Page 1 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS ® ® Help and tutorials...
Page 2: Getting Started Tutorials
Getting started tutorials...
Page 3: Knowing Your Devices
Getting started tutorials Knowing your devices You can take photos or videos with a variety of devices and bring them into Elements. Here are some guidelines that are good to follow: Read the documentation that came with your device. Switch on the camera. Follow any instructions that appear on the computer to install drivers and other software.
Page 4 Is there a way I can mark or tag people in photos? How can I add information about places in my photos? In photos of birthdays and other events, can I add event information? To the top Editing and compositing Can I make quick fixes in the Organizer workspace? How can I open Photoshop Elements Editor from the Organizer workspace and work on my photo? What are Guided Edits?
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Page 6: What's New
What's new...
Page 7 Guided Edits Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor 11 includes four new guided edits, to quickly enhance your images with special effects. You can apply effects that generally take many complex steps to obtain. Use the step-by-step instructions on the guided edits panel to get the exact effect you want to obtain.
Page 8 Picture before applying the tilt-shift effect (left), and after (right) Vignette Pictures that have vignetting tend to have a brighter central region, and a dark periphery. Enhance a portrait by darkening the peripheral areas, and automatically drawing attention to the center of the photo. Use the option to create a white vignette and explore the results that the vignette effect (Elements Editor >...
Page 9: Usability Enhancements
To the top Usability Enhancements Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 has numerous advancements and new features. However, much effort has been invested in ensuring that working in Elements Editor is easier and faster than ever before. For more information, see the video on the new Photoshop Elements 11 user interface.
Page 10: Actions Panel
Using actions to process photos. Also, watch this video on adding actions to speed up editing tasks. To the top Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 7.1 Photoshop Elements 11 uses the newest algorithms and technology to process raw file formats. Enhancements include:...
Page 11: Online Content
Process Version 2012 The Adobe Camera Raw 7.1 (ACR 7.1) converter introduces Process Version 2012, a newer form of deciphering the raw file format. The ACR 7.1 dialog allows you to choose the latest process version (2012), or any of the older versions - 2010 or 2003.
Page 12 Photoshop Elements 11 enables you to import your favorite effects and styles. Use the preset manager (Edit > Preset Manager), or the panel menu in the Effects panel, to load, use, or delete effect (.atn) or style (.asl) files. For more information, see Use the Preset Manager.
Page 13 Workspace and workflows...
Page 14: Workspace Basics
Workspace basics The Welcome screen Photoshop Elements window Use context menus Using keyboard commands and modifier keys Exit Photoshop Elements To the top 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.
Page 15 If you’ve worked with image-editing applications before, you’ll find that the Expert mode 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 Expert workspace to best suit your needs. You can move, hide, and show panels, and arrange panels in the Panel Bin.
Page 16 2. When closing Photoshop Elements, choose whether to save any open files. Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 17: Panels And Bins
Panels and bins About panels Work with panels Panels in the Expert mode Use the taskbar Use the Photo Bin To the top About panels Panels are available in both Photoshop Elements and Elements Organizer; however, they behave a little differently in each. Panels help you manage, monitor, and modify images.
Page 18 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. Hotkey H. Pop-up slider triangle To the top Work with panels Panels contain features, information, or functionality, in logical groups, for fast and easy access. The Panel Bin is on the right side of Photoshop Elements.
Page 19: Use The Taskbar
To add a panel to the Panel Bin, drag the title bar of the panel into the Panel Bin. To rearrange panels in the Panel Bin, drag the title bar of the panel to a new location. To expand or collapse panels in the Panel Bin, double-click the name of the panel. 3.
Page 20 To hide an image that is in a floating window, 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 Photo Bin, or right-click the thumbnail and choose Restore from the context menu.
Page 21: About The Toolbox
Tools About the toolbox Select a tool Set Edit preferences Set the appearance of a tool pointer Resize or change the hardness of painting cursors by dragging Set tool options To the top About the toolbox You use tools in the Photoshop Elements toolbox to select, edit, and view images; some tools let you paint, draw, and type. The toolbox appears on the left side in the Quick and Expert modes.
Page 22 Select a tool Do one of the following: Click a tool in the toolbox. If there are additional tool options, they are displayed in the Tool Options bar. 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 Brush tool by pressing the B key.
Page 23 A. Tool icon B. Active tool in the Tool Options bar C. Hidden tools D. Tool options 1. Select a tool. 2. Look in the Tool 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.
Page 24: Rulers, Grids, And Guides
Rulers, grids, and guides About rulers, grids, and guides Change the rulers’ zero origin and settings Change the guides and grid settings To the top About rulers, grids, and guides In Expert mode, rulers, grids, and guides help you position items (such as selections, layers, and shapes) precisely across the width or length of an image.
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Page 26 Undo, redo, and cancel actions Undo, redo, or cancel actions Using the History panel while editing Clear memory used by the clipboard and the History panel Restore default preferences Redisplay disabled warning messages To the top Undo, redo, or cancel actions Many operations in both the Elements Organizer and Photoshop Elements can be undone or redone.
Page 27 Go to Edit > Preferences (Mac: Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General), click the Reset Preferences on next launch button, and then click OK. When you restart Adobe Photoshop Elements, all preferences are reset to default settings. 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.
Page 28: Scratch Disks And Plug-Ins
Photoshop Elements needs contiguous hard drive space to create a scratch disk. Frequently defragmenting your hard drive ensures that there is contiguous space available, especially the disk containing your scratch disk. Adobe recommends that you use a disk tool utility, such as Windows Disk Defragmenter, to defragment your hard drive on a regular basis.
Page 29 plug-ins, choose Help > About Plug-In and select a plug-in from the submenu. Note: To use an optional plug-in module, copy the plug-in module from the optional plug-ins folder to the relevant subfolder in the plug-ins folder. Then, install the plug-in module, and relaunch Photoshop Elements. You can select an additional plug-ins folder in which to load compatible plug-ins stored with another application.
Page 30: Using Windows 7 Features
Using Windows 7 features Photoshop Elements supports the following Windows 7 features: Live Taskbar Displays icons for all running and pinned applications. The icons for all running applications are highlighted with a border. Point to an icon to view images of the open files and applications. To work with an application, point to its icon, move over the images to preview in full screen, and click the full screen image.
Page 31: Multitouch Support
Multitouch support If the hardware and operating system of your computer supports the Touch functionality, you can scroll, rotate, and zoom in on an image. Multitouch is supported in all three modes: Quick, Guided, and Expert. Flicking Scrolls the image horizontally or vertically. Touch the screen with one finger (two fingers on the trackpad for a Mac) and move the finger left or right, and up or down.
Page 32: Importing Files
Importing files Import frames from video Import images from a digital camera using WIA (Windows only) To the top Import frames from video You can play a video from within Photoshop Elements and grab frames to edit and save as images. 1.
Page 33: Keys For Painting And Brushes
Keys for painting and brushes This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Switch to Eyedropper tool Any painting tool or shape tool + Alt Any painting tool or shape tool + Option (except Impressionist Brush) (except Impressionist Brush) Select background color...
Page 34: Keys For Selecting And Moving Objects
Keys for selecting and moving objects This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Deselect a selection Control + D Command + D Reposition marquee while selecting Spacebar-drag Spacebar-drag Add to or subtract from a selection...
Page 35: Keys For Selecting Tools
Keys for selecting tools This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Cycle through tools that have the same Shift-press keyboard shortcut (preference Shift-press keyboard shortcut (preference keyboard shortcut setting, Use Shift Key for Tool Switch, setting, Use Shift Key for Tool Switch,...
Page 36 Pencil tool Brush tool Impressionist Brush Color Replacement tool Smart Brush tool Detail Smart Brush tool Paint Bucket tool Gradient tool Custom Shape tool Rectangle tool Rounded Rectangle tool Ellipse tool Polygon tool Star tool Line tool Shape Selection tool Blur tool Sharpen tool Smudge tool...
Page 37 Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode) This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Open Help command+ ? Show/Hide Tool Options Show/Hide Photo Bin Show/Hide Effects panel Show/Hide Graphics panel Show/Hide Info panel...
Page 38: Keys For The Camera Raw Dialog Box
Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Display highlights that will be clipped in Alt-drag Exposure, Blacks sliders, or Option-drag Exposure, or Blacks sliders, Preview Recovery bar...
Page 39: Keys For The Color Swatches Panel
Keys for the Color Swatches panel This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Create new swatch from foreground color Click in empty area of panel Click in empty area of panel Select background color Control-click swatch...
Page 40: Keys For The Filter Gallery
Keys for the Filter Gallery This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Apply a new filter on top of selected Alt-click on a filter Option-click on a filter Open/close all disclosure triangles Alt-click on a disclosure triangle Option-click on a disclosure triangle...
Page 41: Keys For The Layers Panel
Keys for the Layers panel This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Set layer options Alt-click New button Option-click New button Delete without confirmation Alt-click Trash button Option-click Trash button Apply value and keep text box active Shift + Enter...
Page 42: Keys For The Liquify Filter
Keys for the Liquify filter This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Warp tool Turbulence tool Twirl Clockwise tool Twirl Counter Clockwise tool Pucker tool Bloat tool Shift Pixels tool Reflection tool...
Page 43: Keys For The Magic Extractor Dialog Box
Keys for the Magic Extractor dialog box This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Shortcut (both Windows and Mac OS) Foreground brush Background Brush tool Point Eraser Add To Selection tool Remove From Selection tool Smoothing Brush tool Zoom tool...
Page 44: Keys For Transforming Selections
Keys for transforming selections This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Transform from center or reflect Option Constrain Shift Shift Distort Control Command Skew Control + Shift Command + Shift Change perspective Control + Shift + Alt...
Page 45: Keys For Using Photomerge Panorama
Keys for using Photomerge Panorama Note: This dialog box only appears for Interactive Layouts. This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Select Image tool Rotate Image tool Set Vanishing Point tool (Perspective option selected) Zoom tool...
Page 46: Keys For Using Blending Modes
Keys for using blending modes This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Cycle through blending modes Shift + + (plus) or - (minus) Shift + + (plus) or - (minus) Normal Shift + Alt + N Shift + Option + N...
Page 47: Keys For Using Text
Keys for using text This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Move type in image Control-drag type when Type layer is Command-drag type when Type layer is selected selected Select 1 character left/right or 1 line...
Page 48 Keys for viewing images (expert mode) This partial list includes the most helpful shortcuts. You'll find additional shortcuts in menu commands and tool tips. Result Windows Mac OS Cycle forward through open documents Control + Tab Cycle backward through open documents Control + Shift + Tab Fit image in window Ctrl + 0 (or double-click Hand tool)
Page 49: Viewing Images
Viewing images Viewing images in Expert or Quick modes Zoom in or out Display an image at 100% Fit an image to the screen Resize the window while zooming Using the Navigator panel Open multiple windows of the same image View and arrange multiple windows Close windows To the top...
Page 50 To the top Display an image at 100% Do one of the following: Double-click the Zoom tool in the toolbox. Select the Hand tool or a Zoom tool and click the 1:1 button in the Tool Options bar. Choose View > Actual Pixels, or right-click the image and choose Actual Pixels. Enter 100% in the status bar and press Enter.
Page 51: Close Windows
To the top Close windows In Expert mode, 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 in the Photo Bin and choose Close. Choose File >...
Page 52: Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts Photoshop Elements supports the following Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts: Result Shortcut Activate Aero Peek Windows + Spacebar Activate Aero Shake Windows + Home Maximize Windows + Up Arrow Restore or minimize Windows + Down Arrow Maximize the current window vertically Windows + Shift + Up Arrow Snap the current window to the left or right half of the display Windows + Left Arrow...
Page 53 Importing...
Page 54 Elements Organizer and Photoshop Elements Editor Elements Organizer helps you import, manage, view, search, and share all of your media (photos and video clips). You can also instantly fix photos in the Organizer workspace. After collecting hundreds and thousands of photos on your computer, you’ll discover that finding and managing photos with Elements Organizer is much easier.
Page 55 Importing files Import frames from video Import images from a digital camera using WIA (Windows only) To the top Import frames from video You can play a video from within Photoshop Elements and grab frames to edit and save as images. 1.
Page 56: File Management
File management...
Page 57 Photoshop Elements needs contiguous hard drive space to create a scratch disk. Frequently defragmenting your hard drive ensures that there is contiguous space available, especially the disk containing your scratch disk. Adobe recommends that you use a disk tool utility, such as Windows Disk Defragmenter, to defragment your hard drive on a regular basis.
