Adobe Nav (iPad app)

Photoshop users love any and every shortcut they can get, and Adobe’s “Nav” app for the iPad aims to make using the program easier with touchscreen shortcuts.

Available for $2.49 in the AppStore, Nav connects with Adobe Photoshop CS 5 and CS5.5 and allows you to select tools, change the screen mode, foreground and background colour, and even switch between files or just create a new file easily.

Once Adobe Nav and your copy of Photoshop are linked, you'll be able to touch the tool on your iPad and it will activate on your copy of Photoshop.

To use, simply update your version of Photoshop (on CS5, it has to be at least 12.0.4), go to the “Edit” menu, and then select “Remote Connections”. From here, you’ll check “Enable Remote Connections” and supply a name and password for your Photoshop connection, finishing it by selecting “OK”. Now click the PS blue icon in Nav on your iPad and select the Photoshop connection you’ve just made.

Voila! Adobe Nav has now provided you with an instant connection to Photoshop on your laptop or desktop, giving you a touchscreen interface for picking tools and selecting images.

You can also select what file you're working in or create a new one.

The problem with Nav is that if you’re already a Photoshop professional, you’ve memorised the shortcuts and have your own workflow in mind, making this app little more than a cool waste of money. It’d be nice if Adobe had included more Photoshop functionality, namely the ability to change colours,

However, if you’re still someone who needs to click over in the toolbar and doesn’t have the keyboard commands in your head, you’ll manage to shave a few seconds off with this app at your side.

 

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