Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 free download in one click and install step by step

Adobe Photoshop is a raster-based image editing program originally developed in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll and licensed by Adobe in 1988. It has since become one of the most popular and powerful graphics tools available for Windows (and macOS), used by designers, illustrators, photographers, students, and professionals to create or edit images, posters, logos, and web graphics. As one review notes, Photoshop “reigns as the supreme king” of image editing, widely preferred by creative professionals. Photoshop CC 2018 (version 19.x) was released in late 2017 as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, and it introduced new features and performance improvements atop Photoshop’s extensive toolset. This article provides an in-depth overview of Photoshop CC 2018 for Windows, covering its key features, workflows, download instructions, system requirements, licensing details, and comparisons to other versions.

Note:- The Download Buttan at the Bottom

Key Features and Tools

Photoshop CC 2018 offers a vast range of tools for image editing and design. These include basic tools inherited from earlier versions, as well as several new and improved features unique to the 2018 release. Below is a breakdown of the main categories of features and tools:

Layers and Non-Destructive Editing:

Photoshop uses layers to separate image elements. Each layer can hold pixels, text, shapes, or adjustments independently, allowing for non-destructive edits (e.g., using Adjustment Layers for color/brightness changes). Common layer tools include Blend Modes (e.g., Multiply, Screen), Opacity, and Masks to hide or reveal parts of a layer. Smart Objects let you place embedded or linked graphics that can be transformed or filtered non-destructively. These core features (layers, masks, adjustment layers, blending) form the basis of most Photoshop workflows.

Selection and Masking:

Selections isolate parts of an image. Photoshop provides tools like the Marquee (rectangular, elliptical), Lasso (freehand, polygonal, magnetic), Magic Wand, and Quick Selection for selecting pixels. In CC 2018, Adobe added the new Select Subject command: using advanced machine learning, this “one-click” tool automatically selects the most prominent object in a photo (people, animals, cars, etc.). To use it, choose Select > Subject (or click Select Subject in the Options bar when a selection tool is active). After making a selection, users can refine it with Select and Mask (formerly Refine Edge) to smooth edges or add feathering. Layer masks allow hiding parts of a layer to composite images seamlessly.

Brushes and Painting:

Photoshop’s Brush Tool supports painting with pixels. In CC 2018, Adobe introduced Stroke Smoothing: a slider (0–100) in the Options bar that smooths shaky brush strokes. Higher values produce smoother, flowing strokes (0 is “legacy” behavior). Under Technology Previews, CC 2018 also offered Paint Symmetry (beta): toggle the butterfly icon in the Options bar to paint symmetrically with various patterns (mandala, radial, etc.). Other painting tools include the Eraser, Brush Presets, Mixer Brush (emulates wet paint), and Pencil for hard edges. A new Swatches panel and improved Brush preset options help manage colors and styles.

Drawing Tools:

For vector shapes and paths, Photoshop includes the Pen Tool and Shape Tools. CC 2018 added the Curvature Pen Tool, which lets users draw smooth curves or straight segments easily without manual anchor-point adjustments. Users can toggle between curved and corner points on the fly. Path options now include color and thickness settings for visual editing. There are also Rectangle, Ellipse, Line, Polygon, and Custom Shape tools for creating shape layers.

Type and Text:

Text is handled with the Type Tool. You can create horizontal or vertical text layers, choose fonts, size, color, and alignment from the Options bar. In CC 2018, Photoshop introduced Variable Fonts support (for OpenType fonts): typefaces can now contain multiple weights/styles in one file, and sliders in the Options bar let you adjust weight, width, and slant dynamically. This allows much finer typographic control within Photoshop, which previously lacked such flexibility (users had to rely on fixed bold/italic versions).

Retouching and Repair:

Photoshop’s arsenal of retouching tools lets users remove blemishes, clone elements, and enhance images. Key tools include the Spot Healing Brush, Healing Brush, Clone Stamp, Patch Tool, and Content-Aware Fill. For example, to remove an unwanted object: make a rough selection around it, then use Edit > Content-Aware Fill. Photoshop fills the selection by sampling surrounding pixels. (In CC 2018, content-aware algorithms were already highly refined, and CC 2019 would later introduce an interactive Fill workspace.) Other enhancements include the Perspective Crop to straighten images while cropping, and the Crop Tool to trim or rotate images (drag handles and press Enter to apply.

Image Adjustments:

From the Image menu and Adjustments panel, Photoshop offers controls like Brightness/Contrast, Levels, Curves, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, and many others. These adjustments can be applied destructively (directly on a layer) or as Adjustment Layers (non-destructive). Filters (under the Filter menu) can apply effects like Blur, Sharpen, Stylize, and more. Most filter effects are now Smart Filters if applied to a Smart Object, meaning they can be tweaked or removed later.

