Page 1 Chapter 1: User Guide Copyright...
Page 2 The content of this guide is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems Incorpo- rated.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
..............38 Chapter 4: Using Adobe Bridge The basics of Bridge .
Page 4 Chapter 7: Selecting parts of an image Making selections ............... 102 Modifying selections .
Page 5 ........... . 288 Adobe Bridge keyboard shortcuts .
Page 6: Chapter 1: Getting Started
For more detailed instructions about installing the software and installing an upgrade, see the How To Install file on the product CD or DVD. For a list of system requirements, see the product page on the Adobe website. For details about the permitted number of computers on which you can install the software, see the license agreement included with the software.
Page 7 To view support documents From within Adobe Help Center, you can get up-to-the-minute listings of the top support issues and the most recent documents added to the support knowledgebase. Each time you start Adobe Help Center, it uses RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology to gather this information from the Adobe website and update the listings dynamically.
Page 8: Using Help
The complete documentation for using your Adobe product is available in Help, a browser-based system you can access through Adobe Help Center. Help topics are updated periodically, so you can always be sure to have the most recent information available. For details, see “To check for updates” on page 2.
Page 9 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Product Help section of Adobe Help Center A. Returns you to Help home page B. Adds bookmark for current topic C. Prints contents of right pane D. Opens Preferences dialog box E. Opens About Adobe Help Center window See also “To navigate Help”...
Page 10 To search Help topics Search using words or phrases to quickly find topics. You can search Help for one product or for all Adobe products you’ve installed. If you find a topic that you may want to view again, bookmark it for quick retrieval.
Page 11: Tips And Training
To change the view By default, Adobe Help Center opens in Full view. Full view gives you access to the Product Help, Expert Support, and More Resources sections. Switch to Compact view when you want to see only the selected Help topic and you want to keep the Help window on top of your product workspace.
Page 12: New Features
• training resources; Adobe software certification programs; and more. Visit the Adobe user forums, where users share tips, ask questions, and find out how others are getting the most • out of their software. User forums are available in English, French, German, and Japanese on the main Support page of your local Adobe website.
Page 13 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Easily select an object in a photo and extract it from its background. Just scribble or place dots on Magic Extractor the object you want to extract; then scribble or place dots on the background, and Photoshop Elements separates the object from its background.
Page 14: Chapter 2: Tutorials
1. Import and organize your photos with Adobe Bridge. Adobe Bridge is the perfect partner to Photoshop Elements. You can view, manage, and organize your photos all in one place. In Bridge, files display as thumbnails, making it easy for you to navigate to image files already on your computer.
Page 15 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 2. Edit and enhance your photos. From bad lighting to red eyes, Photoshop Elements can fix it. You edit your photos in one of the two Editor workspaces: Quick Fix or Standard Edit. Use Quick Fix for simple fixes, such as removing red-eye, reducing shadows, or adjusting color. For more control and more options, use Standard Edit.
Page 16: Tutorial 2: Edit Your Photos
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 3. Print and share your photos. Choose File > Print to bring up the Print dialog box, where you can view a preview of a photo. Then click Print to enjoy your finished image.
Page 17 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 2. Adjust the lighting. This photo is a little too dark and could use some lighting adjustments to bring out the details. To quickly and easily adjust the lighting, click the Auto button next to Smart Fix in the General Fixes palette. Photoshop Elements automatically adjusts the lighting.
Page 18 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 4. Adjust the color. To bring out the natural skin tones in the people in the photo and enhance the colors for the entire photo, choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Color For Skin Tone. Click the boy’s face (or a face in your own photo) using the eyedropper tool.
Page 19 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Use the Healing Brush tool for fixing large areas, such as a person’s entire cheek. For example, to remove the red from ruddy cheeks, hold down the Option key and click in the non-red area of the person’s face to sample color from that area.
