Macromedia Photoshop Elements User Guide

Using

ADOBE

PHOTOSHOP

ELEMENTS 8 EDITOR

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Certain Spelling portions of this product is based on Proximity Linguistic Technology. ©Copyright 1990 Merriam-Webster Inc. ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 2003 Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc.©Copyright 2003 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. Legal Supplement ©Copyright 1990/1994 Merriam-Webster Inc./Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. ©Copyright 1994 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990/1994 Merriam-Webster Inc./Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. ©Copyright 1997All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA ©Copyright 1990 Merriam-Webster Inc. ©Copyright 1993 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 2004 Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. ©Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1991 Dr. Lluis de Yzaguirre I Maura ©Copyright 1991 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990 Munksgaard International Publishers Ltd. ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990 Van Dale Lexicografie bv ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1995 Van Dale Lexicografie bv ©Copyright 1996 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey, USA. ©Copyright 1990 IDE a.s. ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1992 Hachette/Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. ©Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1991 Text & Satz Datentechnik ©Copyright 1991 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 2004 Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag ©Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 2004 MorphoLogic Inc. ©Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990 William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1993-95 Russicon Company Ltd. ©Copyright 1995 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 2004 IDE a.s. ©Copyright 2004 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. The Hyphenation portion of this product is based on Proximity Linguistic Technology. ©Copyright 2003 Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc.©Copyright 2003 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1984 William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. ©Copyright 1988 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of

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Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990 Munksgaard International Publishers Ltd. ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1997 Van Dale Lexicografie bv ©Copyright 1997 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1984 Updated 12 June 2009 Editions Fernand Nathan ©Copyright 1989 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. © Copyright 1983 S Fischer Verlag ©Copyright 1997 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1989 Zanichelli ©Copyright 1989 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1989 IDE a.s. ©Copyright 1989 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1990 Espasa-Calpe ©Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA. ©Copyright 1989 C.A. Stromberg AB. ©Copyright 1989 All rights reserved. Proximity Technology A Division of Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. Burlington, New Jersey USA.

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Last updated 7/26/2011

Chapter 1: Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

What to do first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Using Help and getting support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Converting a catalog from a previous version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

About backing up/synchronizing files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Working in Elements Organizer and Photoshop Elements Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Importing and organizing photos and video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Creating photo projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Printing and sharing photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fixing (editing) photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Troubleshooting tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Chapter 2: Photoshop Elements workspace

About workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Panels and bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Undo, redo, and cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Scratch disks and plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 3: Working in the Editor

Opening files in the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

File information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Viewing images in the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Guides, grids, and rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Saving and exporting images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Guided Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Chapter 4: Using layers

Creating layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Editing layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Copying and arranging layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Opacity and blending modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Adjustment and fill layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Layer masks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Layer styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter 5: Camera raw files

Processing camera raw image files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Settings and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Color and camera raw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 6: Selecting parts of an image

Making selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Modifying selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

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USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8 EDITOR

Contents

Smoothing selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Moving and copying selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Saving selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 7: Color and tonal correction

Color and tonal correction basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Adjusting shadows and light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Correcting color casts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Adjusting color saturation and hue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Adjustment filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Chapter 8: Cropping, resizing, retouching, and transforming photos

Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Image size and resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Retouching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Sharpening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Transforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Recomposing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Stitching together panoramas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Chapter 9: Understanding color

Understanding color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Using image modes and color tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Setting up color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Chapter 10: Filters, effects, styles, and artwork

Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Artistic filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Blur filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Brush Stroke filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Distort filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Noise filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Pixelate filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Render filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Sketch filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Stylize filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Texture filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Video filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Other filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Chapter 11: Painting

Painting overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Choosing colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Painting tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Setting up brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Fills and strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

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Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Presets and libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Chapter 12: Adding text and shapes

Add and edit text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Work with Asian type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Creating shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Editing shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Chapter 13: Creating projects in the Editor

Editor projects overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Making photo projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Create a photo book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Create a greeting card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Create photo calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Create a DVD with a menu of slide shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Editing photo projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262

Chapter 14: Optimizing for the web

Optimizing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Using transparency and mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Dithering in web images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Previewing web images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Chapter 15: Printing and sharing photos

Printing photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Print options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Send photos to online sharing services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Sharing photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Chapter 16: Photoshop Elements Editor keyboard shortcuts

Keys for viewing images (Full Edit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Keys for selecting tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Keys for selecting and moving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Keys for the Magic Extractor dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Keys for transforming selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Keys for painting and brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Keys for using text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Keys for the Layers panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Keys for using blending modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

Keys for the Info panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

Keys for the Color Swatches panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Keys for showing or hiding panels (Full Edit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Keys for the Filter Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Keys for the Liquify filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Keys for using Photomerge Panorama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

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Chapter 17: Glossary

Find definitions for terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

Digital imaging terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

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Chapter 1: Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 8 software combines power and simplicity so you can easily make your photos look their best. You can also share them in imaginative ways, and easily find and view all your photos and video clips.

What to do first

Check the system requirements

If you’re not sure if Adobe Photoshop Elements can run on your computer, review the complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® software. See the ReadMe file included on your software installation disc.

Install the software

1 Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.

2 Insert the installation disc into your disc drive, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Note: You can specify the language and select the country while installing the application. If you want to change these settings after installing the application, you need to uninstall the application and then re-install it.