Page 58 plug-ins, choose Help > About Plug-In and select a plug-in from the submenu. Note: To use an optional plug-in module, copy the plug-in module from the optional plug-ins folder to the relevant subfolder in the plug-ins folder. Then, install the plug-in module, and relaunch Photoshop Elements. You can select an additional plug-ins folder in which to load compatible plug-ins stored with another application.
Page 59: File Information
Photoshop Elements. The information you add is embedded in the file using XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). XMP provides Adobe applications and workflow partners with a common XML framework that standardizes the creation, processing, and interchange of document metadata across publishing workflows.
Page 60 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.
Page 61 To the top Use a saved metadata template 1. Choose File > File Info, click the drop-down button in the row of buttons in the File Info dialog box, and select Import. 2. Select an import option and click OK. 3.
Page 62: Import Photos And Videos
Note: (Windows) If AutoPlay is enabled, the Windows AutoPlay dialog box opens with a list of options for getting the photos. In the Windows AutoPlay dialog box, select Organize, and Edit using Adobe Elements 11 Organizer. If Elements Organizer is not already open, the Photo Downloader dialog box opens.
Page 63: Create An Album
Elements Organizer views help you manage media in different ways Use Elements Organizer to manage your media. Elements Organizer enables you to find photos, video files, audio clips, and Adobe PDF documents, even if they’re imported from different sources and stored in different locations on your computer.
Page 64 To the top Find photos and video clips You can find photos and video files by date, star rating, album, folder location, filename, media type, keyword tag, metadata, or other criteria. You can also use various search options to automatically find your photos based on visual similarities and objects in them. Here are a few ways you can find photos in Elements Organizer: Albums and My Folders in the left panel Select an album or folder to view the media files stored in it.
Page 65 Guided Provides step-by-step instructions to help you achieve a range of interesting editing tasks Expert Lets you edit and enhance your photos using the complete set of powerful tools available in Photoshop Elements Fix or enhance photos in Quick mode The Quick mode offers several easy ways to fix or enhance your photos.
Page 66: Saving Your Edits
Crop a photo in a few steps 4. Click the Commit icon Note: If you are not happy with your crop area selection and want to start all over again, you can click the Cancel icon . Resize a photo in Quick mode Resizing allows you to change the dimensions of a photo.
Page 67: Print Photos
Note: In Mac OS, you can find the Preferences option in the Adobe Elements 11 Organizer menu. 2. In Microsoft® Windows® 7 or Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, choose Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail, or Adobe Email Service. In Windows® XP, choose Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Adobe Email Service.
Page 68 7. Click Next. Photoshop Elements opens the message in your default email application. Share photos on Facebook Upload photos on Facebook to share with your friends. 1. In the Organizer workspace, select photos and click Share. 2. Select Facebook. 3. (First time only) Authorize Photoshop Elements to access your Facebook account. Note: If you leave the Download Facebook Friend List option selected, Photoshop Elements downloads the list of friends from your Facebook account.
Page 69: Image Adjustments
Image adjustments...
Page 70: Adjusting Color, Saturation, And Hue
Adjusting color, saturation, and hue Adjust saturation and hue Adjust the color of skin tone Adjust saturation in isolated areas Change the color of an object Precisely convert to black and white Automatically convert to black and white Add custom presets for black and white conversion Add color to a grayscale image To the top Adjust saturation and hue...
Page 71 Choose Master to adjust all colors at once. Choose one of the other preset color ranges listed for the color you want to adjust. An adjustment slider appears between the color bars, which you can use to edit any range of hues. 3.
Page 72 Original (top), and after adjusting skin tone (bottom) 1. Open the photo and select the layer that needs correction. 2. Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Color For Skin Tone. 3. Click an area of skin. Photoshop Elements automatically adjusts the colors in the image. Changes might be subtle. Note: Make sure Preview is selected so that you can see the color changes as they occur.
Page 73: Change The Color Of An Object
To the top Precisely convert to black and white For a video about this process, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2325_pse9_en. The Convert To Black And White command lets you choose a specific conversion style to be applied to the image. This is unlike the Remove Color command, which automatically converts to black and white for you.
Page 74 1. Close the Photoshop Elements, and navigate to the folder that contains the bwconvert.txt file. In Windows, [Photoshop Elements 11 installation directory]\Required\bwconvert.txt In Mac, /Applications/Adobe Photoshop Elements/Support Files/Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor.app/Contents/Required/bwconvert.txt. Command-click Adobe Photoshop Elements and select Show Package Contents. Navigate to the folder Contents/Required.
Page 75 Precisely remove red eye For a video about this process, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid906_pse_en The Red Eye Removal tool removes red eye in flash photos of people. Illumination of the subject's retina by the camera's flash causes Red eye. You’ll see it more often when taking pictures in a darkened room because the subject’s iris is wide open. To avoid red eye, use the camera’s red- eye reduction feature, if available.
Page 76 1. Select the Spot Healing Brush tool 2. Choose a brush size. A brush that is slightly larger than the area you want to fix works best so that you can cover the entire area with one click. 3. Choose one of the following Type options in the Tool Options bar. Proximity Match Uses the pixels around the edge of the selection to find an image area to use as a patch for the selected area.
Page 77 Replace mode preserves film grain and texture at the edges of the brush stroke. Source Sets the source to use for repairing pixels. Sampled uses pixels from the current image. Pattern uses pixels from the pattern you specify in the Pattern panel. Aligned Samples pixels continuously without losing the current sampling point, even if you release the mouse button.
Page 78 Specifies the grid color. To the top Use Photomerge Group Shot For a video about Photomerge features, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2342_pse9_en. Use Photomerge Group Shot to create the perfect group photo from multiple photos. Note: For best results, pick the multiple images used to create a Photomerge Group Shot from the same photo session.
Page 79 Photomerge Group Shot window Note: To the top Use Photomerge Scene Cleaner Use Photomerge Scene Cleaner to create the perfect scenic photo from multiple photos. For example, you can eliminate unwanted elements like tourists that inadvertently wandered into the scenery. Note: For best results, use images from the same scene taken from the same angle.
Page 80 To fine-tune the final image, use the Pencil tool to add additional content or the Eraser tool to remove content. 6. (Optional) Select one of the following: Show Strokes Shows your Pencil strokes in the source image. Show Regions Reveals the selected regions in the final image. 7.
Page 81 Enhancing Blur or soften edges Replace colors in an image Clone images or areas in an image Photomerge Faces Photomerge Exposure Photomerge Style Match To the top Blur or soften edges The Blur tool softens hard edges or areas in an image by reducing detail. Blurring a busy background can bring your target images more into focus.
Page 82 1. Select the Color Replacement tool (The Color Replacement tool is part of the Brush Tool Options bar). 2. Choose a brush tip from the Brush menu in the options bar. For Mode, generally, you’ll want to keep the blending mode set to Color.
Page 83 To the top Photomerge Faces For a video about Photomerge features, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2342_pse9_en. Use Photomerge Faces to combine multiple facial features to create one composite face. 1. Do one of the following to select the face images you want to use as source images for Photomerge Faces: In Elements Organizer, select the face image photos.
Page 84 To the top Photomerge Exposure For a video about Photomerge features, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2342_pse9_en. Use Photomerge Exposure to efficiently handle scenes in photos with exposure challenges. You can blend two photos together to get a perfectly exposed photo. For example, if you have a photo with a window in the background and you want a perfect photo with the following properties: A good exposure of the scenery outside the window.
Page 85 Photomerge Exposure Automatic Photomerge Exposure You can select the required photos from Elements Organizer, and select and deselect the photos through the Photo Bin. 1. Do one of the following: In Elements Organizer, select a minimum of two and a maximum of ten photos, and select Enhance > Photomerge > Photomerge Exposure.
Page 86 Photoshop Elements displays the selected photos. 2. In the Photomerge panel, select Manual. The first image in the Photo Bin is displayed as the source photo. You can select an image from the Photo Bin as the final photo. 3. Set the following: Show Strokes Click to show your Pencil strokes in the source image.
Page 87 Intensity Controls the amount or intensity of the style to transfer. The maximum value implies that you want to transfer 100% style of the style image. Clarity Improves the local contrast of a stylized image. The contrast of the slowly varying intensity regions are enhanced, bringing out crisp details in darkened regions.
Page 88: Adjusting Shadows And Light
Adjusting shadows and light Adjust color and tonality using the Smart Brush tools Apply the Smart Brush tools About Levels adjustments Improve shadow and highlight detail Adjust shadows and brightness using Levels Adjust brightness and contrast in selected areas Quickly lighten or darken isolated areas Quickly saturate or desaturate isolated areas To the top Adjust color and tonality using the Smart Brush tools...
Page 89 However you cannot change the settings of an effect because the layer with the effect is a pixel layer and not an adjustment layer. There is an exciting new set of presets, now available under the Textures category for Smart Brush. Textures Option The 15 new presets help provide the following effects to your images: Enhance dull and boring backgrounds.
Page 90 1. Select the Smart Brush tool or the Detail Smart Brush tool from the toolbox. A pop-up panel opens displaying adjustment presets. 2. Select an effect from the preset drop-down in the Tools Options bar. Choose an option from the pop-up panel menu to view different sets of adjustments. For more information on configuring the pop-up panel, see About presets.
Page 91 The Levels dialog box is a powerful tonal and color-adjustment tool. You can make levels adjustments in the entire image or a selected portion. (To access the dialog box, choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels.) You can do any of the following with the Levels dialog box: Levels dialog box A.
Page 92 Before adjusting shadows and highlights (top) and after (bottom). Adjusting softens the face and reveals more detail behind sunglasses. To the top Adjust shadows and brightness using Levels 1. Do one of the following: Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. Choose Layer >...
Page 93 channel. This is the same as using the Auto Levels command and may cause a color shift in your image. To the top Adjust brightness and contrast in selected areas The Brightness/Contrast command is best used on selected portions of an image. Use this command to adjust the brightness of an entire image or to reduce contrast results in an image.
Page 94 Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail. Size Sets the size of the brush, in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box. Mode Sets whether to saturate or desaturate. Flow Sets the strength of the tool with each stroke. In Saturate mode, a higher percentage increases the saturation. In Desaturate mode, a higher percentage increases the desaturation.
Page 95 Transforming Rotate or flip an item Freely rotate an item Scale an item Skew or distort an item Apply perspective to an item Freely transform an item Apply a transformation to a Background layer To the top Rotate or flip an item You can rotate or flip a selection, a layer, or an entire image.
Page 96 Use the Free Rotate Layer command to straighten the image, and click the Commit button to apply the rotation. 1. In the Edit workspace, select the layer or selection you want to rotate. 2. Choose Image > Rotate > Free Rotate Layer or Selection. A bounding box appears in the image. Note: If you select an image that is a Background layer (such as a photo imported from a camera or scanner), you are given the option of turning it into a regular layer so that you can transform it.
Page 97 3. Drag a handle to skew or distort the bounding box. 4. Do one of the following: To apply the transformation, double-click inside the bounding box, click the Commit button , or press Enter. To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel button , or press Esc.
Page 98 To the top Apply a transformation to a Background layer Before you can apply transformations to the Background layer, you need to convert it into a regular layer. 1. In the Edit workspace, select the Background layer in the Layers panel. 2.
Page 99: About Image Size And Resolution
Resizing About image size and resolution About monitor resolution Display the image size of an open file View the print size onscreen Change print dimensions and resolution without resampling Resample an image To the top About image size and resolution The image size (or pixel dimensions) of an image is a measure of the number of pixels along an image’s width and height.
Page 100 The Resample Image option lets you change the size of an image without changing the resolution. If you need to print at a specific resolution, or at a smaller or larger resolution than the current image allows, resample the image. However, resampling can degrade image quality. To the top About monitor resolution Your monitor’s resolution is described in pixel dimensions.
Page 101 To the top Resample an image Changing the pixel dimensions of an image is called resampling. Resampling affects not only the size of an image onscreen, but also its image quality and its printed output—either its printed dimensions or its image resolution. Resampling can degrade image quality. When you downsample, meaning that you decrease the number of pixels in your image, information is removed from the image.
Page 102 Photomerge Group Shot, Photomerge Scene Cleaner, Photomerge Faces, clone Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 103 Recomposing Recompose a photo in Guided mode Recompose a photo in Expert mode Recompose options The Recompose tool facilitates intelligent resizing of photos without changing important visual content such as people, building, animals, and more. Normal scaling affects all pixels uniformly when resizing an image. Recompose affects pixels in areas that don’t have important visual content. Recompose enables you to upscale or downscale images to improve a composition, fit a layout, or change the orientation.
