Adobe no doubt now is the world’s largest developer of multimedia and creativity software products. Founded in 1982, as a PostScript ( a page description language) developer, now is leading the industry of creativity software. Its not amaze to see at least one adobe software in anyone’s PC.
From Adobe Flash to Photoshop, from Adobe illustrator to adobe premiere pro and from Adobe Acrobat to Dreamweaver, there is a pool of media creativity pro industry softwares that Adobe provides all under one roof called Adobe Creative Cloud.
All these software are are accessed under monthly subscription of Creative Cloud which may vary little bit country to country. You may choose whole bundle or as a pack of your necessary softwares from cloud platform.
Apart from these paid software, Adobe also provide some light weight tools which you may use without paying for it. Few such software tools are Adobe Spark Page and Adobe Spark Video Maker. We are going to talk about these in this post.
History of Adobe Spark Tools
Table of Contents
In the summer of 2014, Adobe launched a animated video app for iPad used to create video-stories, know by Adobe Voice. This later with more properties become Adobe Spark Video.
Next year in 2015, adobe launched a text and photo-centric storytelling app for the iPad, known as Adobe Slate. This tool later was renamed as Adobe Spark Page.
In the same year adobe launched a new social graphics app for the iPhone and iPad, known as Adobe Post later named as Adobe Spark Post.
So three different application has been submerged under creative Cloud as one pack known as Adobe Spark.
Let’s talk about all tools of Adobe Spark one by one
Adobe Spark Page
As the name sounds, Adobe Spark Page is a free tool used to create beautiful webpage in just a few seconds all by just drag and drop without technical knowledge of website making.
If you want to create a online page presentation or want to share stories online like diary entry or anything else which is accessible to anyone on internet without paying for domain or hosting, then this tool is best for you.
This tool is not for making complex money making web pages or site, even not like google blogger but a platform to create webpages to show online something for free. For instance, if you want to build resume which is online accessible to anyone for free, then you can easily do it from this tool.
If you upgrade the tool, you will get these Extra features
If you upgrade Adobe Spark Page tool to paid version or if you are already a Creative Cloud member, then you”ll get these extra feaures for web page which lack in the free version.
- Can add header and footer
- Can use Adobe Stock photo without watermark
- Can add Google Analytics Tracking ID in your page
- Can add cookies banner
- No little watermark in the bottom of your page
How to create page? Step-by-step
To create web page on Adobe Spark Page, you first need to go on its dashboard. Here is the link. Or if you are in Adobe Spark main dashboard, then click on big “+” sign and go to “web page” option in the dropdown menu.
In the next screen, just login to your Adobe account or you can create a new with Gmail or facebook. After login, the Spark Page dashboard will look like as shown in the picture.
Choosing Themes
The very first thing for your page to do is to select the theme of your page. You can choose any theme available there by clicking “Themes” in the top-right corner of the dashboard. Theme is actually for the beautification of the title area.
If you are the Creative Cloud member or if you upgrade the Spark Page to paid version, you can even create your own unique theme by customizing the text, color, background and styling.
Adding Title, Subtitle and Background Image
Add the title of your web page in the title section. Title is actually that heading of the page which get indexed on the search engine. Below the title, there is a section for subtitle, you may add it or skip it according to your choice.
You can even move the “title and subtitle” anywhere in the page to make it more attractive just by double clicking and moving the mouse. This is wonderful feature which lack in many other webpage making platform.
To add background image to the page, just click “+” sign down below the subtitle section. You can upload your own image from your device or use Adobe stock photos or even free creative common photos.
Just click any option given there, search the picture in search bar and select it. You can even fix the position of the picture by dragging it.
If you use Adobe Stock photo, there will be a mark of it on the picture, and if you use creative commons photo, then there will be no mark. Actually creative commons photos are shown from third party website like pixabay which are free to use. There are millions of free pictures are available to use free.
Just scroll down the page to enter the content area section. Content area is the place where all your text and pictures and videos lie excluding title, subtitle and background image.
Adding Text and Heading
In the content area, just click “+” icon, a pan of option will be appeared as shown in the figure below, then click text. Write the content of the page accordingly as you wish. There is no limit of words.
To convert any line into heading or sub-heading, just select the line, a pan of options will appear, then select H1 or H2 heading. This way you can separate different paragraphs by headings and sub-headings.
Similarly, you can convert any text into quotation or link, change it into bold or italic or arrange it into bullet or numbered or style it left, right or center.
Adding Image, Video and Button
To add image anywhere in the page, just click on the “+” sign there. In the option pan select image. Same as above either you can upload your own image or use creative commons or Adobe Stock photos.