Should I uninstall my previous version of Adobe Photoshop Elements? If you’ve installed a trial version of

Photoshop Elements, it’s a good idea to uninstall it first. However, it’s not necessary to uninstall a previous

Adobe version of Adobe Photoshop

How do I uninstall a version of Adobe Photoshop Elements? In the Windows® OS, click the Start menu, and then select

Control Panel. Double-click Add Or Remove Programs. Select the version of Adobe Photoshop want to uninstall, and click Remove. Confirm the uninstallation when prompted.

Elements. But, you can uninstall a previous version if you want to.

Elements that you

Register

After installing Adobe Photoshop Elements, register your software to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.

Note: Users in non-US locations, can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.

ReadMe file

The installation disc contains the ReadMe file for your software. (This file is also copied to the application folder during product installation.) Open the file to read important information.

Sign up with your Adobe ID

Important: Adobe Photoshop Elements free online benefits and Photoshop Elements Plus are available in the United States only. Internet access required.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

Sign up with your Adobe ID to receive free online benefits, such as 2 GB of free storage, automatic online backup, automatic syncing of your photos and video clips on multiple computers, tutorials that appear when you need them, access to your photos and videos at Photoshop.com, and a personal URL for sharing your photo/video albums. If you purchased Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 Plus, sign up with your Adobe ID to receive all the above plus additional storage space, artwork, and tutorials. For more information, see

How do I sign up? Click the link in the Welcome screen or in the menu bar to sign up with your Adobe ID. You can

sign up at any time from the Welcome screen. To display the Welcome screen, click the Welcome screen icon in the menu bar. If you don't have an Adobe ID, click the link in the Welcome screen or in the menu bar to create one.

www.adobe.com/go/learn_pse_membership_en.

New and enhanced features

Visit www.adobe.com/go/learn_pse_features_en to learn about new and enhanced features. Improving your photos and doing more with them is easier than ever.

Using Help and getting support

Learning Adobe Photoshop Elements

The Photoshop Elements Help and Support page on the web provides links to articles and video tutorials to help you get started with Adobe Photoshop Elements. The Help and Support page also includes top troubleshooting tips, advanced articles, and links to help and forums. Go to

www.adobe.com/support/photoshopelements.

How do I ask a question You can also ask questions and get advice from other Adobe Photoshop Elements and

Premiere Elements users at www.adobe.com/go/forums.

Adobe

Using Photoshop Elements Help

Photoshop Elements Help is available several ways. To access Help, select Help > Photoshop Elements Help (or press the F1 key on your keyboard). If your computer is connected to the Internet, Adobe Photoshop automatically launches Help on the web.

To see the complete Help for Adobe Photoshop Elements, see Elements Organizer and the Photoshop Elements Editor Help.

Help on the web Help on the web is the most comprehensive and up-to-date version of Adobe Photoshop Elements

Help. To view Help on the web, see Internet to access Help on the web. Use the Search field to search within Photoshop Elements Help.

Help in the application Help in the application provides access to key tasks and concepts. If you aren’t connected to

the Internet, Photoshop complete Help available on the web.

Help PDF Help is also available as a PDF that is optimized for printing. For more information, see

www.adobe.com/go/learn_pse8_printpdf_en, or click the Help PDF link at the top of each Help page. The Help PDF

is the best way to access the most comprehensive Help when you don’t have an Internet connection.

Links in the application Some Help links are within Photoshop Elements. Clicking these links takes you to the

corresponding topic in either Help on the web or Help in the application.

Note: If you try to access a Help topic that only exists in Help on the web, Photoshop Elements displays a message with a URL and a link to the complete Help on the web.

Elements launches Help in the application. Help in the application is a small subset of the

www.adobe.com/go/learn_pse8_en. Your computer must be connected to the

Elements

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

Tips for searching Help

• If you search using a phrase, such as “shape tool,” place quotation marks around the phrase. The search returns only

those topics containing all the words in the phrase.

• Make sure that the search terms are spelled correctly.

• If a search term doesn’t yield results, try using a synonym, such as “web” instead of “Internet.”

• If you find a topic you want to view again, bookmark it for easy access later.

Print a Help topic To print a topic from Help, use the Print command in the browser.

How to search for troubleshooting topics You can view top issues and search for common problems and error

messages by going to Adobe Photoshop Elements users at www.adobe.com/go/forums.

Forum You can access the Elements user community forum through the application. To access the forum page from

Photoshop Elements, select Help > Forum. To access the forum page from Elements Organizer, select Help > Forum > Photoshop Elements. If your computer is connected to the Internet, Photoshop The forum is used to ask other Photoshop Elements users for suggestions on your designs and also to post useful tips and tricks that help other users.

Look for Photoshop Elements updates If your computer is connected to the Internet, you’ll receive notifications

whenever Photoshop

www.adobe.com/downloads/updates.

www.adobe.com/support/photoshopelements. You can also ask questions to other

Elements launches the forum page.

Elements is updated. You can also find out about the latest updates by going to

How do I get customer support?

You can get support by contacting Adobe directly or submitting a web case. Visit www.adobe.com/support/contact for contact information. Visit the Adobe Support website at www.adobe.com/go/support. Adobe Support has troubleshooting information and also information about free and paid technical support options.

Converting a catalog from a previous version

When you open Elements Organizer in Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, you could experience difficulties opening a catalog you used in an earlier version of Adobe Photoshop Elements. Convert the catalog to view the photos.

