming Smart Object
Also, Adobe Photoshop CS2 includes other new features such as customizable menus, batch image processing, new PDF engine, Scripting and action event manager, UI font size customization, Update Manager, Variables as in Image ready, Video preview, WYSIWYG Font menu.
Some old features have also changed such as layer grouping, merging layers, loading selections, clipping mask visibility, file browsing and placing files as smart objects.
As we see from the above brief of the new features in Adobe Photoshop CS2, it provides photographers and designers with some great tools to enhance their work. I think this feature really worth the upgrade, which costs 169$. The new version of Adobe Photoshop CS2 costs 649$.
And to know more about this great product, visit Adobe site at the following link:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/