Adobe should create a "Retired" subscription level for Creative Cloud

James Montalbano · August 17

If anyone here has any clout there

James Puckett · August 17

I doubt Adobe trusts their customers to provide valid proof of retirement. Anyone well versed in Illustrator and Indesign can forge documents.

James Montalbano · August 20

With the exception of Acrobat, I rarely use any of the other Creative Cloud apps. But I would like to have access to them on occasion. I no longer earn a living with them and I would think Adobe, through it's Subscription surveillance could suss out how much I was using them.

John Hudson · August 20

You might still be able to download Adobe CS6 (the pre-subscription, perpetual license version of the suite).

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/creative-suite/kb/cs6-install-instructions.html

Check your Adobe account to see if it is available. Or maybe you have some install discs in a box someplace?

James Montalbano · August 20

Thanks John

But Install Disks, What are you smoking?

Thomas Phinney · August 21

I still have some install CDs kicking around for various things.

One reasonable option would be a senior’s discount.

Chris Lozos · August 21

@Thomas Phinney Does Adobe even have such a thing? I know I qualify ;-P

James Montalbano · August 21

@Chris Lozos I know I qualify

As do I Chris!

Kent Lew · August 21

Unfortunately, CS6 has a remote license check and the activation server seems to have been retired.

I have CS6 running on an old machine. I had hoped to move it to a new[er] machine, but when I tried to install and activate, a notice said that I had two allowed installations already and that I would need to deactivate one. I found that old installation and attempted to deactivate it, but the server could not be reached. There was a suggested method for resolving the case where an old installation could no longer be accessed. But again, the inability to reach the relevant server to check the license number for activation/deactivation became an insurmountable block.

So I keep that old Macbook Pro with a dead battery plugged in and sitting on the desk next to me running High Sierra so that I can still on occasion use InDesign CS6 (since I still refuse to pay for a subscription to CC for my infrequent need).

Maybe a fresh install with a license number that had never been maxed out would somehow verify only locally? But I kinda doubt it.

So you’d probably be limited to whatever the introductory period was.

Mark Simonson · August 22

Four or five years ago, I was able to install the entire CS6 Master Collection (which I bought way back when) from disk images of the original CD-ROMs using the proper serial numbers on a 2009 MacBook Pro. Maybe the activation servers were still running then.

FWIW, I know several people who still run the CS6 apps.

You might try using Affinity. It's free (unless you want AI features) and can usually open Illustrator (though not always) and Photoshop files, but not InDesign unfortunately.

Marc Oxborrow · August 22

In the unlikely event that all you're after is access to Adobe Fonts, it's included in a single-app subscription to InCopy (the text-editing-only sidekick to InDesign) for $4.99/month. I've heard of designers who combine this with the aforementioned Affinity design suite for a reasonably convincing simulation of Adobe's Creative Cloud.

George Thomas · August 23

InDesign files can be converted to Affinity Publisher files two ways:
1. In CS6 InDesign, File > Export > Format: InDesign Markup (IDML), then open in Affinity Publisher. Works fine on simpler files.
2. Markzware's IDMarkz app, subscription or perpetual. For complicated layouts this one would be the better choice.

Adobe should create a "Retired" subscription level for Creative Cloud

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