1 Select File > Catalog.

2 Click Convert in the Catalog Manager.

3 In the Convert Catalog window, select the catalog you want to convert.

Note: Catalogs saved to a folder in a location other than the default location do not appear in the Convert Catalog window automatically. Click Find More Catalogs, and then select the folder where your catalog is located. Catalogs located in that folder are added to the list of catalogs that can be converted.

4 Click Convert.

Show Previously Converted Catalogs

You can view the catalogs that have previously been converted or that were backed up by an earlier version. The Convert Catalog window does not display these catalogs by default. Select Show Previously Converted Catalogs to view a list of the previously converted catalogs.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

Note: You cannot use the converted catalog with earlier versions. However, when the catalog is converted, it copies the data into a new catalog file, and the original catalog file remains unchanged. You can continue to use the original catalog in the earlier versions.

About backing up/synchronizing files

Back up/Synchronize files

Note: Adobe Photoshop Elements free online benefits and Photoshop Elements Plus are available in the United States only. Internet access required.

When you sign in with your Adobe ID, you can back up your albums and catalogs to Photoshop.com servers. Backing up and synchronizing your albums and catalogs are essential for protecting your photos and media files. For example, if you add keyword tags to media files on your computer, the corresponding photos on Photoshop.com are updated with the tags. The albums and catalogs must be marked for Backup/Synchronization on each computer.

Important: All images within a stack are automatically backed up/synchronized across all machines. However, you must manually re-create the stack on each machine.

The Backup/Synchronization wizard is automatically launched when the user activates Backup/Synchronization for the first time.

Backup/Synchronization window

1 Start Elements Organizer, and then sign in with your Adobe ID.

2 Choose an option from the Backup/Synchronization dialog box.

Yes - Turn It On For Me Enables you to set your entire catalog for Backup/Synchronization. All your videos and photos

securely get uploaded to your online account.

Yes - But Show Me The Advanced Settings Enables you to set advanced Backup/Synchronization settings in the

Preferences dialog box.

No - Leave It OFF. I Don’t Want To Protect My Photos And Videos Your videos and photos don’t get backed up and

synchronized online.

3 Select the required option, and then follow the onscreen instructions to enable Back up/Synchronization.

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View Backup/Synchronization activity status

❖ Do one of the following:

• Right-click the Elements Backup/Synchronization Agent icon in the system tray and select View

Backup/Synchronization Status.

• Double-click the Elements Backup/Synchronization Agent icon in the system tray.

• Click the Elements Backup/Synchronization Agent icon in the status bar of Elements Organizer, and then select

View Backup/Synchronization Status.

The Elements Backup/Synchronization Status dialog box is displayed. The dialog box displays the following information:

• The total number of assets that are being synchronized

• The overall progress of the synchronization activity

• The online storage capacity being used

• The asset that is being synchronized

The dialog box also allows you to pause and resume the Backup/Synchronization activity.

View Backup/Sync activity status

Start backup and synchronization activity manually

Backup/Synchronization is a scheduled activity. The Elements Backup/Synchronization Agent checks for assets to synchronize at regular intervals. Between these periods of activity, the Elements Backup/Synchronization Agent is idle. To synchronize right away instead of waiting for the next scheduled synchronization, click Backup/Sync Now in the system tray. The Backup/Synchronization process starts, and any changes that you have made are synced to Photoshop.com immediately.

Working in Elements Organizer and Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop Elements has two basic workspaces— Elements Organizer and the Photoshop Elements Editor that you switch between, depending on the task you’re performing. You start by importing photos into Elements fixes in Elements Organizer.

In the Editor workspace, you can refine your photos more fully, make basic edits, follow step-by-step guided editing tasks, or use advanced editing tools.

Elements Editor

For a video overview, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2309_pse8_en and www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2301_pse8_en.

Organizer, where you view, manage, and find all of your photos and video clips. You can also make quick

After working with your photos in either Elements Organizer or the Photoshop Elements Editor, you can create photo projects, such as scrapbook pages, slide shows, photo books, and online albums. You can easily share these projects with family and friends.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

To access Elements Organizer from the Photoshop Elements Editor, click the icon .

Importing and organizing photos and video

As you work in Adobe Photoshop Elements, you start by importing photos into Elements Organizer. In

Organizer, you can view, manage, and find all your photos and video clips.

Elements

Use the Photo Downloader to download files

1 Connect your camera or card reader to your computer. (See the documentation that came with your device, if

necessary.)

The Windows AutoPlay dialog box opens with a list of options for getting the photos.

In the Windows AutoPlay dialog box, select Organize, and Edit using Adobe Elements Organizer 8, and then click OK.

If Elements Organizer is not already open, the Photo Downloader dialog box opens. Click Get Photos. Elements Organizer opens and imports the media files. If Elements Organizer is already running, choose File And Videos > From Camera Or Card Reader to open the Photo Downloader.

3 In the Photo Downloader dialog box under Source, choose from the Get Photos From menu to specify where to

copy/import the photos from.

4 In the Import Settings area, set the following options:

Location Specifies the folder to which images are downloaded. To change the default folder location, click Browse, and

then specify a new location.

> Get Photos

Create Subfolder(s) Creates a subfolder using the naming scheme chosen from the pop-up menu. If you choose

Custom Name, type a subfolder name in the box.

Rename Files Changes the filenames using the naming scheme selected from the pop-up menu. If you choose Custom

Name, type a base filename and a starting number for assigning sequentially numbered filenames to the photos.

Note: If the name you entered exists, the copied image filename is appended with “-1” or another appropriately numbered designator.

Preserve Current Filename In XMP Select this option to use the current filename as the filename stored in the metadata

of the photo.