Page 104 5. Mark the areas you want to remove (areas that are unimportant) using the Remove brush tool. Red indicates the areas marked for removal. Right-click the photo, and select Clear All Highlights to erase protected and unprotected marked areas. 6. To erase portions of unwanted marked areas (red), right-click the photo, and select Clear Remove Highlights. 7.
Page 105 Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 106: Processing Camera Raw Image Files
Process Versions A Process Version is a method of deciphering the raw file format. The default version used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 is Process Version 2012. This method of deciphering the raw file format provides you with ways to work with the most recent and improved features in the raw file format.
Page 107 In Process Version 2012, Luminance Detail and Luminance Contrast have been added. These sliders remain disabled until the Luminance is modified. Note: When switching to an older Process Version, the newer sliders compatible with the latest Process Versions are disabled. Camera Raw dialog box A.
Page 108 Adjust sharpness in camera raw files The Sharpness slider adjusts the image sharpness to provide the edge definition you want. The Sharpness adjustment is a variation of the Adobe Photoshop Unsharp Mask filter. This adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify, and increases the pixels’...
Page 109: Settings And Controls
Open a camera raw image in the Edit workspace After you process a camera raw image in the Camera Raw dialog box, you can open the image and edit it in the Edit workspace. 1. In the Camera Raw dialog box, apply adjustments to one or more camera raw images. 2.
Page 110: Correcting Color Casts
Correcting color casts Correct color casts by comparing variations of an image Remove a color cast automatically Remove a color cast using Levels Adjust color curves To the top Correct color casts by comparing variations of an image You can make color and tonal adjustments in the Color Variations dialog box by comparing and choosing different thumbnail variations of the photo.
Page 111 4. Click OK to accept the color change. To the top Remove a color cast using Levels This technique requires color correction experience and some knowledge of the RGB color wheel. 1. Do one of the following: Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. Choose Layer >...
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Page 113: Adjustment Filters
Adjustment filters Apply the Equalize filter Apply the Gradient Map filter Apply the Invert filter Apply the Posterize filter Apply the Threshold filter Apply the Photo filter To the top Apply the Equalize filter The Equalize filter redistributes the brightness values of the pixels in an image so that they more evenly represent the entire range of brightness levels.
Page 114 5. Click OK. To the top Apply the Invert filter The Invert filter inverts the colors in an image. Use this command, for example, to make a positive black-and-white image negative or to make a positive from a scanned black-and-white negative. note: Because color print film contains an orange mask in its base, the Invert command cannot make accurate positive images from scanned color negatives.
Page 115 Select the Filter option, and choose a preset from the Filter menu. Select the Color option, click the color square, and use the Adobe Color Picker to specify the color of a custom color filter. Make sure Preview is selected to view the results of using a color filter.
Page 116 Cropping Crop an image Crop to a selection boundary Using guides for better cropping results Use the Cookie Cutter tool Change the size of the canvas Straighten an image Divide a scanned image containing multiple photos To the top Crop an image The Crop tool removes the part of an image surrounding the crop marquee, or selection.
Page 117 proportions while scaling by holding down Shift as you drag a corner handle.) To swap Width and Height values, click the Swap icon in the options bar. To rotate the marquee, position the pointer outside the bounding box (the pointer turns into a curved arrow ), and drag.
Page 118 Example of Golden Ratio cropping Rule of Thirds Breaks the image in thirds, horizontally and vertically (equidistant lines) into nine parts thus providing a better visual aid to decide a crop. You can commit or cancel a crop suggestion. The crop overlay is decided based on the W and H options in the options bar. For example, your main subject (A tree, person, or animal) can be at 2/3rd of the horizon coinciding with one of the lines.
Page 119 From Center Draws the shape from the center. Feather Decides how soft the edges of the finished shape must be. Feathering softens the edges of the cropped image so that the edges fade out and blend into the background. Crop Select to trim the image to the bounding box that contains the shape created 5.
Page 120 image vertically or horizontally. If necessary, this tool also automatically resizes or crops the canvas to accommodate straightening of the image. Manually straighten an image 1. Select the Straighten tool. 2. Choose from the available option buttons: Grow Or Shrink Canvas To Fit Resizes the canvas to fit the rotated image.
Page 121 For images with white around the border (images of light skies, snow, and so on), this command works best if you cover the image on the scanner with a piece of dark paper. Keywords: cropping, image size, image resolution, retouching, sharpening, transforming, 3D transform, rotate, skew, scale, Unsharp Mask, Photomerge Group Shot, Photomerge Scene Cleaner, Photomerge Faces, clone Twitter™...
Page 122: Dithering In Web Images
Dithering in web images About dithering Control dither in web images Preview dither To the top About dithering Most web images are created by designers using 24-bit color displays (which display over 16 million colors), although some users view web pages on computers with 8-bit color displays (which display only 256 colors).
Page 123 changing the color display. Select a browser from the Preview In menu in the Save For Web dialog box. More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 124 Effects Using the Graphics panel Add stylized shapes or graphics to an image Add an artistic background to an image Add a frame or theme to an image About photo effects Apply an effect Add stylized text to an image Add graphics or effects to Favorites To the top The Effects panel provides a single location from which you can apply effects.
Page 125 Drag the thumbnail to the image. To the top Add a frame or theme to an image When you add a frame or theme to a photo project, frames appear with a blank (gray) area for the image. Click and drag an image from the Photo Bin to the blank area.
Page 126 Dragging an image effect to a photo To the top Add stylized text to an image When you add text to an image, a text layer is added, so you can modify the text without affecting the original image. 1. In the Graphics panel, select Text from the drop-down, and then do one of the following: Select a thumbnail, and click Apply.
Page 127: Import Photos And Videos
Note: (Windows) If AutoPlay is enabled, the Windows AutoPlay dialog box opens with a list of options for getting the photos. In the Windows AutoPlay dialog box, select Organize, and Edit using Adobe Elements 11 Organizer. If Elements Organizer is not already open, the Photo Downloader dialog box opens.
Page 128: Create An Album
Elements Organizer views help you manage media in different ways Use Elements Organizer to manage your media. Elements Organizer enables you to find photos, video files, audio clips, and Adobe PDF documents, even if they’re imported from different sources and stored in different locations on your computer.
Page 129 To the top Find photos and video clips You can find photos and video files by date, star rating, album, folder location, filename, media type, keyword tag, metadata, or other criteria. You can also use various search options to automatically find your photos based on visual similarities and objects in them. Here are a few ways you can find photos in Elements Organizer: Albums and My Folders in the left panel Select an album or folder to view the media files stored in it.
Page 130 Guided Provides step-by-step instructions to help you achieve a range of interesting editing tasks Expert Lets you edit and enhance your photos using the complete set of powerful tools available in Photoshop Elements Fix or enhance photos in Quick mode The Quick mode offers several easy ways to fix or enhance your photos.
Page 131: Saving Your Edits
Crop a photo in a few steps 4. Click the Commit icon Note: If you are not happy with your crop area selection and want to start all over again, you can click the Cancel icon . Resize a photo in Quick mode Resizing allows you to change the dimensions of a photo.
Page 132: Print Photos
Note: In Mac OS, you can find the Preferences option in the Adobe Elements 11 Organizer menu. 2. In Microsoft® Windows® 7 or Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, choose Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail, or Adobe Email Service. In Windows® XP, choose Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Adobe Email Service.
Page 133 7. Click Next. Photoshop Elements opens the message in your default email application. Share photos on Facebook Upload photos on Facebook to share with your friends. 1. In the Organizer workspace, select photos and click Share. 2. Select Facebook. 3. (First time only) Authorize Photoshop Elements to access your Facebook account. Note: If you leave the Download Facebook Friend List option selected, Photoshop Elements downloads the list of friends from your Facebook account.
Page 134 Guided mode Touchups Photo Effects Photo Play The Guided mode provides you with guided edits - a wizard-like interface to accomplish certain predefined effects. Each guided edit has an associated image that displays the applied effect when you hover the mouse pointer on it. Guided mode features are basically grouped into three categories: Touchups Crop, rotate and straighten or both, sharpen photos, adjust color, lighting, and overall tonal quality of the photo.
Page 135: Photo Effects
a. Click Apply Smart Blur to smoothen the skin and remove wrinkles. For information about Smart Blur controls, see Smart Blur. b. Click Reveal Original. When the original skin is revealed from beneath the blurred skin, use the Blur brush to brush in the smooth skin where it is required.
Page 136 Custom method In this method, you choose the objects you want to focus on using the quick selection tool. The blur is applied to unselected areas of the image. You can customize the degree of blur applied to the rest of the image. 1.
Page 137 3. Click Apply Vignette. Each time you click Cross Process Image or Apply Vignette, Photoshop Elements intensifies the last applied effect. At any point, you can click Reset to remove all the applied effects and restore the original image. The Low Key Guided Edit Emphasize shadows, highlight edges, and add a dramatic finish to your photographs by applying the low key effect.
Page 138 The Tilt-Shift Guided Edit Apply the tilt-shift effect to focus attention on certain aspect or object in your photo, while selectively taking focus away from other things in your photo. The tilt-shift effect also causes a pseudo-miniature effect to be formed on the photo. Picture before applying the tilt-shift effect (left), and after 1.
Page 139: Photo Play
Picture before applying the vignette effect (left), and after 1. Open a photo, and in the Guided Edits panel click Photo Effects > Vignette Effect. 2. Select Black or White, to specify the color of the vignette you want to apply. 3.
Page 140 A. Original image B. After adding a frame C. After selecting the part to extend D. Final image 1. In the Guided Edits panel, click Photo Play, and select Out Of Bounds. 2. Click Add Frame to add a frame to the image. 3.
Page 141 Water Reflection 6. (Optional) Adjust the intensity of reflection. 7. (Optional) Click Add Distortion to distort the reflection in a realistic way. 8. (Optional) Click Crop Tool to remove unnecessary areas. 9. (Optional) Click Gradient Tool and drag a gradient line from the bottom of the reflection to the bottom of the image. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 142: Layer Masks
Layer masks About layer masks Add a layer mask to an image To the top About layer masks Layer masks are resolution-dependent bitmap images that are edited with the painting or selection tools. A layer mask controls the visibility of the layer to which it is added.
Page 143: Optimizing Images
To precisely optimize an image for use in web authoring applications, such as Adobe® Dreamweaver®, you can use the Save For Web command. The Save For Web dialog box lets you preview your image in different file formats and with different optimization settings.
Page 144 A small toolbox is located in the upper-left corner of the dialog box. To view different areas of an image, select the Hand tool and drag to bring those areas into view. To zoom in on an image, select the Zoom tool and click in a view; then hold down Alt, and click again to zoom out. (Alternatively, you can use the Zoom box at the bottom of the dialog box.) To create matte colors, use the Eyedropper Color tool.
Page 145 GIF image with selective color (left), and GIF image with web color (right) You can choose the number of colors in a GIF image and control how colors dither in a browser. GIF supports background transparency or background matting, by which you blend the edges of the image with a web page background color. About the PNG-8 format The PNG-8 format uses 8-bit color.
Page 146 To the top Apply a preset optimization setting You can quickly and easily optimize an image for the web by choosing a predefined optimization setting, called a preset, from the Preset menu near the upper-right corner of the Save For Web dialog box. Presets are tailored to meet the optimization needs of different types of images. The name of each preset reflects its file format and quality level.
Page 147 box, or click the arrows to change the number of colors. If the image contains fewer colors than the panel, the color table reflects the smaller number of colors in the image. 6. If you chose Restrictive (Web) for the color-reduction algorithm, you can choose Auto from the Colors menu. Choose Auto if you want Photoshop Elements to determine the optimal number of colors in the color table based on the frequency of colors in the image.
Page 148: About Patterns
Patterns About patterns Use the Pattern Stamp tool Add a custom pattern to the pattern picker To the top About patterns You can paint a pattern with the Pattern stamp tool or fill a selection or layer with a pattern that you choose from the pattern libraries. Photoshop Elements has several patterns you can choose from.
Page 149 To create a pattern from part of the image, make a rectangular selection with Feather set to 0 pixels. To create a pattern from the entire image, deselect everything. 2. Choose Edit > Define Pattern From Selection. 3. Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern Name dialog box. 4.
Page 150: Render Filters
Render filters Clouds Difference Clouds Fibers Lens Flare Lighting Effects Texture Fill To the top Clouds The Clouds filter generates a soft cloud pattern using random values that vary between the foreground and the background color in the toolbar. To generate a starker cloud pattern, hold down Alt (Option in Mac OS) as you choose Filter > Render > Clouds. To the top Difference Clouds The Difference Clouds filter uses randomly generated values that vary between the foreground and background color in the toolbox to produce a...
