Adobe Photoshop
In 1987, Thomas Knoll was working on his doctoral thesis in computer vision at the University of Michigan. On his Macintosh Plus, launched in January 1986, he tinkered with a small program he called Display, designed to show grayscale images on his black-and-white bitmap screen. Just an academic distraction, nothing more. Thomas had no idea he had just planted the first seed of what would become the world’s reference tool for image processing.
John Knoll, Thomas’s brother, discovered this program. John worked at Industrial Light and Magic, Lucasfilm’s special effects division. At ILM, they were searching for solutions to process images digitally. John immediately saw the potential of his brother’s small software and proposed they work together. This fraternal collaboration was about to change the game: Thomas adapted his code to handle color on the new Macintosh II, while John developed processing routines that foreshadowed the software’s future filters.
In 1988, John sensed the commercial potential of their creation. Thomas hesitated, aware of the titanic work required to transform a personal program into a true commercial application. John’s optimism prevailed. The two brothers set to work, enriching the features, adding support for various file formats, and developing sophisticated selection tools. After numerous naming attempts, the program received its definitive name: Photoshop.
Finding a publisher proved more complicated than expected. The Knoll brothers knocked on several doors. Barneyscan, a scanner manufacturer, agreed to market an initial version under the name Barneyscan XP. Approximately 200 copies of this version 0.87 accompanied their devices. The software circulated in the small world of imaging professionals. At Apple, engineers were enthusiastic and shared copies with their colleagues.
In September 1988, Adobe Systems entered the picture. Russell Brown, the company’s art director, fell in love with the software. Negotiations resulted in a distribution license agreement rather than an outright purchase. A judicious decision for the Knolls, who would receive royalties on each sale. The formal signing occurred in April 1989.
In February 1990, Photoshop 1.0 hit the market. Despite some early bugs, the reception was enthusiastic. Against the competition, the software distinguished itself through its optimized code and intuitive interface. Russell Brown delivered spectacular demonstrations, revealing the program’s creative possibilities and ease of use.
Version 2.0 in 1991 marked a decisive milestone. CMYK support revolutionized the printing industry by democratizing color separation techniques, previously reserved for professionals equipped with expensive hardware. Version 2.5 reached a new milestone by arriving on Windows, multiplying the potential audience.
1994 saw the birth of Photoshop 3.0, and with it, layers. This feature radically transformed digital image manipulation. Users could now overlay and modify elements independently. Contrary to rumors at the time, this innovation didn’t copy competitor Live Picture but stemmed from Thomas Knoll’s earlier research.
Version 4.0 in 1996 disrupted established habits. Andrei Herasimchuk redesigned the user interface to harmonize it with other Adobe products. These changes initially provoked ripples in the user community, but ultimately convinced through their coherence.
With version 5.0 in 1998, Mark Hamburg revolutionized the creative process by introducing the History palette. This innovation broke with the traditional linear logic of undoing, allowing non-sequential backtracking through modifications. Simultaneously, the direct integration of color management tools simplified the production of images intended for different media.
Photoshop’s success exceeded all predictions. The software established itself in photography, advertising, publishing, and web design. Adobe saw its revenue soar from $16 million in 1986 to over $1 billion in 1999. A flourishing ecosystem developed around the program: plugins, training courses, specialized publications.
By democratizing image manipulation, Photoshop nourished contemporary visual arts and transformed our relationship with photography. The verb “to photoshop” entered common vocabulary, proof of the software’s cultural omnipresence.
This exceptional success resulted from Thomas Knoll’s technical genius, John’s commercial intuition, Adobe’s marketing efficiency, all carried by the rise of personal computing and digital design. Thomas would never complete his thesis, but his “distraction” revolutionized the world of digital imaging. He continues to collaborate with Adobe as a consultant, while John pursues his career in special effects at Industrial Light & Magic.