Delete Options Specifies whether to leave the photos on your camera or card, verify and delete the files, or delete the

files after they are copied. Photos that you do not import into Adobe Photoshop

Elements are not deleted from the

camera or card.

5 (Optional) To automatically download photos to Photoshop Elements after a device is connected, select Automatic

Download. Automatic download options are set in the Camera Or Card Reader preferences.

6 (Optional) For more download options, click the Advanced Dialog button. See

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_advanceddownload_en.

7 Click Get Photos.

The photos are copied to your hard drive.

8 Click OK in the Files Successfully Copied dialog box.

Note: If Elements Organizer is launched while copying the photos, click Yes in the Files Successfully Copied box.

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Organizing your photos and video clips

Use Elements Organizer to manage your files. Elements Organizer enables you to find photos, video files, audio clips, and Adobe PDF documents, even if they’re stored in different locations on your computer.

Adobe Photoshop Elements automatically organizes photos by date as they download. Elements Organizer has a Timeline (choose Window > Timeline) and Date View for finding photos by date. It’s a good idea to put related photos into an album. Albums are great for sharing photos in projects, creations, online albums, and they also make it easy to find related photos.

You can further sort and categorize photos by adding star ratings, by stacking photos, and by assigning keyword

. For more information on using keyword tags, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_photos_tag_en.

Create an album

1 Click the Create New Album Or Album Category button in the Albums panel of the Organize tab, and then

choose New Album.

2 (Optional) From the Albums Category menu, choose a category into which to place the album.

Albums Category menu

3 In the Album Name box, type a name for the album.

4 Drag photos into the Items area.

The album appears in the Albums panel under the album category you specified. For more information about creating an album, see

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_albums_create_en .

Finding photos and video clips

You can find photos and video files by date, star rating, album, folder location, filename, media type, keyword tag, text, or other criteria. For more information, see

Here are a few of the features in Elements Organizer to find photos:

Timeline Click a month or set a range to find photos and media files chronologically by date, import batch, or folder

location.

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_photos_find_en.

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Find bar Drag a photo, keyword tag, project, or album onto the Find bar to find matching or similar photos and media

files.

Albums panel Select an album to view only the media files in it.

Keyword Tags panel Select a keyword tag to see only the files with that tag.

Text box Type text in the Search box to find files with matching text. Matches can include items such as filenames,

metadata, keyword tags, captions, notes, album names, album groups, camera information, dates, folders, and formats.

Elements Organizer has many tools and features for finding photos. A. Find bar B. Text box C. Timeline D. Albums panel E. Keyword Tags panel

Find the actual file of a photo or media clip

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photo or media clip whose file you want to find.

2 Press Alt + Enter to open the Properties-General window.

3 Click the Reveal In Explorer icon .

Creating photo projects

You can use your photos in various fun projects that you can share with family and friends. For example, you can create photo projects, such as albums, scrapbook pages, greeting cards, CD/DVD labels and jackets, and photo collages. You can print these photo projects at home, or you can upload them to an online printing service. You can also use your photos in online photo galleries, photo slide shows, and flipbooks. For more information, see

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_projects_en.

Give your projects a personal look by customizing the project templates. Adjust layout colors to better complement your photos, and add new graphical elements, text, and effects, such as drop shadows and glows. Use the Contents panel to quickly browse hundreds of frames, themes, backgrounds, clip art, and effects to apply to your photos and photo projects.

Create and share a slide show

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photos you want in the slide show.

2 In the Create tab , clickSlide Show to show the Slide Show Preferences.

3 Change any of these options, or click OK to use the default options.

All the tools for creating your slide show are in the Slide Show dialog box. The photos you chose to use in the slide show appear at the bottom of the screen.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

4 In the Slide Show Editor, have fun adding effects, text, small graphics, music, or your own narration. The Slide Show

Editor provides lots of possibilities for creativity.

5 If you want to reorder your slides, drag the slide’s thumbnail image to a new location. The image thumbnails are at

the bottom of the Slide Show Editor. Drag one forward or back until you see the blue bar, and then release the mouse button.

6 To preview your slide show with all its effects, use the VCR-style buttons under the slide preview. You can return

to editing slides at any time by pressing the VCR-style button.

Note: You can also preview your slide show with all its effects using the Full Screen Preview icon. You can return to editing slides from the Full screen preview by pressing the Esc key.

Click Save Project (in the upper left of the Slide Show Editor). It’s a good idea to save the slide show regularly as you work.

8 To output your slide show for viewing or sharing, click Output (in the upper left of the Slide Show Editor). Choose

how you want to share your slide show. You can save it as a movie file or a PDF file. You can also burn it to a disc so you can play it on a TV or computer.

Printing and sharing photos

Photoshop Elements offers many ways to quickly share your photos. You can let people view your photos through an interactive online album. You can send photos to people via e-mail. You can print photos to your home printer or order professionally printed photos. Or, you can put your files or albums on CDs/DVDs.

In Elements Organizer, you first select photos you want to share. Click the Share tab, and then select the way you want to share photos. For more information, see

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_share_en.

Print from Elements Organizer

1 Select photos or video clips in the Photo Browser. If you select a video clip, only the first frame of the clip is printed.

2 Choose File > Print.

3 Specify printing options in the Prints dialog box, and then click Print.

Print online

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photos you want to print.

2 Do one of the following and follow the instructions in the Order Prints dialog box that opens.

• Click File > Order Prints > Order Shutterfly Prints.

Note: Sign up for Shutterfly to use their services.