Page 151 Note: If you choose a style that has multiple lights, you must set options for each light individually. 2 O’ Clock Spotlight Adds one yellow spotlight with medium intensity and wide focus. Blue Omni Adds a blue overhead omni light with full intensity and no focus. Circle Of Light Adds four spotlights.
Page 152 (Omni lights) To increase or decrease the size of the light, drag one of the handles defining the edges of the light. (Spotlights) To change the light angle, drag the handle at the end of the line. (Spotlights) To stretch the ellipse or rotate the light, drag one of the handles. Shift-drag to keep the angle constant and change only the size of the ellipse.
Page 153: Smoothing Selection Edges With Anti-Aliasing And Feathering
Smoothing selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing Blur the edges of a selection by feathering Define a feathered edge for a selection tool Define a feathered edge for an existing selection To the top Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by anti-aliasing or feathering.
Page 154 Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 155: Using Image Modes And Color Tables
Using image modes and color tables About image modes Convert an image to bitmap mode Convert a bitmap-mode image to grayscale Convert an image to indexed color Edit colors in an indexed-color table Assign transparency to a single color in an indexed-color table Use a predefined indexed-color table Save or load an indexed-color table To the top...
Page 156 changes. Note: Hidden layers are discarded and images are flattened automatically when you convert them into bitmap or indexed- color mode, because these modes do not support layers. RGB Color mode The default mode of new Photoshop Elements images and images from your digital camera. In RGB mode, the red, green, and blue components are each assigned an intensity value for every pixel—ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white).
Page 157 To the top Convert an image to indexed color Converting to indexed color reduces the number of colors in the image to a maximum of 256—the standard number of colors supported by the GIF and PNG-8 formats and many web browsers. This conversion reduces file size by deleting color information from the image. Note: To convert to indexed color, you must start with either a grayscale or an RGB image.
Page 158 mixes the pixels of the available colors to simulate the missing colors. None Does not dither colors but, instead, uses the color closest to the missing color. This tends to result in sharp transitions between shades of color in the image, creating a posterized effect. Diffusion Uses an error-diffusion method that produces a less structured dither than the Pattern option.
Page 159 Selecting...
Page 160: About Selections
Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 provides several selection tools that suits different kinds of selections that need to be made. 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.
Page 161 Rectangular Marquee tool:Draws square or rectangular selection borders. Elliptical Marquee tool: Draws round or elliptical selection borders. Lasso tool: Draws freehand selection borders, best for precision. Polygonal Lasso tool: Draws multiple straight-edged segments of a selection border. Magnetic Lasso tool: Draws a selection border that automatically snaps to edges when you drag over in the photo. Magic Wand tool: Selects pixels of similar color with one click...
Page 162 Quick Selection tool: Quickly and automatically makes selection based on color and texture when you click or click-drag an area. Selection Brush tool: Automatically selects or deselects the area you paint, depending on whether you’re in selection or mask mode. Smart Brush tool: Applies color and tonal adjustments and effects to a selection.
Page 163 To the top Use the Lasso tool The Lasso tool draws freehand selection borders. This tool lets you make very precise selections. 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.
Page 164 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. Click where you want the first straight segment to begin, and click a second time where you want the segment to end and the next one to begin.
Page 165 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. The selection border snaps to the edge in the photo. If the border doesn’t snap to the desired edge, click once to add a point manually;...
Page 166 Quick Selection Brush tool and 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 Tool Options bar, choose one of the following: New Selection Lets you draw a new selection.
Page 167 Selection Brush tool options A. Selection Brush B. Add to selection C. Subtract from selection D. Selection pop-up E. Brush pop-up F. Brush size G. Hardness 1. Select the Selection Brush tool from the toolbox. You may need to click the Quick Selection tool in the toolbox and select the Selection Brush from the list of hidden tools that appears.
Page 168 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 Rectangular selection tool.
Page 169 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. To the top Refined edges of a selection In Photoshop Elements 11, you can fine-tune your selection using the Refine Edge (select a portion of an image >...
Page 170 document. To the top Delete a selected area On deleting a selection on a background layer, the selected area is replaced with the background color or checkerboard background pattern (transparent pixels). 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.
Page 171: Moving And Copying Selections
Moving and copying selections Move a selection Copying selections or layers Copy selections with the Move tool Copy a selection using commands Paste one selection into another To the top 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 in Photoshop Elements, and to photos in other applications that support selections.
Page 172 menu. Keep in mind that when a selection or layer is pasted between photos with different resolutions, the pasted data retains its original pixel dimensions. This can make the pasted portion appear out of proportion to the new image. Use the Image > Resize > Image Size command to make the source and destination photos the same resolution before copying and pasting.
Page 173 Note: The copied photo appears only within the selection border. You can move the copied photo within the border, but if you move it completely out of the border, it won’t be visible. 4. With your pointer within the selection border, drag the pasted image to the proper location. 5.
Page 174 Smoothing selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing Blur the edges of a selection by feathering Define a feathered edge for a selection tool Define a feathered edge for an existing selection To the top Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by anti-aliasing or feathering.
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Page 176: Modifying Selections
Modifying selections Move a selection border Invert a selection Add to or subtract from a selection Select an area that intersects an existing selection Expand or contract a selection by a specific number of pixels Frame an existing selection with a new selection border Include areas of similar color in a selection Remove stray pixels from a color-based selection Defringe a selection...
Page 177 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.
Page 178 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. (You may have to switch to a selection tool that includes a tolerance range, such as the Magic Wand tool.) A higher Tolerance value adds a broader range of colors.
Page 179: Saving Selections
Saving selections Save, load, or delete a selection Modify a saved selection Modify a new selection with a saved selection To the top Save, load, or delete a selection Saving a selection allows you to edit a selected area of a photo at a later time. You can work on other parts of the photo before loading the saved selection.
Page 180 3. In the Save Selection dialog box, choose the selection you want to modify from the Selection menu. 4. Select one of the following and click OK: Replace Selection Replaces the saved selection with the current selection. Add To Selection Adds the current selection to the saved selection. Subtract From Selection Subtracts the current selection from the saved selection.
Page 181 Color...
Page 182: Color And Tonal Correction Basics
To the top Correct color in Quick mode For a video about using Quick mode, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid905_pse_en. The Quick mode conveniently groups many of the basic photo-fixing tools in Photoshop Elements. As you work in Quick mode, limit the number of color and lighting controls that you apply to a photo.
Page 183 (horizontally or vertically). 3. (Optional) Use the tools in the toolbox to zoom, move, and crop the image. You can also make a selection, fix red eye, whiten teeth, and add text to the image. 4. To rotate the image in 90° increments in the counterclockwise direction (rotate left), click the Rotate button in the taskbar. To rotate the image in the clockwise direction, click the arrow next to the Rotate button, and then click the rotate right button.
Page 184 Shifts all colors in an image. This control is best used in small amounts or with selected objects whose color you want to change. Vibrance Causes lower saturated colors to turn vivid, without allowing clipping to occur for the higher-saturation colors. This control enables you to vary skin tones without becoming oversaturated.
Page 185 Expert mode A. There are many tools for correcting problems and selecting portions of a photo. B. The Photo Bin lets you see which photos are open. C. The Panel Bin holds panels that you use to transform and enhance photos. As you work on your photos, perform the following tasks that apply to your image.
Page 186 To the top Automatically correct lighting and color Photoshop Elements provides several automatic lighting and color-correction commands in both Quick mode and Expert mode. The command you choose depends on the needs of your image. You can experiment with each of the auto commands. If you don’t like the result of one, undo the command by choosing Edit > Undo, and try another command.
Page 187 How to read a histogram A. Overexposed photo with clipped highlights B. Properly exposed photo with full tonality C. Underexposed photo with clipped shadows To the top View a histogram 1. If the Histogram panel is not open in the Panel Bin, choose Window > Histogram. 2.
Page 188 Photoshop Elements displays histograms more quickly but less accurately. To display more accurate histograms, deselect this option. Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 189 Correcting color casts Correct color casts by comparing variations of an image Remove a color cast automatically Remove a color cast using Levels Adjust color curves To the top Correct color casts by comparing variations of an image You can make color and tonal adjustments in the Color Variations dialog box by comparing and choosing different thumbnail variations of the photo.
Page 190 4. Click OK to accept the color change. To the top Remove a color cast using Levels This technique requires color correction experience and some knowledge of the RGB color wheel. 1. Do one of the following: Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. Choose Layer >...
Page 191 Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 192 Adjusting color, saturation, and hue Adjust saturation and hue Adjust the color of skin tone Adjust saturation in isolated areas Change the color of an object Precisely convert to black and white Automatically convert to black and white Add custom presets for black and white conversion Add color to a grayscale image To the top Adjust saturation and hue...
Page 193 Choose Master to adjust all colors at once. Choose one of the other preset color ranges listed for the color you want to adjust. An adjustment slider appears between the color bars, which you can use to edit any range of hues. 3.
Page 194 Original (top), and after adjusting skin tone (bottom) 1. Open the photo and select the layer that needs correction. 2. Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Color For Skin Tone. 3. Click an area of skin. Photoshop Elements automatically adjusts the colors in the image. Changes might be subtle. Note: Make sure Preview is selected so that you can see the color changes as they occur.
Page 195 To the top Precisely convert to black and white For a video about this process, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2325_pse9_en. The Convert To Black And White command lets you choose a specific conversion style to be applied to the image. This is unlike the Remove Color command, which automatically converts to black and white for you.
Page 196 1. Close the Photoshop Elements, and navigate to the folder that contains the bwconvert.txt file. In Windows, [Photoshop Elements 11 installation directory]\Required\bwconvert.txt In Mac, /Applications/Adobe Photoshop Elements/Support Files/Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor.app/Contents/Required/bwconvert.txt. Command-click Adobe Photoshop Elements and select Show Package Contents. Navigate to the folder Contents/Required.
Page 197 Process Versions A Process Version is a method of deciphering the raw file format. The default version used in Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 is Process Version 2012. This method of deciphering the raw file format provides you with ways to work with the most recent and improved features in the raw file format.
Page 198 In Process Version 2012, Luminance Detail and Luminance Contrast have been added. These sliders remain disabled until the Luminance is modified. Note: When switching to an older Process Version, the newer sliders compatible with the latest Process Versions are disabled. Camera Raw dialog box A.
Page 199 Adjust sharpness in camera raw files The Sharpness slider adjusts the image sharpness to provide the edge definition you want. The Sharpness adjustment is a variation of the Adobe Photoshop Unsharp Mask filter. This adjustment locates pixels that differ from surrounding pixels based on the threshold you specify, and increases the pixels’...
Page 200 Open a camera raw image in the Edit workspace After you process a camera raw image in the Camera Raw dialog box, you can open the image and edit it in the Edit workspace. 1. In the Camera Raw dialog box, apply adjustments to one or more camera raw images. 2.
Page 201: Color And Camera Raw
Color and camera raw Using the histogram and RGB values in camera raw White balance controls for camera raw Tonal and image adjustments in camera raw files In the Camera Raw dialog, you can perform preliminary adjustments and modifications to a raw image before editing it in Photoshop Elements. With the Preview option enabled, you can see how the modified image appears.
Page 202 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.
Page 203 Chooses the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) profile. For each camera model it supports, Camera Raw uses profiles to process raw images. To choose from the various camera profiles present in Camera Calibration tab, choose either ACR 4.4, ACR 2.4, or Adobe Standard. The higher version number represents the newer and improved camera profile for some cameras.
Page 204: Choosing Colors
Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool Choose a color from the toolbox Use the Color Swatches panel Use the Adobe Color Picker To the top Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool The Eyedropper tool makes it easy to copy a color without having to select a swatch. It copies, or samples, the color of an area in your photo to set a new foreground or background color.
Page 205 Use the Color Swatches panel The Color Swatches panel (Window > Color Swatches) is a good place to store the colors that you use often in your images. You can select a foreground or background color by clicking a color swatch in the Color Swatches panel. You can add or delete colors to create a custom swatch library, save a library of swatches, and reload them for use in another image.
Page 206 Use the Adobe Color Picker You can use the Adobe Color Picker to select the foreground or background color by choosing from a color spectrum or by defining colors numerically. In addition, you can select colors based on HSB or RGB color models, or choose to select only web-safe colors.
Page 207: Fills And Strokes
Fills and strokes Use the Paint Bucket tool Fill a layer with a color or pattern Stroke (outline) objects on a layer To the top Use the Paint Bucket tool The Paint Bucket tool fills an area, that is similar in color value to the pixels you click. You can fill an area with the foreground color or a pattern. 1.
