You know the drill. The obligatory annual software upgrade comes out and you open up your wallet and shell over a small fortune to keep state-of-the-art status. But is it really worth it? Of course, everybody has their own unique situation, but with the cost of high-end design software still in that “small fortune” range, whether or not to upgrade is a legitimate issue – and this is all the more true for freelance designers or small firms. New Features Comparison The first thing to do is pull out a comparison chart to see what new features the upgrade is going to get you compared with what you’ve got. You need to look carefully to see whether or not the features you use regularly are part of the upgrade option. For example, many photographers spend a great deal of time working with color treatments of their photos. So if the design software has some new tools that could significantly improve your productivity or quality of work, then maybe you’ve got a winner. But if the upgrades tend to be outside your realm of day-to-day use features, then maybe it’s a pass for now. Trial Run So you think you’ve got some essential features you can’t live without in the most…