Workspace and UI Enhancements:

CC 2018 improved the user interface for a better workflow. The Properties panel was enhanced (e.g., adjusting type leading/tracking for multiple layers. The Learn Panel (Window > Learn) was added in CC 2018 to give beginners step-by-step tutorials inside Photoshop. Rich tooltips now show short animations when hovering over tools, helping new users learn what each tool does. These tutorials and help features make Photoshop more accessible to newcomers.

Other Notable Tools:

Photoshop CC 2018 also includes features like Smart Sharpen, Camera Raw integration (open RAW photos), Batch processing via Actions, and 3D editing (though Adobe later began deprecating 3D features). The Properties panel showed stock image previews and allowed direct licensing. Adobe’s Stock marketplace is integrated, allowing designers to search for and license images directly within Photoshop.

In summary, Photoshop CC 2018 contains all the classic Photoshop tools (layers, masks, brushes, text, filters, etc.) plus a handful of new CC 2018–specific features: notably Select Subject, Variable Fonts, Stroke Smoothing, In-app tutorials, and Curvature Pen. These enhancements continued the trend of integrating AI (Adobe Sensei) and user-friendly innovations into the software.

Comparison with Other Versions

Photoshop CC vs. CS6 (2012):

Photoshop CC 2018 differs greatly from the old standalone CS6. First, CC is subscription-only; CS6 was sold as a perpetual license. CC 2018 benefits from constant updates, whereas CS6 is frozen in time. Technically, CC 2018 only runs on 64-bit OS (though it provided “32-bit installation” in requirements), while CS6 had 32-bit and 64-bit. Many core tools remain the same (layers, brushes, etc.), but CC 2018 has advanced features CS6 lacked: Select Subject (no equivalent in CS6), Content-Aware Move/Fill improvements, Camera Shake Reduction (added in CC2014), and performance gains. Also, CC 2018’s interface is high-DPI/4K friendly (scales better on high-res monitors).

Photoshop CC 2017 (v18) vs. CC 2018 (v19):

CC 2018 built upon CC 2017. The 2018 release (October 2017 and January 2018 updates) included several new features not in CC 2017: machine-learning Select Subject, Curvature Pen, Variable Fonts, In-App Learning, and Brush Stroke Smoothing. CC 2017 had introduced other features (like search in Libraries, Face-Aware Liquify, Mobile-to-Desktop workflow), so many everyday tools are similar. In practice, users found CC 2018 to be more stable and faster, as Adobe optimized performance (Beebom noted CC 2018 is “less resource hungry”).

Photoshop CC 2018 vs. CC 2019 (v20):

CC 2019, released in late 2018, added incremental improvements. Major additions in CC 2019 included a redesigned Content-Aware Fill workspace (with live preview and sampling brushes), the Frame Tool for easy masking/shaping of images, and mandala/radial symmetries expanded in the Paint Symmetry feature. These made certain tasks faster (for example, creating circular mask frames or refining content-aware edits). However, no game-changing tools were introduced. One reviewer observed that the CC 2019 update “feels as good as always,” but “not many disruptive features”. CC 2019’s UI felt smoother, and users reported it seemed “more intuitive and fast to use” than CC 2018. Subsequent versions (CC 2020, CC 2021) continued this trend: CC 2020 added an Object Selection Tool (auto-select arbitrary objects with a lasso) and the Sky Replacement feature (semi-automatic swapping of skies) among other enhancements, and CC 2021 introduced Neural Filters (AI-driven effects) and more generative tools. These later features were not part of CC 2018, so users upgrading past CC 2019 would see those new capabilities.

In summary, CC 2018 represented a mature stage of Photoshop with robust performance and smart features. Compared to earlier releases, it added useful AI tools (e.g., Select Subject). Newer releases added more AI-powered and efficiency tools, but the core Photoshop experience remained centered on layers, masks, selections, and creative editing. An experienced user might find CC 2019/2020 slightly faster or more flexible, but a beginner would gain most of the same creative power with CC 2018 as with later CC releases.

Downloading Photoshop CC 2018

Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 is distributed through Adobe’s Creative Cloud service. To install it on Windows, you should:

Get the Creative Cloud Desktop App. Install the Adobe Creative Cloud application (if not already installed) by downloading it from Adobe’s site. You will need to sign in with an Adobe ID.
Find Photoshop in the App List. Open the Creative Cloud desktop app and go to the All Apps tab. Locate “Photoshop” under the list of available apps.
Install Photoshop CC 2018. Click the three-dot menu next to Photoshop. Choose “Other Versions.” A dropdown will show Photoshop CC 2018 (v19. x) among the available releases. Click Install next to that version. The app will then download and install it.
Use a Licensed Account. Note that you must have a valid Creative Cloud subscription or school/enterprise license that includes Photoshop. CC 2018 itself is not sold separately as a standalone product—only through Creative Cloud. Adobe’s documentation advises using the Creative Cloud app to install previous versions; they typically provide installers for the current and prior major release.

