Macromedia Photoshop Elements - 6.0 User Guide

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ADOBE

Photoshop Elements 6

User Guide

MAC OS X

Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 6.0 User Guide for Mac OS®

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Part Number: 90085330 (02/08)

Chapter 1: Getting started

Installing Photoshop Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Using Help and getting support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

New and enhanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Working in Photoshop Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 2: Photoshop Elements workspace

About the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Context menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Palettes and bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Undo, redo, and cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Scratch disks and plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 3: Import photos

Importing photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Cameras and card readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Scanners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Local files, CDs, DVDs, and video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

iii

Chapter 4: Working with files

Opening files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Managing and organizing files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Viewing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Rulers and the grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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

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

Chapter 5: Using layers

Creating layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Editing layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Copying and arranging layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

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

Adjustment and fill layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Layer groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

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

Chapter 6: Camera raw files

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

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

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

Chapter 7: Selecting parts of an image

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 8: Color and tonal correction

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

Adjusting shadows and light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Correcting color casts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Adjusting color saturation and hue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Adjustment filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Setting press target values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Chapter 9: Cropping, resizing, retouching, and transforming photos

Cropping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Image size and resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Retouching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Sharpening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Transforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Chapter 10: Understanding color

Understanding color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Using image modes and color tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Setting up color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Chapter 11: Filters, effects, styles, and artwork

Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Artistic filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Blur filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Brush Stroke filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Distort filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Noise filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Pixelate filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Render filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Sketch filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Stylize filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Texture filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Video filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Other filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Chapter 12: Painting

Painting overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Choosing colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Painting tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Setting up brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Fills and strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

Presets and libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Chapter 13: Adding text and shapes

Add and edit text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Work with Asian type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

Creating shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Editing shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Chapter 14: Making projects

Projects overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

Making photo projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Make a Photo Book, photo collage, greeting card, or other project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Editing photo projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Making digital projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Creating slide shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Stitching together panoramas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Chapter 15: Optimizing for the web

Optimizing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Using transparency and mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

Dithering in web images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Previewing web images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268

Chapter 16: Printing and sharing photos

Printing photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270

Options for printing and sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Chapter 17: Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Chapter 18: Glossary

Find definitions for terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285

Digital imaging terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

Chapter 1: Getting started

Adobe® Photoshop® Elementssoftware combinespower andsimplicity soyou caneasily make your photos looktheir best, share them in imaginative ways, and easily find and view all your photos.

Installing Photoshop Elements

Requirements

To review the complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® software, see the ReadMe file included with your software.

Install the software

1 Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.

2 Insert the installation disc into your DVD drive, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: For more information, see the ReadMe file included with your software.

Register

❖ To register, follow the on-screen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install.

If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.

ReadMe file

The installation DVD 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.

Using Help and getting support

Using Photoshop Elements Help

Photoshop Elements Help is available several ways, each one useful to you for different circumstances.

• LiveDocs Help on the web

• Help in the application

• Help PDF

• Links in the application

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User Guide

The two forms of Help that will be most useful to you are LiveDocs Help on the web and Help in the application. Help in the application is a convenient first step in getting help because it’s built into the application and does not require an Internet connection. It covers most concepts and many tasks in an abbreviated form. LiveDocs Help on the web contains in-depth coverage of all concepts and tasks and requires an Internet connection. If you want to know more about a topic in the application Help, you can jump easily to the LiveDocs Help on the web; just click “This page on the web” at the bottom of any topic.

Search tips

The search feature in Help works by searching the entire Help text for topics that contain any of the words typed in the Search For box. These tips can help you improve your search results in Help:

• If you search using a phrase, such as “shape tool,” put 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 may want to view again, bookmark it for easy access later.

Printing a topic

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

LiveDocs Help on the web

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

recommended choice if you have an Internet connection.

Once you arein LiveDocs for PhotoshopElements, youcan navigatefrom theside panel in any of the following ways:

• Choose a different product from the pop-up menu.

• Use the Search field to search within Photoshop Elements Help.

• Browse all topics in Photoshop Elements Help using the contents or index.

Help in the application

Help in the application provides easy accessto summarized information on common tasks and concepts.Help inthe application can be especially useful if you are new to Photoshop Elements or if you aren’t connected to the Internet.

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User Guide

To access the Photoshop Elements Help in the application, use the Command+? keys on your keyboard or choose Photoshop Elements Help from the Help menu.

If you are connected to the Internet, you can click “This page on the web” on any page in the application’s Help to go to the corresponding page in LiveDocs.

Note: If you are not connected to the Internet and you click “This page on the web,” you will get a browser error message.

Help PDF

Helpis also available asa PDFthat is optimized forprinting; justgo towww.adobe.com.Thisisthebestwaytoaccess the most comprehensive Help when you don’t have an Internet connection.

Links in the application

There are some links within Photoshop Elements (for example, in the Guided Edits section, there are “Tell me more...” links for each of the guided tasks). Clicking these links will take you to the corresponding topic in either LiveDocs Help or Help in the application.

Note: If the link in the application points to a LiveDocs page and you are not connected to the Internet, you will get a browser error.

Adobe Photoshop Elements website

Visit Adobe Photoshop Elements Training Resources; it offers tutorials, links to online resources and services, and information about instructional and inspirational books for learning the product.

Customer support

Visit the Adobe Support website at www.adobe.com/support to find troubleshooting information for your product and to learn about free and paid technical support options.

New and enhanced features

What’s new

Make your photos look their best

Count on step-by-step assistance Do you need to touch up a scratch or blemish but you’re not sure how to begin?

Photoshop Elements walks you through each editing step to make improving your photos easier than ever.

Get the perfect group shot Create amazing composites with new Photomerge® technology. Never let a frowning

mouth or a closed pair of eyes ruin a group photo again. With the new Photomerge Group Shot, you can easily combine the best facial expressions and body language from a series of shots to create a single, perfect composite.

Have fun with faces Take advantage of smooth image-blending technology to combine the eyes, noses, and other

featuresfrom different facesfor entertaining results. Try on the facial featuresof a favorite celebrity,combine yourself with your current squeeze to see what your offspring might look like, and more.

Create seamless panoramas with refined technology Easily combine horizontal or vertical panoramas using

Photomerge Panorama technology to automatically stitch together multiple photos with unprecedented results.

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User Guide

Create dramatic black-and-whites with ease Dramatically transform your color originals by converting them to

elegant, nuanced black-and-white.

Make selections in a snap Take advantage of new technology that lets you make image selections in seconds, so you

can easily adjust specific areas of a photo. Simply brush your selection, and then use sliders to make the adjustment blend perfectly with the background.

Easily isolate objects from backgrounds Quickly separate an object from its background—even in complex,

textured areas—and instantly remove rough edges.

Sharpen blurred edges Get crisper-looking photos—even removing blurring caused by low lighting conditions.

Correct lens distortion Easily correct lens distortion at photoedges and keystone effects thatexaggerate perspective.

Fine-tune exposure Get the perfect exposure with the new color curves adjustment that makes it even easier to fine-

tune color, brightness, and contrast.

Enjoy enhanced support for working with raw files Get the highest-quality results by performing non-destructive

editing on the raw image files from your digital camera. Edit raw files from a greater selection of camera models; enjoy finer control over lightingand color adjustments; and save time by applying the same set of adjustments across multiple raw images simultaneously—even see batch-applied changes as they’re made.

Do more with your photos

Start creating quickly Get step-by-step assistance for making photo projects, like scrapbook pages, cards, and

CD/DVD labels. Simply choose the type of project you’d like to create, and the appropriate tools and instructions appear at your fingertips.

Share in many ways from one convenient place Quickly andeasily share your photos ina varietyof ways—including

e-mail, Web galleries, and burning to CD.

Liven up your photo projects Use great-looking new themes and artwork to give your photo projects a professional

look.

Easily find and view photos

Enjoy improved performance Start Photoshop Elements and view and organize your photos faster than ever before.

Create projects more quickly Save time by gathering the photos you need for a specific project in one place. A

dedicated Project Bin provides easy access to all of your open photos, photo book pages, and saved albums.

Working in Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements overview

PhotoshopElementssoftwarecombinespowerandsimplicitysoyoucaneasilytellcreativestorieswithyourphotos. Start by importingphotos andthen refine them by makingbasic edits by following step-by-step guided editing tasks, or by using advanced editing tools. Then create printed and electronic photo projects such as scrapbook pages, slide shows, photobooks, and online interactive galleries that you can easily share with family and friends.

Importing and organizing photos

When you start Photoshop Elements, it displays a Welcome screen that provides a starting point for whatever you want to do. You can start from scratch, browse for files with Adobe Bridge, or open files from a camera or a scanner.

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User Guide

With Photoshop Elements, you can import photos from a card reader or from a folder on a hard disk. To speed import, you can set the program to start automatically when you attach your camera to your computer.

Use Adobe Bridge to manage photo files.

When working in Photoshop Elements, use Adobe Bridge to find and manage your photos and Adobe PDF documents, even if they’re stored in different locations. Adobe Bridge automatically organizes photos by date as it downloads, and you can further sort and categorize photos by adding star ratings, by stacking photos, and by assigning keyword tags to help you identify people, places, and events. You can quickly view every photo you’ve ever takenofyourdog,forexample,byclickingonyourdog’skeywordtag.Youcanalsosearchforimagesbasedondate range, caption, filename, media type, and more.

Editing photos

Photoshop Elements offers several levels of editing, from simple one-click fixes to advanced color correction and compositing. The Photoshop Elements workspace provides three editing modes: Quick Fix, Guided Edit, and Full Edit. Quick Fix offers slider controls for adjusting lighting and color and sharpening entire photos or selected areas of photos. Full Edit mode provides a complete editing toolset and controls. Here, you can adjust the exposure of specific areasof aphoto using professionaldarkroom toolssuch asdodge, burn,and sponge; fine-tuneexposure with the enhanced Brightness/Contrast control, or use Color Curves adjustments to get the perfect exposure.

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User Guide

Use the slider controls in the Quick Fix mode to quickly improve the color and lighting of a photo.

In Full Edit mode, you can also remove imperfections or unwanted elements, brush away wrinkles and flaws, and apply artistic filters and effects.

Any time you’re not sure how to proceed, switch to the Guided Edit mode, which provides step-by-step assistance on how to perform common tasks, such as rotating and straightening photos, correcting skin tone, and performing color corrections.

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User Guide

The Guided Edit mode walks you through each editing step to make improving your photos easier than ever.

You can feel free to experiment, too, because you can undo or redo multiple steps with a click.

Creating photo composites

You can also create beautiful composites, including perfect group shots and seamless panoramas, with easy-to-use tools. New photo-blending technology, called Photomerge, lets you easily combine the best facial expressions and body language from a series of group shots into one composite in which everyone looks their best. Or, you can blend features from different faces just for fun. For example, combine your facial features with those of your spouse to see what your offspring might look like. With Photomerge, you can also automatically stitch together a series of scenic photos to create smooth panoramic images.

You can use Photomerge to create composites in all three modes. Simply choose File > New, and then select one of the three Photomerge commands. Or choose one of the Photomerge commands in the Guided Edit tab.

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User Guide

Use a single tool to easily combine the best facial expressions and body language from a series of group shots to create a single composite in which everyone looks great.

Creating and sharing photo projects

After you’ve perfected your photos in Photoshop Elements, you can use them in a variety of fun projects that you can share with family and friends. For example, you can create printed photo projects, such as albums, scrapbook pages, greeting cards, CD/DVD labels and jackets, and photo collages that you can print at home or upload to an online printing service (services are not available in all areas outside the United States). Professionally designed templatesfeature color-coordinated themed layoutsfor scrapbookpages, cards,and more.In theCreate orShare tab, simply choose the type of project you’d like to create, and Photoshop Elements walks you through the process with the appropriate tools and instructions.

Make printed CD/DVD labels and jackets.

To give your projects a more personal look, you can customize the templates. Adjust layout colors to better complement your photos, for example, and add new graphical elements, text, and effects, such as drop shadows and glows. Use the Artwork palette to quickly browse hundreds of frames, themes, backgrounds, clip art, and effects to apply to your photos and photo projects.

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User Guide

Create customized photo collages with graphical elements, such as frames, drop shadows, backgrounds, and text.

You can also use your photos in digital projects, such as online photo galleries, and photo slide shows. As with print photo projects, Photoshop Elements guides you through the process of creating your digital projects. It helps you to designthepage,arrangethephotos,customizethelayout,andburntheprojecttoadiscoruploadittoanFTPserver.

Create eye-catching slide shows with captions, pan and zoom effects, transitions, narration, and music. Then send photo e-mail and share Web galleries.

Chapter 2: Photoshop Elements workspace

Use the Photoshop Elements workspace for creating, editing, and fixingyour images. You can add functionality with plug-in modules and expand system memory by using scratch disks.

Select a photo and then choose Quick Fix, Full Edit, or Guided Edit to edit it.

About the 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.

Click abutton on the Welcome screen to open theworkspace. You can browse with Adobe Bridge, start from scratch, or import photos from a camera or scanner.

YoucancloseorreopentheWelcomescreenatanytimebychoosingWindow>Welcome.Ifyouprefertoomitthe WelcomescreenwhenyoustartPhotoshopElements,deselecttheShowAtStartupboxatthebottomoftheWelcome screen.

The editing workspace

There are three ways to create and edit images: Full Edit, Quick Fix, and Guided Edit. The Full Edit workspace has toolsto correct colorproblems,create specialeffects, andenhance photos.The QuickFix workspace contains simple tools for correcting color and lighting, and commands to quickly fix common problems like red-eye. 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 by moving, hiding, and showing palettes; arranging palettes in the Palette Bin; zooming inor outof the photo; scrollingto a different area ofthe document window; and creating multiple windows and views.

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User Guide

Full Edit workspace A. Menu bar B. Workspace buttons C. To ol b ox D Project Bin E. Palettes F. Palette bin G. Active image area

Menu bar Contains menusfor performingtasks. Themenus areorganized by topic.For example, theEnhance menu

contains commands for applying adjustments to an image.

Workspace buttons Moves you between the Guided Edit, Quick Fix, and Full Edit workspaces. These buttons

change according to the current workspace.

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.

Palettes Help you monitor and modify images.

Palette Bin Helps you organize the palettes in your work area.

Note: To view the area behind open photos, including other open applications, uncheck Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Fill Workspace Background. To fill the workspace with a gray backdrop, select the Fill Workspace Background. option.

See also

“Correct color in Quick Fix” on page 100

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Exit Photoshop Elements

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Quit Photoshop Elements.

2 Choose whether to save any open files.

See also

“Save changes in different file formats” on page 42

Context menus

Use context menus

You can use context menus to display commands that are relevant to the active tool, selection, or palette. These menus are often another way to access the commands in the window menus.

User Guide

Control-click or 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 a palette item.

Note: Not all palettes offer context menus.

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

Using keyboard commands and modifier keys

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.

See also

“Keys for selecting and moving objects” on page 278

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 276

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User Guide

Tools

About the toolbox

Usetools in the toolbox toselect, edit, and view images; some tools letyou paint,draw,and type. The toolbox appears ontheleftsideoftheFullEditandQuickFixworkspaces.IntheFullEditworkspace,youcanmovethetoolboxby dragging the gripper bar at the top of the box.

Youmustselectatoolinthetoolboxbeforeyoucanuseit.Onceselected,thetoolishighlightedinthetoolbox,and optional settings for the tool appear in the options bar, which is located below the shortcuts bar at the top of the workspace. Some tools in the toolbox have additional tools beneath them. These are called nested tools. A small triangleatthelowerrightofthetooliconsignalsthattherearenestedtools.Whenyouselectatool,anyadditional nested tools appear in the options bar.

Note: Youcannotdeselectatool—onceyouselectatool,itremainsselecteduntilyouselectadifferenttool.Forexample, 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 is called the tool tip. You can click a link in some tool tips to see additional information about the tool.

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)

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)

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Painting and drawing tools

Brush (B)

Pencil (N) Impressionist

Brush (B) Color Replacement (B)

Paint Bucket (K)

Gradient (G)

Shape tools

Rectangle (U)

Rounded Rectangle (U)

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

User Guide

Indicates default tool * Keyboard shortcuts appear in parenthesis

Tool box Ove rv ie w

Select a tool

❖ 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.

• To open a nested tool, use the tool’s keyboard shortcut several times to cycle through all nested tools.

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User Guide

D E

Using tools A. To ol b ox B. Active tool C. Hidden tools D. To ol na me E. Tool s hortcut F. Hidden tool triangle

See also

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 276

Set tool preferences

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > 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 isdeselected,you cancycle through a set of hidden tools bypressingthe shortcut key (without holding down Shift).

Set the appearance of a tool pointer

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Display & Cursors.

2 Select a setting for the Painting Cursors:

Standard Displays pointers as tool icons.

Precise Displays pointers as cross-hairs.

Note: When not in Preferences, use the Caps Lock key to toggle the appearance of the Precise cursors.

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

Full Size Brush Tip Displays the 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.

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User Guide

Set tool options

The options bar appears below the shortcuts bar at the top of the 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.

Lasso options bar A. Tool ic on 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 in the options bar, then choose Reset Tool or Reset All Tools from the context menu.

See also

“Keys for selecting tools” on page 276

Set a completed operations alert

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General.

2 Select Beep When Done, and click OK.

Palettes and bins

About palettes

Palettes help you manage, monitor, and modify images. Some palettes have menus that provide additional commands and options. You can organize palettes in the workspace in many different ways. You can store palettes in the Palette Bin to keep them out of your way, but easily accessible, or you can keep frequently used palettes open in the workspace. Another option is to group palettes together or dock one palette at the bottom of another palette. Palettes are stored in the Palette Bin, which is accessible in Full Edit mode.

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

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User Guide

Dragging a palette

Palette menus

Some commands appear in both the palette menu and the menu bar. Other commands are exclusive to palette menus.

Only those palettes with a More button at the top have a menu. Click More to choose a command from the palette menu. The location and appearance of the More button depend on whether the palette is located in the Palette Bin or in a palette group.

Pop-up sliders within palettes

Some palettes and dialog boxes contain settings that use pop-up sliders(for example, the Opacity option in the Layers palette). 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 palettes

The Palette Bin lets you store multiple palettes in a single area that you can easily configure, close, or keep open for easyandfastaccess.Bydefault,thePaletteBinappearsontherightsideoftheworkspace.Whenyouadjustpalettes, they remain as you leave them until you reset or change them.

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User Guide

A B

The Palette Bin A. Collapse or expand a palette B. Adjust palette height C. Palette menu D. Scroll to view rest of palette E. Change palette tools F. Adjust palette width G. Show or hide Palette Bin

C D

1 To adjust the Palette Bin, do any of the following:

• To adjust its height, drag the dark gray bar on the left side or dotted-line bar on the bottom.

