Mac OS

• Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
• Mac OS X v10.6.8 or v10.7. Adobe Creative Suite 5, CS5.5, and CS6 applications support Mac OS X Mountain Lion (v10.8) when installed on Intel based systems.**
• 2GB of RAM (8GB recommended)
• 9.5GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on removable flash storage devices)
• 1280x800 display (1280x1024 recommended) with 16-bit color and 512MB of VRAM
• OpenGL 2.0–capable system
• DVD-ROM drive compatible with dual-layer DVDs
• Java Runtime Environment 1.6
• QuickTime 7.6.6 software required for HTML5 media playback and multimedia features
• Adobe Flash Player 10 software required to export SWF files
• This software will not operate without activation. Broadband Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services.† Phone activation is not available.

Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard provides a full set of professional tools for graphic design, page layout, and image editing – and for publishing creative content to mobile devices, the web, print, and tablets. The Design Standard suite comprises four industry-standard software programs that are essential to print designers and digital publishing professionals: Photoshop CS6, InDesign CS6, Illustrator CS6, and Acrobat X Pro.

The CS6 versions of the individual programs enjoy speed and performance enhancements, thanks to the Mercury Graphics Engine that's in Photoshop and the Mercury Performance System of Illustrator. Both these software elements enable your 64-bit computer to address full system RAM in order to speed imaging and processing tasks and that once slowed down your workflow. With that extra processing power, you can enjoy the expanded capabilities of all the programs. Photoshop CS6, for instance, offers a Contact-Aware Patch that allows you to choose a sample area that serves as the basis for a patch. Illustrator enables you to convert raster images into editable, scalable vectors – the program's bread and butter.

As the definition of "publishing" expands, so too do the functions of Adobe InDesign. Even before the CS6 version, the program had already embraced publishing interactive page layouts to iPads and other tablets, e-book readers, and other digital devices. You can create several different layouts to serve different display dimensions, and save them all within a single file. Liquid Layout automatically resizes your layout based on page size.

Creative Suite 6 Design Standard serves the design and publishing professional whose demands grow as quickly as technology advances. Photoshop CS6, for instance, now offers basic video editing functions with transitions and effects. As the required tasks of your profession creep over from other professional realms, Adobe continues to refine the interface and workflow of Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Your job might not be getting any simpler, but Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design Standard helps you keep pace with expanded functions, improved performance, and streamlined workflow.

New for Photoshop CS6

Retouching Magic

Retouch images with astonishing ease and precision. Patch images with greater control using Content-Aware Patch, which allows you to choose the sample area that Content-Aware will use to magically create your patch

Astonishing Performance

Experience blazing-fast interactions when editing with key tools such as Crop, Transform, Liquify, and Puppet Warp. The Mercury Graphics Engine delivers unprecedented speed and responsiveness for a fluid feel as you work

Video Editing

Edit video in Photoshop to include in your digital publishing projects. Quickly combine clips and stills using transitions, audio, and effects, such as pan and zoom

Faster Design Tasks

Finesse details quickly with new and reengineered tools. Apply type styles, use vector layers to apply strokes and add gradients to vector objects, create custom strokes and dashed lines, quickly search layers, and more

Crop Tool

Crop images quickly and precisely using the hardware-accelerated, nondestructive Crop tool. Manipulate your images on canvas and see the adjustments live

Blur Gallery

Quickly create photographic blur effects using a simple interface with on-image controls. Create tilt-shift effects, blur everything and then sharpen one focal point, or vary the blurriness between multiple focal points

Improved Auto-Corrections

Enhance your images with improved Auto Curves, Levels, and Brightness/Contrast controls. Intelligence from thousands of hand-retouched images is built-in to provide a better starting point for making adjustments

Background Save

Protect against losing your work during unexpected shutdowns. Auto-save your edits without interrupting your progress, and keep working while saving even the largest Photoshop files in the background

Scripted Patterns

Generate geometric pattern fills more easily with new Scripted Patterns

Dozens of Time-Savers

Experience more than 50 creativity and productivity boosts directly requested by users

New for Illustrator CS6

Mercury Performance System

Work blazingly fast – even with processing-intensive effects such as blurs, glows, and drop shadows that used to slow you down. Access all the RAM on your system thanks to native 64-bit support on both Mac OS and Windows

Easy Pattern Creation

Easily create seamlessly tiled vector patterns. Experiment freely with repeating patterns that can be edited at any time

Image Trace

Convert raster images to editable vectors with a completely new tracing engine. Get clean lines, accurate fitting, and reliable results without dealing with complex controls

Gradients on Strokes

Apply gradients to your strokes – along the length, across the width, or within the stroke itself – all with complete control over gradient placement and opacity

Enhanced User Interface

Perform daily tasks such as editing layer names and selecting fonts in fewer steps. Keep the focus on your artwork with an adjustable-brightness "dark UI"

New for InDesign CS6

Multiple Layout Versions in One File

Efficiently manage multiple layouts based on a single set of content. Use Alternate Layout to create multiple versions in one document. Use Liquid Layout to automate layout resizing based on page size

Content Linking Across Documents

Link content that appears in multiple InDesign documents so that changes made to parent text or objects are applied automatically to all linked children objects. Save time and avoid hassles when making last-minute changes

PDF Forms

Use InDesign to add form fields to a layout. Include standard elements such as text fields, radio buttons, and checkboxes, and export the form as a PDF file for online publishing

Small, High-Impact Enhancements

Take advantage of over a dozen enhancements – including page-specific PPI, split window views, a list of recently used fonts, and persistent text frame fitting options – to help you fly through production tasks without compromising quality

Other Features

Breakthrough Image Editing in Photoshop

Deliver eye-catching results with the industry standard in digital imaging. Enjoy creative freedom and precise control when refining and compositing images, applying artistic effects, and painting with versatile brush tools

Distinctive Vector Graphics in Illustrator

Create top-quality vector artwork for any project, from logos to illustrations for advertising, packaging, signage, and more. Use precise drawing tools and expressive natural brushes to create graphics that get noticed

Professional Page Layout in InDesign

Lay out, preflight, and produce stunning page layouts with intuitive design software that offers precise control over typography and built-in tools for creative effects

Tablet Publications in InDesign

Use InDesign to create media-rich publications for the iPad and other tablet devices. Add interactive elements such as pan and zoom, slide shows, audio, and video. Upload to Adobe Digital Publishing Suite for distribution

E-Book Authoring in InDesign

Create engaging e-books with refined typography and images that resize automatically to fit any screen. Add video and audio for eBook mobile devices that support HTML5 video and audio tags, and take advantage of its support for the EPUB3 standard

Robust Preflighting

Prepare files for hassle-free production for print layouts by finding errors in InDesign with Live Preflight, or by using robust preflight checks and fixes in Adobe Acrobat X Pro

Efficient Delivery of Accessible Documents

Apply accessibility rules in InDesign – including tab and read-aloud order – and then check, adjust, and validate accessible PDF documents in Acrobat Pro

PDF File Creation, Editing & Delivery

Distribute layouts reliably using Acrobat X Pro to create simple PDF documents and package layouts, drawings, images, video, audio, and other files in a single polished PDF Portfolio

Performance on 64-Bit Operating Systems

Take advantage of the full power and performance of 64-bit Windows and Mac OS systems. Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator are 64-bit-native for lightning-fast creativity and production

Visual Media Browsing

Find files fast by browsing thumbnails instead of filenames with Adobe Bridge. Or browse thumbnails and place files from the Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop and InDesign

Integration with Other Adobe Tools & Services

Enjoy integration with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Adobe Touch Apps within individual components of Design Standard