creative cloud subscription a ripoff

[BigSi]

Hi there. I refuse to pay a monthly or yearly subscription. Up to now have been using CS5.5 but over the last couple of year have been getting more and more files given to me in CC. I mostly work in Indesign and illustrator (occasionally photoshop).
Obviously I have work around solutions e.g. requesting PDFs etc.. but this is getting to be a problem. My options seem limited. I know I should just bite the bullet! but I'm only a tiny print shop and only just make ends meet. (have not made a real profit in years). If I new a student or teacher maybe I could get a student/teacher version but call me old fashion but this seems a bit dishonest and I don't know one that I feel comfortable asking anyway. I have even thought of enrolling as a student but there are often quite a few costs associated with this. I know there are other programs out there but my prepress lady is not to keen to learn them. ( she is really just hanging out to retire) I know it sounds like I screwed but any thoughts much appreciated!

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

You already know the answer. Just do it already.

 

[Keith]

You can try CorelDraw but if your like me or any other print shop, you have a PDF workflow or plugins for Acrobat. I tried switching to CorelDraw because it is $16.50/month but I didn't like how it handled PDFs plus I'd have to replace my variable data software (FusionPro, an Acrobat Plugin). So, I reactivated my Adobe subscription. Look at the subscription cost this way- you got to sell one or two orders of business cards to cover that cost ($50/month). Or you can look at it this way- if you do ten jobs a month, that's $5/job.

 

[PrintIT]

I hate the "lease your software" business model that Adobe has crammed down our throat (and the other software companies following suit), but unfortunately it's a required cost to do business.

 

[MailGuru]

Over 50 years ago, you paid an "insurance fee" (cash to a couple of big strong-arm collectors from the mob) to operate your business. Look how far we've come since then?

 

[dabob]

Do you complain about "leasing" the power from the power company, or the water that flushes your commode. It is just a cost of doing business and if you want to keep getting the business that you have and possibly get more profitable business in the future just bite the bullet and sign up .. . actually at 50 bucks a month (600 a year) its about the same price as staying current was before they started the lease program and you get a bunch more stuff than just illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop . . . . you may not use it now but it could offer you additional revenue streams in the future.

 

[Danny Whitehead]

I don't miss having to routinely make the case for every necessary upgrade to bosses, or having to ask customers to backsave files to our version, or being asked the same by suppliers. And I definitely don't find not having to do those things comparable to a protection racket.

The subscription model is better, IMO.

 

[prepressdork]

I wonder if Adobe would consider additional budget plans. I mean, they currently offer a single app plan which is cheaper than a full license but perhaps a 2, 3, or 4 app plan might be worth consideration.

Adobe?

pd

 

[dabob]

As an additional point in the subscription's favor . .. I love it when a customer asks me to give them their business card file so I give them the latest version that I have . .. and if they are thinking about going to a different vendor, half the time it comes back since the cheaper guys don't have CSXXX but are stuck on 5.5 or 6 . . .

 

[wonderings]

Think you will need to bite the bullet as well, especially if you need to work with these files in Indesign. If it was photoshop or illustrator I would suggest giving Affinity software a try (Affinity Designer - Illustrator & Affinity Photo - Photoshop). Cheap and seems pretty powerful for the price, Mac only at the moment.

 

[BigSi]

Thanks Guys. I don't think you can compare paying a subscription to Adobe as the same as paying a utility bill (power, phone etc..) I can choose what ever phone, power company I like. As adobe have dominance in the market (in this part of the world anyway).
I have to have a subscription from them to open supplied files.
Don't want to moan but does not seem right. Nice if punters HAD to get there printing from me.

 

[Slammer]

Think you will need to bite the bullet as well, especially if you need to work with these files in Indesign. If it was photoshop or illustrator I would suggest giving Affinity software a try (Affinity Designer - Illustrator & Affinity Photo - Photoshop). Cheap and seems pretty powerful for the price, Mac only at the moment.

Agreed, try the Affinity option only now they run on PC too.
Methinks that for a larger printshop the subscription model works pretty well, however Adobe in their arrogance ignored or simply forgot the smaller printshops or the occasional user, or the printshops that are hanging on by a fingernail, in these cases the subscription model could easily be a killer.

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Ahhhh CS 5.5 .... such happy memories of a simpler time.

Used to have this problem all the time. We buy CS2 then out comes CS3. We buy CS3 then out comes CS4 etc etc. We always used to have one copy of the latest version and then everyone else had what we could afford.

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So you only need one copy of CC from which you can save back to CS 5.5 / IDML or whatever.

Not sure how much a copy of CS6 is on Ebay. That might buy you a few good months or years.


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You should still be pushing to receive PDF files though.

