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 full boxed retail version of the software.

The availability of free online tutorials (try Googling "free tutorial") can compensate for the student software packages lack of a printed users manual. However, many of these programs come complete with excellent online help files and built in tutorials so there are more than enough resources available for you to learn everything you need to master even the most advanced software features.

These academic software packages allow you to save anywhere for 60-80% off the retail price. Major software companies specifically designed the student software packages to allow students to learn their craft on the latest versions of professional software. They do this for two reasons: to be good corporate citizens and contribute to educating students and for sound business reasons. The software companies know that most people will use the first software package they learned completely throughout their entire career as long as it still meets their professional needs. This simple marketing strategy crates lifelong customers for these software companies.

You will have to prove that you are a student or teacher to purchase academic software packages. All you will need to do is send a copy of your staff ID, student ID or class schedule along with your order. If you believe that you are eligible for the student software discount, contact your school's bookstore or, to save even more, order it online from an academic software reseller.