• To adjust its width, choose to collapse, show, or hide it.

• To show or hide the bin, choose Window > Palette Bin; or click Hide or Show Palette Bin.

2 To use palettes in the Palette Bin, do any of the following:

• To remove a palette from the Palette Bin, drag the palette’s title bar out of the Palette Bin.

• To add a palette to the Palette Bin, drag the palette’s title bar into the Palette Bin. Or, click the More button in the

palette, select Place In Palette Bin When Closed, and then close the palette.

• To rearrange palettes in the Palette Bin, drag the palette’s title bar to a new location.

• To expand or collapse palettes in the Palette Bin, click the triangle next to the palette’s name.

3 To use palettes outside of the Palette Bin, do any of the following:

• To open a palette, choose the palette’s name from the Window menu.

• Tocloseapalette,choosethepalette’snamefromtheWindowmenu.OrclicktheClosebutton inthepalette’s

title bar. (This option works on palettes that you’ve opened from a menu. If you’ve dragged a palette out of a bin and click the Close button, the palette simply returns to the bin.)

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

• To group palettes together (one palette with multiple tabs), drag another palette’s tab onto the body of the target

palette. A thick line appears around the body of the target palette when the pointer is over the correct area for groupingtooccur.Ifyouwanttomoveapalettetoanothergroup,dragthepalette’stabtothatgroup.Toseparate a palette from a group, drag the palette’s tab outside the group.

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

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User Guide

• To expand or collapse a palette or palette group, double-click the palette’s tab or title bar.

• To reset palettes to their default positions, choose Window > Reset Palette Locations.

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

Work with the Palette Bin

The Palette Bin appears on the right side of the workspace. It contains a tab for each of the basic steps of photo editing: Edit, Create, and Share. You can open the Palette Bin to access the tabs, or close it to expand the workspace.

Tabs on the Palette Bin

Show or hide the Palette Bin

❖ Select Window > Show/Hide Palette Bin.

Use tools in the Edit, Create, and Share tabs

In the Palette Bin, click the Edit, Create, or Share tab.

2 Click a button for any of the tools listed on that tab.

Use the 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 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, duplicatean 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 highlightedby agray framearound thepage thumbnails. To show or hide the individual pages, click the right edge of the frame.

❖ Do any of the following:

• To open an image, use File > Open.

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

• To rearrange photos, drag thumbnails in the Project Bin.

• 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 Rotate90˚ Right fromthe 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 Project Bin, click the Project Bin button.

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User Guide

Undo, redo, and cancel

Undo, redo, or cancel operations

Many operations can be undone or redone. For instance, you can restore all or part of an image to its last saved version. Available memory may limit your ability to use these options.

1 To undo or redo an operation, Choose Edit > Undo or choose Edit > Redo.

2 To cancel an operation, hold down the Esc key until the operation in progress has stopped.

Using the Undo History palette

The Undo History palette (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 an image, the new state of that image is added to the Undo History palette. You don’t need to save a change in order for the change to appear in the History.

For example, if you select, paint, and rotate part of an image, each of those states is listed separately in the palette. You can then select any of the states, and the image reverts to how it looked when that change was first applied. You can then work from that state.

Actions, such as zooming and scrolling, do not affect pixels in the image and do not appear in the Undo History palette. Nor do program-wide changes, such as changes to palettes, color settings, and preferences.

The Undo History palette A. Original state B. State C. Selected state and state slider

Note the following guidelines when using the Undo History palette:

• By default, the Undo History palette lists 50 previous states. Older states are automatically deleted to free more memory

for Photoshop Elements. You can change the number of states displayed in the Undo History palette in Performance Preferences (Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Performance). The maximum number of states is 1000.

• The original state of the photo is always displayed at the top of the Undo History palette. You can always revert an

image to its original state by clicking this top state. Clicking the original state is also handy for comparing before and after versions of your editing.

• When you close and reopen the document, all states from the last working session are cleared from the palette.

• Statesareaddedtothebottomofthelist.Thatis,theoldeststateisatthetopofthelist,themostrecentoneatthe

bottom.

• Each state is listed with the name of the tool or command used to change the image.

• Selecting a state dims those below. This way you can easily see which changes will be discarded if you continue

working from the selected state.

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• Selecting a state and then changing the image eliminates all states that came after it. Likewise, deleting a state

deletes that state and those that came after it.

Revert to the last saved version

When editing a photo in Full Edit or Quick Fix, you can revert to the last saved version.

❖ Choose Edit > Revert.

Note: Revert is added as a history state in the Undo History palette and can be undone.

Revert to a previous state of an image

❖ In Full Edit, do any of the following:

• Click the name of the state in the Undo History palette.

• Drag the slider at the left of the state up or down to a different state in the Undo History palette.

• Click the Undo or Redo buttons on the shortcuts bar.

• Choose Undo or Redo from the Undo History palette menu or the Edit menu.

To set the keyboard command for Step Forward and Step Backward, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General, and choose from the Step Back/Fwd menu.

User Guide

Delete one or more states from the Undo History palette

❖ Do one of the following:

• To delete a state, click the name of the state, and choose Delete from the Undo History palette menu. States

following the one you selected are also deleted.

• To delete the list of states from the Undo History palette, without changing the image, choose Clear Undo History

from the palette menu or choose Edit > Clear > Undo History.Clearing is useful for freeing up memory, especially if you get an alert that Photoshop Elements is low on memory.

Note: Clearing the Undo History palette cannot be undone.

Clear memory used by the clipboard and the Undo History palette

You can delete items copied to the clipboard or states in the Undo History palette to free up memory.

❖ In Full Edit, do one of the following:

• To clear memory used by the clipboard, choose Edit > Clear > Clipboard Contents.

• To clear memory used by the Undo History palette, choose Edit > Clear > Undo History or choose Clear Undo

History from the Undo History palette menu.

• To clear the memory used in both the clipboard and the Undo History palette simultaneously, choose Edit >

Clear > All.

Note: Clearing the Undo History palette or clipboard cannot be undone.

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Restore default preferences

Preference settings control how Photoshop Elements displays images, cursors, and transparencies; saves files; uses plug-ins and scratch disks, and so on. If the application exhibits unexpected behavior, the preferences file may be damaged. You can restore all preferences to their defaults.

❖ Press and hold Option+Command+Shift immediately after Photoshop Elements begins launching. Click Yes to

delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements settings file.

A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements. For information on a specific preference option, search for the preference name in Help.

Redisplay disabled warning messages

In certain situations, messages containing warnings or prompts are displayed. You can disable the display of these messages by selecting the Don’t Show Again option in the message, and reset the messages you’ve disabled at a later time.

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General.

2 Click Reset All Warning Dialogs, and click OK.

Scratch disks and plug-ins

About scratch disks

When your system does not have enough RAM to perform an operation, Photoshop Elements uses scratch disks. A scratch disk is anydrive orpartition of a drive withfree memory. Bydefault, Photoshop Elementsuses the hard drive on which the operating system is installed as its primary scratch disk.

You can change the primary scratch disk or designate a second, third, or fourth scratch disk to be used when the primary disk is full. Your primary scratch disk should be your fastest hard disk and have plenty of defragmented space available.

For best performance, use the following guidelines when assigning scratch disks:

• Scratch disks should not be on the same physical drive as Photoshop Elements or any large files you are editing.

• Scratch disks should be not be on the same physical drive as the one used for the operating system’s virtual

memory.

• Scratch disks should be on a local drive. That is, they should not be accessed over a network.

• Scratch disks should be conventional (non-removable) media.

• RAID disks/disk arrays are good choices for dedicated scratch disk volumes.

• Drives with scratch disks should be defragmented regularly. Or better yet, use an empty drive or a drive with

plenty of unused space to avoid fragmentation issues.

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Change scratch disks

Photoshop Elements needs contiguous hard drive space to create a scratch disk. For this reason you should frequently defragment your hard drive. Adobe recommends that you use a disk tool utility to defragment your hard drive on a regular basis.

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Performance.

2 Select the desired disks from the Scratch Disks menu (you can assign up to four scratch disks), and click OK.

3 Restart Photoshop Elements for the change to take effect.

About plug-in modules

Plug-in modulesare softwareprograms developed by Adobe Systems and other software developersto add functionality to Photoshop Elements. A number of importing, exporting, and special-effects plug-ins come with your program; they are inside the Photoshop Elements Plug-ins folder. You can select an additional plug-ins folder in which toload compatibleplug-ins stored with another application. You can alsocreate ashortcut for a plug-in stored in another folder on your system. You can then add the shortcut or alias to the Plug-ins folder to use that plug-in with Photoshop Elements. Once installed, plug-in modules appear as options added to the Import or Export menu, as filters added to the Filter menu, or as file formats in the Open and Save As dialog boxes. If you install a large number of plug-ins, Photoshop Elements may not be able to list them all in their appropriate menus. If so, newly installed plug-ins appear in the Filter > Other submenu. To prevent a plug-in or folder of plug-insfrom loading, add a tilde character (~) at the beginning of the plug-in name, folder, or directory. That file (or all files in the folder) is ignored by the application when you restart it. To view information about installed plug-ins, choose Help > About Plug-In and select a plug-in from the submenu.

See also

“Plug-in filters” on page 196

Install plug-in modules

❖ Do one of the following:

• Use the plug-in installer, if provided.

• Follow the installation instructions that came with the plug-in module.

• Make sure the plug-in files are uncompressed, and then copy them to the appropriate Plug-ins folder in the

Photoshop Elements folder.

Select an additional plug-ins folder

You can select an additional plug-ins folder in which to load compatible plug-ins stored with another application.

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Plug-Ins.

2 In the Preferences dialog, select Additional Plug-ins Folder, select a folder from the list, and click Choose.

3 To display the contents of a folder, double-click the directory. The path to the folder appears in the preferences

window.

Note: Do not select a location inside the Plug-ins folder for Photoshop Elements.

4 Restart Photoshop Elements to load the plug-ins.

Chapter 3: Import photos

Importing photos

About getting photos

When you begin to use Photoshop Elements, you can use media files from many sources, whether a camera, scanner, CD, or a folder on your hard disk. If you simply want to start editing a photo on your hard disk, and you know its filename and location, use the File > Open command to browse to the file. To open photos from another source, use the Photo Downloader in Adobe Bridge, or use the Photoshop Elements Import option or the Welcome screen to select the image’s source.

Open a file for editing on your hard disk

❖ Choose File > Open and browse to the file.

Open a file from a device

❖ Choose File > Import, select the camera or scanner, and browse to the file.

Open a file from the Welcome screen

1 Choose Window > Welcome to open the Welcome screen.

2 Click Import From Camera or Import From Scanner to open Adobe Bridge.

Open a file from Adobe Photo Downloader

❖ Choose File > Adobe Photo Downloader to open Adobe Bridge Photo Downloader.

Guidelines for getting photos from devices

When downloading image files from a camera or a scanner, follow these guidelines:

1. Use the Adobe Photo Downloader

For some devices, you may need to install the device software on your computer before downloading files. During installation, the software may ask whether a specific program will be used to edit the images files. If asked, specify Photoshop Elements.

Some device software starts automatically when you connect and switch on the device. However, usingAdobe Photo Downloader enables you to perform a variety of functions notoffered by device software. To obtain image files with the Adobe Photo Downloader, close any device software that starts automatically.

2. Organize photos during the import process

The Adobe Photo Downloader Advanced dialog box enables you to improve and organize photos while importing them to your computer. Properly organizing photos during import makes finding and improving them later much easier and faster.

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For example, you might have many pictures from a recent vacation stored in your digital camera. Some of the pictures are from a family reunion, and the rest are pictures of tourist attractions visited along the way. During the import process, you can divide these photos into Place and Family folders, and then name them accordingly.

Import keywords attached to photos

When you receive photos that contain keyword metadata, you can import them with the photo. You can decide whethertokeeptheattachedkeyword,renamethekeyword,ormapittooneofyourownkeywords.Ifyouimport a new keyword, it appears in the Adobe Bridge Keyword Tags palette, and you can use it to tag other photos.

Cameras and card readers

About cameras and card readers

You can download (copy) photos from cameras and card readers in several ways:

• Copy photos from your camera and import them into Photoshop Elements using the Adobe Photo Downloader.

This method is recommended because it is quick and easy, and allows you to improve and organize your photos when importing them.

• Open the Welcome screen and click the Import From Camera option.

• If your camera or card reader displays as a drive, you can open the files from there and place them directly into

Photoshop Elements.

Insomecases,youneedtoinstallthesoftwaredriverthatcamewithyourcamerabeforeyoucandownloadpictures to your computer.

Get photos from a digital camera or card reader

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

necessary.)

2 Do either of the following:

• If theAdobe Photo Downloaderappears,choose thename of thecamera or cardreader from theGet Photos From

menu. Usually, theconnected device’s name automaticallyappears, andPhotoshop Elements automatically detects your camera.

Note: Your camera or card reader must be switched on to appear in the Get Photos From list. If the menu doesn’t display the specific device name, choose Untitled. If no option for the device is available, choose Refresh List.

• Ifthedownloaderdoesnotappear,usePhotoshopElementsFile>AdobePhotoshopDownloaderorBridgeFile>

Get Photos From Camera to open it.

3 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 Select,

and specify a new location.

Create Subfolder(s) Creates a subfolder using the format selected from the pop-up menu. If you choose Custom

Name, type a subfolder name in the box.

Rename Files Changesthefilenamesusingtheformatselectedfromthepop-upmenu.IfyouchooseCustomName,

type a filename in the box.

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

Apply Metadata (Optional) Select the options to use for adding metadata to the photos.

4 Click Get Photos.

The photos are copied to your hard drive.

Set advanced photo downloading options

TheAdvanceddialogboxoftheAdobePhotoDownloaderoffersseveraloptionsnotavailableintheStandarddialog box. For example, it lets you view all of the photos stored on a device, preview videos before importing them, and add copyright metadata. The settings you specify in this dialog box retain their values until you reset them.

1 In the Standard Adobe Photo Downloader dialog box, click Advanced Dialog.

Thumbnail images of every file on your device appear.

2 Select photos to download by doing any of the following:

• To select individual photos, click the boxes below each thumbnail.

• To select multiple photos, drag a rectangle around their thumbnails, and then right-click and select Check

Selected, or click a box below one of the selected images to check them all.

• Toselectallphotos,clickCheckAllinthebottomleftofthedialogbox.Todeselectallimages,clickUncheckAll.

3 In the Save Options section, choose an option for naming subfolders from the Create Subfolder(s) menu. The

Custom Name option creates a subfolder with the group name format you type in the Name box.

4 In the Advanced Options section, select any of the following:

• Open Adobe Bridge

• Convert to DNG

• Save Copies To

5 In the Apply Metadata section, select a template to use and type in the following fields:

• Author

Specifies the file creator. Information typed into this field is appended to the author metadata in the file.

• Copyright

Specifies the date and other relevantinformation to protect your photos. Information typed into this field overwrites any data already in the copyright metadata in the file.

6 Click Get Photos.

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Scanners

About scanning

Photoshop Elements connects to your scanner so that you can get images of your photos, negatives, and slides. You can get images from scanners in several ways:

• Use the scanner driver plug-in module that came with your scanner. This software is either compatible with

Photoshop Elements or uses the TWAIN® interface to scan and open images directly in Photoshop Elements.

• Open the Welcome screen from the Window menu and click the Import From Scanner option.

• In Photoshop Elements, use File > Import and select your scanner.

• Use the stand-alone scanning software that came with your scanner to scan and save your images. You can then

bring the images into Photoshop Elements using the File > Open command.

You can also import scanned images directly from any scanner that has a Photoshop-compatible plug-in module or that supports the TWAIN interface. To import the scan using a plug-in module, choose the scanner name from the File > Import submenu. See your scanner documentation for instructions on installing the scanner plug-in.

If your scanner does not have Photoshop-compatible scanner driver, import the scan using the TWAIN interface.

Before you try to scan and open your photos in Photoshop Elements, make sure that you’ve installed all the software that came with your scanner. Carefully read any documentation that came with your scanner to make sure that it’s connected properly to your computer.

Get photos from scanners

1 Make sure that your scanner is connected and switched on.

• To import the scan using a plug-in module, choose the scanner name from the File > Import submenu. (See your

scanner documentation for instructions on installing the scanner plug-in.)

• If your scanner does not have Photoshop-compatible scanner driver, import the scan using the TWAIN interface.

• If you can’t import the scan using the TWAIN interface, use the scanner manufacturer’s software to scan your

images, and save the images as TIFF, PICT, or BMP files.

2 Select File > Open.

3 Choose Browse to select a location for saving the photos.

4 Choose a file format from the Save As menu. JPEG, the default format, is usually the best choice.

• Select a Matte color to simulate the appearance of background transparency.

• Set the image quality by entering a value between 1 (lowest) to 12 (highest); selecting Low, Medium, High, or

Maximum; or by dragging the Quality slider to the setting youwant. The higher the quality, the larger the file size.

• In Formats Options, set the format for the image.

Baseline causes images to display line-by-line on the screen.

Baseline Optimized applies optimized Huffman encoding to keep file size as small as possible.

Progressive causes the image to display in multiple passes on the screen. Set the number of passes in the Scans box.

5 Click OK. If you’re using a scanner with a TWAIN driver, Photoshop Elementslaunches the driver that camewith

your scanner. Follow the instructions that came with the driver software to scan your photo. Typically, you can also select an area to scan or correct any color issues that you may see.

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After the image is scanned, it appears in an untitled Photoshop Elements window.

User Guide

See also

“File formats for saving” on page 41

“About image size and resolution” on page 134

Local files, CDs, DVDs, and video

Get photos from files and folders

You can bring photos into Photoshop Elements from a hard disk or optical disc drive in your computer, either by dragging them, or by browsing to them using the File > Open or the File > Browse With Bridge command.

Browse to files on your computer

Select File > Open or File > Browse With Bridge.

2 In the dialog box, navigate to the folder that contains the files you want.

3 Do one of the following to select photos:

• To get a single photo, select it.

• To get multiple photos, Command-click to select the files you want. Or, click the first file, and then Shift-click the

last file in the list that you want.

• To get all the photos in a folder, navigate up one level from your current level, select the desired fold, and click

Open.

You can import a PDF file or a Photoshop Elements project in PDF format. Text in imported PDF files becomes part of the image (you can’t edit the text).

Search for files on your computer

❖ From Adobe Bridge, choose Edit > Find.

About preview files

When you import photos, you can choose to download either high-quality or quick thumbnails (sometimes called preview files). Thumbnail files appear as space-saving copies of the high-resolution originals.

