NAPP PhotoshopUser & PhotoshopWorld Review

Product:: National Association of Photoshop Professionals Membership (website)
What’s Good:: Lots of information available, Well managed, Overall Interesting.
What’s Bad:: Can easily be considered expensive.

This review is based on a 1 year Canadian membership to the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).

I joined NAPP in January of 2004 about the same time I started taking Photoshop more seriously and wanted to focus more on what it was capable of instead of just using it as a tool for the daily basics. Now a year later, my subscription is coming up for renewal which brings a good time for a review while considering it's value.

NAPP Membership

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals is a dynamic trade association and the world's leading resource for Adobe Photoshop training, news and education. The association is led by a world-class team of Photoshop experts whose focus is to ensure that NAPP members are on the cutting edge of PS techniques and technology. Founded in 1998 the NAPP has now grown to become the largest graphics-related association in the world.

For a 1 year membership, NAPP costs $99 + $29 for Canadian Shipping. (about $10 USD / month)

What is included with the membership fees?

PhotoshopUser Magazine

PhotoshopUser magazine is the official publication of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. The magazine is for members, by members and is not available to the general public by subscription.

Members receive 8 issues a year that cover a wide range of topics including the basics, retouching, photography, video editing, websites and general effects. Each issue is basically setup the same way.

About Photoshop User Magazine
From the Editor
Contributing Writers
Photoshop News
NAPP Member News
PSU Features (articles that are not regular columns)
Monthly Columns (approx 15 articles)
From the Help Desk
Product Reviews
Photoshop Book Reviews
Photoshop Design Showcase
Photoshop Questions and Answers

PhotoshopWorld Conference sponsored by Adobe (optional)

PhotoshopWorld happens twice a year and alternates between the east and west coast of the United States. The conference (not included pre-sessions) expands over 3 days with 60+ classes to attend. When not in class, there is an Expo hall with all the major companies showing off their latest and greatest hardware and software.

The cost of PhotoshopWorld is $399 USD and you must be a NAPP member. I could consider this expensive but when compared to other conferences and courses or even university classes, it's not that bad and in general cheaper then other options.

One advantage is that you are not taught by average Photoshop users, the Instructors and Speakers at PhotoshopWorld are some of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to the software. It's really amazing to watch some of them work.

PhotoshopWorld is also the place where they present awards for excellent work and maintain a Hall of Fame for those that have really made an impact.

Photos of the most recent PhotoshopWorld.

24 hour help desk

NAPP has their own support staff for members to take advantage of. If you have a Photoshop-related question or problem you need help with, NAPP will try and get you the answers you need. Most questions are answered within 24-hours.

Advice desk *have not personally tried

Need some advice on which scanner to buy? Need help on finding out which plug-in creates that cool special effect? Want to know which digital camera is hot right now? Just ask and we'll provide you with straight, no-nonsense, unbiased direction and opinions on a wide range of topics and products.

Members Gallery

NAPP provides each member with their own webspace for hosting up to 24 images. This gallery system allows members to create and share their portfolio using a simple admin system. View NAPP Galleries.

Discounts *have not personally tried

Due to the large members base of NAPP, many companies offer membership discounts that usually range close to the 10% off mark. Discounted items include everything from training materials, stock photography, software, hardware, printing, car/hotel rentals, discounted flights with United Airlines and even Health Insurance.

Newsletters

Once a month, you will receive an email listing the latest news, tutorials and discounts offered on NAPPs website.

Additional Website Features

Since joining, their website has improved 200% with a complete redesign this past November. The overall feel now seems so much more professional.

Discussion forums: An open board for all members to share and answer questions.
Magazine files: For those looking to follow along with instructions in the magazine columns.
Downloads: All kinds of Actions and Plugins to try and experiment with.
Tutorials: There is no shortage of these in text and video format.
Directories: Classifieds, Lists of Design schools world wide as well as a job bank for employees or employers
Calendar of upcoming events
Tell Adobe: Share ideas on new features or improvements you'd like to see added to the next version of Photoshop. Apparently Adobe actually listens.
Chat rooms

Final Thoughts

We know NAPP is a business and their focus to make money is obvious with the advertisements and product promotions but with over 40,000 members they have gained a very strong following over the past 6 years. Not just with their members but also with Adobe, Wacom and various other companies.

NAPP entertains a much wider audience then just beginners. There is just as much material for the advanced user compared to those just opening the box

NAPP is a world wide organization but the majority of it is focused on the US. This is not necessarily a negative thing but it's something to be aware of.

For the extra $30 USD to ship the magazines to Canada, shipping is slow and can take up to a month or more after the release to arrive. It seems to be faster then at first but still tends to be slower then other US service involving shipping.

Renew Fees

Prices remain the same to renew at $99 + $29 for shipping. However there is a $50 discount for the second time to PhotoshopWorld so for those that go back can get the basic entrance package for $349 USD. As a bonus to make the pot even more tempting, NAPP includes free with a renewal, "The Best of Photoshop User Magazine: the Sixth Year" on DVD.

Total NAPP Package for Canadians

$129 for Membership
$399 for Full PhotoshopWorld Conference Pass (optional)
Total: $528 USD
At the current exchange rate (which is really good and better then last year), that's approx: $625 CND.

Final Summary of what this includes

World's largest Photoshop event. A 3 Day Conference and Expo with 60+ classes.
8 PhotoshopUser Magazines full of Tutorials, Tips, News and Reviews.
Members website for discussions, ask adobe, articles, video training and downloads.
Personal webspace to host and manage a 24 image portfolio.
Free Photoshop Tech Support. Ask the help desk and get your answers within 24 hours.
Accepted education credits for students.
Monthly Newsletter by email with updates.
Discounts on Software, Hardware, Seminars (average 10% off).
Save on Hotels, Rental Cars and Health Benefits / Insurance.
Promotional materials such as NAPP branded membership cards, window stickers etc.
Fun stuff like Photoshop competitions with awards.

For even more information, visit their website at PhotoshopUser.com

My Own Opinion

You will definitly have no shortage of Photoshop information and tips coming at you so the price value can be judged by what you will take advantage of. I would say the price is worth it if you plan on attending the PhotoshopWorld Conference. I'm undecided about just paying the $160 CND for the membership alone.

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