Trusted Sources: Always download Photoshop from official Adobe channels. Third-party sites or torrents may offer “free” downloads, but these are likely illegal or carry security risks. The official Adobe website (creativecloud.adobe.com) and the Creative Cloud desktop app are the only trusted sources for getting Photoshop CC 2018. If your organization or school has a volume license or subscription, follow their instructions. Adobe’s support page confirms this approach: “Use the Creative Cloud desktop app to find and install previous versions of your Creative Cloud apps,”.

Keep in mind that Adobe typically only provides the current and one previous major version of each app through the Creative Cloud interface. If CC 2018 does not appear (because newer versions have been released), you may not find it directly. However, some institutions archive installation files for older versions. Always verify the authenticity before installing from any archived installer.

Technical Specifications (System Requirements)

To run Photoshop CC 2018 on Windows, your system must meet or exceed Adobe’s minimum requirements. According to Adobe’s documentation (and confirmed by reviews), the Windows requirements included:

Processor: Intel® Core 2 or AMD Athlon® 64 (2 GHz or faster).
Operating System: Windows 7 (SP1), Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 (version 1607 or later).
RAM: Minimum 2 GB (8 GB or more recommended).
Hard Disk Space: About 2.6 GB free for 32-bit install, or 3.1 GB for 64-bit install; additional space needed during installation. (In practice, you should allow 5–10 GB for comfortable operation and scratch disk files.)
Graphics: 1024×768 display (1280×800 recommended), 16-bit color, and 512 MB of dedicated GPU VRAM (2 GB recommended). Photoshop CC 2018 uses the GPU for many accelerated features, so a DirectX 12 12-compatible graphics card is preferred.
Internet: Required for software activation and some online features.

Summarizing, a modern mid-range PC from 2017 or later typically suffices. For smooth performance, Adobe recommends a multicore CPU, 8 GB+ RAM, and a dedicated graphics card with at least 2 GB VRAM. For comparison, Photoshop CS6 (2012) supported Windows XP/Vista as well, so CC 2018 requires at least Windows 7. A 64-bit Windows installation is strongly advised. (Note: these specs were the minimum; professionals working with very large files or 3D would benefit from even more RAM and a powerful GPU.)

Licensing and Pricing (2018-era)

At the time Photoshop CC 2018 was released, Adobe offered it only through the Creative Cloud subscription model. There were no standalone perpetual licenses for new CC apps (Adobe had discontinued boxed versions after CS6). Users could subscribe to Photoshop only, or to a broader plan: (Source: adobe.com)

Photoshop-only Plan: An individual subscription just for Photoshop. Historically, this cost about US$20–$21 per month (annual plan)
Photography Plan: For photographers, Adobe’s bundle included Photoshop and Lightroom (the classic or CC version) for about US$10 per month (annual plan).
Creative Cloud All Apps Plan: Includes Photoshop plus 20+ other apps (Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, etc.) for around US$50–$60 per month (with discounts often available).
Student/Education Plans: Substantially discounted. For example, Adobe’s site lists Creative Cloud (20+ apps) at US$19.99/month for students and teachers (At that time, a Photoshop-only student license would have also been heavily discounted.)
Business/Enterprise Plans: Monthly licensing available for teams at higher per-seat costs (around US$80+/month per user for all apps).
Trials: Adobe offered a 7-day free trial of the latest Photoshop on their website.

Licensing was (and still is) tied to an Adobe ID account. Each user signs in to Creative Cloud to activate the software. Unlike perpetual licenses, a Creative Cloud plan must remain active (subscription fees paid) for continued use. If a user’s subscription expires, Photoshop CC 2018 would enter a reduced-functionality mode.

Overall, at release, the cost of Photoshop CC 2018 was simply the cost of the chosen Creative Cloud plan. For example, the student price point noted above reflects the common pricing. It’s important to verify current pricing on Adobe’s site, as plans and prices can change. (Adobe’s official pages [47] and similar show the up-to-date rates and plan options.)

Conclusion

Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 remains a powerful image-editing program suitable for both beginners and experienced users. It is built on Photoshop’s long legacy of layers, selections, and creative tools, while adding new convenience and AI-driven features that lower the learning curve. Compared to older versions (CS6 and CC 2017), CC 2018 improved performance and introduced useful tools like Select Subject, Variable Fonts, and in-app tutorials. Even compared to CC 2019 and later, most of Photoshop’s fundamental capabilities were already mature by 2018, so users of CC 2018 still enjoy a nearly complete set of core features. By following the installation instructions above and ensuring your PC meets the requirements, you can install and use Photoshop CC 2018 on Windows effectively. Whether you’re a student just learning the basics or a professional creating detailed graphics, Photoshop CC 2018 provides the flexibility and tools needed to get the job done.