One of the most popular image editors is offering a freebie that Adobe can't afford to match — ACDSee is now free for schools and students in a bid to compete with Photoshop
The offer covers a range of professional editing tools
Adobe Photoshop is relatively expensive, which can be a significant barrier for schools with limited budgets that would like to offer it to students. ACDSee might not be as well-known as Adobe, but the company has just made its software infinitely more attractive to educational establishments.
The company has announced that it will provide free access to its premium software suite to all K-12 and higher education institutions. The initiative includes ACDSee’s Photo Studio Ultimate, a comprehensive photo editing and management software which offers advanced editing tools, layer support, and a robust organizational system for photographers. We listed it as one of the best alternatives to Photoshop.
ACDSee's new initiative also covers Photo Studio for Mac, Gemstone Photo Editor, Luxea Pro Video Editor, and Video Converter Pro. The tools are versatile enough to meet a wide range of educational needs, whether for art, media studies, or general education, and the free price tag makes them even more attractive.
Free for all schools
ACDSee believes that by equipping classrooms with professional-grade software, schools will enable students to explore their creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and communicate visually in compelling ways.
Anyone interested in participating in the program can visit ACDSee Educational Licensing for more information and to sign up. To qualify for the offer, users must be certified K-12 educators or faculty members and administrators at accredited higher education institutions currently engaged in teaching roles. Eligible organizations include government-recognized and accredited K-12 schools, higher education institutions, school districts, and departments of education.
Access remains valid as long as the person signing up maintains active eligibility. To keep track of that, ACDSee requires re-verification every three years.
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Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.