Use the Thumbnails and Advanced options on the Bridge Preferences menu to specify settings for thumbnail files.

Get photos from a CD or DVD

You can copy photos from a CD or DVD onto your hard disk. You can make high-quality copies, as you might for editing purposes, or, to save disk space, quick thumbnail files.

1 Select File > Open.

2 From the list of devices, select your CD or DVD drive, and select the photos you want to copy.

3 Click Get Photos to bring in the photos.

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Get photos from video

You can capture frames from your digital videos if they are saved in a file format that Photoshop Elements can open, including ASF, AVI, MPEG, MPG, and M1V. Captured photos are saved with the name of the video file plus a number (for example, videoclip01, videoclip02, and so forth).

Note: To create photos from the broadest range of video formats, install the latest version of standard video software.

Getting still photos from a video clip

1 Choose File > Import > Frame From Video.

2 In the Frame From Video dialog box, click the Browse button to navigate to the video from which you want to

acquire still frames, and then click Open.

3 To start the video, click Play .

4 To get a frame of the video as a still image, click the Grab Frame button or press the spacebar when the frame is

visible on the screen. You can move forward and backward in the video to capture additional frames.

Note: Some video formats don’t support rewinding or fast-forwarding. In these cases, the Rewind and Fast Forward buttons are not available.

5 When you have all the frames you want, click Done.

6 Select File > Save to save each still file to a folder on your computer.

Chapter 4: Working with files

When working in Adobe® Photoshop® Elements the format that you save the file in is very important. For example, you often might have a file in one format, such as JPEG that you edit and then save to another format, such as PSD (the Photoshop Elements native file format, which preserves layer information and applies no compression). Understanding the differences between formats is therefore an important part of photo editing and sharing. You have several choices about working with files. You can set options for opening, saving, and exporting files by type, by file size, and resolution. You can also process and save camera raw files. These tools make it easy to combine files of different types and optimize them in Photoshop Elements. Whencreating a new document, you also need to decide what format, and what resolution, might be required. All this information will be covered in this chapter.

Opening files

Create a new blank file

To create a web graphic, banner, or company logo and letterhead, or to create a photo collage or scrapbook page by mixing parts of different images, start from a new blank file.

1 From the File menu or the Welcome screen, choose New > Blank File.

2 Enter options for the new image.

Name Names the new image file.

Preset Provides options for setting the width, height, and resolution of images that you intend to print or to view

on-screen. Select Clipboard to use the size and resolution of data that you copied to the clipboard. You can also base a new image on the size and resolution of any open image by choosing its name from the bottom of the Preset menu.

Width, Height, and Resolution Sets these options individually. The default values are based on the last image you

created, unless you’ve copied data to the clipboard.

Color Mode Sets an image to RGB color, grayscale, or bitmap (1-bit mode). You usually should select RGB.

Background Contents Sets the color of the image Background layer. White is the default. Select Background Color

to usethe currentbackground color (shown inthe toolbox).Select Transparentto makethe defaultlayer transparent, with no color values—the new image will have a Layer 1 instead of a Background layer.

Besuretochoosethecorrectsizeandresolutionbeforebeginningtoedit.Changingthosesettingsaftereditingcould introduce blurriness or require pixels to be removed. Other settings can be changed after editing.

See also

“About projects” on page 241

Open a file

You can open and import images in various file formats. The available formats appear in the Open dialog box and the Import submenu.

1 Choose File > Open.

2 Locate and select the file you want to open.

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3 Click Open. In some cases, a dialog box appears, letting you set format-specific options.

There maybe instances when Photoshop Elements cannot determine the correct format of a file. For example, transferring a file between Mac OS® and Windows® can cause the format to be mislabeled. In suchcases, you mustspecify the correct format in which to open the file.

See also

“Save changes in different file formats” on page 42

Open a recently used file

❖ Choose File > Open Recently Edited File, and select a file from the submenu.

Note: To specify the number of files that are available in the Open Recently Edited File submenu, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Saving Files, and enter a number in the Recent File List Contains text box.

Open a PDF file

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a versatile file format that can represent both vector and bitmap data and can contain electronic document search and navigation features. PDF is the primary format for Adobe® Acrobat®.

With the Import PDF dialog box, you can preview the pages and images in a multipage PDF file, then decide if you want to open them. You can choose to import full pages (including text and graphics), or you can import just the images from a PDF file. If you import only the images, the resolution, size, and color mode of the images remains unchanged. If you import pages, you can change the resolution and color mode.

Each page is shown as a thumbnail. To increase the size, choose an option from the Thumbnail Size menu.

Importing pages from a PDF file

1 Choose File > Open.

2 Select the name of the file, and click Open.

3 To import just the images from a PDF file, choose Image from the Select menu in the Import PDF dialog box.

Select the image or images you want to open. (To select multiple images, Command-click each image.)

4 To import pages from a PDF file, choose Page from the Select menu, and then do any of the following:

• If the file contains multiple pages, select the page or pages you want to open, and click OK. (To select multiple

pages, Command-click each page.)

• Under Page Options, accept the existing name, or type a new filename in the Name box.

• Choose an option from the Mode menu (RGB to keep the photos in color, or Grayscale to automatically make

them black andwhite). If the file has an embeddedICC (International ColorConsortium) profile, you canchoose the profile from the menu.

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• For Resolution, accept the default (300 ppi) or type a new value. A higher resolution increases the file size.

• Select Anti-aliased to minimize the jagged edges as the image is rasterized (bitmapped).

5 Select Suppress Warnings to hide any error messages during the import process.

6 Click OK to open the file.

Open an EPS file

Encapsulated PostScript® (EPS) can represent both vector and bitmap data and is supportedby virtually all graphics, illustration, and page-layout programs. Adobe applications that produce PostScript artwork include Adobe Illustrator®. When you open an EPS file containing vector art, it is rasterized—the mathematically defined lines and curves of the vector artwork are converted into the pixels or bits of a bitmap image.

1 Choose File > Open.

2 Select the file you want to open, and click Open.

3 Indicate the desired dimensions, resolution, and mode. To maintain the same height-to-width ratio, select

Constrain Proportions.

4 Select Anti-aliased to minimize the jagged appearance of edges, and then click OK.

Anti-aliasing lets you produce smooth-edged objects by blending the edges of the objects into the background.

You can also bring PostScript artwork into Photoshop Elements using the Place command and the Paste command.

Place a PDF, Adobe Illustrator, or EPS file in a new layer

If you don't have the program that created the image file, and you can't open, copy and paste it, use the Place command to insert the image into Photoshop Elements. You can place PDF, Adobe® Illustrator®, or EPS files into a new layer in an image. Because the placed artwork is rasterized (bitmapped), you cannot edit text or vector data in placed artwork. The artwork is rasterized at the resolution of the file into which it is placed.

1 Open the image into which you want to place the artwork.

2 Choose File > Place, select the file you want to place, and click Place.

3 If you are placing a PDF file that contains multiple pages, select the page you want to place from the provided

dialog box, and click OK.

The placed artwork appears inside a bounding box at the center of the Photoshop Elements image. The artwork maintains its original aspect ratio; however, if the artwork is larger than the Photoshop Elements image, it is resized to fit.

4 (Optional) Reposition the placed artwork by positioning the pointer inside the bounding box of the placed

artwork and dragging.

5 (Optional) Scale the placed artwork by doing one or more of the following:

• Drag one of the handles at the corners or sides of the bounding box. Hold down Shift as you drag a corner handle

to constrain the proportions.

• In the options bar, enter values for W and H to specify the width and height of the artwork. By default, these

options represent scale as a percentage; however, you can enter a different unit of measurement—in (inches), cm (centimeters), or px (pixels). To constrain the proportions of the artwork, click the Constrain Proportions box.

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6 (Optional) Rotate the placed artwork by doing one or more of the following:

• Position the pointer outside the bounding box of the placed artwork (the pointer turns into a curved arrow), and

drag.

• In the options bar, enter a value (in degrees) for the Rotation option .

7 (Optional) Skew the placed artwork by holding down Command and dragging a side handle ofthe bounding box.

8 Set the Anti-alias option in the options bar. To blend edge pixels during rasterization, select the Anti-alias option.

To produce a hard-edged transition between edge pixels during rasterization, deselect the Anti-alias option.

9 To commit the placed artwork to a new layer, do one of the following:

• Click the Commit button .

• Press Enter.

To cancel the placement, click the Cancel button , or press Esc.

Process multiple files

The Process Multiple Files command applies settings to afolder of files, open images, files selected in Adobe Bridge, or files that you select to import. If you have a digital camera or a scanner with a document feeder, you can also import and process multiple images. (Your scanner or digital camera may need an acquire plug-in module that supports actions. TWAIN is the most common protocol for scanners or cameras.)

When processing files, you can leave all the files open, close and save the changes to the original files, or save modified versions of the files to a new location (leaving the originals unchanged). If you are saving the processed files to a new location, you may want to create a new folder for the processed files before starting the batch.

Note: The Process Multiple Files command does not work on multiple page PDF or PSE files.

1 Choose File > Process Multiple Files. Or, from Adobe Bridge, choose Tools > Photoshop Elements > Process

Multiple Files.

2 Choose the source of the files to process from the Process Files From pop-up menu:

Folder Processes files in a folder you specify. Click Browse to locate and select the folder.

Import Processes images from a digital camera or scanner.

Opened Files Processes all open files.

3 Select Include All Subfolders if you want to process files in subdirectories of the specified folder.

4 For Destination, click Browse and select a folder location for the processed files.

5 If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for

the processed files:

• For Rename Files, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the

default names for all files. The fields let you change the order and formatting of the components of the filename. You must include at least one field that is unique for every file (for example, filename, serial number, or serial letter) to prevent files from overwriting each other. Starting Serial Number specifies the starting number for any serial number fields. If youselect Serial Letter fromthe pop-up menu, serial letterfields always start with the letter “A” for the first file.

• For Compatibility, choose Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX® to make filenames compatible with the Windows,

Mac OS, and UNIX operating systems.

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6 Under Image Size, select Resize Images if you want each processed file resized to a uniform size. Then type in a

width and height for the photos, and choose an option from the Resolution menu. Select Constrain Proportions to keep the width and height proportional.

7 To apply an automatic adjustment to the images, select an option from the Quick Fix panel.

8 To attach a label to the images, choose an option from the Labels menu, then customize the text, text position,

font, size, opacity, and color. (To change the text color, click the color swatch and choose a new color from the Color Picker.)

9 Select Log Errors That Result From Processing Files to record each error in a file without stopping the process. If

errors are logged toa file (to alocation that you specify), a message appears after processing. To review the error file, open with a text editor after the Batch command has run.

10 Click OK to process and save the files.

Close a file

1 Do one of the following:

• Choose File > Close or File > Close All.

• Choose Command W to close the file or Option+Command W to close all files.

2 Choose whether or not to save the file.

Managing and organizing files

View or add file information

The File Info dialog box displays camera data, caption, and copyright and authorship information that has been added to the file. Using this dialog box, you can modify or add information to files saved in Photoshop Elements. The information you add is embedded in the file using XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). XMP provides Adobe applicationsand workflowpartners with a common XML frameworkthat standardizesthe creation, processing, and interchange of document metadata across publishing workflows. If you have metadata that you repeatedly enter for different files, you can create metadata templates to expedite the adding of information to files.

You cannot edit the information displayed for the Keywords, Camera Data 1, and Camera Data 2 metadata categories.

1 With an image open, choose File > File Info.

2 Click the Description attribute on the left of the dialog box to display specific information. In Description, you

can add or modify the document title, file authorship, caption, caption authorship, and copyright information. Type in the appropriate text boxes and click OK to embed the information. For copyright status, choose from the Copyright Status menu.

Use the Info Palette

In the Full Edit workspace, the Info palette displays file information about an image and also provides feedback as you use a tool. Make sure the Info palette isvisible in your work area if you want toview information while dragging in the image.

1 Display the Infopalette byclicking its triangle if it’s in thePalette Bin. Ifthe Infopalette isn’t visible inthe Palette

Bin or the work area, choose Window > Info to display the palette.

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User Guide

2 Select a tool.

3 Move the pointer into the image, or dragwithin the image to use the tool. The following information may appear,

depending on which tool you’re using:

The numeric values for the color beneath the pointer.

The x- and y-coordinates of the pointer.

The width (W) and height (H) of a marquee or shape as you drag, or the width and height of an active selection.

The x- and y-coordinates of your starting position (when you click in the image).

The change in position along the x-coordinate, , and y-coordinate, , as you move a selection, layer, or

shape.

The angle (A) of a line or gradient; the change in angle as you move a selection, layer, or shape; or the angle of

rotation during a transformation. The change in distance (D) as you move a selection, layer, or shape.

The percentage of change in width (W) and height (H) as you scale a selection, layer, or shape.

The angle of horizontal skew (H) or vertical skew (V) as you skew a selection, layer, or shape.

See also

“About color” on page 158

“About image modes” on page 160

Set color modes and units of measurement in the Info palette

❖ Do one of the following:

• To change the mode of color values displayed, click an eyedropper icon in the Info palette, and choose a color

mode from the pop-up menu. You can also choose Palette Options from the More menu in the Info palette, then choose a color mode for First Color Readout and/or Second Color Readout:

Grayscale Displays the grayscale values beneath the pointer.

RGB Color Displays the RGB (red, green, blue) values beneath the pointer.

Web Color Displays the hexadecimal code for the RGB values beneath the pointer.

HSB Color Displays the HSB (hue, saturation, brightness) values beneath the pointer.

• To change the unit of measurement displayed, click the cross hair in the Info palette, and choose a unit of

measurement from the pop-up menu. You can also choose Palette Options from the More menu in the Info palette. Choose a unit of measurement from the Ruler Units menu, and click OK.

Use keywords and metadata to identify files

Keyword tags are personalized keywords, such as “Dad” or “Florida,” that you attach to photos, PDFs, and photo projects so that you can easily organize and find them. When you use keyword tags, there’s no need to manually organize your photos in subject-specific folders or rename files with content-specific names. Instead, you simply attach one or more keyword tags to each photo and then retrieve the photos you want by selecting one or more keyword tags. To apply keywords, use Adobe Bridge.

Stacking files

Stacking files lets you put files together under asingle thumbnail. Tostack files, use the Stacksmenu inAdobe Bridge.

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Viewing images

In Full Edit, Guided Edit, or Quick Fix, the Hand tool , the Zoom tools , the Zoom commands, and the Navigator palette let you view different areas of an image at different magnifications. The document window is where your image appears. You can open additional windows to display several views of an image at once (such as different magnifications).

You can magnify or reduce your view using various methods. The window’s title bar displays the zoom percentage (unless the window is too small for the display to fit).

If you want to view another area of an image, either use the window scroll bars or select the Hand tool and drag to pan over the image. You can also use the Navigator palette.

To use the Hand tool while another tool is selected, hold down the spacebar as you drag within the image.

Dragging the Hand tool to view another area of an image. (The appearance of scroll bars can vary from those in the example.)

Zoom in or out

❖ Do one of the following:

• Select the Zoom tool , and click either the Zoom In or Zoom Out button in the options bar. Click the

area you want tomagnify. Eachclick magnifies or reduces theimage to thenext preset percentage, and centers the display around the point you click. When the image has reached its maximum magnification level of 3200% or minimum reduction level of 1 pixel, the magnifying glass appears empty.

Note: You can drag a Zoom tool over the part of an image you want to magnify. Make sure that the Zoom In button is selected in the options bar. To move the zoom marquee around the image, begin dragging a marquee, and then hold down the spacebar while dragging the marquee to a new location.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

Dragging the Zoom tool to magnify the view of an image

• Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button in the Navigator palette.

• Choose View > Zoom In or View > Zoom Out.

• Enter the desired magnification level in the Zoom text box, either in the status bar or in the Navigator palette.

User Guide

When using a Zoom tool, hold down Option to switch between zooming in and zooming out.

Display an image at 100%

❖ Do one of the following:

• Double-click the Zoom tool in the toolbox.

• Select a Zoom tool or the Hand tool, and click the 1:1 button in the options bar.

• Choose View > Actual Pixels, or right-click (or Control-click, depending on the mouse design) the image and

choose Actual Pixels.

• Enter 100% and press Enter.

Fit an image to the screen

❖ In Full Edit or Quick Fix, do one of the following:

• Double-click the Hand tool in the toolbox.

• Select a Zoom tool or the Hand tool, and then click the Fit Screen button in the options bar. Or, right-click the

image and choose Fit On Screen.

• Choose View > Fit On Screen.

These options scale both the zoom level and the window size to fit the available screen space.

Resize the window while zooming

❖ With aZoom tool active, select ResizeWindowsTo Fitin theoptions bar. The windowchanges size as you magnify

or reduce the view of the image.

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User Guide

When Resize Windows To Fit is deselected, the window maintains a constant size regardless of the image’s magnification. This can be helpful when you are using smaller monitors or working with tiled images.

Note: To automatically resize the window when using keyboard shortcuts to reduce or magnify an image view, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General, and then select the Zoom Resizes Windows preference and click OK.

Using the Navigator palette

The Navigator palette lets you adjust the image’s magnification and area of view. Typing a value in the text box, clicking the Zoom Out or Zoom In button, or dragging the zoom slider changes the magnification. Drag the view box in the image thumbnail to move the view of an image. The view box represents the boundaries of the image window. You can also click in the thumbnail of the image to designate the area of view.

Note: To change the color of the view box, choose Palette Options from the Navigator palette menu. Choose a color from the Color menu or click the color swatch to open the Color Picker and select a custom color. Click OK.

A BCD E

The Navigator palette A. Zoom text box B. Zoom Out C. Drag the view box to move the view D. Zoom slider E. Zoom In

See also

“Fit an image to the screen” on page 37

Open multiple windows of the same image

In Full Edit, you can open multiple windows to display different views of the same file. A list of open windows appears in the Window menu, and thumbnails of each open image appear in the Photo Bin. Available memory may limit the number of windows per image.

❖ Choose View > New Window For [image filename]. Depending on the position of the firstwindow, you may have

to move the second window to view both simultaneously.

YoucanusetheNewWindowcommandwhenyou’reworkingwithazoomedimagetoseewhattheimagewilllook like at 100% size in a separate window.

View and arrange multiple windows

❖ In Full Edit, do one of the following:

• To display windows stacked and cascading from the upper left to the lower right of the screen, choose Window >

Images > Cascade.

• To display windows edge to edge, choose Window > Images > Tile. As you close images, the open windows are

resized to fill the available space.

• Toviewallopenimagesatthesamemagnificationastheactiveimage,chooseWindow>Images>MatchZoom.

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• To view the same section (upper-left corner, center, lower-right corner, and so on) of all open photos, choose

Window > Images > Match Location. The view in all windows shifts to match the active (frontmost) image. The zoom level does not change.

