Imagine if the Undo command suddenly disappeared from all the applications on your computer. Every change you made to every file, down to a single keystroke, was irreversible. So, every time you made a mistake (or simply changed your mind) you had to start over and retrace your steps. How far would your efficiency plummet? How often would you dare to experiment creatively, knowing that it could potentially cause you hours of lost work?

Avoiding that nightmarish scenario is why Photoshop experts like Steve Caplin preach the gospel of working nondestructively whenever possible. And Smart Objects are Photoshop’s primary feature for working nondestructively. You simply cannot maximize your productivity without them. In this month’s feature article, Steve takes you on a tour of the amazing things you can do with Smart Objects, along with a rich collection of tips and shortcuts (plus one critical caveat) for working with them.

Next up, brace yourself for a (pleasant) shock as Nolan Haims shows how PowerPoint can be a viable option to create documents for print. Of course, he’s not talking about fancy coffee table books, but in certain situations, it might be just the ticket.

Also of interest to PowerPoint (and Word) users will be Alan Gilbertson’s article on using CC Libraries in Microsoft Office. They can form a vital bridge for assets to flow between the design and business departments in your operation.

For the Illustrator folks we have a pair of articles on using graphic styles and the impressive new 3D features that debuted in Illustrator 2022.

Erica Gamet is back with another InFocus full of useful goodies for InDesign users.

In the InDesigner, Addison Lalier profiles Jana Rade and her slick cookbook production workflow.

Plus, we have the details on three powerful InDesign scripts you need to know about.

Enjoy!