Microsoft has released the Expression Studio 2 suite of tools, which includes Silverlight, PHP support and Adobe Photoshop import capabilities.

Designed for creative professionals, the suite includes Expression Web 2, Expression Blend 2, Expression Design 2, Expression Media 2 and Expression Encoder 2, and works with Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008.

Expression Web 2 adds support for PHP and Adobe Photoshop. Expression Blend 2, in addition to Silverlight support, adds vertex animation and a user interface with a split design/XAML view. Expression Design 2 adds improved exporting functionality, including the ability to export slices. Expression Media 2 is a digital asset management tool for photographers and creative professionals. Expression Encoder 2 allows web professionals to optimize video content.

The complete Expression 2 product has an estimated retail price of $699. In addition, all the tools except Expression Design 2 are available as stand-alone products: Expression Blend 2 is available for $499, Expression Web 2 for $299, Expression Media 2 for $199 and Expression Encoder 2 for $199.