Page 20 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 7. Add text and save your file. Select the Type tool in the toolbox, click anywhere in the photo, and type San Francisco. Drag to select all the text, and then, in the options bar, specify a font, style, size, and color. Next, to position the text on your photo, select the Move tool in the toolbox and drag the text to center it in the top third of the photo.
Page 21: Chapter 3: Photoshop Elements Workspace
Chapter 3: Photoshop Elements workspace About workspaces About the Welcome Screen When you first start Photoshop Elements, the Welcome Screen opens by default. The Welcome Screen is a conve- nient starting point, or hub, for major tasks in Photoshop Elements. Position the mouse pointer over an icon at the top of the window to see a description of the tasks that you can perform in each workspace.
Page 22 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Standard Edit workspace A. Menu bar B. Shortcuts bar C. Toolbox D. Photo bin E. Options bar F. Palettes G. Active image area H. Palette bin The Standard Edit workspace has the following components: Contains menus for performing tasks.
Page 23 About the Bridge workspace Adobe Bridge is tightly integrated with Photoshop Elements to help you view, find, manage, and organize your photos. It is optimized for quick access and retrieval of photos. You can use Bridge to view thumbnails of images...
Page 24: How Tos, Context Menus, And Shortcuts
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To exit Photoshop Elements Do one of the following: Choose File > Exit. • Click the Close button in the top right corner of the workspace. • When closing the Editor, choose whether or not to save any open files.
Page 25 Tool tips in the Editor shortcuts bar A. Click a hot tool tip to access more information in Adobe Help Center. B. Click the Help Contents button to open Adobe Help Center. Using keyboard commands and modifier keys Keyboard commands let you quickly execute commands without using a menu; modifier keys let you alter how a tool operates.
Page 26: Tools
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Tools About the toolbox You use tools in the toolbox to select, edit, and view images; some tools let you paint, draw, and type. The toolbox appears on the left side of the Standard Edit and Quick Fix workspaces. In the Standard Edit workspace, you can move the toolbox by dragging the gripper bar at the top of the box.
Page 27 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Toolbox overview Navigation and Crop tools Painting and measuring tools drawing tools Crop (C) Move (V) Brush (B) Cookie Cutter (Q) Pencil (N) Zoom (Z) Straighten (P) Impressionist Hand (H) Brush (B) Retouching tools...
Page 28 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Using tools A. Toolbox B. Active tool C. Hidden tools D. Tool name E. Tool shortcut F. Hidden tool triangle See also “Keys for selecting tools” on page 288 To set tool preferences In the Editor, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General.
Page 29: Palettes And Bins
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To set tool options The options bar appears below the shortcuts bar at the top of the Editor workspace. The options bar is context sensitive—it changes as you select different tools. Some settings in the options bar are common to several tools, and some are specific to one tool.
Page 30 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Palette menus Some commands appear in both the palette menu and the menu bar. Other commands are exclusive to palette menus. Only those palettes with a More button at the top have a menu. Click More to choose a command from the palette menu.
Page 31 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The Palette Bin A. Collapse or expand palette B. Dotted-line bar, drag up or down to adjust palette height C. Palette menu D. Scroll to view rest of palette E. Dark gray bar, click to show or hide Palette Bin or drag left or right to adjust palette width To adjust the Palette Bin, do any of the following: •...
Page 32: Viewing Images In The Editor
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To dock palettes together, drag a palette’s tab (not title bar) to the bottom of another palette. A double line appears • at the bottom of the target palette when the pointer is over the correct area. You cannot dock entire palette groups together.
Page 33 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide You can magnify or reduce your view using various methods. The window’s title bar displays the zoom percentage (unless the window is too small for the display to fit). If you want to view another area of an image, either use the window scroll bars or select the Hand tool and drag to pan over the image.
Page 34 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging the Zoom tool to magnify the view of an image Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button in the Navigator palette. • Choose View > Zoom In or View > Zoom Out.
