Adobe Fresco is now completely free for all

Incredibly, Adobe Fresco is already five years old, and what better way to celebrate that anniversary than with a gift for everyone? Adobe has just announced that the digital drawing and painting app will now be completely free to all.

Instead of the previous freemium model, the Windows and iPadOS/iOS app will now be completely free, including access to over 1,000 pixel brushes along with live oil and watercolour brushes and vector brushes. There are also new updates, including Motion Presets for adding movement and animations to artwork and new workflow enhancements for Apple Pencil Pro users.

New features in Adobe Fresco include those Motion Presets (see above). Including bob, breathe are bounce, these are intended to allow users to quickly and easily add lightweight eye-catching movement and animations to artwork.

Meanwhile, Reflective and Rotational Symmetry will now help creators achieve faster and more seamless creation for complex compositions. And Adobe Fresco has also been updated to take advantage of new features in Apple Pencil Pro for improved workflows, including shortcuts with squeeze, haptic feedback for key actions and barrel roll for more realistic brush strokes when the pencil is rotated (see our Apple Pencils comparison).

Making the app completely free rather than requiring a subscription to access some of the more sophisticated tools is likely to encourage more users to discover and developer digital art with the software, potentially heating up competition with Procreate.

When we reviewed Fresco on its launch back in 2019, we were impressed by the app's smooth performance and the slick live brushes for digital watercolours but felt that the subscription model would put people off considering that Procreate is available for a one-off fee. With the subscription gone, Fresco is one of the most appealing drawings apps for iPad for hobbyists looking for a tool for doodling as well as for professional artists.

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