Close windows

❖ In Full Edit, do one of the following:

• Choose File > Close to close the active window.

• Click the Close button on the title bar of the active window.

• Right-click a thumbnail and choose Close.

• Choose File > Close All to close all open windows.

Rulers and the grid

About rulers and the grid

In Full Edit, rulers and the grid help you position items (such as selections, layers, and shapes) precisely across the width or length of an image. In Quick Fix, only the grid is available.

When visible, rulers appear along the top and left side of the active window.Markers in the ruler display the pointer’s position whenyou moveit. Changingthe ruler origin (the 0,0 markon the top andleft rulers) letsyou measurefrom a specific point on the image. The ruler origin also determines the grid’s point of origin.

UsetheViewmenutoshoworhidetherulers(FullEditonly)andthegrid,andtoenableordisablethesnappingof items to the grid.

Change the rulers’ zero origin and settings

❖ In Full Edit, do one of the following:

• To change the rulers’ zero origin, position the pointer over the intersection of the rulers in the upper-left corner

of the window, and drag diagonally down onto the image. A set of cross hairs appears, marking the new origin on the rulers. The new zero origin will be set where you release the mouse button.

Note: To reset the ruler origin to its default value, double-click the upper-left corner of the rulers.

Dragging to create a new ruler origin

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User Guide

• To change the rulers’ settings, double-click a rule, or choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Units & Rulers.

For Rulers, choose a unit of measurement. For Column size, enter values for Width and Gutter. Click OK.

Some layout programs use the column width setting to specify the display of an image across columns. The Image Size and Canvas Size commands also use this setting.

Note: Changing the units on the Info palette automatically changes the units on the rulers.

See also

“Change the size of the canvas” on page 131

“Change print dimensions and resolution without resampling” on page 135

Change the grid settings

1 In Full Edit or Quick Fix, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Grid.

2 For Color, choose a preset color, or click the color swatch to choose a custom color.

3 For Style, choose the line style forthe grid. Choose Lines for solid lines,or choose Dashed lines or Dotsfor broken

lines.

4 ForGridlineEvery,enteranumbervalue,andthenchoosetheunitofmeasurementtodefinethespacingofmajor

grid lines.

5 For Subdivisions, enter a number value to define the frequency of minor grid lines, and click OK.

Saving and exporting images

About saving images and file formats

Afteryoueditanimage,youneedtosaveit,oryou’llloseyourwork.Toensurethatalltheimagedataispreserved, save regular images in Photoshop (PSD) format. Multiple-page creations are always saved in Photo Project (PSE) format. These formats don’t compress your image data.

Your digital camera may save photos in JPEG format, but it’s better to use the PSD format rather than resave a photo in JPEG format unless you are readyto share it or use it on aweb page. Eachtime you save in JPEG format,the image data is compressed, potentially causing some data to be lost. You may start to notice reduced image quality after saving the file as a JPEG 2-3 times. The disadvantage of saving in PSD format is that the file size will increase significantly because the file is not compressed.

Photoshop Elements can saveimages in several file formats, depending on how you plan touse it. Ifyou are working with web images, the Save For Web command provides many options for optimizing images. If you need to convert several images to the same file format, or the same size and resolution, use the Process Multiple Files command.

See also

“Using the Save For Web dialog box” on page 256

“Process multiple files” on page 33

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User Guide

File formats for saving

Photoshop Elements can save images in the following file formats:

BMP A standard Windows image format. You can specify either Windows or OS/2 ®format and a bit depth for the

image. For 4-bit and 8-bit images using Windows format, you can also specify RLE compression.

CompuServe GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) Multiple layer documentscan besaved as animated GIFs, using the

Save For Web command. Commonly used to display graphics and small animations in web pages, GIF is a compressed format designed to minimize file size and transfer time. GIF supports only 8-bit color images (256 or fewer colors). You can also save an image as a GIF file using the Save For Web command.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) Used to save photographs, JPEG format retains allcolor information inan

image but compresses file size by selectively discarding data. You can choose the level of compression. Higher compression results in lower image quality and a smaller file size; lower compression results in better image quality and a larger file size. JPEG is a standard format for displaying images over the web.

JPEG 2000 Produces images with better compression, quality, color management, and metadata capability than

JPEG. JPEG 2000also supportstransparency inlayered images andretains any savedselections. PhotoshopElements saves images in extended JPEG 2000 (JPF) format, which is a more comprehensive file format than standard JPEG 2000 (JP2). You can make files JP2 compatible by selecting an option in the JPEG 2000 dialog box.

PCX A bitmap format widely supported on a variety of platforms.

Photoshop (PSD) The standard Photoshop Elements format for images. You should generally use this format for

edited images to save your work and preserve all your image data and layers in a single page file.

Photo Project Format (PSE) The standard Photoshop Elements format for multiple page creations. You should

generally use this format for photo creations to save your work and preserve all your image data and layers in a multiple page file.

Photoshop PDF (Portable Document Format) A cross-platform and cross-application file format. PDF files

accurately display and preserve fonts, page layouts, and both vector and bitmap graphics.

Note: PDF and PDP are the same except that PDPs are opened in Adobe Photoshop® and PDFs are opened in Acrobat.

Photoshop EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) Used to share Photoshop files with many illustration and page-layout

programs. For best results, print documents with EPS images to PostScript-enabled printers.

PICT Used with Mac OS® graphics and page-layout applications to transfer images between applications. PICT is

especially effective at compressing images with large areas of solid color.

When saving an RGB image in PICT format, you can choose either 16-bit or 32-bit pixel resolution. For a grayscale image, you can choose from 2, 4, or 8 bits per pixel.

Pixar Used for exchanging files with Pixar image computers. Pixar workstations are designed for high-end graphics

applications, such as those used for three-dimensional images and animation. Pixar format supports RGB and grayscale images.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) Used for lossless compression and for displaying images on the web. Unlike GIF,

PNG supports 24-bit images and produces background transparency without jagged edges; however, some web browsers do not support PNG images. PNG preserves transparency in grayscale and RGB images.

Photoshop Raw Used for transferring images between applications and computer platforms when other formats

don’t work.

Scitex CT Used in the prepress industry.

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User Guide

TGA (Tar ga ) Designed for systems using the Truevision video board. Whensaving an RGBimage in thisformat, you

can choose a pixel depth of 16, 24, or 32 bits per pixel and RLE compression.

TIFF (Tagged-Image File Format) Used to exchange files between applications and computer platforms. TIFF is a

flexible bitmap image format supported by most paint, image-editing, and page-layout applications. Most desktop scanners can produce TIFF files.

In addition, Photoshop Elements can open files in several other older formats: PS 2.0, Pixel Paint, Alias Pix, IFF format, Portable Bit Map, SGI ®RGB, Soft Image, Wavefront RLA, and ElectricImage.

See also

“Optimized file formats for the web” on page 257

Save changes in different file formats

You can set options for saving image files, such as the format and whether to preserve layers in an image. Depending on the format you select, other options may be available to set.

See also

“Set file-saving preferences” on page 46

“About transparent and matted web images” on page 264

“About the JPEG format” on page 258

“Optimized file formats for the web” on page 257

“About the GIF format” on page 259

“Convert an image to indexed color” on page 162

“About the PNG-8 format” on page 259

“About the PNG-24 format” on page 260

Change file-saving options

Choose File > Save.

2 To change file-saving options, such as the filename or format, choose File > Save As and set any of the following

file-saving options.

Note: Some file formats open another dialog box with additional options.

File Name Specifies the filename for the saved image.

Format Specifies the file format for the saved image.

Layers Preservesalllayersintheimage.Ifthisoptionisdisabledorunavailable,therearenolayersintheimage.A

warning icon at the Layers check box indicates that the layers in your image will be flattened or merged for the selected format. In some formats, all layers are merged. To preserve layers, select another format.

As a Copy Saves a copy of the file while keeping the current file open. The copy is saved to the folder containing the

currently open file.

Color ICC Profile Embed a color profile in the image for certain formats.

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Thumbnail Saves thumbnail data for the file. This option is available when the Ask When Saving option for Image

User Guide

Previews is set in the Preferences dialog box.

Note: NIX file servers are often used to help send information over networks and the Internet. Some of these servers do not recognize uppercase extensions. To make sure your images arrive at their destinations, use lowercase extensions.

Save a file in GIF format

Choose File > Save As.

2 Specify a filename and location, and choose CompuServe GIF Format from the format list.

Your image is saved as a copy in the specified directory (unless it's already in indexed-color mode).

3 If you are creating an animated GIF, select the Layers As Frames option. Each layer in the final file will play as a

single frame in the animated GIF.

4 Click Save. If your original image is RGB, the Indexed Color dialog box appears.

5 If necessary, specify indexed color options in the Indexed Color dialog box and click OK.

6 In the GIF Options dialog box, select a row order for the GIF file and click OK:

Normal Displays the image in a browser only when the image is fully downloaded.

Interlaced Displays as a series of low-resolution versions of the image while the full image file is downloaded to the

browser. Interlacing can make downloading time seem shorter and assures viewers that downloading is in progress. However, interlacing also increases file size.

Save a file in JPEG format

Choose File > Save As, and choose JPEG from the format list.

Note: You cannot save indexed-color and bitmap mode images in JPEG format.

2 Specify a filename and location, select file-saving options, and click Save.

The JPEG Options dialog box opens.

3 If the image contains transparency, select a Matte color to simulate the appearance of background transparency.

4 Specify imagecompressionand quality by choosing an option from the Qualitymenu, dragging the Quality slider,

or entering a value between 1 and 12.

5 Select a format option:

Baseline (Standard) Uses a format that is recognizable to most web browsers.

Baseline Optimized Optimizes the color quality of the image and produces a slightly smaller file size. This option is

not supported by all web browsers.

Progressive Creates animage that is gradually displayed asit is downloaded toa web browser. Progressive JPEGfiles

are slightly larger in size, require more RAM for viewing, andare notsupported byall applications and webbrowsers.

6 To view the estimated download time of the image, select a modem speed from the Size pop-up menu. (The Size

preview is available only when Preview is selected.)

Note: If a Java application cannot read your JPEG file, try saving the file without a thumbnail preview.

7 Click OK.

Save a file in JPEG 2000 format

Choose File > Save As, and choose JPEG 2000 from the format list.

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Note: You cannot save indexed-color and bitmap mode images in JPEG 2000 format.

2 Specify a filename and location, select options as desired, and click Save.

3 In the JPEG 2000 dialog box, specify file options:

File Size Sets a target size for the saved file. This option isn’t available when Lossless or Fast Mode are selected.

Lossless Compresses the image without losing image quality. This option creates a larger file.

Fast Mode Saves the file faster with fewer optimizations. The file may be larger with this option.

Quality Specifies file compression and image quality when Lossless is deselected. A higher value results in better

image quality and a larger file size.

Include Metadata Includes copyright information from the File Info dialog box and saves the names of saved selec-

tions.

Include Transparency Preserves support for transparency in the original image. If the Include Transparency option

is dimmed, the image does not support transparency.

JP2 Compatible Creates a file that can be displayed in browsers that support standard JPEG 2000 (JP2) format but

do not support extended JPEG 2000 (JPX) format.

4 In Optimization Order, specify how an image will first appear in a web browser:

Growing Thumbnail Presents a sequence of small thumbnail images progressively increasing in size until the image

is fully rendered.

Progressive The image is gradually downloaded to a web browser in increasingly detailed versions. Progressive

JPEG image files are slightly larger in size, require more RAM for viewing, and are not supported by all applications and web browsers. Progressive is not available in Fast Mode.

Color Downloads to a web browser first as a grayscale image, then as a color image.

5 To view the estimated download time of the image, select a modem speed from the Download Rate menu and

click Preview.

6 Click OK.

Save a file in Photoshop EPS format

Choose File > Save As, and choose Photoshop EPS from the format list.

2 Specify a filename and location, select file-saving options, and click Save.

3 In the EPS Options dialog box, set the following options:

• For Preview, choose TIFF (8 bits/pixel) for better display quality, or choose TIFF 1-bit/pixel for a smaller file size.

• For Encoding, choose an encoding method: ASCII, Binary, or a JPEG option.

4 To display white areas in the image as transparent, select Transparent Whites. This option is available only for

images in bitmap mode.

5 If you want to apply anti-aliasing to a printed low-resolution image, select Image Interpolation.

6 Click OK.

Save a file in Photoshop PDF format

Choose File > Save As, and choose Photoshop PDF from the format list.

2 Specify a filename and location, select file-saving options, and click Save.

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3 In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select a compression method. (See “Understanding file compression” on

User Guide

page 45.)

4 Choose an option from the Image Quality menu.

5 To view the PDF file, select View PDF After Saving to launch Adobe Acrobat® or Adobe® Reader (depending on

which application is installed on your computer).

6 Click Save PDF.

If you've made changes to an Acrobat Touchup file, but the changes are not reflected when you open the file, check the Saving File preferences dialog box. Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Saving Files, and then choose

Save Over Current File from the On First Save menu.

Save a file in PNG format

Choose File > Save As, and choose PNG from the format list.

2 Specify a filename and location, select file-saving options, and click Save.

3 In the PNG Options dialog box, select an Interlace option and click OK.

None Displays the image in a web browser only after it is completely downloaded.

Interlaced Displays low-resolution versions of the image while the full image file is downloading to the browser.

Interlacingcan make downloading timeseem shorter andassures viewersthat downloadingis in progress. However, interlacing also increases file size.

Save a file in TIFF format

Choose File > Save As, and choose TIFF from the format list.

2 Specify a filename and location, select file-saving options, and click Save.

3 In the TIFF Options dialog box, select options:

Image Compression Specifies a method for compressing the composite image data.

Byte Order Most recent applications can read files using Mac or Windows byte order. However, if you don’t know

what kind of program the file may be opened in, select the platform on which the file will be read.

Save Image Pyramid Preserves multiresolution information. Photoshop Elements does not provide options for

opening multiresolution files; the image opens at the highest resolution within the file. However, Adobe InDesign® and some image servers provide support for opening multiresolution formats.

Save Transparency Preservestransparencyasanadditionalalphachannelwhenthefileisopenedinanotherappli-

cation. (Transparency is always preserved when the file is reopened in Photoshop Elements.)

Layer Compression Specifies a method for compressing data for pixels in layers (as opposed to composite data).

Many applications cannot read layer data and skip it when opening a TIFF file. Photoshop Elements can read layer data in TIFF files. Although files that include layer data are larger than those that don’t, saving layer data eliminates the need to save and manage a separate PSD file to hold the layer data.

Understanding file compression

Many image file formats compress image data to reduce file size. Lossless compression preserves all image data without removing detail; lossy compression removes image data and loses some detail.

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User Guide

The following are commonly used compression techniques:

RLE (Run Length Encoding) Lossless compression technique that compresses the transparent portions of each layer

in images with multiple layers containing transparency.

LZW (Lemple-Zif-Welch) Lossless compression that provides the best results in compressing images that contain

large areas of single color.

JPEG Lossy compression that provides the best results with photographs.

CCITT A family of lossless compression techniques for black-and-white images.

ZIP Lossless compression technique that is most effective for images that contain large areas of a single color.

Set file-saving preferences

❖ Choose Photoshop Elements Preferences > Saving Files, and set the following options.

On First Save Gives you the ability to control how files are saved:

• Save Over Current File (default) does not open the Save As dialog box. If you open either the original file or the

edited copy, the first save overwrites the original (as do all subsequent saves in that edit session).

• Always Ask opens the Save As dialog box the first time you edit and save the original file. All subsequent saves

overwrite the previous version until you close the file and then reopen it to make further edits. If you open the edited copy, the first save opens the Save As dialog box.

Image Previews Savesapreviewimagewiththefile.SelectNeverSavetosavefileswithoutpreviews,AlwaysSaveto

save files with specified previews, or Ask When Saving to assign previews on a file-by-file basis.

File Extension Specifies an option for the three-character file extensions that indicate a file’s format. Generally it’s a

good idea to keep this option set to Use Lower Case.

Ignore Camera Data (EXIF) Profiles Select this optionto automaticallydiscard any color profiles used by your digital

camera. The color profile you use in Photoshop Elements is saved with the image.

Maximize PSD File Compatibility Saves a composite image in a layered Photoshop file so that it can be imported or

opened by a wider range of applications: Select Never to skip this step, Always to automatically save the composite, or Ask if you’d like to be prompted each time you save a file.

Recent File List Contains: _ Files Specifies how many files are available in the File > Open Recently Edited File

submenu. Enter a value from 0 to 30. The default value is 10.

See also

“Save changes in different file formats” on page 42

Guided Edit

The Guided Edit mode provides more structure around specific tasks, helping you accomplish those tasks more easily,andwithexplanationthroughouttheprocess.TheGuidedEdittabislocatedintheEdittabofthePaletteBin.

With Guided Edit, you can complete these tasks:

Basic Photo Edits Crop, rotate, straighten, and sharpen photos.

Lighting and Exposure Lighten, darken, and adjust brightness and contrast.

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Color Correction Enhance colors, remove a color cast, and correct skin tone.

Guided Activities Touch up scratches, blemishes, and tear marks, and guide photo editing.

Photomerge Intelligently merge multiple images of group shots or faces.

Note: The Guided Edits available may vary in your version of Photoshop Elements.

Use the Guided Edit options

1 On the Edit tab, click the Guided button .

2 Choose from the list of Guided Edits.

3 Do one of the following:

• Follow the steps that appear and click Done.

• Click Cancel to choose a different Guided Edit, or go back to regular editing.

Note: IfyouenteraGuidedEdit,thenclickonthe“AfterOnly”buttonatthebottomoftheGuidedEditpaneltoseethe Before and After view of your photo, when you exit the Guided Edit, that view will remain. To reset the view back to Afteronly(thedefault),gointoanotherGuidedEditandchangeitthere,orsimplyclickoneitherFullorQuickmodes to reset to a single view.

The Crop Photo Guided Edit

Use the Crop Photo Guided Edit to crop an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

Note: You can also use the Cookie Cutter tool to crop an image. For more on the Cookie Cutter tool, see “Use the Cookie Cutter tool” on page 131.

For more information on cropping, see “Cropping” on page 129.

The Rotate and/or Straighten Guided Edit

Use the Rotate and/or Straighten Guided Edit to rotate a picture in 90-degree increments or draw a line through an image to realign it.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on rotating an image, see “Rotate or flip an item” on page 150.

For more on straightening an image, see “Straighten an image” on page 132

The Sharpen Photo Guided Edit

Use the Sharpen Photo Guided Edit to sharpen an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on sharpening images, see “Sharpening overview” on page 148 or “Sharpen an image” on page 148.

