If you are a graphic artist, you probably have several different graphic programs gathering dust and taking up disk space on your computer because you probably have one or two basic programs that you use all the time. These will either be the ones you learned first or have come to appreciate over time for either their features or their ease of use.

But, what any serious graphic artist really needs is a complete set of integrated programs to satisfy your creative urge such as Macromedia Studio or Adobe Creative Suite. However, these packages are very expensive and usually beyond the means of someone who is just starting out, like a college student.

Luckily, if you shop smart, you can save a great deal of money when purchasing these products. One of the easiest ways to satisfy your need for high-performance programs is to purchase the academic software version. Academic software packages are also commonly referred to as student software. If you attend any accredited educational institution you can probably qualify for student software purchases which can save you a lot of money. Academic software packages are the same programs sold to businesses but priced so students, teachers and schools can afford to buy them. The only requirement is that you agree to use the software only for education and not for commercial business purposes.

Most academic software packages are designed for student use in classroom environments where thy have access to their instructors as well as other students. As a result, student software packages do not usually include user manuals or any other materials normally included in the