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In 1982, John Warnock and Charles Geschke used Warnock's garage as Adobe's first workspace after leaving their positions at Xerox PARC.
There they created the first software that could accurately translate digital text and graphics to printed pages.
The pair developed PostScript, a programming language that defined exactly how printers should place ink on paper.
This precision tool became the cornerstone of desktop publishing.
Soon after, Apple incorporated PostScript into their LaserWriter printer in 1985.
Adobe went public in 1986.
The company created Illustrator in 1987, giving designers pixel-perfect control over vector graphics.
In 1989, Photoshop emerged, letting photographers and artists manipulate digital images at the individual pixel level.
By 1993, Adobe released the Portable Document Format (PDF).
In 1994, they bought the Aldus Corporation, which brought in PageMaker, the leading desktop publishing software, and After Effects, which enabled frame-by-frame video editing.
Bruce Chizen led Adobe as CEO from 2000 to 2007.
Adobe's revenue grew from $1.2 billion to $3.1 billion during his tenure.
In 2003, Adobe purchased Syntrillium Software, acquiring Cool Edit Pro.
Adobe rebranded this audio editor as Adobe Audition, adding professional sound editing to their creative tools.
The 2005 Macromedia acquisition for $3.4 billion brought three key products into Adobe's portfolio:
Chizen bundled Adobe's core products—Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign—into Creative Suite in 2003.
This package gave designers a complete toolkit at a lower price than buying each program separately.
Creative Suite generated 60% of Adobe's revenue by 2007.
Adobe's Flash platform dominated web video but consumed excessive computer resources.
When Apple blocked Flash from iPhones in 2007, citing performance problems, Adobe's grip on web multimedia began slipping.
Meanwhile, Creative Suite's rising prices—reaching $1,799 for the full collection—pushed smaller creators toward cheaper alternatives.
Shantanu Narayen has helped Adobe become a cloud computing leader since becoming CEO in 2007.
The 2012 launch of Creative Cloud marked Adobe's pivot to subscription-based services, which now drives the company's revenue.
Adobe strengthened its market position through strategic acquisitions:
Adobe developed Sensei, an AI platform that enhances its products' creative and analytical capabilities.
However, in 2013, hackers breached Adobe's security, stealing product source code and customer data.
Despite this setback, Adobe's revenue grew from $3.58B in 2008 to $15.79B in 2021.
Barron's and Fortune have recognized Narayen as a top CEO for steering Adobe's evolution in the new digital landscape.
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