The Lighten or Darken Guided Edit

Use the Lighten or Darken Guided Edit to lighten or darken an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on lightening or darking an image, see “Adjusting shadows and light” on page 107.

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The Brightness and Contrast Guided Edit

Use the Brightness or Contrast Guided Edit to adjust brightness or contrast in an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on adjusting brightness and contrast, see “Adjusting shadows and light” on page 107.

The Enhance Colors Guided Edit

Use the Enhance Colors Guided Edit to enhance the hue, saturation, and lightness in an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on enhancing colors, see “Adjusting color saturation and hue” on page 116.

The Remove a Color Cast Guided Edit

Use the Remove a Color Cast Guided Edit to correct color casts in an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on correcting color casts, see “Correcting color casts” on page 112.

User Guide

The Correct Skin Tone Guided Edit

Use the Correct Skin Tone Guided Edit to correct skin tones (tan, blush, and ambient light) in an image.

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on correcting color casts, see “Adjust the color of skin tone” on page 118.

The Touch Up Photo Guided Edit

Use the Touch Up Photo Guided Edit to fix (large or small) flaws in an image (using the Healing Brush or the Spot Healing Brush).

You can view the after image only, or view both the before and after images either vertically or horizontally.

For more on correcting color casts, see “Fix large imperfections” on page 139 or “Remove spots and small imperfections” on page 138.

The “Guide for Editing a Photo” Guided Edit

Use the “Guide for Editing a Photo” Guided Edit to follow the recommended sequence of applying common editing steps to your photos. This sequence is how Adobe recommends you make your various edits, and the order in which you should do them. This will help you get the best results for all of your basic photo retouching tasks.

The Photomerge Group Shot Guided Edit

For more information on Photomerge Group Shot, see “Use Photomerge Group Shot” on page 145.

The Photomerge Faces Guided Edit

For more information on Photomerge Faces, see “Use Photomerge Faces” on page 146.

Chapter 5: Using layers

Layersareusefulbecausetheyletyouaddcomponentstoanimageandworkonthemoneatatime,withoutpermanently changing your original image. For each layer, you can adjust color and brightness, apply special effects, reposition layer content, specify opacity and blending values, and so on. You can also rearrange the stacking order, link layers to work on them simultaneously, and create web animations with layers.

Creating layers

Understanding 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 palette, 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).

Transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below.

Layers are organized in the Layers palette. It’s a good idea to keep this palette visible whenever you’re working in Photoshop Elements. With one glance, you can see the active layer (the selected layer that you are editing). You can link layers, so they move as a unit, helping you manage layers. Because multiple layers in an image increases the file size,youcanreducethefilesizebymerginglayersthatyou’redoneediting.TheLayerspaletteisanimportantsource of information as you edit photos. You can also use the Layer menu to work with layers.

Ordinary layers are pixel-based (image) layers. There are several other layer types you can use to create special effects:

Fill layers Contain a color gradient, solid color, or pattern.

Adjustment layers Enable you to fine-tune color, brightness, and saturation without making permanent changes to

your image (until you flatten, or collapse, the adjustment layer).

Type layers and shape layers Let you create vector-based text and shapes.

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You can’t paint on an adjustment layer, although you can paint on its mask. To paint on fill or type layers, you first convert them into regular image layers.

See also

“About adjustment and fill layers” on page 63

“About layer clipping groups” on page 68

“Lock or unlock a layer” on page 54

“About opacity and blending options in layers” on page 61

About the Layers palette

The Layers palette lists all layers in an image, from thetop layer to the Background layer at thebottom. You can drag the palette by its title out of the Palette Bin to keep it visible as you work with it.

The active layer, or the layer that you are working on, is highlighted for easy identification. As you work inan image, it’s a good idea to check which layer is active to make sure that the adjustments and edits you perform affect the correct layer. For example, if you choose a command and nothing seems to happen, check to make sure that you’re looking at the active layer.

Using the icons in the palette, you can accomplish many tasks—such as creating, hiding, linking, locking, and deleting layers. With some exceptions, your changes affect only the selected, or active, layer, which is highlighted.

BAC D FE G

Layers palette A. Blending mode menu B. Show/Hide layer C. Layer thumbnail D. Highlighted layer is active layer E. Locked layer F. Layer is linked to another layer G. Layer has style applied

In the list of layers, the palette shows a thumbnail, a title, and one or more icons that give information about each layer:

The layer is visible. Click the eye to show or hide a layer. (Hidden layers are not printed.)

The layer is linked to the active layer.

The layer has a style applied to it. Click to edit the layer style in the Style Settings dialog box.

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The layer is locked.

The image contains layer groups and was imported from Photoshop. Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer

groups and displays them in their collapsed state. You must simplify them to create an editable image.

You use the buttons at the top of the palette to perform actions:

Create a new layer.

Create a new fill or adjustment layer.

Delete a layer.

The layer is linked to another layer.

Lock transparency.

Lock all layers.

AlsoatthetoparethepaletteBlendingModemenu(Normal,Dissolve,Darken,andsoon),anOpacitytextbox,and a More button displaying a menu of layer commands and palette options.

See also

“About adjustment and fill layers” on page 63

“About opacity and blending options in layers” on page 61

“Simplify a layer” on page 55

Adding layers

Newly added layers appear above the selected layer in the Layers palette. You can add layers to an image by using any of the following methods:

• Create new, blank layers or turn selections into layers.

• Convert a background into a regular layer or vice versa.

• Paste selections into the image.

• Use the Type tool or a shape tool.

• Duplicate an existing layer.

You can create up to 8000 layers in an image, each with its own blending mode and opacity. However, memory constraints may lower this limit.

See also

“About text” on page 228

“About shapes” on page 236

“Delete a layer” on page 55

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Create and name a new blank layer

❖ Do any of the following:

• Tocreate a new layer with default nameand settings, clickthe New Layerbutton at thetop of theLayers palette.

The resulting layer usesNormal mode with 100%opacity, and is named according toits creation order.(To rename the new layer, double-click it and type a new name.)

• To create a new layer and specify a name and options, choose Layer > New > Layer, or choose New Layer from the

More menu in the Layers palette. Specify a name and other options, and then click OK.

The new layer is automatically selected and appears in the palette above the layer that was last selected.

See also

“Copy a layer from one image to another” on page 57

“Delete a layer” on page 55

“Duplicate a layer within an image” on page 56

“Specify a blending mode for a layer” on page 62

“Specify the opacity of a layer” on page 62

Create a new layer from part of another layer

You can move part of an image from one layer to a newly created one, leaving the original intact.

1 Select an existing layer, and make a selection.

2 Choose one of the following:

• Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to copy the selection into a new layer.

• Layer > New > Layer Via Cut to cut the selection and paste it into a new layer.

The selected area appears in a new layer in the same position relative to the image boundaries.

Creating a new layer by copying part of another layer and pasting it into a new layer

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See also

“Duplicate a layer within an image” on page 56

“About selections” on page 81

Convert the Background layer into a regular layer

The Background layer is the bottom layer in an image. Other layers stack on top of the Background layer, which usually (but not always) contains the actual image data of a photo. To protect the image, the Background layer is always locked. If you want to change its stacking order, blending mode, or opacity, you must first convert it into a regular layer.

1 Do one of the following:

• Double-click the Background layer in the Layers palette.

• Choose Layer > New > Layer From Background.

• Select the Background layer, and choose Duplicate Layer from the More menu in the Layers palette to leave the

Background layer intact and create a copy of it as a new layer.

You can createa duplicate layer of the convertedBackground layer no matter how you convert the layer; simplyselect the converted Background layer and choose Duplicate Layer from the More menu.

2 Name the new layer.

If you drag the background eraser tool onto the Background layer, it is automatically converted into a regular layer, and erased areas become transparent.

Make a layer the Background layer

Youcan’tconverta layer into the Background layer ifthe image already has aBackgroundlayer. In thiscase, you must first convert the existing Background layer into a regular layer.

1 Select a layer in the Layers palette.

2 Choose Layer > New > Background From Layer.

Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled with the background color.

Editing layers

Select a layer

Any change you make to an image only affects the active layer. If you don’t see the desired results when you manipulate an image, make sure that the correct layer is selected.

❖ Do one of the following:

• In the Layers palette, select a layer’s thumbnail or name.

• To select more than one layer, hold down the Command key and click each layer.

• Select the Move tool , right-click the image, and choose a layer from the context menu. The context menu lists

all the layers that contain pixels under the current pointer location, as well as all adjustment layers.

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To select layers interactively as you use the Move tool, select Auto Select Layer in the options bar. To see which layer will be highlighted, select Show Highlight On Rollover. When you select this option,the Move tool shows a layer order

context menu. Drag to select multiple layers at a time.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Select all opaque areas in a layer” on page 63

“Copy selections with the Move tool” on page 96

Show or hide a layer

In the Layers palette, the eye icon in the leftmost column next to a layer means that the layer is visible.

1 Choose Window > Layers if the Layers palette is not already open.

2 Do one of the following:

• To hide a layer, click its eye icon. Click in the eye column again to show the layer.

• Drag through the eye column to show or hide more than one layer.

• To display just one layer, Option-click the eye icon for that layer. Option-click in the eye column again to show all

the layers.

See also

“About the Layers palette” on page 50

Resize or hide layer thumbnails

1 Choose Palette Options from the More menu in the Layers palette.

2 Select a new size, or select None to hide the thumbnails. Then click OK.

See also

“About the Layers palette” on page 50

Lock or unlock a layer

Youcan fully or partially locklayers toprotect their contents. When a layer is locked, a lock iconappears to the right of the layer name, and the layer cannot be deleted. Except for the Background layer, you can move locked layers to different locations in the stacking order of the Layers palette.

❖ Select the layer in the Layers palette, and do one of the following:

• ClicktheLockAllicon atthetopoftheLayerspalettetolockalllayerproperties.Clicktheiconagaintounlock

them.

• Click the Lock Transparency icon at the top of the Layers palette to lock the transparent areas of the layer, so

that no painting occurs in them. Click the icon again to unlock.

Note: Fortypeandshapelayers,transparencyislockedbydefaultandcannotbeunlockedwithoutfirstsimplifyingthe layer.

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See also

“About the Layers palette” on page 50

Rename a layer

As youadd layers to an image, it’s helpful to rename layersaccording to their content. Use descriptivelayer names so that you can easily identify layers in the Layers palette.

Note: You can’t rename the Background layer unless you change it into a normal layer.

❖ Double-click the layer’s name in the Layers palette, and enter a new name.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About the Layers palette” on page 50

“Convert the Background layer into a regular layer” on page 53

Simplify a layer

You simplify a smart object, frame layer, type layer, shape layer, solid color layer, gradient layer, or pattern fill layer (or a layer group imported from Photoshop) by converting it into an image layer. You need to simplify these layers before you can apply filters to them or edit them with the painting tools. However, you can no longer use the typeand shape-editing options on simplified layers.

1 Select a type layer, shape layer, fill layer, or a Photoshop layer group in the Layers palette.

2 Simplify the layer or imported layer group:

• If you selected a shape layer, click Simplify in the options bar.

• If you selected a type, shape, or fill layer, or a Photoshop layer group, choose Simplify Layer from either the Layer

menu or the Layers palette More menu.

See also

“About adjustment and fill layers” on page 63

“Understanding layers” on page 49

Delete a layer

Deleting layers that you no longer need reduces the size of your image file.

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.

2 Do one of the following:

• Drag the layer to the Delete Layer icon at the top of the Layers palette.

• Click the Delete Layer icon at the top of the Layers palette, and click Yes in the delete confirmation dialog box. To

bypass this dialog box, press Option as you click the Delete icon.

• Choose Delete Layer from either the Layer menu or the Layers palette More menu, and click Yes.

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See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Create and name a new blank layer” on page 52

Sample color from all visible layers

By default, when you work with certain tools, the color you apply is sampled only from the active layer. With this default behavior, you can smudge or sample in a single layer even when other layers are visible, and you can sample from one layer and paint in another one.

If you want to paint using sampled data from all visible layers, do the following:

1 Select the Magic Wand tool, Paint Bucket tool, Smudge tool, Blur tool, Sharpen tool, or Clone Stamp tool.

2 In the options bar, select All Layers.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About painting tools” on page 198

Copying and arranging layers

Duplicate a layer within an image

You can duplicate any layer, including the Background layer, within an image.

❖ Select one or more layers in the Layers palette, and do one of the following to duplicate it:

• To duplicate and rename the layer, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose Duplicate Layer from the Layers

palette More menu. Name the duplicate layer, and click OK.

• To duplicate without naming, select the layer and drag it to the New Layer button at the top of the Layers

palette.

• Right-click the layer name or thumbnail, and choose Duplicate Layer.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

Duplicate one or more layers in another image

You can take any layer, including the Background layer, from one image and duplicate it in another. Keep in mind that the pixel dimensions of the destination image determine how large the printed copy of the duplicated layer can be.Also,ifthepixeldimensionsofthetwoimagesarenotthesame,theduplicatedlayermayappearsmallerorlarger than you’d expect.

1 Open the source image. If you plan tocopy alayer toan existing imagerather than a new one,open the destination

image as well.

2 In the source image’s Layers palette, select the name of the layer or layers you want to duplicate. To select more

than one layer, hold down the Command key and click each layer’s name.

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3 Choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose Duplicate Layer from the More menu in the Layers palette.

4 Type a name for the duplicatelayer in the Duplicate Layer dialog box, and choose a destination document for the

layer, and then click OK:

• To duplicate the layer in an existing image, choose a filename from the Document pop-up menu.

• To create a new document for the layer, choose New from the Document menu, and enter a name for the new file.

An image created by duplicating a layer has no background.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About image size and resolution” on page 134

Copy a layer from one image to another

Youcan copy any layer, including the Backgroundlayer,from oneimage to another.Keep in mind that theresolution of the destination image determines how large the printed copy of the layer can be. Also, if the pixel dimensions of the two images are not the same, the copied layer may appear smaller or larger than you’d expect.

1 Open the two images you want to use.

2 In the Layers palette of the source image, select the layer that you want to copy.

3 Do one of the following:

• Choose Select >All to selectall ofthe pixels inthe layer,and choose Edit > Copy.Then make thedestinationimage

active, and choose Edit > Paste.

• Drag the layer’s name from the Layers palette of the source image into the destination image.

• Use the Move tool to drag the layer from the source image to the destination image.

The copied layer appears in the destination image, above the active layer in the Layers palette. If the layer you’re draggingislargerthanthedestinationimage,onlypartofthelayerisvisible.YoucanusetheMovetooltodragother sections of the layer into view.

HolddownShiftasyoudragalayertocopyittothesamepositionitoccupiedinthesourceimage(ifthesourceand destination images have the same pixel dimensions) or to the center of the destination image (if the source and desti-

nation images have different pixel dimensions).

Dragging the bamboo layer to another image

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See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About image size and resolution” on page 134

Move the content in a layer

Layers are like stacked images on panes of glass. You can“slide” alayer ina stackto changewhat portionof itscontent is visible in relation to the layers above and below.

1 SelectalayerintheLayerspalette.Tomovemultiplelayersatthesametime,linkthelayerstogetherintheLayers

palette by selecting the layers and then clicking the Link Layers icon .

2 Select the Move tool .

3 Do one of the following:

• Drag within the image to slide the selected layer or layers to the desired position.

• Press the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the layer or layers in 1-pixel increments, or press Shift and an

arrow key to move the layer in 10-pixel increments.

• Hold down Shift as you drag to move the layer or layers directly up or down, directly to either side, or on a 45˚

diagonal.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

Change the stacking order of layers

The stacking order determines whether a layer appears in front of or behind other layers.

By default, the Background layer must remain at the bottom of the stack. To move the Background layer, you need to convert it into a regular layer first.

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Dragging a layer below another layer changes the stacking order

1 IntheLayerspalette,selectoneormorelayers.Toselectmorethanonelayer,holddowntheCommandkeyand

click each layer.

2 To change the stacking order, do one of the following:

• Drag the layer or layers up or down the Layers palette to the new position.

• Choose Layer > Arrange, and then choose Bring To Front, Bring Forward, Send Backward, or Send To Back.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Convert the Background layer into a regular layer” on page 53

Link and unlink layers

When layers are linked, you can move their contents together. You can also copy, paste, merge, and apply transformations to all linked layers simultaneously. At some point, you may want to edit or move one linked layer. You can simply unlink the layers to work on one layer at a time

1 Select the layers you’d like to link in the Layers palette. To select more than one layer, hold down the Command

key and click each layer.

2 Click the Link Layer icon at the top of the Layers palette. The linked icon appears in the linked layers.

3 To unlink layers, select a linked layer in the Layers palette and click the Link Layers icon at the top of the Layers

palette.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About layer clipping groups” on page 68

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Merge layers

Layers can greatly increase the file size of an image. Merging layers in an image reduces file size. You should merge layers only after you have finished manipulating them to create the image you want.

Example of merging

You can choose to merge only the linked layers, only the visible layers, only a layer with the layer below it, or only selectedlayers.Youcanalsomergethecontentsofallvisiblelayersintoaselectedlayer,yetnotdeletetheothervisible layers (in this case, there is no reduction in file size).

When you complete work on an image, you can flatten it. Flattening merges all visible layers, discards all hidden layers, and fills transparent areas with white.

1 GototheLayerspaletteandmakesurethataneyeicon appearsnexttoeachofthelayersyouwanttomerge.

2 Do one of the following:

• To merge selected layers, select more than one layer by holding down the Command key and clicking each layer.

Then choose Merge Layers from the Layers palette More menu.

• Tomergealayerwiththeonebelow,selectthetoplayerofthepairandchooseMergeDownfromeithertheLayer

menu or the Layers palette More menu.

Note: If the bottom layer in the pair is a shape, type, or fill layer, you must simplify the layer. If the bottom layer in the pair is linked to another layer or is an adjustment layer, you can’t choose Merge Down.

• Tomergeallvisiblelayers,hideanylayersyoudon’twanttomergeandchooseMergeVisiblefromtheLayermenu

or Layers palette More menu.

• To merge all visible linked layers, select one of the linked layers and choose Merge Linked from the Layer menu

or Layers palette More menu.

Note: If the bottom-most merged layer is a type, shape, solid color fill, gradient fill, or pattern fill layer, you must first simplify the layer.

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See also

“Merging adjustment layers” on page 66

“Simplify a layer” on page 55

Merge layers into another layer

Use this procedure when you want to keep the layers you are merging intact. The result is a new merged layer plus all the original layers.

1 Click the eye icon next to layers you don’t want to merge, and make sure that the eye icon is visible for the layers

you do want to merge.

2 Specify a layer in which to merge all visible layers. You can either create a new layer in which to merge or select

an existing layer in the Layers palette.

