An Acronym is Not Enough

OK Adobe, time to change the name of Photoshop to something that better reflects its current uses and users. Your put out a program made to create images from scratch, one that has better and better brush capabilities, more natural interface, and so on, and you still refer to it as a program to manipulate your photographs with. Sure, it does that, and lots of great photos and photo driven art come from it. But your selling yourself short, and more than that, perpetuating a stigma that allows non users to maintain the idea that it is a lesser artistic vehicle.

I decided to get some coffee tonight at Barnes and Noble and thought I would loiter at the magazine section, so I picked up Imagine FX and started skimming. A man and his companion wander over from the art section and start in about "Photoshop, Photoshop, they call this creative!?" I wanted to say "I feel the same way about watercolor." but held my tongue. Besides, hes probably an oil guy. Obviously he never tried the program, or never got the hang of it. I don't blame him though. May be if Photoshop was called something different, something that was more accurate, a guy like that might see it for what it is; what its grown into.

I know this is not even worth mentioning. Were all past the notion that digital art is somehow lacking. But thats not the subject here. Photoshop needs a new name. And a name is not a small thing; look at the investments that go into branding. I think it would help our industry in regards to community and art buyers.