To customize or add style to the image, just select the image, a new pan of option will appear. Here you can use image as inline, full-width or window style. You can move image up-down, fix focal point of the image to crop it.
To add video anywhere in the post, just click “+” sign and then video. In the pop-up tray, paste the “url” of the video and click save. Your video will be embedded on the page. As of now, you can embed video from Youtube, Vimeo or Spark Video.
Button in the page act as the switch for the action to be executed. You might have seen the buttons in any page enchanting “Buy now”, “Donate”, “Watch”, “Contact us” etc.
To add button anywhere in your page, click on “+” sign and then “button”. A new pop-up will appear. Enter the text on the button you want and link of the page you want to be executed and then save. See the picture below.
Photo grid
Photo grid is the amazing properties to show lots of photo at anyplace in ordered grid way. If you search any image on google, it shows tons of images in a grid way. Same feature is available here in the tool.
To add photo grid, just click “+” sign and then “Photo grid”. Now select all the free images you want to show as your requirements and save it. To customize any photo in your grid, just click on it.
You can change the position of it by clicking arrow sign, replace or delete any photo, and change the size as normal or full screen view.
Glideshow
Glideshow is the property you can use to make your webpage look more attractive. You might have seen in some site, the content background image is constantly changing in a pattern by scrolling down in the page. The image will first zoom out and then comes another image and so on. This is actually glideshow of images.
To add glideshow, just click “+” and then go for it. Choose free images you want to show in glide. Select the quantum of images depending on the length of your page.
Don’t select too many images for short pages otherwise it will not be seen by user properly. To edit any image in the glide, just click on any image and choose the option you want to do.
Split Layout
On clicking this, you can split the layout of particular section of your webpage into two halves – left and right. This is the property for showing two different things to the viewer at the same time and same area of your page.
In the left section, you can choose only image. And in the right section by clicking “+” you can use image, text, video and button. You can even alter left to right or right to left by clicking arrow in the middle of both.
So you can show the combo of image-image, image-video, image-text, image-button in the same portion of your page by using this property. That’s all.
Having done, now it’s time to show the world your creativity. Click on the “Share” option in the top. A a menu will appear. You can print the page or send it to the Google drive or publish it online.
To publish it, click on the option “publish and share link”. In the new window that appear, choose the title of your page and pick the category of your content. Choicely select the author to be mentioned.
Edit or delete the credit of the photo used. By default it is selected. Choicely select the option “Your project may be featured on the Adobe Spark website.” if you want your project to be shown on the Adobe Spark tool.
That would be a great day if Adobe will select your project. Finally click on “Create link”.
A shareable link will appear to be share online anywhere. You can even directly share your page on facebook, twitter, google classroom, microsoft team etc. by the option there.
Since you are not going to own and pay for domain and hosting, your webpage link will not look like as you want. It will be as https://spark.adobe.com/page/………..
Adobe Spark Video
Adobe Spark Video is one of the three online tool of Adobe Spark Bundle for making and editing videos. You can create short video for social media, for presentation and projects etc. using clips and images with no time.
The best part of the software is that it requires no technical skill to create a video as the dashboard is simple and easy to use, even a new-bie can do it in no time.
Users can create video by adding clips and images in various slides in customize order, change the duration of the clip or image, add text and choose layout and theme of the video. Users can add pre-inbuilt free music to the video and use lots of free images in their video. Users can also record narration for their video.
The bad part of this tool is that, you can only upload 30 seconds duration of the video in a slide. For further, you have to increase it in different slide which is a messy task for long videos. That’s why this tool is not advised for long and professional video.
The final videos will contain a little good looking watermark written “Adobe Spark”. You can remove this watermark or add your own by upgrading to paid plan.
How to create video? Step-by-step
To create or edit video on adobe spark, you first need to go on its website. Here is the link. You will be welcomed by the home screen. On the top right corner, click the icon ‘start for free‘.
In the next pop-up box create your adobe ID with your Gmail or Facebook account in just one step. Or if you already have, just sign in.
You will be welcomed by the screen shown below. You can give the title of the video or presentation here which you can change it later, or you may skip this step.
A new screen will welcome you where you can choose the template for your video. You can also skip these templates and start from scratch. The various available templates are:
Promote an Idea : Create change and move your audience to action.
Tell What Happened : Share a family vacation, success to celebrate, or just something that happened to you.
A Hero’s Journey : Tell how a regular person overcame a great challenge.
Show and Tell : Describe something important to you, and why it should matter to your audience.
Personal Growth : Share an experience that changed how you view the world.
Teach a Lesson : Help your audience learn a new idea and build understanding.