3 Hold down Option, and choose Merge Visible from either the Layers menu or the Layers palette More menu.

Photoshop Elements merges a copy of all visible layers into the selected layer.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Merging adjustment layers” on page 66

Flatten an image

When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements merges all visible layers into the background, greatly reducing the file size. Flattening an image discards all hidden layers, and fills any transparent areas with white. In most cases, you won’t want to flatten a file until you’ve finished editing individual layers.

1 Make sure that the layers you want to keep in your image are visible.

2 Choose Flatten Image from either the Layer menu or the Layers palette More menu.

You can see the differencebetween yourimage’s layered file size and its flattened file size by choosing Document Sizes from the status bar pop-up menu at the bottom of the image window.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

Opacity and blending modes

About opacity and blending options in layers

A layer’s opacity determines the degree to which it obscures or reveals the layer beneath it. A layer with 1% opacity is nearly transparent, while a layer with 100% opacity is completely opaque. Transparent areas remain transparent regardless of the opacity setting.

You use layer blending modes to determine how a layer blends with the pixels in layers beneath it. Using blending modes, you can create a variety of special effects.

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Keep inmind thata layer’sopacity andblending mode interact withthe opacity and blendingmode of painting tools. Forexample,ifalayerusesDissolvemodeat50%opacity,andyoupaintonthislayerwiththePaintbrushtoolsetto Normal mode at 100% opacity, the paint appears in Dissolve mode at 50% opacity. Similarly, if a layer uses Normal mode at 100% opacity, and you use the Eraser tool at 50% opacity, only 50% of the paint disappears from the layer as you erase.

Blending layers. A. Bamboo layer and Borders layer B. Bamboo layer with 100% opacity and Color Burn mode C. Bamboo layer with 50% opacity and Color Burn mode

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About blending modes” on page 199

“About painting tools” on page 198

Specify the opacity of a layer

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.

2 In the Layers palette, enter a value between 0 and 100 for Opacity, or click the arrow at the right of the Opacity

box and drag the Opacity slider that appears.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

Specify a blending mode for a layer

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.

2 Choose an option from the Blending Mode menu.

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See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About blending modes” on page 199

Select all opaque areas in a layer

You can quickly select all the opaque areas in a layer. This procedure is useful when you want to exclude transparent areas from a selection.

1 In the Layers palette, Command-click the layer thumbnail.

2 To add the pixels to an existing selection, press Command+Shift and click the layer thumbnail in the Layers

palette.

3 To remove the pixels from an existing selection, press Command+Option and click the layer thumbnail in the

Layers palette.

4 To load the intersection of the pixels and an existing selection, press Command+Option+Shift and click the layer

thumbnail in the Layers palette.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“About selections” on page 81

Customize the transparency grid

The checkerboard grid identifies transparency in a layer. You can change the appearance of this grid; however, do not change it to solid white because you’ll eliminate the visual distinction between opaque (white) and transparent (checkerboard).

1 Choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Transparency.

2 Choose a pattern size from the Grid Size menu.

3 Choose a pattern color from the Grid Colors menu. To choose a custom color instead, click one of the two boxes

below the Grid Colors menu and select a color from the Color Picker.

See also

“About the Layers palette” on page 50

“Use the Adobe Color Picker” on page 205

Adjustment and fill layers

About adjustment and fill layers

Adjustment layers let you experiment with color and make tonal adjustments without permanently modifying the pixels in an image. You can think of an adjustment layer as a veil coloring the underlying layers. By default, an adjustment layer affects all layers below it, although you can change this behavior. When you create an adjustment layer, the Layers palette displays a white box representing the adjustment for that layer.

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Fill layers let you fill a layer with a solid color, gradient, or pattern. Unlike adjustment layers, fill layers do not affect the layers below them. To paint on a fill layer, you must first convert it (simplify it) into a regular layer.

Adjustmentandfilllayershavethesameopacityandblendingmodeoptionsasimagelayers,andyoucanmoveand reposition them just as you do image layers. By default, adjustment and fill layers are named for their type (for example, Solid Color fill layer and Invert adjustment layer).

Create Adjustment Layer menu A. Fill layers B. Adjustment layers

See also

“Edit the layer masks” on page 67

“About opacity and blending options in layers” on page 61

“Simplify a layer” on page 55

Create adjustment layers

1 In the Layers palette, select the topmost layer you want to affect.

2 To confine the effects of the adjustment layer to a selected area in that layer, make a selection.

3 Do one of the following:

• To affect all the layers below the adjustment layer, click the Create Adjustment Layer button at the top of the

Layers palette, and choose one of the following adjustment types. (The first three options in the menu are fill layers, not adjustment layers.)

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Original image, and image with Hue/Saturation adjustment applied. Only the layers under the adjustment layer are affected.

• To affect only one layer or several successive layers below the adjustment layer, choose Layer > New Adjustment

Layer > [adjustment type]. In the New Layer dialog box, select Group With Previous Layer, and then click OK.

Levels Corrects tonal values in the image.

Brightness/Contrast Lightens or darkens the image.

Hue/Saturation Adjusts colors in the image. (Available only in color mode or on color layers)

Gradient Map Maps pixels to the color in the selected gradient.

Photo Filter Adjust the color balance and color temperature of the image.

Invert Produces a photonegative effect by creating a negative based on the brightness values of the image.

Threshold Renders the image in black and white, with no gray, so that you can locate the lightest and darkest areas.

Posterize Gives a flat, poster-like appearance to a photo by reducing the number of brightness values (levels) in the

image, thus reducing the number of colors.

4 In the dialog box, specify options and click OK. (Invert has no options.)

If you selected Group With Previous Layerin step 3, Photoshop Elements groups the adjustment layer with the layer immediately below it and the effect is confined to the group.

5 Toaddmorelayerstothegroup,pressOptionandpositionthepointeroverthelinedividingthebottommostlayer

in the group from the layer below it. Click when the pointer changes to two overlapping circles .

See also

“About histograms” on page 105

Create fill layers

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer above which the fill layer should be.

2 To confine the effects of the fill layer to a selected area, make a selection.

3 Do one of the following:

• Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button at the top of the Layers palette, and choose the fill type you

want to create. (The first three options listed in the palette are fill layers, the others are adjustment layers.)

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User Guide

• Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > [fill

type]. In the New Layer dialog box that appears, click OK.

Solid Color Creates a layer filled with a solid color chosen from the Color Picker.

Gradient Creates a layer filled with a gradient. You can choose a predefined gradient from the Gradient menu. To

edit the gradient in the Gradient Editor, click the color gradient. You can dragwithin the image window to move the center of the gradient.

You can also specify the shape of the gradient (Style) and the angle at which it is applied (Angle). Select Reverse to flip its orientation, Dither to reduce banding, and Align With Layer to use the layer’s bounding box to calculate the gradient fill.

Pattern Creates a layer filled with a pattern. Click the pattern, and choose a pattern from the pop-up palette. You

can scale the pattern and choose Snap To Origin to position the origin of the pattern with that of the document window. To specify that the pattern moves with the Fill layer as it is relocated, select Link With Layer. When this optionisselected,youcandragwithintheimagetopositionthepatternwhilethePatternFilldialogboxisopen.To create a new preset pattern after editing pattern settings, click the New Preset button .

Edit an adjustment or fill layer

1 Open the adjustment or fill options dialog box by doing one of the following:

• Double-click the adjustment or fill layer’s leftmost thumbnail in the Layers palette.

• Select the layer in the palette and choose Layer > Layer Content Options.

• Select the layer in the palette, choose Layer > Change Layer Content, and then select a different fill or adjustment

layer from the list.

2 Make your changes, and click OK.

Merging adjustment layers

You can merge an adjustment or fill layer in several ways: with the layer below it, with other selected layers,with the layers in its own group, with the layers it’s linked to, and with all other visible layers. You cannot, however, use an adjustment layer or fill layer as the base or target layer for a merge.

When you merge an adjustment layer or fill layer with the layer below it, the adjustments are simplified and permanently applied to the merged layer. The adjustment no longer affects other layers below the merged adjustment layer. You can also convert (simplify) a fill layer into an image layer without merging it.

Adjustment layers and fill layers with masks(the layer’s rightmost thumbnail in the Layers palette) that contain only whitevaluesdonotaddsignificantlytothefilesize,soyoudon’tneedtomergetheseadjustmentlayerstoconserve file space.

See also

“Merge layers” on page 60

“Simplify a layer” on page 55

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User Guide

Edit the layer masks

A layer mask prevents sections of a layer, or an entire layer, from being visible. You use the mask to show or hide sections of an image or an effect. When the layer mask (right thumbnail) attached to an adjustment layer is completely white, the adjustment effect is applied to all underlying layers. If you don’t want to apply the effect to certain portions of the underlying layers, paint the corresponding area of the mask with black. When attached to a fill layer, the mask defines the filled-in area in the fill layer.

Painting a mask with black increases the area protected.

1 Select the adjustment or fill layer in the Layers palette.

2 Select the Paintbrush tool, or any painting or editing tool.

3 Use the following methods to view the layer mask:

• To view only the mask, Option-click the Layer Mask’s thumbnail (the rightmost thumbnail). Option-click the

thumbnail again to redisplay the other layers.

• To view the mask in a red masking color, hold down Option+Shift and click the Layer Mask’s thumbnail (the

rightmost thumbnail). Hold down Option+Shift and click the thumbnail again to turn off the red display.

• To constrain editing to part of the mask, select the corresponding pixels.

4 Edit the layer mask:

• To remove areas of the adjustment effect or fill, paint the layer mask with black.

• To add areas to the adjustment effect or fill, paint the layer mask with white.

• To partially remove the adjustment effect or fill so that it shows in various levels of transparency, paint the layer

mask withgray.(Single-click the foreground color swatch in the toolbox to choose a gray shade from the Swatches palette.) The extent to which the effect or fill is removed depends on the tones of gray you use to paint. Darker shades result in more transparency; lighter shades in more opacity.

Shift-click the mask thumbnail (the layer’s rightmost thumbnail) in the Layers palette to turn off the mask; click the thumbnail again to turn on the mask.

See also

“About selections” on page 81

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

Layer groups

About layer clipping groups

A clipping group is a group of layers to which a mask is applied. The bottommost layer, or base layer, defines the visible boundaries of the entire group. For example, you might have a shape in the base layer, a photograph in the layer above it, and text in the topmost layer. If you group them, the photograph and text appear only through the shape outline in the base layer; they also take on the opacity of the base layer.

You can group only successive layers. The name of the base layer in the group is underlined, and the thumbnails for the overlying layers are indented. Additionally, the overlying layers display the clipping group icon .

You can link the layers in a clipping group so that they move together.

The shape in the bottom layer of the clipping group determines what area of the photo layer above shows through.

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Link and unlink layers” on page 59

Create a clipping group

1 Do one of the following:

• Hold downOption, positionthe pointerover the line dividing two layers inthe Layerspalette (the pointer changes

to two overlapping circles ), and then click.

• In the Layers palette, select the top layer of a pair of layers you want to group, and choose Layer > Group With

Previous.

2 When makinga clippinggroup froman existing layer and one you are about to create, first select theexisting layer

in the Layers palette. Then choose New Layer from the Layer menu or the Layers palette More menu. In the New Layer dialog box, select Group With Previous, and click OK.

The layers in the clipping group have the opacity and mode attributes of the bottommost base layer in the group.

If you need to change the stacking order of the clipping group relative to other layers in the image, select all layers in the group, then drag the group’s base layer up or down in the Layers palette. (Dragging a layer without selecting all

the layers in the group will remove that layer from the group.)

See also

“Link and unlink layers” on page 59

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

Remove a layer from a clipping group

Ungrouping the base layer from the layer above it ungroups all layers in the clipping group.

❖ Do one of the following:

• Hold down Option, position the pointer over the line separating two grouped layers in the Layers palette (the

pointer changes to two overlapping circles ), and click.

• In the Layers palette, select a layer in the clipping group, and choose Layer > Ungroup. This command removes

the selected layer and any layers above it from the clipping group.

• In the Layers palette, select any layer in the group except the base layer, and either drag the layer below the base

layer, or drag it between two ungrouped layers in the image.

Ungroup layers in a clipping group

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer immediately above the base layer.

2 Choose Layer > Ungroup.

Layer styles

About layer styles

Layer styles let you quicklyapply effects to an entire layer. In the Effects palette, you can view a variety of predefined layer styles and apply a style with just a click of the mouse.

Three different layer styles applied to text

The boundaries of the effect are automatically updated when you edit that layer. For example, if you apply a drop shadow style to a text layer, the shadow changes automatically when you edit the text.

Layerstylesarecumulative,whichmeansthatyoucancreateacomplexeffectbyapplyingmultiplestylestoalayer. Youcanapplyonestylefromeachstylelibraryperlayer.Youcanalsochangealayer’sstylesettingstoadjustthefinal result.

When you apply a style to a layer, a starburst icon appears to the right of the layer’s name in the Layers palette. Layer stylesare linked to the layercontents. When you move or edit the contents of the layer,the effects aremodified correspondingly.

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User Guide

Once you choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings, you can edit the settings of a layer’s style or apply other style settings or attributes available in the dialog box.

Lighting Angle Specifies the lighting angle at which the effect is applied to the layer.

Shadow Distance Specifies the distance of a drop shadow from the layer’s content. You can also set the size and

opacity with the sliders.

Outer Glow Size Specifiesthesizeofaglowthatemanatesfromtheoutsideedgesofthelayer’scontent.Youcanalso

set the opacity with the slider.

Inner Glow Size Specifies the size of a glow that emanates from the inside edges of the layer’s content. You can also

set the opacity with the slider.

Bevel Size Specifies the size of beveling along the inside edges of the layer’s content.

Bevel Direction Specifies the direction of the bevel, either up or down.

Stroke Size Specifies the size of the stroke.

Stroke Opacity Specifies the opacity of the stroke.

See also

“Using the Effects palette” on page 167

Work with layer styles

You can apply special effects to a layer, hide or show the styles in a layer, and even change the scale of a layer style (for example, decrease or increase the size of a glow effect). It’s easy to copy a style from one layer to another.

Apply a layer style

Select a layer in the Layers palette.

2 In the Effects palette, choose Layer Styles from the category menu.

3 Do any of the following:

• Select a style, and click Apply.

• Double-click a style.

• Drag a style onto a layer.

A starburst icon indicates a layer style is applied to the layer.

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User Guide

If you don’t like the result, press Command+Z to remove the style, or choose Edit > Undo.

You can also drag the style to the image, where it is applied to the selected layer.

Hide or show all layer styles in an image

❖ Choose one of the following:

• Layer > Layer Style > Hide All Effects.

• Layer > Layer Style > Show All Effects.

Edit a layer’s style settings

Youcaneditalayer’sstylesettingstoadjusttheeffect.Youcanalsocopystylesettingsbetweenlayersandremovea style from a layer.

1 Do one of the following:

• Double-click the starburst icon in the Layers palette.

• Choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings.

2 To preview the changes in your image, select Preview.

3 Adjust one or more of the layer style settings or add new ones, and click OK.

Change the scale of a layer style

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing style effects you want to scale.

2 Choose Layer > Layer Style > Scale Effect.

3 To preview the changes in your image, select Preview.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

4 Specify how much you want to scale the effects. For example, ifyou are increasing the size of an outer glow, 100%

is the current scale; 200% doubles the glow size. Then click OK.

Copy style settings between layers

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the style settings you want to copy.

2 Choose Layer > Layer Style > Copy Layer Style.

3 Select the destination layer in the Layers palette, and choose Layer > Layer Style > Paste Layer Style.

Remove a layer style

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the style you want to remove.

2 Choose Layer > Layer Style > Clear Layer Style.

Chapter 6: Camera raw files

You can process camera raw files from within Photoshop Elements and set certain values that are common to all image file formats (such ascontrast, tonal range, and sharpness). After you process the raw image files, you can open thefile,editit,andthensaveitinanyformatsupportedbyPhotoshopElements.Byprocessingtherawfiles,which are like digital negatives, and then working on them in Photoshop Elements, you can experiment with your images while keeping the original “raw” files.

Processing camera raw image files

About camera raw image files

A camera raw file contains unprocessed picture data from a camera’s image sensor. Think of camera raw files as photonegatives. Many digital cameras can save raw format files. You can open a raw file in Photoshop Elements, process it, and save it, rather than relying on the camera to process the file. Working with camera raw files lets you set the proper white balance, tonal range, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness.

You can reprocess the file repeatedly to achieve the results you want. Photoshop Elements doesn’t save your changes to the original raw file; it saves the last settings you specified before importing the file from your camera to your computer.

After processing the raw image file using the features of the Camera Raw dialog box, you open the image in Photoshop Elements, where you can edit it in the same way that you edit any photo,such as fixing red eye or making color adjustments. Then, you can save the file in any format supported by Photoshop Elements. It’s best to use PSD.

To use raw files, you need to set your camera to save files in its own raw file format. When you download the files from the camera, they have file extensions like NEF, CRW, and so on. Photoshop Elements can open raw files only from supported cameras. Visit the Adobe website to view a list of supported cameras.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

A D

Camera Raw dialog box

A. View options B. Click the Basic or Detail tab to access different controls C. RGB values D. His togram E. Image settings F. More menu G. Camera and some EXIF information H. To ol s I. Rotate buttons J. Zoom levels K. Bit depth options

CFB

Open and process camera raw files

1 Choose File > Open.

2 Browse to select one or more camera raw files, and click Open.

ThehistogramintheCameraRawdialogboxshowsthetonalrangeoftheimageatthecurrentsettings.Asyoumake settings adjustments, the histogram automatically updates.

3 (Optional) Adjust the image view using the controls, such as the Zoom tool, and options, such as Shadows and

Highlights, which reveal clipping in the preview area. (See “Camera raw controls” on page 76.)

Note: SelectingPreviewdisplaysapreviewoftheimagewiththesettingschangesyoumake.DeselectingPreviewdisplays the camera raw image at the original settings of the current tab combined with the settings in the hidden tabs.

4 To rotate the image 90˚ counterclockwise or 90˚ clockwise, click the Rotate Image buttons .

5 To apply the settings used in the previous camera raw image or the default settings for your camera, choose an

option from the Settings menu. Using the same options is useful, for example, if you want to quickly process images with similar lighting conditions. (See “Set custom camera settings” on page 77.)

6 (Optional) Set options to adjust the white balance. (See “White balance controls for camera raw” on page 78.)

YoucanmonitortheRGBvaluesofpixelsinyourimageasyouadjustthemintheCameraRawdialogbox.Position theZoomtool,Handtool,WhiteBalancetool,orCroptooloverthepreviewimagetodisplaytheRGBvaluesdirectly

beneath the pointer.

7 Make tonal adjustments using the Exposure, Shadow, Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation sliders. (See “Tonal

and image adjustments in camera raw files” on page 79.)