• Click File > Order Prints > Order Kodak Prints.

Note: Sign up for Kodak membership to use their services.

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Share photos using e-mail

Photoshop Elements streamlines sharing photos by e-mail. You can either attach photos to an e-mail or embed a photo in an e-mail using Photo Mail.

1 Make sure your e-mail client is specified in Preferences. In Elements Organizer, choose Edit > Preferences >

Sharing. In Editor, choose Edit > Preferences > Organize & Share, and then select Sharing. Choose Microsoft

Note: In Windows Vista®, choose Microsoft Outlook®, Windows mail, or Adobe E-mail Service.

2 Select a photo in the Photo Browser or Date view, and then click Share and Photo Mail.

3 The first time you e-mail a photo, you are prompted to confirm the e-mail service you want to use. Confirm your

choice, and then click OK.

The Photo Mail panel appears displaying the photos you chose to e-mail.

4 Select recipients of the e-mail by doing one of the following:

• Select a name from the Select Recipients list (the names you see are from your contact book).

• If you want, add the recipient to your contact book by selecting New Contact in the Contact Book dialog. Click OK;

the recipient appears selected in the Select Recipients list.

5 In the Stationery & Layouts wizard, choose a stationery style and background. Then click Next Step, and customize

the layout.

6 Click Next.

Photoshop Elements opens your default e-mail application.

Outlook®, Outlook Express, or Adobe E-mail Service.

What if I use a web-based e-mail service? If you use a web-based e-mail service such as Gmail™ or Yahoo® Mail, you

can export your photos and attach them to e-mail messages. Click the Share tab, and select E-mail Attachments. The E-mail Attachments wizard leads you through the steps for creating versions of your photos that are suitable for e-mail.

Fixing (editing) photos

Adobe Photoshop Elements offers several levels of editing, from simple one-click fixes in Elements Organizer to advanced color correction and composition in the Photoshop Elements Editor.

Fix photos in Elements Organizer

In Elements Organizer, you can perform various basic image adjustments: Auto Smart Fix, Auto Color, Auto Contrast, Auto Red Eye, and Auto Sharpen, for example. For more information, see

www.adobe.com/go/learn_org_fix_organizer_en.

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photos you want to fix.

2 Click the Fix tab, and select Edit Photos. Make the required adjustments.

If you don’t like the results, click Undo , or press Ctrl-Z.

Crop a photo in Elements Organizer

Cropping removes unwanted areas from a photo.

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photo you want to crop.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

2 Click the Fix tab, select Crop, and then follow the instructions in the Crop dialog box.

Fix photos in the Photoshop Elements Editor

The Photoshop Elements Editor provides additional editing modes: Quick Fix, Guided Edit, and Full Edit. The level of your editing expertise and complexity of the image editing determine which mode is appropriate for your task. For more information, see

1 In Elements Organizer, select the photos you want to work with in the Editor.

2 Click the triangle beside the Fix tab, and then select one of the following: Full Photo Edit, Quick Photo Edit, or

Guided Photo Edit.

Organizer bar

In the Photoshop Elements Editor, photos appear in the Project Bin at the bottom of the Editor workspace. You can move between the photos you want to fix by double-clicking them in the Project Bin.

www.adobe.com/go/learn_pse8_photos_fix_en.

Do I have to use Elements Organizer to open images in the Editor? No. You can open photos from the Editor too.

Choose File > Open and navigate to the photos you want to open.

What if I switch to Elements Organizer while fixing photos in the Photoshop Elements Editor? If you switch to

Elements Organizer while files are open in the Editor, you’ll see a banner over the thumbnails of the opened files. The files cannot be changed in Elements Organizer until they are closed in the Editor.

More Help topics

“Color and tonal correction basics” on page 100

“Guided Edit” on page 46

Saving your edits

After you edit an image in the Photoshop Elements Editor, save it, or you’ll lose your work. Fixes you make in

Organizer are saved automatically.

Elements

❖ In the Photoshop Elements Editor, choose File > Save.

Photos saved to the Editor are saved as a version and grouped with other saved versions and the original photo. These version sets are stacked together in Elements Organizer with the latest saved version at the top of the stack.

What if I don’t want to save versions of a photo? It’s recommended that you save versions of a photo to preserve the

original file. If for some reason, you don’t want to save a version of a photo, choose File > Save after you’ve finished editing a photo. Under Save Options in the Save As dialog box, deselect the Save In Version Set With Original option. By default, Photoshop Elements Editor saves the file in PSD format without a version number appended to the filename.

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Getting started with Adobe Photoshop Elements

Troubleshooting tips

Here are some things to consider when troubleshooting Photoshop Elements. For more tips, visit

www.adobe.com/go/forums.

• Restart Photoshop Elements, or restart your computer.

• Reset the Photoshop Elements preferences. Hold down the Ctrl + Alt + Shift keys immediately after starting

Photoshop

• Turn off other programs, including anti-virus, firewall, and CD/DVD burning applications that run in the

background.

• Make sure that the computer operating system is up-to-date. Install the latest drivers for your video card, sound

card, printer, and other devices.

• Remove any recent additions to your computer. What was the last thing you changed on your computer before the

problem began? Did you install a new printer, font, or other software?

• If something in Photoshop Elements doesn’t seem to work properly, check Photoshop Elements Help.

• If a problem occurs when you open or edit a photo, does the problem occur with all photos? Does it occur with

photos from different cameras or sources?

Elements. Then, choose a task on the Welcome screen.