An Invitation : Get your audience excited about an upcoming event.
Make up My Own : Create the perfect story, presentation, or pitch from scratch.
After choosing any of the template or start from scratch option, and before landing to the main dashboard, you will be shown quick tip video about how to use. This is the video.
Now in the main dashboard which look like the picture given below, you can do all magic.
Down below the dashboard, slides are given. Each clips or image or text are implemented on different slides. Actually, slides are the platform where your different clips or images are placed separately.
You can add as many slide as you can by pressing “+”. The last slide is for the credit. You can hide this or keep this. And at last of all slides, there is a default outro of Adobe Spark. You can’t delete this. It will remain in the video.
In the right corner, there are the options for Full Screen or Split Screen. You can apply this on any slide you want.
Adding Video, Image, Text and Icon
Your different clips and images will be implemented on different slides. Just click on any slide, it will appear on the main editing screen. Click “+”, options for videos, image, text and icons will appear.
“Text” option is for applying text on video or image or empty background. “Icon” option is used for inserting free inbuilt icons on your video. You can use lots of free images from the software or directly from third-party options given.
If you will upload video clip, then it will open a new, where you can trim the duration of your video. After that, you need to save the video, it will appear on the slide chosen.
You can trim clip only upto maximum of 30 seconds duration. And this is the bad part of this software and thus not recommended for large videos.
You can increase your video duration 30 seconds more on different slide and 30 seconds more on different slide and so on. I don’t know why adobe do this but this thing makes it less attractive.
In the top-right corner of each slide on the main editing screen, there is an edit icon, where you can increase the duration of your clip, zoom-in or zoom-out the clip or change the volume of the clip.
Adding Music and Narration
In the top-right corner, there is an option for music. You can click it and choose free inbuilt music. By default, a music is already applied to every slide and you can off the music.
You can also record narration and use it with or without music. All you need to do is to double click on the “mic” icon and hold it for your recording. You have to add narration separately in each 30 seconds clip or image.
This is a good feature for those who can’t record long narration without mistake or slip of tongue.
Layout and Theme of the Video and Resize
In the top-right corner, there is the the option to choose the layout of the video, either to make full-screen or split-screen. In split-screen option, you can split the video screen into two parts and use different clips and images in both parts.
Same there an option for theme of the video. You can choose various themes according to your need and desire. Various themes are : Tidal, Flair, Noir, Sage etc.
In the resize option, you can choose the length-width layout size of the video. For instance, if you are making video for Youtube, you can select the “widescreen” view and if you are making for Facebook, you can select the “square” view.
Preview, Sharing and Downloading
In the top-mid of the dashboard, there is an option for preview. You can preview your video maked and decide whether it is final or not.
In the “share” menu, you get the option for either publishing it on adobe account (behance.net), or inviting friends. Or you can also send it to the google drive.
If you want to download the video on your storage device, just click the “download” option. It may take little bit time to prepare your video and download will start automatically.
Your created and downloaded video will of good quality and contain a watermark of adobe spark in the bottom-right corner which may be hidden if you upload it on Youtube by the way I have mentioned above. If you want to remove this watermark and use your own, you have to upgrade the adobe spark software.
Adobe Spark Post
Creating designs and graphics can be challenging but fortunately adobe can help you creating gorgeous design in seconds. Adobe Spark Post tool is used for creating professional looking graphic design and image posts in no time and skill. This tool has all the powerful functionality you need to get the perfect design.
From social media posts advertisements to flyers, you can create amazing designs that will catch your viewer attention from adobe spark post all without any graphic design experience.
Adobe Spark Post dashboard looks as shown in the above picture. Here is the link to the page. The dashboard is very easy to use. All work is like drag and drop.
You can upload images from your personal device or select free photo provided by adobe. You can remove background, blur add text and color to the image, add video-animation, resize and much more.
It contains almost 3k number of templates for you to choose from. All you need to do is to drop your content in and go. Like spark video, it also has the features of free stock images about 1M+ and you can choose any one in your project. It also have dozens of fonts to choose from.
If you are Creative Cloud member, or upgrade the license, then you will get get even more number of these things along with other features like dividing fonts into primary or secondary fonts that is entirely different style.
Read about LIC Merchant
After your work is final, you can either publish it, invite friends from adobe circle or send it to the google drive or even download it on your device.
This tool is very helpful in making promotional post on Facebook, Instagram or whatsoever. For instance, if you want to make ads banner post to run advertisement on Facebook, you can do it easily from this tool in no time.
Like Spark Video, your final product of the Spark Post also contain little water mark. To remove this water mark or use your own, you have to upgrade to paid version which is about $10/month.