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User Guide

To undo your manual adjustments and make the adjustments automatically, select Auto. To restore all options to their initial settings, press Option and click Reset.

Note: By default, Auto is always selected. To change this default, deselect one or more Auto options, click the triangle to the right of the Settings menu, and choose Save New Camera Raw Defaults.

8 Do one of the following:

• To open a copy of the camera raw image file (with the camera raw settings applied) in Photoshop Elements, click

Open. You can editthe image and saveit in aPhotoshop Elements-supported format. Theoriginal camera raw file remains unaltered.

• To save the adjustments to a DNG file, click Save Image. (See “Save changes to camera raw images” on page 76.)

• To cancel the adjustments and close the dialog box, click Cancel.

Note: The Digital Negative (DNG) format is Adobe’s proposedstandard format for camera rawfiles. DNG files are useful for archiving camera raw images because they contain the raw camera sensor data and data specifying how the image should look. Camera raw image settings can be stored in DNG files instead of in sidecar XMP files or the camera raw database.

Adjust sharpness in camera raw files

The Sharpness slider adjusts the image sharpness to provide the edge definition you want. TheSharpness adjustment is a variation of the Photoshop Unsharp Mask filter, which locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify and increases the pixels’ contrast by the amount you specify. When opening a camera raw file, the Camera Raw plug-in calculates the threshold to use based on the camera model, ISO, and exposure compensation. You can choose whether sharpening is applied to all images or just to previews.

1 Zoom the preview image to at least 100%.

2 Click the Details tab.

3 Move the Sharpness slider to the right to increase sharpening and to the left to decrease it. A value of zero turns

off sharpening. In general, set the Sharpness slider to a lower value for cleaner images.

If you don’t plan to edit the image extensively in Photoshop Elements, use the camera raw Sharpness slider. If you do plan to edit the image extensively in Photoshop Elements, turn off camera raw sharpening. Then use the sharpening

filters in Photoshop Elements as the last step after all other editing and resizing is complete.

Reducing noise in camera raw images

The Detail tab in the Camera Raw dialog box contains controls for reducing image noise—the extraneous visible artifacts that degrade image quality. Image noise includes luminance (grayscale) noise, which makes an image look grainy, and chroma (color) noise, which is usually visible as colored artifacts in the image. Photos taken at high ISO speeds or with less sophisticated digital cameras can have noticeable noise.

Moving the Luminance Smoothing slider to the right reduces grayscale noise, and moving the Color Noise Reduction slider to the right reduces chroma noise.

When making Luminance Smoothing or Color Noise Reduction adjustments, it’s a good idea to preview images at 100% for a better view.

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User Guide

Moving the Luminance Smoothing slider to the right reduces grayscale noise.

Save changes to camera raw images

TheCameraRawdialogboxletsyousavechangesyou’vemadetoacamerarawfile.Beawarethatsavingthefiledoes not open it in Photoshop Elements. (To open a camera raw file, just use the Open command, like you would with any other file. Then you can edit and save the file like any other image.)

1 In the Camera Raw dialog box, apply adjustments to one or more camera raw images.

2 Click the Save button.

3 In the Camera RawSave Options dialogbox, specify whereto save thefile and how to name the fileif you'resaving

more than one camera raw file.

4 Click Save.

Open a camera raw image

After you process a camera raw image in the Camera Raw dialog box, you can open the image and edit it.

1 In the Camera Raw dialog box, apply adjustments to one or more camera raw images.

2 Click the Open Image button. The Camera Raw dialog box closes, and the photo opens.

Settings and controls

Camera raw controls

Zoom tool Sets the preview zoom to the next preset zoom value when you click within the preview image.

Option-clickto zoom out. Dragthe Zoom tool in thepreview imageto zoomin ona selected area. Toreturn to100%, double-click the Zoom tool.

Hand tool Moves the image in the preview window if the preview image is set at a zoom level higher than 100%.

Hold down the spacebar to access the Hand tool while using another tool. Double-click the Hand tool to fit the preview image in the window.

White Balance tool Setstheareayouclicktoaneutralgraytonetoremovecolorcastsandadjustthecolorofthe

entire image. The Temperature and Tint values change to reflect the color adjustment.

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Crop tool Removes part of an image. Drag the tool within the preview image to select the portion you want to

keep, and then press Enter.

Straighten tool You can use the Straighten tool to realign an image vertically or horizontally. This tool also

resizes or crops the canvas to accommodate straightening the image.

Red Eye Removal Removes red eye in flash photos of people and green or white eye in pets.

Open Preferences Dialog Opens the preferences dialog.

Rotate buttons Rotates the photo either counterclockwise or clockwise.

Set custom camera settings

When you open a camera raw file, Photoshop Elements reads information in the file to see which model of camera created it, and then applies the appropriate camera settings to the image. If you are always making similar adjustments, you can change the default settings of your camera. You can also change settings for each model of camera you own, but not for multiple cameras of the same model.

1 Open a camera raw file and adjust the image.

2 To save the current settings as the default for the camera that created the image, click the triangle next to the

Settings menu and choose Save New Camera Raw Default.

3 To use the Photoshop Elements default settings for your camera, click the triangle next to the Settings menu and

choose Reset Camera Raw Default.

Color and camera raw

Using the histogram and RGB values in camera raw

The Camera Raw histogram shows all three channels (red, green, and blue) of the image simultaneously. The histogram changes automatically as you adjust the settings in the Camera Raw dialog box.

As you move the Zoom tool, Hand tool, or White Balance tool over the preview image, you see the RGB values in the upper-right corner of the dialog box.

RGB values of an image

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User Guide

White balance controls for camera raw

A digital camera records the white balance at the time of exposure as metadata, which you can see when you open thefileintheCameraRawdialogbox.Thissettingusuallyyieldsthecorrectcolortemperature.Youcanadjustitif the white balance is not quite right.

The Adjust tab inthe Photoshop Camera Raw dialog box includes the following three controls for correcting a color cast in your image:

White Balance Sets the color balanceof theimage toreflect the lightingconditions under which thephoto was taken.

In some cases, choosing a white balance from the White Balance menu provides satisfactory results. In many cases, you may want to customize the white balance using the Temperature and Tint adjustments.

Note: The Camera Raw plug-in can read the white balance settings of some cameras. Leave White Balance set to As Shot to use the camera’s white balance settings. For cameras whose white balance settings are not recognized, selecting As Shot isthesameaschoosingAuto:theCameraRawplug-inreadstheimagedataandautomaticallyadjuststhewhitebalance.

Temperature Fine-tunes thewhite balanceto acustom colortemperature.Set the color temperature using the Kelvin

color temperature scale. Move the slider to the left to correct a photo taken at a lower color temperature of light: the plug-in makes the image colors cooler (bluish) to compensate for the lower color temperature (yellowish) of the ambient light. Conversely, movethe slider to the right to correct aphoto taken ata higher color temperature of light: the plug-in makes the image colors warmer (yellowish) to compensate for the higher color temperature (bluish) of the ambient light.

Correcting the white balance A. Moving the Temperature slider to the right corrects a photo taken at a higher color temperature of light. B. Moving the Temperature slider to the left corrects a photo taken at a lower color temperature of light. C. Photo after the color temperature has been adjusted.

Tint Fine-tunes the white balance to compensate for a green or magenta tint. Move the slider to the left (negative

values) to add green to the photo; move it to the right (positive values) to add magenta.

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User Guide

To adjust the white balance quickly, select the White Balance tool, and then click an area in the preview image that

should be a neutral gray or white. The Temperature and Tint sliders automatically adjust to make the selected color exactly neutral (if possible). If you’re clicking whites, choose a highlight area that contains significant white detail rather than a specular highlight.

Using White Balance to click a neutral white area, and resulting correction

Tonal and image adjustments in camera raw files

Exposure Adjusts the brightness or darkness of an image. Move the slider to the left to darken the image; move it to

the right tobrighten the image. The values are inincrements equivalent to f-stops. An adjustment of +1.50 is similar to widening the aperture one and one-half stops.Likewise, an adjustment of -1.50 is similar toreducing the aperture one and one-half stops.

Hold down Option while moving the Exposure slider to preview where the highlights are clipped. (Clipping is the

shifting of pixel values to either the highest highlight value or the lowest shadow value. Clipped areas are either completely white or completely black and have no image detail.) Move the slider until the highlights (not specular highlights) are completely clipped, and then reverse the adjustment slightly. Black indicates unclipped areas, and color indicates areas clipped in only one or two channels.

Hold down Option while moving the Exposure slider to show clipped highlights.

Recovery Attemptsto recover details fromhighlights. CameraRaw canreconstruct somedetails fromareas in which

one or two color channels are clipped to white.

Fill Light Attemptsto recover details from shadows, without brightening blacks. Camera Raw can reconstruct some

details from areas in which one or two color channels are clipped to black. Using Fill Light is similar to using the shadows portion of the Photoshop Shadow/Highlight filter or the After Effects Shadow/Highlight effect.

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User Guide

Blacks Specifies which input levels are mapped to black in the final image. Increasing Blacks expands the areas that

are mapped to black. This sometimes creates the appearance of increased contrast in the image. The greatest change is inthe shadows,with less change in the midtones and highlights. Using theBlacks slider is similar to using theblack point slider for input levels when using the Photoshop Levels command or the After Effects Levels effect.

Brightness Adjusts the brightness of the image, much as the Exposure slider does. However, instead of clipping the

image in the highlights (areas that are completely white, with no detail) or shadows (areas that are completely black, with no detail), Brightness compresses the highlights and expands the shadows when you move the slider to the right. In general, use the Brightness slider to adjust the overall brightness after you set the white and black clipping points with the Exposure and Shadow sliders.

Contrast Adjusts the midtones in an image. Higher values increase the midtone contrast, and lower values produce

an image with less contrast. Generally, use the Contrast slider to adjust the contrast of the midtones after setting the Exposure, Shadow, and Brightness values.

Clarity Sharpens the clarity of edges in the image. This process helps restore detail and sharpness that tonal adjust-

ments may reduce.

Vibrance Adjusts the saturation so that clipping is minimized as colors approach full saturation, changing the

saturation of all lower-saturated colors with less impact on the higher-saturated colors. Vibrance also prevents skin tones from becoming oversaturated.

Saturation Adjusts the color saturation of the image from–100 (puremonochrome) to+100 (doublethe saturation).

Sharpening Sharpening enhances the definition of edges in an image. Additional controls areavailable in the Detail

panel. The zoom level must be set to 100% or greater in order to view the effects of these controls.

• Amount: Adjusts edge definition. Increase the Amount value to increase sharpening. A value of zero turns off

sharpening. In general, set Amount to a lower value for cleaner images. The adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify and increases the pixels’ contrast by the amount you specify.

• Radius: Adjusts the size of the details that sharpening is applied to. Photos with very fine details may need a lower

radius setting. Photos with larger details may be able to use a larger radius. Using too large a radius generally results in unnatural results.

• Detail: Adjusts how much high-frequency information is sharpened in the image and how much the sharpening

process emphasizes edges. Lower settings primarily sharpen edges to remove blur. Higher values are useful for making the textures in the image more pronounced.

• Masking: Controls an edge mask. At a setting of zero, everything in the image receives the same amount of sharp-

ening. At a setting of 100, sharpening is mostly restricted to areas near the strongest edges.

Noise Reduction Adjusts the color saturation of the image from –100 (pure monochrome) to +100 (double the

saturation).

• Luminance: Adjusts grayscale noise.

• Color: Adjusts chroma noise.

Chapter 7: Selecting parts of an image

A selection defines the editable area in a photo (for example, you might want to lighten one part of a photo without affecting the rest). You can make a selection with either a selection tool or a selection command. A selection border, which you can hide, surrounds the selection. You can change, copy, or delete pixels inside the selection border, but you can’t touch areas outside the selection border until you deselect the selection.

Making selections

About selections

Photoshop Elements containsseveral selection tools that suit differentkinds of selections. For example,the Elliptical Marquee tool selects circular and elliptical areas, and the Magic Wand tool can select an area of similar colors with one click. More complex selections can be made with one of the Lasso tools. You can even smooth the edges of a selection with feathering and anti-aliasing.

Note: Selectionsarelimitedtotheactivelayer—tomakechangestoalllayersatonce,youfirstneedtoflattentheimage.

Selection made with Elliptical Marquee tool, color adjusted in selected area

See also

“Flatten an image” on page 61

“Define a feathered edge for a selection tool” on page 94

“Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing” on page 94

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

About the selection tools

The selection tools are located in the Tools palette, which is located, by default, on the left side of your screen.

User Guide

Rectangular Marquee tool Draws

square or rectangular selection borders.

Polygonal Lasso tool Draws multiple

straight-edged segments of a selection border.

QuickSelectionBrushtoolQuickly and

automatically makes selection based on color and texture when you click or clickdrag an area.

Elliptical Marquee tool Draws round or

elliptical selection borders.

Magnetic Lasso tool Draws a selection

border that automatically snaps to edges you drag over in the photo.

Selection Brush tool Automatically

selects or deselects the area you paint, depending on whether you’re in selection or mask mode.

Lasso tool Draws freehand selection

borders. Thistool is great for making very precise selections.

Magic Wand tool Selects pixels of similar

color with one click.

Use the Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee tools

The Rectangular Marquee tool drawssquare or rectangular selection borders, and the Elliptical Marqueetool draws round or elliptical selection borders.

E F

Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee tool options A. Rectangular Marquee tool B. Elliptical Marquee tool C. New selection D. Add to selection E. Subtract from a selection F. Intersec t with a selection

1 Select the Rectangular Marquee tool or the Elliptical Marquee tool in the toolbox.

2 (Optional) Set marquee tool options in the options bar located above your image:

• Specify whether to create a new selection, add to a selection, subtract from aselection, or select an areaintersected

by other selections.

• To soften the selection border so that it blends into the area outside the selection, enter a Feather value.

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User Guide

• To smooth the edges of your selection, select Anti-aliased (Elliptical Marquee tool only).

• From the Mode pop-up menu, choose Normal to visually set the size and proportions of the selection border;

Fixed Aspect Ratio to set a width-to-height ratio for the selection border; or Fixed Size to specify the marquee’s height and width.

3 Drag over the area you want to select. Hold down the Shift key as you drag to constrain the selection marquee to

a square or circle.

To reposition a marquee tool selection border, hold down the spacebar as you drag with the selection tool. Release

the spacebar once the selection border is in the correct area.

Use the Lasso tool

The Lasso tool draws freehand selection borders. This tool lets you make very precise selections.

A B D

Lasso tool options A. Lasso tool B. Polygonal Lasso tool C. Magnetic Lasso tool D. New selection E. Add to selection F. Subtract from selection G. Intersect with selection

1 Select the Lasso tool from the toolbox.

2 (Optional) Set Lasso tool options in the options bar located above your image:

E F G

• Specify whether to create a new selection, add to an existing selection, subtract from a selection, or select an area

intersected by other selections.

• To soften the selection border so that it blends into the area outside the selection, enter a Feather value.

• To smooth the edges of your selection, select Anti-aliased.

3 Drag to draw a freehand selection border:

• To add to the selection, release the mouse button; then press Shift and, when the pointer changes to , drag.

• To subtract from the selection,release the mouse button; then press Option and when thepointer changes to , drag.

• Toadd straight-edgesegments, press Option(while pressing themouse); thenrelease the mouse buttonand, when

the pointer changes to , click where you want to position the end of the segment.

4 To close the selection border, release the mouse button. A straight selection segment is drawn from where you

released the mouse button to the starting point of your selection.

Use the Polygonal Lasso tool

The Polygonal Lasso tool draws straight-edged segments of a selection border. You can create as many segments as you need to draw a selection border.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

A B D

Polygonal Lasso tool options A. Lasso tool B. Polygonal Lasso tool C. Magnetic Lasso tool D. New selection E. Add to selection F. Subtract from selection G. Intersect with selection

E F G

1 Select the Polygonal Lasso tool from the toolbox.

2 (Optional) Set Polygonal Lasso tool options in the options bar located above your image:

• Specify whether to create a new selection, add to an existing selection, subtract from a selection, or select an area

intersected by other selections.

• To soften the selection border so that it blends into the area outside the selection, enter a Feather value.

• To smooth the edges of your selection, select Anti-aliased.

3 Clickwhereyouwantthefirststraightsegmenttobegin,andclickasecondtimewhereyouwantthesegmentto

end and the next one to begin. Continue clicking to create segments.

If you make a mistake, press the Delete key to erase segments. You can switch from creating straight-edge segments to drawing freehand by pressing Option.

4 Close the selection border by doing one of the following:

• Positionthe pointer over the starting point and click. A closed circle appearsnext to thepointerwhen you are over

the starting point.

• If the pointer isnot overthe startingpoint, double-click, orCommand-click. Astraight selectionsegment isdrawn

from your pointer to the starting point of your selection.

Use the Magnetic Lasso tool

The Magnetic Lasso tool draws a selection border that automatically snaps to the edges of objects you drag over in the photo. This makes it easy to draw precise selection borders. The Magnetic Lasso tool is useful for quickly selecting objects with complex edges set against high-contrast backgrounds.

A B D

Magnetic Lasso tool options A. Lasso tool B. Polygonal Lasso tool C. Magnetic Lasso tool D. New selection E. Add to selection F. Subtract from selection G. Intersect with selection

1 Select the Magnetic Lasso tool from the toolbox.

ToswitchbetweentheMagneticLassoandotherlassotoolswhentheMagneticLassotoolisselected,dooneofthe following:

• To activate the Lasso tool, Option-drag.

• To activate the Polygonal Lasso tool, Option-click.

E F G

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

2 (Optional) Set Magnetic Lasso tool options in the options bar located above your image:

• Specify whether to create a new selection, add to an existing selection, subtract from a selection, or select an area

intersected by other selections.

• To soften the selection border so that it blends into the area outside the selection, enter a Feather value.

• To smooth the edges of your selection, select Anti-aliased.

• To specify the area of edge detection, enter a pixel value between 1 and 256 forWidth. The tool detects edges only

within the specified distance from the pointer.

To change the Magnetic Lasso pointer so that it indicates the area of edge detection (the Width value), press the Caps

Lock key.

• To specify the Magnetic Lasso tool’s sensitivity to edges in the photo, enter a value between 1% and 100% for Edge

Contrast. A higher value detects only edges that contrast sharply with their surroundings; a lower value detects lower-contrast edges.

• To specify the rate at which the Magnetic Lasso tool sets fastening points, enter a value between 0 and 100 for

Frequency. A higher value anchors the selection border in place more quickly.

3 Add segments of a selection border by doing one of the following:

• Click points along the edge.

• Drag along the edge while pressing the mouse button.