If you can get PDF's, then how about just Acrobat Pro on it's own. It's a much cheaper subscription and if you add Pit Stop Pro then you have quite a good range or tools.

Acrobat Pro will open a lot of stuff apart from PDFs. It will allow you to save to different file formats (including the dreaded EPS) or Edit artwork objects directly in CS 5.5.


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We are all getting fed up of the Quark-ing of Adobe. What was the last killer feature Illustrator added since Live Trace in CS2?

If you don't like it, vote with your feet.

If you accept the status quo - don't expect tomorrow to be any better than today.


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I have to go now. There are two large gentlemen in the shop and I need to pay my monthly insurance. They really would hate for something horrible to happen me.

 

[dabob]

Thanks Guys. I don't think you can compare paying a subscription to Adobe as the same as paying a utility bill (power, phone etc..) I can choose what ever phone, power company I like. As adobe have dominance in the market (in this part of the world anyway).
I have to have a subscription from them to open supplied files.
Don't want to moan but does not seem right. Nice if punters HAD to get there printing from me.

I was just pointing out that its a cost of doing business today . . . if you want to get the work done and you are supplied CSxx files (which dominate todays market) you need the tools to open, correct (if necessary), and print the files, you need the electricity to operate the press (either digital or conventional) you need the ink, blanket wash or toner to produce the job . . . if any one of these things is missing, IMHO you are going to be left on the dock wondering where the ship went . . . just my 2 cents.

 

[wonderings]

I really wish Adobe continued to give the option of subscription or buy outright. They did it at first with Creative Cloud. Why not give the customer choice? I would rather pay outright and have the software forever rather then be stock paying monthly forever and if I ever decide to stop I am left with ZERO applications I can use, no matter what version or age in the CC world.

 

[Joe]

I really wish Adobe continued to give the option of subscription or buy outright. They did it at first with Creative Cloud. Why not give the customer choice? I would rather pay outright and have the software forever rather then be stock paying monthly forever and if I ever decide to stop I am left with ZERO applications I can use, no matter what version or age in the CC world.

They also told you at the time they instituted the subscription that if you would decided to quit the subscription that your current version would continue to work indefinitely. Didn't take them long to pull that rug out from underneath of everyone.

I do agree with others that it is just another "cost of doing business". But it used to be you bought a version of Creative Suite and then you didn't have to pay again until you deemed it necessary. Now you are stuck with that monthly payment forever. And you are paying for a lot of apps that you will never use. But until another company steps up and can compete with Adobe it isn't going to change now. If you are a printer and the $50 a month is all that is separating you from going under you have bigger problems than the software you use.

 

[wonderings]

They also told you at the time they instituted the subscription that if you would decided to quit the subscription that your current version would continue to work indefinitely. Didn't take them long to pull that rug out from underneath of everyone.

They did, and I remember reading that. Of course the internet seems scrubbed free of any mention of that. I am really surprised they do not do this, it would make it much more bearable for many people and keep them somewhat updated till they had to do another year to get the latest, so they are still getting money and appeasing some customers.

 

[Joe]

They did, and I remember reading that. Of course the internet seems scrubbed free of any mention of that. I am really surprised they do not do this, it would make it much more bearable for many people and keep them somewhat updated till they had to do another year to get the latest, so they are still getting money and appeasing some customers.

Does this reply ring a bell?

https://printplanet.com/forum/prepre...832#post182832

All subscription members will be able to access previous versions (I forget if it's one or two versions back) for archival & compatibility purposes. So, if you do choose to stop your subscription, you will have access to previous versions. And you can restart your subscription at any time - and catch right back up!

 

[BigSi]

All good points, Will tryout "Affinity" will also buy a second hand copy of cS6 (may as well have the last one before they decided to rip us all off ).

"I was just pointing out that its a cost of doing business today . . . if you want to get the work done and you are supplied CSxx files (which dominate todays market) you need the tools to open, correct (if necessary), and print the files, you need the electricity to operate the press (either digital or conventional) you need the ink, blanket wash or toner to produce the job . . . if any one of these things is missing, IMHO you are going to be left on the dock wondering where the ship went . . . just my 2 cents."

Yes I agree, no point moaning, have moved on now. I think I was just having a bad day when I originally posted.

 

[wonderings]

Does this reply ring a bell?

https://printplanet.com/forum/prepre...832#post182832

Certainly does. There was comfort in that little line, knowing that if I wanted to stop I would have a somewhat updated version of CC that I paid for over the year. The further in with Adobe the worse it feels knowing if I ever stop I have zero to show for it software wise. Sure I made money using their software, but without it I am left with a lot of useless files... years and years of them. So really I am stuck with Adobe, they have gun to my head unless I want to rework thousands of files and switch to Quark.