Page 208 Width Specifies the width of the hard-edged outline. Values can range from 1 to 250 pixels. Color Sets the color of the outline. Click the color swatch to select a color in the Color Picker. Location Specifies whether to place the outline inside, outside, or centered over the selection or layer boundaries. Mode Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image.
Page 209: Painting Tools
Painting tools Use the Brush tool Use the Pencil tool Use the Impressionist Brush tool Use the Smudge tool Use the Eraser tool Use the Magic Eraser tool Use the Background Eraser tool To the top Use the Brush tool The Brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of color.
Page 210 To the top Use the Impressionist Brush tool The Impressionist Brush tool changes the existing colors and details in your image so your photo looks like it was painted using stylized brush strokes. By experimenting with different style, area size, and tolerance options, you can simulate the textures associated with painting in different artistic styles.
Page 211 information. Brush Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail. Size Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box. Strength Sets the amount of the smudge effect.
Page 212 Original image (left), and after erasing the clouds (right) 1. In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the areas you want to erase. Note: If you select the Background, it automatically becomes a layer when you use the Magic Eraser. 2.
Page 213 More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 214: Setting Up Color Management
Setting up color management About color management Set up color management Convert color profile To the top About color management Color management helps you to achieve consistent color among digital cameras, scanners, computer monitors, and printers. Each of these devices reproduces a different range of colors, called a color gamut. As you move an image from your digital camera to your monitor, and finally to a printer, the image colors shift.
Page 215 Gray Gamma 2.2. This option preserves embedded profiles, and assigns sRGB when opening untagged files. Always Optimize For Printing Uses Adobe RGB as the RGB working space; the Grayscale working space is Dot Gain 20%. This option preserves embedded profiles and assigns Adobe RGB when opening untagged files.
Page 216: Using Image Modes And Color Tables
Using image modes and color tables About image modes Convert an image to bitmap mode Convert a bitmap-mode image to grayscale Convert an image to indexed color Edit colors in an indexed-color table Assign transparency to a single color in an indexed-color table Use a predefined indexed-color table Save or load an indexed-color table To the top...
Page 217 changes. Note: Hidden layers are discarded and images are flattened automatically when you convert them into bitmap or indexed- color mode, because these modes do not support layers. RGB Color mode The default mode of new Photoshop Elements images and images from your digital camera. In RGB mode, the red, green, and blue components are each assigned an intensity value for every pixel—ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white).
Page 218 To the top Convert an image to indexed color Converting to indexed color reduces the number of colors in the image to a maximum of 256—the standard number of colors supported by the GIF and PNG-8 formats and many web browsers. This conversion reduces file size by deleting color information from the image. Note: To convert to indexed color, you must start with either a grayscale or an RGB image.
Page 219 mixes the pixels of the available colors to simulate the missing colors. None Does not dither colors but, instead, uses the color closest to the missing color. This tends to result in sharp transitions between shades of color in the image, creating a posterized effect. Diffusion Uses an error-diffusion method that produces a less structured dither than the Pattern option.
Page 220: Drawing And Painting
Drawing and painting...
Page 221: Painting Overview
Painting overview About painting tools About foreground and background colors About blending modes Web-safe colors To the top About painting tools Photoshop Elements provides various tools for applying and editing color. When you select a painting tool, the Tool Options bar displays various preset brush tips and settings for brush size, paint blending, opacity, and airbrush effects.
Page 222: About Blending Modes
To the top About blending modes Blending modes control how pixels in an image are affected by a painting or editing tool. It’s helpful to think in terms of the following colors when visualizing a blending mode’s effect: The base color is the original color in the image. The blend color is the color applied by the painting or editing tool.
Page 223 You can identify web-safe colors in the Adobe Color Picker by using either of the following methods: Select Only Web Colors in the lower-left corner of the Color Picker, and then choose any color in the Color Picker. When this...
Page 224 Choose a color in the Color Picker. If you choose a color that isn’t web-safe, an alert cube appears next to the color rectangle in the upper-right area of the Color Picker. Click the alert cube to select the closest web-safe color. (If no alert cube appears, the color you chose is web-safe.) More Help topics Legal Notices...
Page 225 Painting tools Use the Brush tool Use the Pencil tool Use the Impressionist Brush tool Use the Smudge tool Use the Eraser tool Use the Magic Eraser tool Use the Background Eraser tool To the top Use the Brush tool The Brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of color.
Page 226 To the top Use the Impressionist Brush tool The Impressionist Brush tool changes the existing colors and details in your image so your photo looks like it was painted using stylized brush strokes. By experimenting with different style, area size, and tolerance options, you can simulate the textures associated with painting in different artistic styles.
Page 227 information. Brush Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail. Size Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box. Strength Sets the amount of the smudge effect.
Page 228 Original image (left), and after erasing the clouds (right) 1. In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the areas you want to erase. Note: If you select the Background, it automatically becomes a layer when you use the Magic Eraser. 2.
Page 229 More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 230 Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool Choose a color from the toolbox Use the Color Swatches panel Use the Adobe Color Picker To the top Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool The Eyedropper tool makes it easy to copy a color without having to select a swatch. It copies, or samples, the color of an area in your photo to set a new foreground or background color.
Page 231 Use the Color Swatches panel The Color Swatches panel (Window > Color Swatches) is a good place to store the colors that you use often in your images. You can select a foreground or background color by clicking a color swatch in the Color Swatches panel. You can add or delete colors to create a custom swatch library, save a library of swatches, and reload them for use in another image.
Page 232 Use the Adobe Color Picker You can use the Adobe Color Picker to select the foreground or background color by choosing from a color spectrum or by defining colors numerically. In addition, you can select colors based on HSB or RGB color models, or choose to select only web-safe colors.
Page 233: Setting Up Brushes
Setting up brushes About brush options Add a new brush to the brush library Delete a brush Create a custom brush shape from an image Set up pressure-sensitive tablet support Using Elements Organizer on Wacom tablets To the top About brush options You can simulate actual brush strokes by setting the rates at which the brush tool strokes fade out.
Page 234 Hardness Controls the size of the brush’s hard center. Type a number, or use the slider to enter a value that’s a percentage of the brush diameter. Brush strokes with different hardness values Scatter Brush scattering determines how brush marks are distributed in a stroke. A low value produces a denser stroke with less paint scattering, and higher values increase the scattering area.
Page 235 The new brush is selected in the Tool Options bar, and is added to the bottom of the brushes pop-up panel. To the top Delete a brush 1. From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Brush tool . 2.
Page 236 Select the Brush tool in the toolbox and then set the tablet options in the Tool Options bar that you want to control with pen pressure. To the top Using Elements Organizer on Wacom tablets You can now work with Elements Organizer on Wacom tablets. The mouse mode in Wacom Tablets works seamlessly in the following Wacom tablets: Wacom Intuos3, Intuos 4, Bamboo Fun, and Bamboo Touch.
Page 237 Fills and strokes Use the Paint Bucket tool Fill a layer with a color or pattern Stroke (outline) objects on a layer To the top Use the Paint Bucket tool The Paint Bucket tool fills an area, that is similar in color value to the pixels you click. You can fill an area with the foreground color or a pattern. 1.
Page 238 Width Specifies the width of the hard-edged outline. Values can range from 1 to 250 pixels. Color Sets the color of the outline. Click the color swatch to select a color in the Color Picker. Location Specifies whether to place the outline inside, outside, or centered over the selection or layer boundaries. Mode Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image.
Page 239: Creating Shapes
Creating shapes About shapes Draw a rectangle, square, or rounded rectangle Draw a circle or ellipse Draw a multisided shape Draw a line or arrow Draw a custom shape Create multiple shapes in the same layer In Photoshop Elements, shapes are resolution-independent vector graphics (lines and curves defined by their geometric characteristics instead of pixels) that can be moved, resized, or changed without losing detail, clarity, or quality.
Page 240 Snap Snaps edges of a rectangle to the pixel boundaries. Simplify Converts the shape drawn into a raster graphic. Once converted to raster form, shrinking or expanding the shape may result in jagged edges and pixelated appearance. 3. Drag within your image to draw the shape. To the top Draw a circle or ellipse 1.
Page 241 To the top Draw a custom shape The Custom Shape tool provides many different shape options for you to draw. When you select the custom shape tool, you can access these shapes in the options bar. 1. Select the Custom Shape tool 2.
Page 242: Brush Stroke Filters
Brush Stroke filters Accented Edges Angled Strokes Crosshatch Dark Strokes Ink Outlines Spatter Sprayed Strokes Sumi-e To the top Accented Edges The Accented Edges filter accentuates the edges of an image. When the edge brightness control is set to a high value, the accents resemble white chalk;...
Page 243: Editing Shapes
Editing shapes Select or move a shape Transform a shape Change the color of all shapes in a layer Apply a layer style to a shape To the top Select or move a shape Use the Shape Selection tool to select shapes with one click. If you convert a shape into a bitmap element by simplifying the shape layer, the Shape Selection tool will no longer select the shape (use the Move tool instead).
Page 244 More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 245 Effects Using the Graphics panel Add stylized shapes or graphics to an image Add an artistic background to an image Add a frame or theme to an image About photo effects Apply an effect Add stylized text to an image Add graphics or effects to Favorites To the top The Effects panel provides a single location from which you can apply effects.
Page 246 Drag the thumbnail to the image. To the top Add a frame or theme to an image When you add a frame or theme to a photo project, frames appear with a blank (gray) area for the image. Click and drag an image from the Photo Bin to the blank area.
Page 247 Dragging an image effect to a photo To the top Add stylized text to an image When you add text to an image, a text layer is added, so you can modify the text without affecting the original image. 1. In the Graphics panel, select Text from the drop-down, and then do one of the following: Select a thumbnail, and click Apply.
Page 248 Gradients About gradients Apply a gradient Apply gradient fill to text Define a gradient Specify gradient transparency Create a noise gradient To the top About gradients You fill an area with a gradient by dragging within the image or by selecting with the Gradient tool. The distance between the starting point (where you first press the mouse button) and ending point (where you release the mouse button) affects the gradient appearance, as does the gradient type.
Page 249 4. Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker panel in the Tool Options bar. 5. (Optional) Set gradient options in the Tool Options bar. Mode Specifies how the gradient blends with the existing pixels in the image. Opacity Sets the opacity of the gradient. A low opacity setting allows pixels under the gradient to show through. Drag the slider or enter an opacity value.
Page 250 2. To adjust the starting opacity in the Gradient Editor, click the left opacity stop above the gradient bar. The triangle below the stop turns black, indicating that you’re editing the starting transparency. 3. Set the Opacity by doing one of the following: Enter a value between 0 (fully transparent) and 100% (fully opaque).
Page 251: About Patterns
Patterns About patterns Use the Pattern Stamp tool Add a custom pattern to the pattern picker To the top About patterns You can paint a pattern with the Pattern stamp tool or fill a selection or layer with a pattern that you choose from the pattern libraries. Photoshop Elements has several patterns you can choose from.
Page 252 To create a pattern from part of the image, make a rectangular selection with Feather set to 0 pixels. To create a pattern from the entire image, deselect everything. 2. Choose Edit > Define Pattern From Selection. 3. Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern Name dialog box. 4.
Page 253: Presets And Libraries
Presets and libraries About presets Use preset tool options Change the display of items in a pop-up panel menu Use the Preset Manager Rename a preset To the top About presets In the Expert mode, pop-up panels appear in the Tool Options bar and provide access to predefined libraries of brushes, color swatches, gradients, patterns, layer styles, and custom shapes.
Page 254: Rename A Preset
1. Do one of the following: To change the display of one panel, open the pop-up panel menu by clicking the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the pop-up panel. To change the display for all panels, choose Edit > Preset Manager to open the Preset Manager, and then click the More button.
Page 255: Sketch Filters
Sketch filters Bas Relief Chalk & Charcoal Charcoal Chrome Comic Conté Crayon Graphic Novel Graphic Pen Halftone Pattern Note Paper Pen and Ink Photocopy Plaster Reticulation Stamp Torn Edges Water Paper To the top Bas Relief The Bas Relief filter transforms an image to appear carved in low relief and lit to accent the surface variations. Dark areas of the image take on the foreground color, light areas use the background color.
Page 256: Halftone Pattern
blocks, for example. For a more realistic effect, change the foreground color to one of the common Conté Crayon colors (black, sepia, or sanguine) before applying this filter. For a muted effect, change the background color to white with some foreground color added to it. To the top Graphic Novel The Graphic Novel filter (Filter >...