Theselectionbordersnapstotheedgeinthephoto.Iftheborderdoesn’tsnaptothedesirededge,clickoncetoadd a point manually; then continue tracing the border and clicking points as needed. If you make a mistake, press the Delete key to erase points along the border.

4 Close the selection border by doing one of the following:

• To close the border manually, drag back over the starting point and click. A closed circle appears next to the

pointer when you are over the starting point.

• To close the border with a freehand magnetic segment, double-click or press Enter.

• To close the border with a straight segment, double-click while pressing Option.

Use the Magic Wand tool

The Magic Wand tool selects pixels within a similar color range with one click. You specify the color range, or tolerance, for the Magic Wandtool’sselection. Use the Magic Wand tool when you have an area of similar colors, like a blue sky.

B CAD E

Magic Wand tool options A. Magic Wand tool B. New selection C. Add to selection D. Subtract from selection E. Intersect with selection

1 Select the Magic Wand tool .

2 (Optional) Set Magic Wand tool options in the options bar located above your image:

• For Tolerance, enter a value between 0 to 255. Enter a low value to select colors very similar to the pixel you click,

or enter a higher value to select a broader range of colors.

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• To define a smooth selection edge, select Anti-aliased.

• Toselectonlyadjacentareasusingthesamecolors,selectContiguous.Whenthisoptionisdeselected,pixelsusing

the same colors are selected throughout the entire photo.

• To select colors using data from all the visible layers, select Use All Layers. When this option is deselected, the

Magic Wand tool selects colors from only the active layer.

3 In the photo, click the color you want to select.

4 To add to the selection, Shift+click unselected areas. To remove an area from the selection, Option+click the area

you want to remove.

Use the Quick Selection tool

The Quick Selection tool makes a selection based on color and texture similarity when you click or click-drag the area you want to select. The mark you make doesn’t need to be precise, because the Quick Selection tool automatically and intuitively creates a border.

A B

Quick Selection Brush tool options A. Quick Selection tool B. Selection Brush tool C. New selection D. Add to selection E. Subtract from selection

1 Select the Quick Selection Brush tool .

2 In the options bar, choose one of the following:

New Selection Lets you draw a new selection. This option is selected by default.

Add To Selection Lets you add to an existing selection.

Subtract From Selection Lets you subtract from an existing selection. This option is only available after you make a

selection.

3 Choose a brush from the Brush Picker in the options bar. If you want to select a large area, you can use a larger

brush. For more precise selections, choose a smaller brush size.

4 Click or click-drag over the area that covers the range of colors in the object you want to select, and then release

the mouse button.

The selection border appears.

5 Do any of the following to refine the selection:

• To add to the selection, click the Add To Selection button in the options bar, and clickor click-drag across the

area you want to add.

• Toremove an areafrom theselection, click the Subtract From Selection button in the options bar, and clickor

click-drag across the area you want to subtract from the selection.

• To start a new selection, clickthe New Selection brush in the options bar, and click or draw to specify the new

selection area.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

Use the Selection Brush tool

TheSelectionBrushtoolmakesselectionstwoways:youcanpaintovertheareayouwanttoselectinSelectionmode, or you can paint over areas you don’t want to select using a semiopaque overlay in Mask mode.

You can first make a rough selection with a marquee tool, Quick Selection Brush, or other selection tool, and then fine-tuneyour selection with the Selection Brush tool. You can add to the selection using theSelection Brush toolin Selection mode, or subtract from it in Mask mode.

A DDB C

Selection Brush tool options A. Add to selection B. Subtract from selection C. Brush pop-up palette D. Brush size E. Mode F. Hardness G. Selection Brush tool

E F

1 Select the Selection Brush tool from the toolbox. You may need to click the Quick Selection Brush tool in the

toolbox and select the Selection Brush from the list of hidden tools that appears.

2 By default,the toolis set to AddTo Selection . To subtract from theselection, click Subtract From Selection

in the options bar.

3 (Optional) Set Selection Brush tool options in the options bar located above your image:

• Choose a brush from the brush presets pop-up palette.

• Specify the brush size.

• Choose Selection (to add to the selection) or Mask (to subtract from the selection) from the Mode menu.

• Set the brush tip’s hardness to a value between 1% and 100%.

If you use a soft-edged brush with the Selection Brush tool, changing the Mode option to Mask can help you see the

soft edges of the selection.

• When using Mask mode, specify an Overlay Opacity between 1% and 100%.

• When using Mask mode, click the Overlay Color swatch and select a color in the Color Picker to set the mask

color. This is useful when the mask color (Overlay Color) is too similar to the colors in the photo.

4 Draw in your photo to select or deselect areas.

Adding to a selection while in Selection mode (left), and subtracting from a selection while in Mask mode (right)

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

Use the Magic Extractor

Use the Magic Extractor to make accurate selections based on the appearance of foreground and background areas that you specify. You can specify these areas by placing colored marks in the areas you want to select. Afteryou mark the areas and close the dialog box, only the foreground area appears in the photo.

The Magic Extractor makes it easy to select people or objects so that you can superimpose them on other backgrounds. For example, you can remove yourself from a photo of you on your bicycle at home, and superimpose it on a photo of cyclists in the Tour de France. You can save the extracted image as a file that you can use again and again.

Using the Magic Extractor A. Area you want to extract marked with red dots B. Background marked with blue dots C. Extracted image

1 Open the photo containing the object you want to extract.

2 To limit what appears in the Magic Extractor dialog box, make a preliminary selection using the Oval or Rectan-

gular selection tool.

3 Choose Image > Magic Extractor.

The Magic Extractor dialog box opens with the Foreground Brush tool selected by default.

4 Click multiple times or draw lines to mark the area you want to extract.

5 ClicktheBackgroundBrushtool andclickmultipletimesordrawlinestomarktheareathatyoudonotwant

included in your selection.

When selecting objects with varied colors and textures, drag across all the colors and textures to ensure a more

accurate selection.

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User Guide

6 To help mark your selection, use the Zoom tool or the Hand tool to magnify and navigate around the

photo. Press Option as you use the Zoom tool to zoom out.

7 To specify a different brush size or color, do any of the following:

• Choose a new size from the Brush Size menu.

• Click the Foreground Color or Background Color swatch, choose a newcolor in the Color Picker, and then click OK.

8 Click Preview to see the current selection.

9 To specify preview settings, do any of the following:

• To change what is displayed in the preview area, choose either Selection Area or Original Photo from the Display

menu. Or press the X key on your keyboard to switch between the two views.

• To specify a different background, choose an option from the Background menu.

10 Do any of the following to fine-tune the selection, and then preview the results again:

• To add to or subtract from the selection, draw more dots or lines using either the Foreground or Brush tool.

Note: When you change the foreground or background color, the related brush tool becomes active.

• To erase foreground or background dots, select the Point Eraser tool and click or drag over the marks you

want to remove.

• To add areas to a selection, select the Add To Selection tool , and click or drag over the area you want to add.

• To remove areas from the selection, select the Remove From Selection tool and drag over the areas you want

to remove.

• To smooth the edges of your foreground selection, select the Smoothing Brush tool and drag over the areas

you want to smooth.

• To soften the edges of your selection, specify a higher value in the Feather box.

• To fill remaining holes in the main selection, click Fill Holes.

• To separate and remove an area from the main selection, select the Remove From Selection Tool and drag a

line between the main selection and the area you want to remove. Then click Fill Holes.

• To remove fringe colors left between the foreground and background, click Defringe. To increase or decrease the

amount of fringe removed, specify a value from the Defringe Width menu.

11 Click OK to extract the selected areas. If you want to start over, click Reset to remove all marks.

Delete a selected area

If you delete a selection on a Background layer or a layer that uses the Lock Transparency option, the selected area is replaced with the background color or checkerboard background pattern.

❖ Do any of the following:

• Choose Edit > Delete to remove the selection. (If you delete a selection by mistake, you can choose Edit > Undo

to get it back.)

• Press the Backspace or Delete key to remove the selection.

• Choose Edit > Cut to cut the selection to the Clipboard. You can then paste it elsewhere.

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User Guide

See also

“Understanding layers” on page 49

“Lock or unlock a layer” on page 54

Select and deselect areas using commands

1 Do any of the following:

• To select all pixels in a layer, select the layer in the Layers palette and choose Select > All.

• To deselect selections, choose Select > Deselect. This is the safest way to deselect the area.

• To reselect the most recent selection, choose Select > Reselect.

2 To show or hide selection borders, choose View > Selection.

Note: You can also deselect by clicking anywhere in the photo outside the selected area. However, you might accidentally make further selections if you’re using a selection tool that selects based on clicking, such as the Magic Wand tool.

Modifying selections

Move a selection border

Moving a selection border repositions just the border without altering the photo.

1 Using any selection tool, click New Selection in the options bar, and position the pointer inside an existing

selection border. The pointer changes to indicate that you can move the selection .

Note: The NewSelectionoption appears in the options bar whenany selection tool is selected—exceptthe Selection Brush tool. Switch to another selection tool temporarily, if necessary, to select this option.

2 Do one of the following:

• Drag the borderto enclose adifferent area of the photo. You candrag a selectionborder beyond the canvas bound-

aries; however, this makes it hard to get back. You can also drag the selection border to another image window.

• To move the selection in 1-pixel increments, use an arrow key.

• To move the selection in 10-pixel increments, hold down Shift, and use an arrow key.

• To constrain the direction to multiples of 45˚, begin dragging, and then hold down Shift as you continue to drag.

See also

“Move a selection” on page 95

Invert a selection

Inverting a selection changes the unselected areas into selected areas, protecting the area you previously selected.

❖ In a photo with an existing selection border, choose Select > Inverse.

You can use this command to easily select an object that appears against a solid-colored area. Select the solid color

using the Magic Wand tool, and then choose Select > Inverse.

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User Guide

Add to or subtract from a selection

You can add to or subtract from an existing selection to fine-tune selection borders. For example, you could make a donut-shaped selection by first making a circular selection and then subtracting a circular selection within it.

❖ Select a selection tool, and do one of the following:

• Hold down Shift (a plussign appears next to the pointer) toadd to the selection, or hold down Option to subtract

(a minus sign appears next to the pointer) from a selection. Then select the area to add or subtract and make another selection.

• Click Add To Selection or Subtract From Selection in the options bar, and make another selection. (The

Add To Selection and Subtract From Selection options appear in the options bar when any selection tool is selected.)

Select an area that intersects an existing selection

You can limit the area a selection affects. For example, in a picture of snow-capped mountains, you can select white cloudsin the sky without selecting partsof the white mountainbelowthem by selecting the entire sky,and then using the Magic Wandtool withIntersectWith Selection selectedand Contiguousdeselected to selectonly thewhite areas included within the existing sky selection.

Selecting the sky and top of mountains with the Rectangular Marquee tool (top). Selecting the Intersect With Selection option and using the Magic Wand tool to select the clouds (middle). Resulting image after increasing the brightness of the clouds (bottom).

❖ Select a selection tool, and do one of the following:

• Select Intersect With Selection in the options bar, and select an area that intersects the existing selection.

• Hold down Option+Shift so that cross hairs appear next to the pointer, and select an area that intersects the

existing selection.

Expand or contract a selection by a specific number of pixels

You can use commands in the Select menu to increase or decrease the size of an existing selection and to clean up stray pixels left inside or outside a color-based selection.

1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

2 Choose Select > Modify > Expand or Contract.

3 For Expand By or Contract By, enter a pixel value between 1 and 100, and click OK.

The selection border is moved outward or inward by the specified number of pixels. Any portion of the selection border that runs along the canvas edge is unaffected.

Frame an existing selection with a new selection border

The Border command creates a soft-edged, anti-aliased selection border. When you add the new selection border, only pixels between the two selection borders are selected.

UsingtheBordercommandtocreatea4-pixelborderselection(top).Copyingtheselectiontoanewlayerandfillingtomakeanoutlineofthe image (center). Filling the selection into the original image to create an outline around the image (bottom).

1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.

2 Choose Select > Modify > Border.

3 Enter a value between 1 and 200 pixels in the Width text box, and click OK.

See also

“Blur the edges of a selection by feathering” on page 94

Include areas of similar color in a selection

1 Make a selection with a selection tool and do one of the following:

• Choose Select > Grow to include all adjacent pixels falling within the tolerance range specified in the options bar.

(Youmayhavetoswitchtoaselectiontoolthatincludesatolerancerange,suchastheMagicWandtool.)Ahigher Tolerance value adds a broader range of colors.

• Choose Select > Similar to include pixels throughout the photo, not just adjacent ones, that fall within the

tolerance range.

2 To increase the selection incrementally, choose either command multiple times.

Note: You cannot use the Grow and Similar commands on photos in bitmap mode.

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User Guide

Remove stray pixels from a color-based selection

The Smooth command searches around each selected pixel for other pixels within the specified color range and selects them.

1 Make a selection with a selection tool and choose Select > Modify > Smooth.

2 For Sample Radius, enter a pixel value between 1 and 100, and click OK.

Defringe a selection

When you move or paste a selection, some of the pixels surrounding the selection border are included with the selection. These extra pixels can result in a fringe or halo around the edges of the selection. The Defringe Layer command replaces the color of any fringe pixels with the colors of nearby pixels containing pure colors (those without background color). For example, if you select a yellow object on a blue background and then move the selection, some of the blue background is moved with theobject. Defringe Layer replaces the blue pixels with yellow pixels.

Dog selected and copied to a new image where artifacts from the dark background are visible (top). Image after using the Defringe Layer command (bottom).

1 Copy and paste a selection into a new or existing layer.

2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Defringe Layer.

3 In the Defringe dialog box, type the number of pixels you’d like to replace around the object. A value of 1 or 2

should be sufficient.

4 Click OK.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 6.0

User Guide

Smoothing selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering

Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing

You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by anti-aliasing or feathering. Anti-aliasing smooths the jagged edges of a selection by softening the color transition between edge pixels and background pixels. Because only the edge pixels change, no detail is lost. Anti-aliasing is useful when cutting, copying, and pasting selections to create composite images.

You can select anti-aliasing with the Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, Elliptical Marquee, and Magic Wand tools. To anti-alias, you must select the Anti-Alias option before making the selection; you cannot add anti-aliasing to an existing selection.

1 Select the Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magnetic Lasso, Elliptical Marquee, or Magic Wand tool.

2 Select Anti-aliased in the options bar.

3 Make a selection in the image window.

Blur the edges of a selection by feathering

❖ You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by feathering. Feathering blurs edges by building a transition

between the selection and surrounding pixels. This blurring can cause some loss ofdetail at the edge of the selection.

You can create a feathered selection with the Elliptical Marquee, Rectangular Marquee, Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, or Magnetic Lassotool. You can also add feathering toan existing selection by using the Select menu. Feathering effects are apparent when you move, cut, copy, or fill the selection.

Original image (left), and after making a feathered selection, applying the Inverse command, and filling with white (right)

Define a feathered edge for a selection tool

1 Do one of the following:

• Select any of the lasso or marquee tools from the toolbox, and enter a Feather value in the options bar to define

the width of the feathering. The feathering begins at the selection border.

• Select the Selection Brush tool, and select a soft-edged brush from the brushes pop-up palette in the options bar.

2 Make a selection in the image window.

Define a feathered edge for an existing selection

1 Use a selection tool from the toolbox to make a selection.

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User Guide

2 Choose Select > Feather.

3 Type a value between .2and 250 in the Feather Radiustext box, and click OK. The feather radiusdefines the width

of the feathered edge.

Moving and copying selections

Move a selection

The Move tool lets you cut and drag a pixel selection to a new location in the photo. You can also use the tool to move or copy selections between photos and between photos in other applications.

Moving a selection from one photo into another using the Move tool

To activate the Move tool when another tool is selected, hold down the Command key. (This technique does not work

with the Hand tool.)

1 Make a selection with a selection tool and select the Move tool from the toolbox.

2 (Optional) Change Move tool settings in the options bar.

3 Move the pointer inside the selection border, and drag the selection to a new position. If you’ve selected multiple

areas, all pixel selections move as you drag.

Move tool options

When you select the Move tool , you can change the following settings in the options bar:

Auto Select Layer Selects the topmost layer that has pixels under the Move tool, rather than the selected layer.

Show Bounding Box Displaystheboundingboxaroundtheselecteditem.Theboxesonthesidesandcornersofthe

selection border allow you to resize the selection.

Show Highlight On Rollover Highlights individuallayers as the mouse hoversover the image. Click ona highlighted

layer to select and move it. Layers that are already selected do not highlight on rollover.

Arrange menu Moves the selected layer in front, in between, or in back of other layers. Options include Bring To

Front,BringForward,SendBackward,andSendToBack.Toarrangealayer,selectthelayer,andthenchooseanitem from the Arrange menu.

Align menu Aligns the selected layers. Optionsinclude aligning on the Left, Center, Right, Top, Middle, andBottom.

Multiplelayers can be aligned simultaneously.Toalign layers,select a layer, holddown Shift,select another layer, and then choose an item from the Align menu.

Macromedia Photoshop Elements - 6.0 User Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Chapter 1: Getting started

Installing Photoshop Elements

Requirements

Install the software

Register

ReadMe file

Using Help and getting support

Using Photoshop Elements Help

Adobe Photoshop Elements website

Customer support

New and enhanced features

What’s new

Working in Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements overview

Importing and organizing photos

Editing photos

Creating photo composites

Creating and sharing photo projects

Chapter 2: Photoshop Elements workspace

About the workspace

The Welcome screen

The editing workspace

Exit Photoshop Elements

Context menus

Use context menus

Using keyboard commands and modifier keys

Tools

About the toolbox

Select a tool

Set tool preferences

Set the appearance of a tool pointer

Set tool options

Set a completed operations alert

Palettes and bins

About palettes

Work with palettes

Work with the Palette Bin

Use the Project Bin

Undo, redo, and cancel

Undo, redo, or cancel operations

Using the Undo History palette

Revert to the last saved version

Revert to a previous state of an image

Delete one or more states from the Undo History palette

Clear memory used by the clipboard and the Undo History palette

Restore default preferences

Redisplay disabled warning messages

Scratch disks and plug-ins

About scratch disks

Change scratch disks

About plug-in modules

Install plug-in modules

Select an additional plug-ins folder

Chapter 3: Import photos

Importing photos

About getting photos

Open a file for editing on your hard disk

Open a file from a device

Open a file from the Welcome screen

Open a file from Adobe Photo Downloader

Guidelines for getting photos from devices

Import keywords attached to photos

Cameras and card readers

About cameras and card readers

Get photos from a digital camera or card reader

Set advanced photo downloading options

Scanners

About scanning

Get photos from scanners

Local files, CDs, DVDs, and video

Get photos from files and folders

About preview files

Get photos from a CD or DVD

Get photos from video

Chapter 4: Working with files