Page 35 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Choose View > Fit On Screen. • These options scale both the zoom level and the window size to fit the available screen space. To resize the window while zooming With a zoom tool active, select Resize Windows To Fit in the options bar. The window changes size as you magnify or reduce the view of the image.
Page 36: Rulers And The Grid (Editor Only)
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To view and arrange multiple windows In Standard Edit, do one of the following: To display windows stacked and cascading from the upper left to the lower right of the screen, choose Window >...
Page 37: Undo, Redo, And Cancel
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging to create a new ruler origin To change the rulers’ settings, double-click a rule, or choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences > Units & Rulers. • For Rulers, choose a unit of measurement. For Column size, enter values for Width and Gutter. Click OK.
Page 38 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Click the Undo button or the Redo button in the shortcuts bar. • Note: If an operation can’t be undone, the command dims. To cancel an operation, hold down Command and the period key until the operation in progress stops.
Page 39 You can restore all preferences to their defaults. Press and hold Option+Command+Shift immediately after Photoshop Elements begins launching. Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements settings file. A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements. For information on a specific...
Page 40: Presets And Libraries (Editor Only)
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To redisplay disabled warning messages In certain situations, Photoshop Elements displays messages containing warnings or prompts. You can disable the display of these messages by selecting the Don’t Show Again option in the message. If you want to see the messages again, you can reset them.
Page 41 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To delete a brush, gradient, or pattern from a pop-up palette, select an item, open the pop-up palette menu and • choose the Delete command. You can also Hold down Option and click a brush or gradient.
Page 42 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Note: To replace the current set of brushes, gradients, or patterns, you can also choose Preset Manager from the pop-up palette menu and use the Preset Manager to load a different library of brushes, gradients, or patterns.
Page 43: Scratch Disks And Plug-Ins
Click Save Set, and then enter a name for the library. If you want to save the library to a folder other than the default (Applications/Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0/Presets) navigate to the new folder before saving. To rename a preset In the Preset Manager, do one of the following: Select a preset in the list, and click Rename.
Page 44 Restart Photoshop Elements for the change to take effect. About plug-in modules Plug-in modules are software programs developed by Adobe Systems and other software developers to add function- ality to Photoshop Elements. A number of importing, exporting, and special-effects plug-ins come with your program;...
Page 45: Chapter 4: Using Adobe Bridge
Provides quick access to folders. Favorites panel Note: If you have Adobe Creative Suite 2, you also have access to Version Cue and Bridge Center. For more information about these features, see Help in a Creative Suite application, such as Illustrator.
Page 46 To return to the last open application that started Bridge, choose File > Return To [Application]. • If you install an Adobe Creative Suite application or an Adobe Production Studio application, Bridge offers additional features. For more information, see the application’s Help.
Page 47 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “The Bridge work area” on page 40 To use Bridge in Compact mode Switch to Compact mode when you want to shrink the Bridge window. In Compact mode, the panels are hidden and the content area is simplified.
Page 48: Files And Folders In Bridge
You can save the current Bridge layout (that is, the work area configuration) as a workspace and reuse it later. By saving Bridge in various configurations, you can work in (and quickly switch between) different layouts of the work area. For instance, you might use one workspace to sort new photos and another to work with Adobe InDesign files.
Page 49 • • Show All Files to display all files regardless of type, even non-Adobe files that Bridge doesn’t normally display. Show Graphic Files Only to display only files in graphic file formats, such as Camera Raw, EPS, JPEG, BMP, PS, •...
Page 50 To open files in Bridge You can open files in Bridge, even files that were not made with Adobe applications. If certain file types are not opening properly, check the File Type Associations settings in Preferences. (See “To set Bridge preferences” on page 50.)
Page 51 To reorganize folders in the Favorites panel Note: If you have Adobe Creative Suite 2, you can also use Adobe Version Cue from Bridge to manage files you author. You can create and manage revisions to files kept in Version Cue projects. For more information, see Help in a Creative Suite application.