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Chapter 2: Photoshop Elements workspace

Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 8 has two main workspaces: the Elements Organizer and the Editor. Use the Elements Organizer for finding, organizing, and sharing your photos and media files. Use the Editor for creating, editing, and fixing your images. You can also add functionality with plug-in modules and expand system memory by using scratch disks.

To open a photo in the Editor workspace, select the photo in Elements Organizer. Click the triangle beside the Fix tab, and then choose Full Photo Edit, Quick Photo Edit, or Guided Photo Edit. When you are working in the Editor workspace, click the Organizer button

If both the Elements Organizer and the Photoshop Elements Editor are open, you can move between the two workspaces by clicking the corresponding button in the Windows® OS task bar.

About workspaces

to open the Elements Organizer workspace.

The Welcome screen

When you start Photoshop Elements, the Welcome screen opens by default. The Welcome screen is a convenient starting place, or hub, for major tasks.

Note: The Photoshop Elements free online benefits and Photoshop Elements Plus are available in the United States only. Internet access required.

Click Organize to open Elements Organizer and import, tag, or organize your photos. Click Edit to open the Editor and enhance your images or add special effects.

You can close or reopen the Welcome screen at any time by clicking the Welcome Screen button . It’s not necessary to return to the Welcome screen to open other workspaces—you can open different workspaces from within any other workspace.

When you click the settings icon , the Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 dialog is displayed with the following options. Specifying the settings here determine the Adobe Photoshop Elements launch behavior. Select one of the options and click OK:

• Just Show The Welcome Screen

• Always Launch Elements Organizer Behind The Welcome Screen

• Always Launch Photoshop Elements Editor Behind The Welcome Screen.

More Help topics

“Sign up with your Adobe ID” on page 1

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Disable tracking of information

The Welcome screen by default records and relays some usage information to Adobe to assist in the improvement of the Welcome screen experience. The Welcome screen usage data is anonymous and does not link the information to your personal data or your Adobe ID account information. Usage information from Photoshop Elements Editor or Elements Organizer is not tracked. To disable the tracking of information in the Welcome screen:

1 In Windows XP, click start > Run (or in Windows Vista choose Start), and type regedit.exe, and click OK.

The Windows Registry Editor opens. Using the tree navigator on the left, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Elements Organizer\8.0\Organizer.

2 Right-click anywhere on the right panel, and select New > DWORD Value.

A new DWORD Value with the name New Value #1 is created.

3 Rename New Value #1 to DisableTracking.

4 Double-click DisableTracking.

The Edit DWORD Value dialog opens.

5 Enter 1 in the Value Data field, click OK, and close the Registry Editor.

The Editor workspace

For videos about the Full Edit and Guided Edit modes, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2319_pse8_en and

www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2318_pse8_en.

The Editor workspace provides modes to create and edit images. Click the triangle beside Edit Full and select one of the following options:

Edit Full Enables you to edit photos in the Full Edit mode.

Edit Quick Enables you to edit photos in the Quick Fix mode.

Edit Guided Enables you to edit photos in the Guided Edit mode.

The Full Edit workspace has tools to correct color problems, create special effects, and enhance photos. The Quick Fix

contains simple tools for correcting color and lighting, and commands to quickly fix common problems

workspace like red eye. The Guided Edit workspace contains tools for basic photo edits, guided activities, and photographic effects. If you are new to digital imaging, Quick Fix or Guided Edit is a good place to start fixing photos.

If you’ve worked with image-editing applications before, you’ll find that the Full Edit workspace provides a flexible and powerful image-correction environment. It has lighting and color-correction commands, along with tools for fixing image defects, making selections, adding text, and painting on your images. You can rearrange the Full Edit workspace to best suit your needs. You can move, hide, and show panels, and arrange panels in the Panel Bin. You can also zoom in or out of the photo, scroll to a different area of the document window, and create multiple windows and views.

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Full Edit workspace

A. Inactive tab B. Active tab C. Active image area D Menu bar E Tool box F. Organizer button G. Options bar H. Panels I. Projects bin J. Panels bin

Menu bar Contains menus for performing tasks. The menus are organized by topic. For example, the Enhance menu

contains commands for applying adjustments to an image.

Toolbox Holds tools for editing images.

Options bar Provides options for the tool you select.

Project Bin Displays thumbnails of opened images, and lets you easily manage them.

Panels Help you monitor and modify images.

Panel Bin Helps you organize the panels in your work area.

Status bar In the Editor, the Status bar has buttons for showing or hiding the Project Bin.

Note: Photoshop Elements users in the United States can also access special services in the Status bar.

More Help topics

“Correct color in Quick Fix” on page 100

“Sign up with your Adobe ID” on page 1

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Launch the Elements Inspiration Browser

The Inspiration Browser lets you access and organize tutorials that contain ideas and ways to do more with your media files.

❖ To launch the Inspiration Browser, select Help > Elements Inspiration Browser.

If you are not signed in with your Adobe ID, a dialog box opens up enabling you to sign in.

Use context menus

You can use context menus in both the Editor and Elements Organizer workspaces. Context-sensitive menus display commands that are relevant to the active tool, selection, or panel. These menus are often another way to access the commands in the window menus.

Right-click to open a context menu. This menu appears in the Project Bin in Full Edit.

1 Position the pointer over an image or panel item.

Note: Not all panels offer context menus.

2 Right-click and choose a command from the menu.

Using keyboard commands and modifier keys

You can use keyboard shortcuts in both the Editor and Elements Organizer workspaces. Keyboard commands let you quickly execute commands without using a menu; modifier keys let you alter how a tool operates. When available, the keyboard command appears to the right of the command name in the menu.

