Introduction and Basic Funtions· Toolbox · Panels · Project Bin
Using Undo History Panel · Crop An Image · Layers · Saving Files
Introduction and Basic Functions
Working in Photoshop Elements
When you start Photoshop Elements, a Welcome screen provides a starting point for you to open a blank document, browse for files with Adobe Bridge, or open files from a computer or scanner.Downloading and organizing photos
You can download photos from your camera by selecting the photo downloader from the file menu of Photoshop Elements. You can set the photo downloader to start any time you plug in a camera or card reader.Editing Photos
This program provides three work modes: Quick Fix, Guided Edit, and Full Edit. To switch modes click the triangle beside full edit, located in the orange Edit Full box in the upper right hand corner of the document, then navigate the mouse to the desired mode.
- Quick Fix is best for small adjustments such as lighting, color, or sharpening the photo.
- Edit Guided provides step-by-step assistance on how to perform common tasks.
- Edit Full mode provides a complete editing toolset and controls.
Use Context Menus
You can control-click or right-click to open a context menu, which displays commands that are relevant to the active tools, selection, or panel.
Toolbox
Tools in the toolbox allow you to select, edit, and view images, and are located on the left side of the Full Edit and Quick Fix workspaces. You must select a tool in the toolbox before you can use it. Once selected, the tool is highlighted in the toolbox, and optional settings appear in the options bar, which is located below the shortcuts bar at the top of the workspace. Some tools include nested tools, which are additional tools beneath them.
Note: You cannot deselect a tool- once you select a tool; it remains selected until you select a different tool.
Panels
Panels, are the 4x4 rows of mini-windows in the upper right hand corner that help you manage, monitor, and modify images. Some panels have menus to provide additional commands and options.
Project Bin
Located at the bottom of the edit workspaces, the Project Bin displays thumbnails of open photos. It’s useful for switching between multiple open photos in the workspace, or opening/closing, hiding, and navigating images. The following are examples of actions in the Project Bin:
- To open an image, File > Open.
- To bring an opened image forward as the front-most image, double-click its thumbnail.
- To rearrange the photos, drag thumbnails in the Project Bin.
Using the Undo History Panel
The Undo History Panel (Window > Undo History) lets you jump to any recent state of the image created during the current work session. Each time you apply a change to pixels in the image, the new state of that image is added to the Undo History panel.
Crop An Image
The crop tool removes part of an image surrounding the crop selection. Cropping is useful for removing distracting background elements and creating focus for your photo.
- Select the crop tool, select image, and click the green check mark.
- Drag over the part of the image you want to keep
- Click the green commit button located in the lower-right corner of the selection
Layers
Layers are like stacked, transparent sheets of glass on which you can paint images. You can see through the transparent areas of a layer to the layers below. You can work on each layer independently, experimenting to create the effect you want. Each layer remains independent until you combine (merge) the layers. The bottommost layer in the Layers panel, the Background layer, is always locked (protected), meaning you cannot change its stacking order, blending mode, or opacity (unless you convert it into a regular layer).
Saving Files
Photoshop Elements can save images in various formats, though the most commonly used are:
- JPEG used to save photographs
- PHOTOSHOP PDF makes files effective for multiple uses.
- PHOTSHOP (PSD) the standard Photoshop Elements format for images.
For much much more information, please see the official help PDF from Adobe.