Page 257 objects. To the top Water Paper The Water Paper filter uses blotchy daubs that appear to be painted onto fibrous, damp paper, causing the colors to flow and blend. You can set the paper’s fiber length, brightness, and contrast. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 258 Effects and filters...
Page 259 Effects Using the Graphics panel Add stylized shapes or graphics to an image Add an artistic background to an image Add a frame or theme to an image About photo effects Apply an effect Add stylized text to an image Add graphics or effects to Favorites To the top The Effects panel provides a single location from which you can apply effects.
Page 260 Drag the thumbnail to the image. To the top Add a frame or theme to an image When you add a frame or theme to a photo project, frames appear with a blank (gray) area for the image. Click and drag an image from the Photo Bin to the blank area.
Page 261 Dragging an image effect to a photo To the top Add stylized text to an image When you add text to an image, a text layer is added, so you can modify the text without affecting the original image. 1. In the Graphics panel, select Text from the drop-down, and then do one of the following: Select a thumbnail, and click Apply.
Page 262: About Filters
You can use filters to clean up or retouch photos. You can also use filters to apply special art effects or create unique transformations using distortion effects. In addition to the filters provided by Adobe, some filters provided by third-party developers are available as plug-ins. Once installed, these plug-in filters appear at the bottom of the Filter lists.
Page 263 You can reapply the previous filter. The last filter you applied appears at the top of the Filter menu. You can reapply it with the same settings you last used to further enhance the image. Tips for creating visual effects with filters Use the following techniques to achieve special visual results with filters: Feature the filter edges.
Page 264: Filter Categories
To the top Filter categories You can apply the following categories of filters: Correct Camera Distortion Fixes common lens flaws such as barrel and pincushion distortion, and vignetting. The filter also rotates an image and fixes image perspective caused by vertical or horizontal camera tilt. Adjustment filters Change the brightness values, color, grayscale range, and tonal levels of pixels in an image.
Page 265 Filter Gallery dialog box A. Filter category B. Thumbnail of selected filter C. Show/Hide filter thumbnails D. Filter menu E. Options for selected filter F. List of filter effects to apply or arrange G. Hidden filter H. Filters applied cumulatively but not selected I. Filter selected but not applied However, not all filters are available from the Filter Gallery.
Page 266: Actions Overview
A set of actions is available in Photoshop Elements, in the Actions panel (Window > Actions). You can play one or more of these actions on a photograph. Action files cannot be created in Photoshop Elements. However, you can load more action files (.atn files) that have been created in Adobe Photoshop. Actions that share a theme are grouped into Action Sets.
Page 267 Guided mode Touchups Photo Effects Photo Play The Guided mode provides you with guided edits - a wizard-like interface to accomplish certain predefined effects. Each guided edit has an associated image that displays the applied effect when you hover the mouse pointer on it. Guided mode features are basically grouped into three categories: Touchups Crop, rotate and straighten or both, sharpen photos, adjust color, lighting, and overall tonal quality of the photo.
Page 268 a. Click Apply Smart Blur to smoothen the skin and remove wrinkles. For information about Smart Blur controls, see Smart Blur. b. Click Reveal Original. When the original skin is revealed from beneath the blurred skin, use the Blur brush to brush in the smooth skin where it is required.
Page 269 Custom method In this method, you choose the objects you want to focus on using the quick selection tool. The blur is applied to unselected areas of the image. You can customize the degree of blur applied to the rest of the image. 1.
Page 270 3. Click Apply Vignette. Each time you click Cross Process Image or Apply Vignette, Photoshop Elements intensifies the last applied effect. At any point, you can click Reset to remove all the applied effects and restore the original image. The Low Key Guided Edit Emphasize shadows, highlight edges, and add a dramatic finish to your photographs by applying the low key effect.
Page 271 The Tilt-Shift Guided Edit Apply the tilt-shift effect to focus attention on certain aspect or object in your photo, while selectively taking focus away from other things in your photo. The tilt-shift effect also causes a pseudo-miniature effect to be formed on the photo. Picture before applying the tilt-shift effect (left), and after 1.
Page 272 Picture before applying the vignette effect (left), and after 1. Open a photo, and in the Guided Edits panel click Photo Effects > Vignette Effect. 2. Select Black or White, to specify the color of the vignette you want to apply. 3.
Page 273 A. Original image B. After adding a frame C. After selecting the part to extend D. Final image 1. In the Guided Edits panel, click Photo Play, and select Out Of Bounds. 2. Click Add Frame to add a frame to the image. 3.
Page 274 Water Reflection 6. (Optional) Adjust the intensity of reflection. 7. (Optional) Click Add Distortion to distort the reflection in a realistic way. 8. (Optional) Click Crop Tool to remove unnecessary areas. 9. (Optional) Click Gradient Tool and drag a gradient line from the bottom of the reflection to the bottom of the image. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 275 Gradients About gradients Apply a gradient Apply gradient fill to text Define a gradient Specify gradient transparency Create a noise gradient To the top About gradients You fill an area with a gradient by dragging within the image or by selecting with the Gradient tool. The distance between the starting point (where you first press the mouse button) and ending point (where you release the mouse button) affects the gradient appearance, as does the gradient type.
Page 276 4. Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker panel in the Tool Options bar. 5. (Optional) Set gradient options in the Tool Options bar. Mode Specifies how the gradient blends with the existing pixels in the image. Opacity Sets the opacity of the gradient. A low opacity setting allows pixels under the gradient to show through. Drag the slider or enter an opacity value.
Page 277 2. To adjust the starting opacity in the Gradient Editor, click the left opacity stop above the gradient bar. The triangle below the stop turns black, indicating that you’re editing the starting transparency. 3. Set the Opacity by doing one of the following: Enter a value between 0 (fully transparent) and 100% (fully opaque).
Page 278 Adjustment filters Apply the Equalize filter Apply the Gradient Map filter Apply the Invert filter Apply the Posterize filter Apply the Threshold filter Apply the Photo filter To the top Apply the Equalize filter The Equalize filter redistributes the brightness values of the pixels in an image so that they more evenly represent the entire range of brightness levels.
Page 279 5. Click OK. To the top Apply the Invert filter The Invert filter inverts the colors in an image. Use this command, for example, to make a positive black-and-white image negative or to make a positive from a scanned black-and-white negative. note: Because color print film contains an orange mask in its base, the Invert command cannot make accurate positive images from scanned color negatives.
Page 280 Select the Filter option, and choose a preset from the Filter menu. Select the Color option, click the color square, and use the Adobe Color Picker to specify the color of a custom color filter. Make sure Preview is selected to view the results of using a color filter.
Page 281 Adjusting shadows and light Adjust color and tonality using the Smart Brush tools Apply the Smart Brush tools About Levels adjustments Improve shadow and highlight detail Adjust shadows and brightness using Levels Adjust brightness and contrast in selected areas Quickly lighten or darken isolated areas Quickly saturate or desaturate isolated areas To the top Adjust color and tonality using the Smart Brush tools...
Page 282 However you cannot change the settings of an effect because the layer with the effect is a pixel layer and not an adjustment layer. There is an exciting new set of presets, now available under the Textures category for Smart Brush. Textures Option The 15 new presets help provide the following effects to your images: Enhance dull and boring backgrounds.
Page 283 1. Select the Smart Brush tool or the Detail Smart Brush tool from the toolbox. A pop-up panel opens displaying adjustment presets. 2. Select an effect from the preset drop-down in the Tools Options bar. Choose an option from the pop-up panel menu to view different sets of adjustments. For more information on configuring the pop-up panel, see About presets.
Page 284 The Levels dialog box is a powerful tonal and color-adjustment tool. You can make levels adjustments in the entire image or a selected portion. (To access the dialog box, choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels.) You can do any of the following with the Levels dialog box: Levels dialog box A.
Page 285 Before adjusting shadows and highlights (top) and after (bottom). Adjusting softens the face and reveals more detail behind sunglasses. To the top Adjust shadows and brightness using Levels 1. Do one of the following: Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. Choose Layer >...
Page 286 channel. This is the same as using the Auto Levels command and may cause a color shift in your image. To the top Adjust brightness and contrast in selected areas The Brightness/Contrast command is best used on selected portions of an image. Use this command to adjust the brightness of an entire image or to reduce contrast results in an image.
Page 287 Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail. Size Sets the size of the brush, in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box. Mode Sets whether to saturate or desaturate. Flow Sets the strength of the tool with each stroke. In Saturate mode, a higher percentage increases the saturation. In Desaturate mode, a higher percentage increases the desaturation.
Page 288: Adjustment And Fill Layers
Adjustment and fill layers About adjustment and fill layers Create adjustment layers Create fill layers Edit an adjustment or fill layer Merging adjustment layers Edit the layer masks To the top 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.
Page 289 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 Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask, and then click OK.
Page 290 Pattern Creates a layer filled with a pattern. Click the pattern, and choose a pattern from the pop-up panel. 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.
Page 291 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 with gray.
Page 292: Artistic Filters
Artistic filters Colored Pencil Cutout Dry Brush Film Grain Fresco Neon Glow Paint Daubs Palette Knife Plastic Wrap Poster Edges Rough Pastels Smudge Stick Sponge Underpainting Watercolor To the top Colored Pencil The Colored Pencil filter redraws an image using colored pencils on a solid background. This filter retains important edges and gives them a rough crosshatch appearance;...
Page 293 To the top Palette Knife The Palette Knife filter reduces detail in an image to give the effect of a thinly painted canvas that reveals the texture underneath. You can set the stroke size, stroke detail, and softness. To the top Plastic Wrap The Plastic Wrap filter renders a layer as if it were coated in shiny plastic, accentuating the surface detail.
Page 294: Blur Filters
Blur filters Average Blur and Blur More Gaussian Blur Lens Blur Motion Blur Radial Blur Smart Blur Surface Blur To the top Average The Average filter finds the average color of an image or selection, and then fills the image or selection with the color to create a smooth look. For example, if you select an area of grass, the filter changes the area into a homogeneous patch of green.
Page 295: Motion Blur
To the top Motion Blur The Motion Blur filter blurs in a particular direction (from -360º to +360º) and at a specific distance (from 1 to 999). The filter’s effect is analogous to taking a picture of a moving object with a fixed exposure time. You can set the blur angle and distance. To the top Radial Blur The Radial Blur filter simulates the blur of a zooming or rotating camera to produce a soft blur.
Page 296 Brush Stroke filters Accented Edges Angled Strokes Crosshatch Dark Strokes Ink Outlines Spatter Sprayed Strokes Sumi-e To the top Accented Edges The Accented Edges filter accentuates the edges of an image. When the edge brightness control is set to a high value, the accents resemble white chalk;...
Page 297: Creating Layers
Transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below. Layers are organized in the Layers panel. It’s a good idea to keep this panel visible whenever you’re working in Adobe® 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.
Page 298 The layer is linked to the active layer. The layer is locked. The image contains layer groups and was imported from Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer groups and displays them in their collapsed state. You must simplify them to create an editable image.
Page 299 Create and name a new blank layer Do one of the following in the Photoshop Elements: To create a layer with default name and settings, click the New Layer button in the Layers panel. The resulting layer uses Normal mode with 100% opacity, and is named according to its creation order. (To rename the new layer, double-click it and type a new name.) To create a layer and specify a name and options, choose Layer >...
Page 300 1. Select a layer in the Layers panel. 2. Choose Layer > New > Background From Layer. Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled with the background color. More Help topics About selections Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 301: Distort Filters
Distort filters Diffuse Glow Displace Apply the Displace filter Glass Liquify Ocean Ripple Pinch Polar Coordinates Ripple Shear Spherize Twirl Wave ZigZag To the top Diffuse Glow The Diffuse Glow filter renders an image as though it were viewed through a soft diffusion filter. This filter adds see-through white noise to an image, with the glow fading from the center of a selection.
Page 302 To the top Liquify The Liquify filter makes it easy to manipulate areas of an image as if those areas had been melted. You work with a preview image of the current layer, using special tools to warp, twirl, expand, contract, shift, or reflect areas of the image. You can make subtle changes to retouch an image or drastic distortions to create an artistic effect.
Page 303: Polar Coordinates
Apply the Pinch filter 1. In the Edit workspace, select an image, layer, or area. 2. Choose Distort > Pinch from the Filter menu. 3. Drag the slider to the right, into positive values, to pinch a selection inward toward its center; or to the left, into negative values, to shift a selection outward.
Page 304 Apply the Wave filter 1. In the Edit workspace, select an image, layer, or area. 2. Choose Distort > Wave from the Filter menu. 3. Select a wave type in the Type section: Sine (creates a rolling wave pattern), Triangle, or Square. 4.
