The new Adobe® Exchange is a Creative Suite® extension marketplace. It is available as a panel within a variety of CS6 applications. The Adobe Exchange panel provides a new way to search, discover, and install plug-ins, extensions, and other content for Creative Suite products. With this preview of the Adobe Exchange panel, you can browse through items that are available for your CS6 applications; download and install those items; and update acquired items when new versions are available.
The Adobe Exchange client, available as a preview here on Adobe Labs, is an in-application panel that presents a consistent user experience across different Creative Suite 6 applications.
The Adobe Exchange Producer Portal is a cloud-hosted application that enables content producers to define and upload the products that will appear in the Adobe Exchange in-app panel.
Content producers such as software developers and designers use the Producer Portal to define and configure products, and upload extensions (as ZXP files) that correspond to those products. Content that can be offered as an extension through Adobe Exchange can be any kind of file, customized panel, application, or plug-in that extends the functionality of the Creative Suite applications.
If you have not already, download and install one or more compatible product(s): Dreamweaver® CS6, Fireworks® CS6, Flash® Pro CS6, Illustrator® CS6, InCopy® CS6, InDesign® CS6, Photoshop® CS6, Prelude™ CS6, Premiere® Pro CS6.
Install the Adobe Exchange Panel by double-clicking the downloaded ZXP file. This launches Adobe Extension Manager CS6.
Click Accept in the disclaimer notice.
Launch one of the supported Creative Suite 6 point products, such as Photoshop CS6.
Choose Window > Extensions > Adobe Exchange to bring up the Adobe Exchange panel.
To download any products, you must use an Adobe ID.
To sign in with your Adobe ID, click 'My Stuff' in the panel.
If you need to create a new Adobe ID, click 'Create an Adobe ID' in the 'My Stuff' view.
Once you have signed in, click Free or Try in the 'Product Details' view for any product to begin the acquisition process. When you have downloaded and installed a product, it appears in the 'My Stuff' view.
Below you'll find references and links to help you participate in the Adobe Exchange panel community.
Ask questions and discuss ideas with other Adobe Exchange panel users in the Labs forums.
Consistent user experience — The Adobe Exchange in-application panel uses the Common Extensibility Platform (CEP) architecture in CS6 to present a consistent user experience across different point products. The experience and functionality of the panel will be the same in whichever CS6 application you are using. For those CS6 applications that enable users to change the color theme of the application, the Exchange panel conforms to the current theme as set by the user, retaining a native look and feel within the host application. All payment workflows also flow through a single payment vendor that offers for a consistent purchase experience.
Host product compatibility— From the Adobe Exchange in-app panel you can browse or search for products relevant to the host and version of the product you are using. For example, if you open the panel in InDesign CS6, it shows only those products compatible with InDesign CS6.
Easy product installation— The new Adobe Exchange uses Extension Manager CS6 to install any necessary product components into the right location for you, quickly and easily.
Single sign-on— The Adobe Exchange panel uses a new device-based authentication scheme, which means that you only have to log in once to the Adobe Identity Management Service (IMS) and your credentials are stored securely in the machine keychain or keystore. Authentication is required early during the installation of Creative Suite CS6, which means that you can navigate directly to your My Stuff view or begin a purchase without having to re-enter your Adobe ID and password. If you need to sign in as a different user, you can select 'Switch User' in the 'My Stuff' view.
Browsing— The Adobe Exchange panel makes it easy to browse and find products. The home screen shows featured products as well as the latest product additions to Exchange. All products are conveniently divided into free and paid sections. The search box supports searching via product name, producer name, keywords and product twitter tags.
Private sharing— Adobe Exchange producers can privately share products with one or more users for design and testing. A producer can choose to share a product with a group of privileged users. That product is immediately available to members of the group through their Adobe Exchange in-app panel, without any purchase or search. Anything privately shared with you by the producer appears in the 'My Stuff' view of the Exchange panel, where you download and install it directly.
Ratings and reviews— As a user, you can see the ratings and read reviews written by others who have acquired a product through Adobe Exchange. You can also rate and review products you have acquired.
Trial products— Producers can provide a free trial version in addition to a paid version of their product. When you have acquired a trial version and a paid version is available, you see an additional button in your 'My Stuff' view that takes you to the Product Details page, where you can buy the product directly.
Update notifications — A producer can provide a patch version for a published product, with new features or bug fixes. Users who have already downloaded the product see an Update button in the 'My Stuff' section. The Adobe Exchange in-app panel itself can also download its own updates and install them itself, as new functionality is released.
Adobe Exchange is a marketplace enabling distribution of resources and software, directly integrated with Creative Suite 6.
Which version of Creative Suite does the Adobe Exchange panel support?
Which Creative Suite 6 products does the Adobe Exchange panel support?
Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash Pro, Illustrator, InCopy, InDesign, Photoshop, Prelude and Premiere Pro.
Where can I find the Adobe Exchange panel inside CS6 applications?
Go to Window > Extensions > Adobe Exchange to open the Adobe Exchange panel.
How do I produce or develop content for Creative Suite users with Adobe Exchange?
In addition to the user-facing in-app panel, Adobe Exchange includes the Producer Portal, a cloud-hosted application that enables content producers to define and upload the extensions that will appear in the Adobe Exchange in-app panel. You can upload your extensions, plug-ins, templates, actions, brushes, swatches, styles, fonts and any other content that can enhance the functionality of the Creative Suite 6 applications.
There are two options for participating as a producer of Adobe Exchange content: you can use the free version that lets you submit up to 10 free products, or you can sign up to be a Commercial Producer, which allows you to provide paid and trial versions of your products (in addition to free products) and lets you make unlimited product submissions. The Commercial Producer plan is currently in private prerelease. If you would like to offer paid products for sale through the new Adobe Exchange, complete the brief prerelease program registration form in order to be considered.
What applications can I use to create content for the Adobe Exchange panel?
We have created three products that are specifically engineered to support Adobe Exchange: Adobe Creative Suite Extension Builder 2, Adobe Configurator 3, and Adobe Exchange Packager. The Adobe Exchange Packager is available in the Resources section of the Producer Portal and enables producers to easily package their content into the required ZXP file format for use with Adobe Exchange.
Is the new Adobe Exchange the same as 'Agora'?
Yes, Agora was the internal codename.
Is the new Adobe Exchange the same as the Adobe Exchange website?
No, the website for the current Adobe Exchange will be re-branded later this year and is fundamentally different from the workflows, capabilities and in-app panel that the new Adobe Exchange offers.
Where do I download new versions of the Adobe Exchange panel?
Users who download the Adobe Exchange panel from Adobe Labs will be notified from within the panel when updates are available.
Who should try Adobe Exchange panel preview?
Any Creative Suite 6 users running any of the supported applications can try the Adobe Exchange panel preview. The amount of content will increase rapidly and we hope to make it an indispensable resource for any CS6 user over time.
What resources are available for content producers and extension developers?
In addition to a panel, Adobe Exchange includes a producer portal where you can upload your extensions, plug-ins, templates,actions, brushes, swatches, styles, fonts and any other content that can enhance the functionality of the Creative Suite applications.
Where can I post issues and comments?
Please use the Adobe Exchange panel forum to ask questions and post issues and comments. We welcome your feedback.
Adobe Extension Manager CS6, version 6.0.1 or later is also required. Extension Manager is part of the CS6 application installation. The Adobe Exchange Panel will automatically detect which version of Extension Manager you have installed and will prompt you to update it if required.
Technical specs for all Creative Suite 6 products and suites are available on Adobe.com.
This release of Adobe Exchange panel is a technology preview. The software contained within the installer is not final; but, many portions of the technology are fully implemented and ready for you to try and discuss.
The new Adobe® Exchange is a Creative Suite® extension marketplace. It is available as a panel within a variety of CS6 applications. The Adobe Exchange panel provides a new way to search, discover, and install plug-ins, extensions, and other content for Creative Suite products. With this preview of the Adobe Exchange panel, users can browse through items that are available for their application; download, and install those items; and update acquired items when new versions are available.
Do you produce content for Creative Suite users?
In addition to a panel, Adobe Exchange includes a producer portal where you can upload your extensions, plugins, templates, actions, brushes, swatches, styles, fonts and any other content that can enhance the functionality of the Creative Suite applications.
If Extension Manager has a dialog open when you begin installation of a product from the Exchange panel, the install operation fails (#3122981). Workaround: Close any dialogs before installing from Adobe Exchange.
(Windows only) Extension Manager sometimes fails to get focus on product install (#3122881). Workaround: Click the Extension Manager window to get focus when the "Installing" notice appears in the 'My Stuff' view of the Exchange panel.
(Dreamweaver only) Typing in the search box or credentials input produces an alert sound (#3061717). Workaround: Mute alert sound.
Clicking on the currently selected Adobe Exchange panel tab (All/Paid/Free/My Stuff) de-selects it (#3098545). Workaround: Click the tab again to select it.
Scroll bars in the Reviews page disappear if a review form is not completed.
(Fireworks only) Dropdown locale menu for the purchasing workflow is positioned incorrectly (#3181656). Workaround: Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate to the desired locale.
Exchange panel: newly-published products do not appear in All/Paid/Free tabs until products feed is refreshed (#3152143). Workaround: refresh the feed by changing page, searching or closing and re-opening the Adobe Exchange panel.
Updating the Adobe Exchange panel requires you to close the panel and the point product that you had open in order for the install to complete successfully.