More Help topics

“Photoshop Elements Editor keyboard shortcuts” on page 286

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 286

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Exit Photoshop Elements

To exit Photoshop Elements, you need to close both the Editor and the Elements Organizer workspace—closing one does not automatically close the other.

1 In the Editor, the Elements Organizer, or both workspaces, do one of the following:

• Choose File > Exit.

• Click the Close button (X) in the upper-right corner of the workspace.

2 When closing the Editor, choose whether to save any open files.

More Help topics

“Save changes in different file formats” on page 41

Tools

About the toolbox

You can access tools in the Editor workspace. You use tools in the toolbox to select, edit, and view images; some tools let you paint, draw, and type. The toolbox appears on the left side of the Full Edit and Quick Fix workspaces. In the Full Edit workspace, you can move the toolbox by dragging the gripper bar at the top of the box.

Select a tool in the toolbox to use it. Once selected, the tool is highlighted in the toolbox. Optional settings for the tool appear in the options bar, which is located below the shortcuts bar at the top of the Editor workspace. Some tools in the toolbox have additional tools beneath them. These tools are called hidden tools. A small triangle at the lower right of the tool icon indicates the presence of hidden tools. When you select a tool, any additional hidden tools appear in the options bar.

Note: You cannot deselect a tool—once you select a tool, it remains selected until you select a different tool. For example, if you’ve selected the Lasso tool, and you want to click your image without selecting anything, select the Hand tool.

You can view information about any tool in the toolbox by positioning the pointer over it. The name of the tool appears below the pointer—this name is called the tool tip. You can click a link in some tool tips to see additional information about the tool.

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Toolbox overview

A D F

Navigation and measuring tools

Move (V)

Zoom (Z)

Hand (H)

Eyedropper (I)

Selection tools

Rectangular Marquee (M)

Elliptical Marquee (M)

Lasso (L)

Magnetic Lasso (L) Polygonal Lasso (L)

Magic Wand (W)

Quick Selection (A)

Selection Brush (A)

Type tools

Horizontal Type (T)

Vertical Type (T ) Horizontal Type

Mask (T) Vertical Type

Mask (T)

Crop tools

Crop (C)

Cookie Cutter (Q)

Straighten (P) Recompose (C+C)

Retouching tools

Red Eye Removal (Y)

Spot Healing Brush (J)

Healing Brush (J)

Clone Stamp (S)

Pattern Stamp (S)

Eraser (E)

Background Eraser (E) Magic Eraser (E)

Blur (R)

Sharpen (R) Smudge (R)

Sponge (O)

Dodge (O) Burn (O)

Painting and drawing tools

Brush (B)

Pencil (N) Impressionist

Brush (B) Color Replacement (B)

Smart Brush (F)

Detail Smart Brush (F)

Paint Bucket (K)

Gradient (G)

Shape tools

Rectangle (U)

Rounded Rectangle (U)

Ellipse (U) Polygon (U) Line (U) Custom Shape (U) Shape Selection (U)

Indicates default tool * Keyboard shortcuts appear in parenthesis

Toolbox Overview

Select a tool

For a video about tools, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2320_pse8_en.

❖ Do one of the following:

• Click a tool in the toolbox. If there is a small triangle in a tool’s lower-right corner, hold down the mouse button to

view the hidden tools nested with the tool. Then, click the tool you want to select.

• Press the tool’s keyboard shortcut. The keyboard shortcut is displayed in its tool tip. For example, you can select

the Move tool by pressing the V key.

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Photoshop Elements workspace

D E

Using tools A. Toolbox B. Active tool C. Hidden tools D. Tool name E. Tool shortcut F. Hidden tool triangle

More Help topics

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 286

Set tool preferences

1 In the Editor, choose Edit > Preferences > General.

2 Set one or more of the following options, and click OK.

• Select Show Tool Tips to show or hide tool tips.

• Select Use Shift Key For Tool Switch to cycle through a set of hidden tools by holding down the Shift key. When

this option is deselected, you can cycle through a set of hidden tools by pressing the shortcut key (without holding down Shift).

Set the appearance of a tool pointer

1 In the Editor, choose Edit > Preferences > Display & Cursors.

2 Select a setting for the Painting Cursors:

Standard Displays pointers as tool icons.

Precise Displays pointers as cross-hairs.

Normal Brush Tip Displays pointers as circles at 50% of the size you specify for the brush.

Full Size Brush Tip Displays pointers as circles at the full size you specify for the brush.

Show Crosshair In Brush Tip Displays cross-hairs in the circles when you choose either Normal Brush Tip or Full Size

Brush Tip.

3 Select a setting for Other Cursors:

Standard Displays pointers as tool icons.

Precise Displays pointers as cross-hairs.

Set tool options

The options bar appears below the shortcuts bar at the top of the Editor workspace. The options bar is context sensitive—it changes as you select different tools. Some settings in the options bar are common to several tools, and some are specific to one tool.

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Lasso options bar A. Tool icon B. Active tool C. Hidden tools D. Tool options

1 Select a tool.

2 Look in the options bar to see the available options. For more information on setting options for a specific tool,

search for the tool’s name in Photoshop

Elements Help.

Note: To return a tool or all tools to their default settings, click the tool icon, and then click the triangle in the options bar, then choose Reset Tool or Reset All Tools from the context menu.