Page 305: Noise Filters
Noise filters Add Noise Despeckle Dust & Scratches Median Reduce Noise To the top Add Noise The Add Noise filter applies random pixels to an image, simulating the result of shooting pictures on high-speed film. This filter can also be used to reduce banding in feathered selections or graduated fills, to give a more realistic look to heavily retouched areas, or to create a textured layer.
Page 306: Other Filters
Other filters Custom filters High Pass Maximum and Minimum Offset Plug-in filters Digimarc filter To the top Custom filters Custom filters let you design your own filter effect. With the Custom filter, you can change the brightness values of each pixel in the image according to a predefined mathematical operation known as convolution.
Page 307 You can install plug-in filters developed by non-Adobe software developers. Once installed, the plug-in filters appear at the bottom of the Filter menu unless the developer has specified another location. If you are interested in creating plug-in modules, contact Adobe Systems Developer Support.
Page 308 Patterns About patterns Use the Pattern Stamp tool Add a custom pattern to the pattern picker To the top About patterns You can paint a pattern with the Pattern stamp tool or fill a selection or layer with a pattern that you choose from the pattern libraries. Photoshop Elements has several patterns you can choose from.
Page 309 To create a pattern from part of the image, make a rectangular selection with Feather set to 0 pixels. To create a pattern from the entire image, deselect everything. 2. Choose Edit > Define Pattern From Selection. 3. Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern Name dialog box. 4.
Page 310: Pixelate Filters
Pixelate filters Color Halftone Crystalize Facet Fragment Mezzotint Mosaic Pointillize To the top Color Halftone The Color Halftone filter simulates the result of using an enlarged halftone screen on the layer. The filter divides the image into rectangles and replaces each rectangle with a circle. The circle size is proportional to the brightness of the rectangle. Apply the Color Halftone filter 1.
Page 311 Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 312 Presets and libraries About presets Use preset tool options Change the display of items in a pop-up panel menu Use the Preset Manager Rename a preset To the top About presets In the Expert mode, pop-up panels appear in the Tool Options bar and provide access to predefined libraries of brushes, color swatches, gradients, patterns, layer styles, and custom shapes.
Page 313 1. Do one of the following: To change the display of one panel, open the pop-up panel menu by clicking the menu icon in the upper-right corner of the pop-up panel. To change the display for all panels, choose Edit > Preset Manager to open the Preset Manager, and then click the More button.
Page 314 Render filters Clouds Difference Clouds Fibers Lens Flare Lighting Effects Texture Fill To the top Clouds The Clouds filter generates a soft cloud pattern using random values that vary between the foreground and the background color in the toolbar. To generate a starker cloud pattern, hold down Alt (Option in Mac OS) as you choose Filter > Render > Clouds. To the top Difference Clouds The Difference Clouds filter uses randomly generated values that vary between the foreground and background color in the toolbox to produce a...
Page 315 Note: If you choose a style that has multiple lights, you must set options for each light individually. 2 O’ Clock Spotlight Adds one yellow spotlight with medium intensity and wide focus. Blue Omni Adds a blue overhead omni light with full intensity and no focus. Circle Of Light Adds four spotlights.
Page 316 (Omni lights) To increase or decrease the size of the light, drag one of the handles defining the edges of the light. (Spotlights) To change the light angle, drag the handle at the end of the line. (Spotlights) To stretch the ellipse or rotate the light, drag one of the handles. Shift-drag to keep the angle constant and change only the size of the ellipse.
Page 317 Sketch filters Bas Relief Chalk & Charcoal Charcoal Chrome Comic Conté Crayon Graphic Novel Graphic Pen Halftone Pattern Note Paper Pen and Ink Photocopy Plaster Reticulation Stamp Torn Edges Water Paper To the top Bas Relief The Bas Relief filter transforms an image to appear carved in low relief and lit to accent the surface variations. Dark areas of the image take on the foreground color, light areas use the background color.
Page 318 blocks, for example. For a more realistic effect, change the foreground color to one of the common Conté Crayon colors (black, sepia, or sanguine) before applying this filter. For a muted effect, change the background color to white with some foreground color added to it. To the top Graphic Novel The Graphic Novel filter (Filter >...
Page 319 objects. To the top Water Paper The Water Paper filter uses blotchy daubs that appear to be painted onto fibrous, damp paper, causing the colors to flow and blend. You can set the paper’s fiber length, brightness, and contrast. Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 320: Stylize Filters
Stylize filters Diffuse Emboss Extrude Find Edges Glowing Edges Solarize Tiles Trace Contour Wind To the top Diffuse The Diffuse filter shuffles pixels in a selection to make the selection look less focused according to the option you select: Normal moves pixels randomly, ignoring color values;...
Page 321 To the top Solarize The Solarize filter blends a negative and a positive image, for a result similar to exposing a photographic print briefly to light during development. To the top Tiles The Tiles filter breaks up an image into a series of tiles, offsetting the selection from its original position. You can set the number of tiles and the offset percentage.
Page 322: Texture Filters
Texture filters Craquelure Grain Mosaic Tiles Patchwork Stained Glass Texturizer To the top Craquelure The Craquelure filter paints an image onto a high-relief plaster surface, producing a fine network of cracks that follow the contours of the image. Use this filter to create an embossing effect with images that contain a broad range of color or grayscale values. You can set the crack spacing, depth, and brightness.
Page 323: Work With Asian Type
Work with Asian type Display Asian type options Reduce spacing between Asian characters Turn on or turn off tate-chuu-yoko Turn on or turn off mojikumi To the top Display Asian type options Photoshop Elements provides several options for working with Asian type. Asian fonts are often referred to as double-byte fonts or CJK fonts, meaning Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts.
Page 324 Turn on or turn off mojikumi Mojikumi determines spacing between punctuation, symbols, numbers, and other character classes in Japanese type. When mojikumi is on, half- width spacing is applied to these characters. Mojikumi off (top), and mojikumi on (bottom) 1. If you’re working with an existing layer, select the text layer in the Layers panel and then select a type tool. 2.
Page 325 Text and shapes...
Page 326 Add text About text Add text Text on Shape Text on Selection Text on Custom Path Create and use masked type You can add text and shapes of different color, styles, and effects to an image. Use the Horizontal Type and Vertical Type tools to create and edit text.
Page 327 Select a different tool in the toolbox. Type tool options In the options bar, set the following Type tool options: Font Family Applies a font family to new or existing text. Font Style Applies font styles, such as bold, to new or existing text. Font Size Applies a font size to new or existing text.
Page 328 Click and Enter Text Modify text in the same way that you modify normal text. 4. After adding text, click Commit . For some of the shapes the text has to be written inside. You can move the text around the path or by inside/outside by holding Cmd/Ctrl while clicking and dragging the mouse (The text appears in a small arrow).
Page 329 4. After you have completed adding text, click the Commit . Cancel to start your workflow again. To the top Text on Custom Path You can draw and add text along the custom path. 1. Select the Text on Custom Path Tool .
Page 330 3. Select additional type options (See Type tool options), and enter your text. The type selection border appears in the image on the active layer. More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 331: Edit Text
Edit text Edit type in a type layer Select characters Choose a font family and style Choose a font size Change text color Apply style to text Warp type Change the orientation of a type layer To the top Edit type in a type layer After you create a text layer, you can edit the text and apply layer commands to it.
Page 332 font that approximates an alternative typeface design. 1. If you’re changing the existing text, select one or more characters whose font you want to change. To change the font of all characters in a layer, select the text layer in the Layers panel, and then use the buttons and menus in the options bar to change the font type, style, size, alignment, and color.
Page 333 To the top Warp type Warping allows you to distort type to conform to a variety of shapes; for example, you can warp type in the shape of an arc or a wave. Warping applies to all characters in a text layer—you cannot warp individual characters. Also, you can’t warp faux bold text. Text layer with warp applied 1.
Page 334 Work with Asian type Display Asian type options Reduce spacing between Asian characters Turn on or turn off tate-chuu-yoko Turn on or turn off mojikumi To the top Display Asian type options Photoshop Elements provides several options for working with Asian type. Asian fonts are often referred to as double-byte fonts or CJK fonts, meaning Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts.
Page 335 Turn on or turn off mojikumi Mojikumi determines spacing between punctuation, symbols, numbers, and other character classes in Japanese type. When mojikumi is on, half- width spacing is applied to these characters. Mojikumi off (top), and mojikumi on (bottom) 1. If you’re working with an existing layer, select the text layer in the Layers panel and then select a type tool. 2.
Page 336 Creating shapes About shapes Draw a rectangle, square, or rounded rectangle Draw a circle or ellipse Draw a multisided shape Draw a line or arrow Draw a custom shape Create multiple shapes in the same layer In Photoshop Elements, shapes are resolution-independent vector graphics (lines and curves defined by their geometric characteristics instead of pixels) that can be moved, resized, or changed without losing detail, clarity, or quality.
Page 337 Snap Snaps edges of a rectangle to the pixel boundaries. Simplify Converts the shape drawn into a raster graphic. Once converted to raster form, shrinking or expanding the shape may result in jagged edges and pixelated appearance. 3. Drag within your image to draw the shape. To the top Draw a circle or ellipse 1.
Page 338 To the top Draw a custom shape The Custom Shape tool provides many different shape options for you to draw. When you select the custom shape tool, you can access these shapes in the options bar. 1. Select the Custom Shape tool 2.
Page 339 Editing shapes Select or move a shape Transform a shape Change the color of all shapes in a layer Apply a layer style to a shape To the top Select or move a shape Use the Shape Selection tool to select shapes with one click. If you convert a shape into a bitmap element by simplifying the shape layer, the Shape Selection tool will no longer select the shape (use the Move tool instead).
Page 340 More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 341 Layers...
Page 342 Transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below. Layers are organized in the Layers panel. It’s a good idea to keep this panel visible whenever you’re working in Adobe® 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.
Page 343 The layer is linked to the active layer. The layer is locked. The image contains layer groups and was imported from Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer groups and displays them in their collapsed state. You must simplify them to create an editable image.
Page 344 Create and name a new blank layer Do one of the following in the Photoshop Elements: To create a layer with default name and settings, click the New Layer button in the Layers panel. The resulting layer uses Normal mode with 100% opacity, and is named according to its creation order. (To rename the new layer, double-click it and type a new name.) To create a layer and specify a name and options, choose Layer >...
Page 345 1. Select a layer in the Layers panel. 2. Choose Layer > New > Background From Layer. Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled with the background color. More Help topics About selections Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 346: Editing Layers
Editing layers Select a layer Show or hide a layer Resize or hide layer thumbnails Lock or unlock a layer Rename a layer Simplify a layer Delete a layer Sample color from all visible layers To the top Select a layer Any change you make to an image only affects the active layer.
Page 347: Delete A Layer
layers in the Layers panel. Note: You can’t rename the Background layer unless you change it into a normal layer. Do one of the following: Double-click the layer’s name in the Layers panel, and enter a new name. Right-click the layer and choose Rename Layer from the context menu. To the top 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...
Page 348: Copying And Arranging Layers
Copying and arranging layers Duplicate a layer within an image Duplicate one or more layers in another image Copy a layer from one image to another Move the content in a layer Change the stacking order of layers Link and unlink layers Merge layers Merge layers into another layer Flatten an image...
Page 349 the layer into view. Hold down Shift as you drag a layer to copy it to the same position it occupied in the source image (if the source and destination images have the same pixel dimensions) or to the center of the destination image (if the source and destination images have different pixel dimensions).
Page 350 2. To change the stacking order, do one of the following: Drag the layer or layers up or down the Layers panel to the new position. Choose Layer > Arrange, and then choose Bring To Front, Bring Forward, Send Backward, or Send To Back. To the top Link and unlink layers When layers are linked, you can move their contents together.
Page 351 To merge a layer with the one below, select the top layer of the pair and choose Merge Down from either the Layer menu or the Layers panel flyout 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 an adjustment layer, you can’t choose Merge Down.
Page 352: Opacity And Blending Modes
Opacity and blending modes About opacity and blending options in layers Specify the opacity of a layer Specify a blending mode for a layer Select all opaque areas in a layer Customize the transparency grid To the top About opacity and blending options in layers A layer’s opacity determines the degree to which it obscures or reveals the layer beneath it.
Page 353 To the top 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 panel, Ctrl-click (Command-click in Mac OS) the layer thumbnail: 2.
Page 354 Adjustment and fill layers About adjustment and fill layers Create adjustment layers Create fill layers Edit an adjustment or fill layer Merging adjustment layers Edit the layer masks To the top 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.
Page 355 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 Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask, and then click OK.
