Alan Gilbertson is one multitalented dude, with expertise in everything from artificial intelligence to virtual photography (and some real-world stuff, too).

As a joyful wordsmith, he’s always ready to share a pithy quote, a verse of poetry, or a corny dad joke. He’s also an unofficial evangelist for Adobe Bridge, singing the praises of the program that has served as the hub of his successful design workflow for many years.

So, when Adobe took the wraps off Bridge 2023, and it seemed like it could be a big leap forward, Alan and I discussed the possibility of him writing an article on it. In the end, we decided (in true dad joke fashion) that it was a bridge too far. Sadly, the advances that Bridge 2023 brought were negated by some nasty deal-breaker-type bugs. So, we shelved the idea.

Enter Bridge 2024, which sports even more useful new features, minus all (well, most of) the buggy behavior. It also includes some jaw-dropping features that I bet you’ll wish were in all your other Adobe apps.

All that said, I know the idea of learning Bridge can be a tough sell for some folks who don’t see the value in it. I agree that it’s not for everyone. But the folks who use it regularly, really love it. So, it’s worth kicking the tires to see if it can improve your workflow. If you’re a skeptic, I suggest reading Alan’s article on taming wild assets in Issue 139 of InDesign Magazine as a companion piece to this month’s feature. Then, let me know what you think.

Another program that received a significant update recently is our old pal, InDesign. The Spring 2024 release (19.4) includes new features such as Text To Image (Generative AI via Adobe Firefly), Cloud Documents, advancements in EPUB accessibility, and more.

As the designer of CreativePro’s Illustrator downloadables, Kat Kremser knows a thing or two about whipping vectors into shape. After reading her article on how to achieve smoother paths in Illustrator, you’ll never settle for lumpy lines again.

In the Photo department, Jeff Carlson is on hand to share 10 cool Camera Raw tips.

And speaking of tips, Erica Gamet has collected another set of graphical goodies for you. This one includes advice on pairing typefaces, easy-but-eye-catching type effects, automatic caption placement, Illustrator patterns, super simple retouching in Photoshop with the Remove tool, nondestructive image adjustment in PowerPoint (yeah, you read that right), and a little dash of GREP for the alpha nerds (we see you, and we love you).

Our Resource of the Month is a brand-new collection of tips and techniques for designing presentations, curated by our own Hannah Peterson. Enjoy!