More Help topics

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 286

Set a completed operations alert

1 In the Editor, choose Edit > Preferences > General.

2 Select Beep When Done, and click OK.

Panels and bins

About panels

Panels are available in both the Editor and Elements Organizer workspaces; however, they behave a little differently in each. Panels help you manage, monitor, and modify images. Some panels have menus that provide additional commands and options. You can organize panels in the workspace in many different ways. You can store panels in the Panel Bin to keep them out of your way, but easily accessible, or you can keep frequently used panels open in the workspace. Another option is to group panels together or dock one panel at the bottom of another panel.

Note: Drag a panel out of the Panel Bin if you want to remove it from the Panel Bin and keep it open.

Dragging a panel.

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Photoshop Elements workspace

Panel menus

Some commands appear in both the panel menu and the menu bar. Other commands are exclusive to panel menus. Click panel menu to view the different commands in each panel.

Pop-up sliders within panels

Some panels and dialog boxes contain settings that use pop-up sliders (for example, the Opacity option in the Layers panel). If there is a triangle next to the text box, you can activate the pop-up slider by clicking the triangle. Position the pointer over the triangle next to the setting, hold down the mouse button, and drag the slider or angle radius to the desired value. Click outside the slider box or press Enter to close the slider box. To cancel changes, press Esc.

To increase or decrease values in 10% increments when the pop-up slider box is open, hold down Shift and press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key.

F G H

Different ways to enter values A. Dial B. Click to open window C. Text box D. Menu arrow E. Scrubby slider F. Check box G. Slider H Pop-up slider triangle

Work with panels in the Editor

The Panel Bin in the Editor lets you store multiple panels in a single area. You can easily configure, close, or keep open the Panel Bin for easy and fast access. By default, the Panel Bin appears on the right side of the workspace. When you adjust panels, they remain as you leave them until you reset or change them.

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USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8 EDITOR

Photoshop Elements workspace

B C

The Panel Bin A. Change panel tools B. Adjust panel height C. Panel menu D. Scroll to view rest of panel

1 To show or hide the Panel Bin, Choose Window > Panel Bin.

2 To adjust the height of a panel, select the panel and a handle bar appears at the bottom of the panel. Drag the

panel using the handle bar.

3 To use panels in the Panel Bin, do any of the following:

• To remove a panel from the Panel Bin, drag the title bar of the panel out of the Panel Bin.

• To add a panel to the Panel Bin, drag the title bar of the panel into the Panel Bin.

• To rearrange panels in the Panel Bin, drag the title bar of the panel to a new location.

• To expand or collapse panels in the Panel Bin, double-click the name of the panel.

4 To use panels outside the Panel Bin, do any of the following:

• To open a panel, choose the name of the panel from the Window menu.

• To close a panel, choose the name of the panel from the Window menu. Or click the Close button in the title

bar of the panel.

• To change the size of a panel, drag any corner of the panel.

• To group panels (one panel with multiple tabs), drag the panel onto the body of the target panel. A thick line

appears around the body of the target panel when the pointer is over the correct area for grouping to occur. If you want to move a panel to another group, drag the tab of the panel to that group. To separate a panel from a group, drag the tab of the panel outside the group.

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USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8 EDITOR

Photoshop Elements workspace

• To move a panel group, drag the title bar.

• To expand or collapse a panel or panel group, double-click the tab of the panel or title bar.

• To dock panels together (stacked panels), drag a tab of the panel or the title bar to the bottom of another panel. A

double line appears at the bottom of the target panel when the pointer is over the correct area. You cannot dock entire panel groups.

• To reset panels to their default positions, choose Window > Reset Panel.

Note: If you want panels to always open in their default positions in the Editor, choose Edit > Preferences > General, and then deselect Save Panel Locations. The change takes effect the next time you start the application.

Use the Project Bin in the Editor

Located at the bottom of the Full Edit and Quick Fix workspaces, the Project Bin displays thumbnails of open photos. It’s useful for switching between multiple open photos in your workspace. The Project Bin has controls that let you open or close images, hide images, navigate through open images, make a specific image the frontmost image, duplicate an image, rotate an image, or view file information. Because the Project Bin appears in both Full Edit and Quick Fix, you can easily bring open images into Quick Fix for editing. Multiple-page projects are highlighted by a gray frame around the page thumbnails. To show or hide the individual pages, click the right edge of the frame.

The Project Bin A. Collapsed photo creation (selected) B. Click to expand photo creation C. Project Bin drop-down menu

❖ Do any of the following:

• To open an image, drag a file from any location on your computer (including the Photo Browser) or from any

storage device connected to your computer into the Project Bin.

• To bring an opened image forward as the frontmost image, double-click a thumbnail.

• To rearrange photos, drag thumbnails in the Project Bin. The order here does not impact the photo’s order in the

Elements Organizer.

• To close an image, right-click a thumbnail in the Project Bin and choose Close.

• To hide an image, right-click the thumbnail and choose Minimize from the context menu.

Note: To show an image after hiding it, double-click its thumbnail in the Project Bin, or right-click the thumbnail and choose Restore from the context menu.

• To view a photo’s file information, right-click a thumbnail and choose File Info from the context menu.

• To duplicate an image, right-click a thumbnail, choose Duplicate from the context menu, and name the file.

• To rotate an image, right-click a thumbnail and choose Rotate 90° Left or Rotate 90° Right from the context menu.

• To show filenames, right-click in the Project Bin and choose Show Filenames from the context menu.

• To open or close the Project Bin, choose Window > Project Bin.

• To manually show or hide the Project Bin, click the title bar of the Project Bin.

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