Page 356 Pattern Creates a layer filled with a pattern. Click the pattern, and choose a pattern from the pop-up panel. 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.
Page 357 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 with gray.
Page 358 Layer masks About layer masks Add a layer mask to an image To the top About layer masks Layer masks are resolution-dependent bitmap images that are edited with the painting or selection tools. A layer mask controls the visibility of the layer to which it is added.
Page 359: Clipping Masks
Clipping masks About layer clipping masks Create a clipping mask Remove a layer from a clipping mask Release clipping mask To the top About layer clipping masks A clipping mask 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.
Page 360 To the top Release clipping mask 1. In the Layers panel, select any layer other than the base layer in the clipping mask. 2. Choose Layer > Release Clipping Mask. More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 361: Layer Styles
Layer styles About layer styles Work with layer styles To the top About layer styles Layer styles let you quickly apply effects to an entire layer. In the Effects panel, you can view a variety of predefined layer styles and apply a style with just a click of the mouse.
Page 362 Double-click a style. Drag a style onto a layer. A style icon indicates a layer style is applied to the layer. If you don’t like the result, press Ctrl+Z (Command + Z in Mac OS) 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.
Page 363 Printing and exporting...
Page 364: Printing Overview
Photoshop Elements provides several options for printing your photos. You can have photos professionally printed by online providers through Adobe Photoshop Services, or you can print your photos with your home printer. (In Elements Organizer, you can also select a video clip for printing, but only the first frame is printed.) You can print individual photos, contact sheets (thumbnails of each selected photo), and picture...
Page 365 Note: You can select the photos in Elements Organizer and select the option Show Files From Organizer. The photos are displayed in the Photo Bin. 2. Select Create > Photo Prints. 3. Do one of the following: Click Print With Local Printer to print the photos using a printer that is configured on your computer. The Print dialog box launches.
Page 366 Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 367: Printing Photos
Printing photos Print photos using a local printer To the top Print photos using a local printer Use this option to print the photos using a printer that is configured on your computer. 1. Do one of the following: Open the photos in Photoshop Elements. Select photos in the Photo Bin ( ).
Page 368 Entire Catalog Displays all photos in your catalog. Album Displays photos from a specific album. Use the menu to select an album. Keyword Tag Displays photos with a specific tag. Use the menu to select a tag. Only Show Photos with Ratings Displays only photos marked with the Favorites tag. Also Show Hidden Photos Displays photos marked as hidden.
Page 369 Print Size You can specify the width and height in inches, centimeters, and millimeters. Select Scale To Fit Media to scale the image to fit on the page. Color Management Displays the color profile of the image. Image Space shows the color space embedded in your photo file. (The print preview in the Print dialog box is not color managed and doesn’t update as you choose a profile.) You can change the profile for printing from the following options: Color Handling You can choose to have either your printer or Photoshop Elements manage colors.
Page 370: Saving And Exporting Images
Note: PDF and PDP are the same except that PDPs are opened in Adobe Photoshop® and PDFs are opened in Acrobat. 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.
Page 371 1. In the Photoshop Elements, choose File > Save. 2. To change file-saving options, such as the filename or format, choose File > Save As, set any of the following file-saving options, and then click Save. Note: Some file formats open another dialog box with additional options. File Name Specifies the filename for the saved image.
Page 372 3. In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select a compression method. (See Understanding file compression.) 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).
Page 373 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. If you open the edited copy in the Edit workspace (from Elements Organizer), the first save opens the Save As dialog box.
Page 374 Photo projects...
Page 375: Project Basics
Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Instead, use the Move command in Elements Organizer. You can share projects in various ways. For example, you can burn a slideshow onto a CD. You can also have your projects professionally printed through Adobe Photoshop Elements Online Services. Note: Projects from previous versions of Photoshop Elements might not open in the current version.
Page 376: Making Photo Projects
Making photo projects About photo projects Setting photo project options Types of photo projects About slide shows Make a photo collage, label, CD, and DVD Jacket To the top About photo projects Photo projects include photo books, photo calendars, photo collages, greeting cards, and CD/DVD jackets and labels. The Create button, available at the upper-right corner of the Photoshop Elements window, lists the available photo projects in Photoshop Elements.
Page 377 Greeting cards let you add various layouts and designs to your images, and allows adding up to 22 photos on a page. You can print greeting cards with your home printer, save them to your hard drive, or email them. Greetings cards can also be ordered online from Adobe Photoshop Elements Online Services for some locales.
Page 378 Make a photo collage, label, CD, and DVD Jacket For a video about photo collages, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid910_pse_en. 1. In Elements Organizer, select the photos you want to use in your project. Or, if you want to add photos after creating it, open Photoshop Elements.
Page 379: Create A Greeting Card
You can also order a print online from Shutterfly, from within Photoshop Elements. Greetings cards can also be ordered online from Adobe Photoshop Elements Online Services from some regions.
Page 380: Create A Photo Book
Photo Books let you add various layouts and designs to your images. Photo books can be printed on your home printer, ordered online from Adobe Photoshop Elements Online Services, saved to your hard drive, and shared via email. You can upload your photos, create photo books, and print using Shutterfly.
Page 381: Editing Photo Projects
Photoshop Elements saves the image as a copy of the original image in the same location. Note: If the location is not writable, Photoshop Elements saves the image in %My Documents%Adobe\Photo Creations. If you relocate the images used in a photo book, missing file icons appear in the photo book instead of the images. Reimport the images by clicking the ? sign, or reconnect all the missing files in the Organize workspace.
Page 382 Edit photo project pages in Photoshop If you have Adobe® Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements installed on the same computer, you can send JPEG, GIF, and other single-page photo files to Photoshop. In Elements Organizer, choose Edit > Edit with Photoshop. Photoshop does not support the multipage PSE file format, so it cannot edit entire photo projects.
Page 383 5. Right-click the PSD file for the page you want to edit, and choose Open With > Adobe Photoshop. 6. In Photoshop, make your changes, and then choose File > Save. When Photoshop asks if you want to replace the existing file, click Yes.
Page 384: Create Photo Calendars
Create photo calendars Create photo calendars for local printing 1. In Photoshop Elements, click Create, and select Photo Calendar (or from Elements Organizer, click the Create drop-down, and select Photo Calendar). 2. Select the starting month and year. 3. Select the appropriate size and theme. Note: The Sizes panel displays options suitable for online services.
Page 385 Note: (Windows) If AutoPlay is enabled, the Windows AutoPlay dialog box opens with a list of options for getting the photos. In the Windows AutoPlay dialog box, select Organize, and Edit using Adobe Elements 11 Organizer. If Elements Organizer is not already open, the Photo Downloader dialog box opens.
Page 386 Elements Organizer views help you manage media in different ways Use Elements Organizer to manage your media. Elements Organizer enables you to find photos, video files, audio clips, and Adobe PDF documents, even if they’re imported from different sources and stored in different locations on your computer.
Page 387 To the top Find photos and video clips You can find photos and video files by date, star rating, album, folder location, filename, media type, keyword tag, metadata, or other criteria. You can also use various search options to automatically find your photos based on visual similarities and objects in them. Here are a few ways you can find photos in Elements Organizer: Albums and My Folders in the left panel Select an album or folder to view the media files stored in it.
Page 388 Guided Provides step-by-step instructions to help you achieve a range of interesting editing tasks Expert Lets you edit and enhance your photos using the complete set of powerful tools available in Photoshop Elements Fix or enhance photos in Quick mode The Quick mode offers several easy ways to fix or enhance your photos.
Page 389 Crop a photo in a few steps 4. Click the Commit icon Note: If you are not happy with your crop area selection and want to start all over again, you can click the Cancel icon . Resize a photo in Quick mode Resizing allows you to change the dimensions of a photo.
Page 390 Note: In Mac OS, you can find the Preferences option in the Adobe Elements 11 Organizer menu. 2. In Microsoft® Windows® 7 or Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, choose Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail, or Adobe Email Service. In Windows® XP, choose Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, or Adobe Email Service.
Page 391 7. Click Next. Photoshop Elements opens the message in your default email application. Share photos on Facebook Upload photos on Facebook to share with your friends. 1. In the Organizer workspace, select photos and click Share. 2. Select Facebook. 3. (First time only) Authorize Photoshop Elements to access your Facebook account. Note: If you leave the Download Facebook Friend List option selected, Photoshop Elements downloads the list of friends from your Facebook account.
Page 392: Web Graphics
Web graphics...
Page 393 To precisely optimize an image for use in web authoring applications, such as Adobe® Dreamweaver®, you can use the Save For Web command. The Save For Web dialog box lets you preview your image in different file formats and with different optimization settings.
Page 394 A small toolbox is located in the upper-left corner of the dialog box. To view different areas of an image, select the Hand tool and drag to bring those areas into view. To zoom in on an image, select the Zoom tool and click in a view; then hold down Alt, and click again to zoom out. (Alternatively, you can use the Zoom box at the bottom of the dialog box.) To create matte colors, use the Eyedropper Color tool.
Page 395 GIF image with selective color (left), and GIF image with web color (right) You can choose the number of colors in a GIF image and control how colors dither in a browser. GIF supports background transparency or background matting, by which you blend the edges of the image with a web page background color. About the PNG-8 format The PNG-8 format uses 8-bit color.
Page 396 To the top Apply a preset optimization setting You can quickly and easily optimize an image for the web by choosing a predefined optimization setting, called a preset, from the Preset menu near the upper-right corner of the Save For Web dialog box. Presets are tailored to meet the optimization needs of different types of images. The name of each preset reflects its file format and quality level.
Page 397 box, or click the arrows to change the number of colors. If the image contains fewer colors than the panel, the color table reflects the smaller number of colors in the image. 6. If you chose Restrictive (Web) for the color-reduction algorithm, you can choose Auto from the Colors menu. Choose Auto if you want Photoshop Elements to determine the optimal number of colors in the color table based on the frequency of colors in the image.
Page 398: Using Transparency And Mattes
Using transparency and mattes About transparent and matted web images Preserve background transparency in a GIF or PNG image Create a matted GIF or PNG image Create hard-edged transparency in a GIF or PNG-8 file Create a matted JPEG image To the top About transparent and matted web images Transparency makes it possible to create nonrectangular images for the web.
Page 399 pixels with a matte color, or you can create hard-edged transparency. To the top Create a matted GIF or PNG image When you know the background color of the web page on which an image will be displayed, you can use the matting feature to fill or blend transparent pixels with a matte color that matches the web page background.
Page 400 Dithering in web images About dithering Control dither in web images Preview dither To the top About dithering Most web images are created by designers using 24-bit color displays (which display over 16 million colors), although some users view web pages on computers with 8-bit color displays (which display only 256 colors).
Page 401 changing the color display. Select a browser from the Preview In menu in the Save For Web dialog box. More Help topics Legal Notices Online Privacy Policy...
Page 402: Previewing Web Images
Previewing web images Preview an optimized image in a web browser View estimated download time Preview variations in color display Preview an animation To the top Preview an optimized image in a web browser You can preview an optimized image in any web browser installed on your system. The browser preview displays the image with a caption listing the image’s file type, pixel dimensions, file size, compression specifications, and other HTML information.
Page 403 1. Set up an animated image and choose File > Save For Web. 2. To preview an animation from the Save For Web dialog box, do one of the following: To view the next frame in the animation, click the Next Frame button. To view the previous frame in the animation, click the Previous Frame button.
Page 404 Using image modes and color tables About image modes Convert an image to bitmap mode Convert a bitmap-mode image to grayscale Convert an image to indexed color Edit colors in an indexed-color table Assign transparency to a single color in an indexed-color table Use a predefined indexed-color table Save or load an indexed-color table To the top...
Page 405 changes. Note: Hidden layers are discarded and images are flattened automatically when you convert them into bitmap or indexed- color mode, because these modes do not support layers. RGB Color mode The default mode of new Photoshop Elements images and images from your digital camera. In RGB mode, the red, green, and blue components are each assigned an intensity value for every pixel—ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white).
Page 406 To the top Convert an image to indexed color Converting to indexed color reduces the number of colors in the image to a maximum of 256—the standard number of colors supported by the GIF and PNG-8 formats and many web browsers. This conversion reduces file size by deleting color information from the image. Note: To convert to indexed color, you must start with either a grayscale or an RGB image.
Page 407 mixes the pixels of the available colors to simulate the missing colors. None Does not dither colors but, instead, uses the color closest to the missing color. This tends to result in sharp transitions between shades of color in the image, creating a posterized effect. Diffusion Uses an error-diffusion method that produces a less structured dither than the Pattern option.

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