Which company made image ready ?

A. Microsoft

B. Cisco Systems

C. Adobe Systems

D. Citrix Systems

Correct Answer : 

C). Adobe Systems

 

Explanation : ImageReady was a software application developed by Adobe Systems. It was used for optimizing images for the web and included features for creating graphics and animations.


The Creative Force Behind ImageReady: Unveiling Adobe’s Web Design Pioneer

If you’re wondering, “Which company made ImageReady?”, the answer is clear: Adobe Systems created this influential web graphics tool. But ImageReady’s story is more than just a name on a box – it’s a fascinating chapter in the evolution of web design and Adobe’s own journey to dominate the digital creative space.

From Humble Beginnings to Adobe Acquisition

While Adobe is forever linked with ImageReady, the software’s origins lie with a smaller player:

  1. Initial Development (1996): ImageReady was first conceived and launched by ImageReady Corporation, a startup founded by brothers Mark and Phil Matthews. Their vision was a dedicated tool focused entirely on creating and optimizing images for the early, bandwidth-starved web.
  2. Adobe Acquisition (1998): Recognizing the explosive growth of the internet and the critical need for web-specific graphics tools, Adobe Systems acquired ImageReady Corporation in May 1998. This strategic move was a direct response to competitor Macromedia Fireworks and positioned Adobe to be a powerhouse not just in print, but in the burgeoning digital realm.

Adobe’s ImageReady: Powering the Early Web

Once under Adobe’s wing, ImageReady flourished. It became a vital companion to Adobe Photoshop, forming a powerhouse duo for web designers in the late 90s and early 2000s:

  • Seamless Workflow: ImageReady was often bundled with Photoshop. Designers would create layouts in Photoshop, then jump seamlessly into ImageReady (via the “Jump To” button) for web-specific tasks.
  • Web-Centric Superpowers: ImageReady excelled where Photoshop was less focused:
    • Advanced Slicing: Precisely cutting up large images into smaller, faster-loading tables.
    • Rollover & Button Magic: Easily creating interactive buttons that changed on mouse hover (a staple of early websites).
    • GIF Animation: An intuitive timeline interface for creating animated banners and graphics.
    • Optimization Wizardry: Fine-grained control over GIF and JPEG compression to balance quality and file size – crucial for dial-up modems.
    • HTML Generation: Outputting the HTML code needed to reassemble sliced images and rollovers in web pages.
  • The Go-To Web Toolkit: For years, Adobe ImageReady was the de facto standard for professional web graphic production, enabling designers to build the interactive, visually engaging websites that defined the early internet era.

Why Did Adobe ImageReady Disappear?

ImageReady’s success also led to its eventual retirement:

  1. Integration into Photoshop: As web design matured, Adobe recognized that maintaining two separate applications was inefficient. Starting with Photoshop CS3 (2007), Adobe began integrating ImageReady’s core web features directly into Photoshop itself.
  2. Feature Migration: Tools like slicing, animation (renamed as the Timeline panel), rollover states (as layer styles), and advanced web export options became native Photoshop capabilities.
  3. The Final Curtain: With the release of Photoshop CS4 (2008), Adobe officially discontinued ImageReady. Its functionality was now robustly handled within a single, unified Photoshop application, streamlining the designer’s workflow.

Adobe ImageReady’s Enduring Legacy

While you won’t find ImageReady in Adobe’s Creative Cloud today, its impact is undeniable:

  • Shaped Web Design: It provided essential tools that defined how interactive web graphics were built for over a decade.
  • Proved Web Design’s Importance: Its success forced Adobe to deeply integrate web capabilities into its flagship product, Photoshop.
  • Foundation for Modern Tools: The concepts pioneered in ImageReady – slicing, optimization, interactive states – remain fundamental, even as they are now implemented in more advanced ways within Photoshop, Adobe XD, and other modern design tools.
  • A Nostalgic Icon: For veterans of the early web, ImageReady evokes a specific era of creativity and technical problem-solving within the constraints of the time.

In Conclusion:

Adobe Systems was the company that brought ImageReady to its peak popularity and widespread use after acquiring the original developer. It filled a critical gap in the web design workflow, providing powerful tools specifically for the online world during the formative years of the internet. Though discontinued and its features absorbed into Photoshop, Adobe ImageReady remains a significant milestone in the history of digital design, a testament to Adobe’s role in shaping how we create for the web. Its spirit lives on every time a designer optimizes an image or creates an interactive element within modern Adobe software.