In 2015 Adobe released new functionality called the “CC Library” as part of its Adobe Creative Cloud. The intent was to provide a cloud-based repository for quick access to frequently used graphics, color themes, brushes and more across devices. The potential for this was—and remains—incredible. As more and more people, including me, are start working on one device and finishing on another, having this kind of functionality is ideal.
What Can CC Libraries Store?
This is a consistently changing list as Adobe makes the Libraries’ capabilities more and more robust. As of right now, according to Adobe’s Help System, they can store:
- graphics (like logos and other brand assets),
- icons,
- video clips,
- brushes,
- character and paragraph styles,
- layer styles,
- looks,
- patterns,
- 3D objects,
- video, and
- color themes
Setting Up Libraries
Adobe’s web-based Help System provides quick and easy explanations for:
- Creating a library,
- Adding elements to a library, and
- Logically grouping those elements within a library.
Brettro’s Libraries
After some fiddling, I settled on the following CC Library structure for Brettro:
| Library Name | Groups | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Identity Elements | Brand name Tagline Sub brands | Elements of the brand identity that should be conveniently available |
| Color Systems | Palette – default (RGB & Hex) Palette – default (CMYK & PMS) Palette – supporting (RGB & Hex) Palette – supporting (CMYK & PMS) Palette – web (RGB & Hex) | All color palettes for the organization divided into color spaces for digital (RGB and Hex) and print (CMYK and PMS) |
| Graphics, Brushes and Color Themes | Automatically created “My Library” library by Adobe where it stores Adobe Stock images and graphics, color themes and brushes | |
| Iconography | Digital (.gif, .jpg & .png) Print (.ai & .eps) | Icons assigned for a specific purpose that help underscore the overall brand identity. |
| Nomenclature | ||
| Reproduction Files (??) | Covers Mastheads | Grids, covers and other largely unchanged templates that are frequently used |
| Signatures | Signature – cmyk Signature – rgb Signature – one color | Lock-ups of the organization’s logo with all the elements that comprise its signature. |
| Typography & Type Styles | Digital styles (Photoshop) Marketing Mat’l Styles (InDesign & Illustrator) Publication Styles (InDesign & Illustrator) | Type styles to help easily create properly structured graphics, charts and documents. |
| Video | Front Bumper Back Bumper Lower Thirds Text Animations Looks | Standard video elements like bumpers and color “looks.” |
Wishlist
I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible with CC Libraries and Adobe is continuously improving them. I can’t wait to see what features they add next, but two features I would love to see are:
- Ability to add InDesign and Illustrator template files (.indt and .ait)
- Ability to add code snippets for Dreamweaver
In both cases this functionality would allow for quick access by multiple people to frequently used document and graphic templates and frequently used code patterns when marking up text.
