Definition
A Creative Cloud Library is an on-demand repository for work-in-progress assets.
Overview
Adobe Stock has some amazing, native in-app integrations with our major desktop apps, such as Photoshop and Premiere Pro, including direct access to Creative Cloud Libraries (CC Libraries) for saving and sharing content previews and licensed content. This in-depth primer will define CC Libraries with a bias towards Adobe Stock.
But I already know what CC Libraries are!
If you are familiar with Creative Cloud Libraries and wish to learn more about the integrations themselves, you may want to scroll down to the end of this article and check out the links to other learning resources.
If you want to learn more about how CC Libraries integrate specifically with Adobe Stock, check out the link below.
I don't have access to CC Libraries
If you have access to Adobe Stock, but your organization doesn't allow access to Creative Cloud Libraries, or if you do not have a Creative Cloud subscription, you might want to read this article:
Creative Cloud Libraries (CC Libraries) make the core design assets for your brand or personal projects available to you anywhere, on any device. You can collect and organize images, colors, text styles, videos, and other elements created in various Creative Cloud desktop and mobile apps. You can then use and share the assets in a CC Library, across your digital ecosystem and with others.
By saving, storing, and updating your assets, CC Libraries gives you the latest versions of your images, vectors, color swatches, type styles, and more, right at your fingertips — saving you time in many ways, including the drudge-work of sharing digital assets or even finding them in the first place.
In many ways, CC Libraries are the connective tissue between Adobe applications (desktop and mobile) and our creative services like Adobe Stock.
Libraries and Lightboxes
From an Adobe Stock perspective, you can also think of a CC Library as a "lightbox" for grouping project-specific content. You can share the CC Library (or "lightbox") with others on the team or with the person in charge of licensing content from Adobe Stock.
What can you do with CC Libraries?
Collect, Use, Manage and Share assets
Collect
Creative Cloud Libraries provides a mechanism to collect design assets from various apps, and is not limited to desktop apps only. You can capture inspiration, whenever it strikes, using the family of Creative Cloud mobile apps or even download assets from Adobe Stock.
Use
Create designs and artwork by using the most up-to-date assets from CC Libraries. With the assets centrally located, you and your team know you are always working with the most current, approved content.
Manage
You can organize design assets into multiple CC Libraries. These assets may be based on brands, projects, types of assets, or even your personal favorites that you reuse to create your signature style.
Share
Share CC Libraries with active collaborators or passive stakeholders so that the most up-to-date design assets are available to everyone involved in a project.
Where are my Libraries?
CC Libraries are located in the Creative Cloud itself. This provides a major performance and functional advantage: you can access your library content anywhere, on any device, once you login. You can easily share and centrally update content in a library, without having to be at your desk, tied to a specific device.
Because CC Libraries are part of Creative Cloud, assets stored in them do consume storage in your Creative Cloud account, until you archive the content.
Viewing CC Libraries
When you view Libraries through the Stock web site, you will also see what stock content is currently licensed (the blue check mark).
In-app Viewing
CC Libraries as a panel are accessible from many of our major desktop applications, such as Photoshop, InDesign, Bridge, Premiere Pro and Illustrator.
Viewing CC Libraries on Adobe.com
While you can also view stock assets in CC Libraries through assets.adobe.com, the most optimized way to view, add and license assets is to access Libraries through the Adobe Stock web site.
How Do I Create a Library?
We've made it easy for you create a CC Library almost anywhere. You can create a new Library within desktop apps that support CC Libraries, right from the Libraries Panel. You can also create CC Libraries right within many of our mobile apps, such as Adobe Capture, or the Creative Cloud App.
And - of course - you can create new CC Libraries right within the Adobe Stock website, when you download content.
Note: On the Adobe Stock website, when you save an asset to a Creative Cloud Library, this library becomes the default "save-to" library until you intentionally change to a different library.
Did You Know?
- You can use CC Libraries like a light box or shopping cart in conjunction with Adobe Stock, and share your collections with others on the team.
- You can add complete Photoshop PSD files to a CC Library using Adobe Bridge?
- Libraries are private by default, until you share the link.
- CC Libraries are accessible anywhere, on any device, via the web, desktop and mobile apps.
Online Resources
Credits:
Created with Adobe Stock images by Matteo Maretto - "untitled image" • chuttersnap - "untitled image" • denisismagilov - "Laptop with bookshelves on screen, library side" • Ermolaev Alexandr - "Hands typing on tablet computer in library" • beeboys - "資料室でパソコンを操作する男性" • peshkova - "Library concept" • Chinnapong - "Educational e-learning class and e-book digital technology concept with pc computer notebook open in blur school library or classroom background among old stacks of book, textbook archive collection" • Hypnotik Photography - "A Colorful RGB Gaming Keyboard"