Page 52 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Keywords panel A. Keyword set B. Click to show/hide content of keyword set C. Set with one or more keywords applied D. Keyword E. Selected keyword F. Keyword applied Do any of the following: To add a keyword to files, select one or more files.
Page 53 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To label files with Bridge Labeling files with a certain color is a flexible way to mark a large number of files quickly. Using the View > Sort menu or Unfilter button, you can choose to view files according to their color label.
Page 54 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To search for files and folders with Bridge You can perform searches with Bridge. You can narrow your search by adding multiple search criteria. You can even save your search criteria as a collection, so that you can perform the same search again later.
Page 55: Managing Bridge
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To search with criteria saved as collections” on page 50 To search with criteria saved as collections If you saved search criteria, you can run that search again by using that collection.
Page 56 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “Bridge General preferences” on page 51 “Bridge Advanced preferences” on page 51 Bridge General preferences Set any of the following General preferences and click OK: Specifies the darkness of the content area in which thumbnails are shown.
Page 57: Getting The Most Out Of Version Cue
Here’s an example of how you might use Version Cue with Adobe Creative Suite: You start by creating a new project and adding a Photoshop file containing the main image for a printed piece. Then, you add art from Illustrator and text from InDesign.
Page 58: Chapter 5: Opening And Saving Files
Before you scan an image, make sure to install the scanner driver software necessary for your scanner. Scanner drivers are supported by the scanner manufacturer, not Adobe Systems Incorporated. If you have problems with scanning, make sure that you are using the latest version of the scanner driver.
Page 59: Opening Files
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide If your scanner does not have Photoshop Elements-compatible scanner driver, import the scan using the TWAIN interface. TWAIN is a cross-platform interface for acquiring images captured by certain scanners, digital cameras, and frame grabbers. You must install the TWAIN device and its software and restart your computer before you can use it to import images into Photoshop Elements.
Page 60 Portable Document Format (PDF) is a versatile file format that can represent both vector and bitmap data and can contain electronic document search and navigation features. PDF is the primary format for Adobe Acrobat. With the Import PDF dialog box, you can preview the pages and images in a multipage PDF file, then decide if you want to open them.
Page 61 To place a PDF, Adobe Illustrator, or EPS file in a new layer You can place PDF, Adobe Illustrator, or EPS files into a new layer in an image. Because the placed artwork is rasterized (bitmapped), you cannot edit text or vector data in placed artwork. The artwork is rasterized at the resolution of the file into which it is placed.
Page 62 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The placed artwork appears inside a bounding box at the center of the Photoshop Elements image. The artwork maintains its original aspect ratio; however, if the artwork is larger than the Photoshop Elements image, it is resized to fit.
Page 63 (Your scanner or digital camera may need an acquire plug-in module that supports actions.) Note: You can also batch import files from Adobe Bridge. The option is available only if files are sent from Bridge to Photoshop Elements.
Page 64 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide If you chose Folder as the destination, specify a file-naming convention and select file compatibility options for the processed files: For Rename Files, select elements from the pop-up menus or enter text into the fields to be combined into the •...
Page 65 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Batch renaming files using a combination of filenaming elements and text Do one of the following: Select the files that you want to rename. • • Select a folder in the Folders panel. The new setting will apply to all the files in the folder.
Page 66: Working With Metadata
All of this information is called metadata, and you can view and edit it in the File Info dialog box in the Editor and in Adobe Bridge. In the Editor, the File Info dialog displays camera data, caption, and copyright and authorship information that has been added to the file.
Page 67 Lets you enter information based on Associated Press categories. You can also choose text from the AP Categories menu to the right of the text fields. The Categories option appears only if Adobe Photoshop is installed. Displays read-only information about the camera and settings used to take the photo, such as make, Camera Data 1 model, shutter speed, and f-stop.
Page 68 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Depending on the selected file, the following types of metadata appear in the Bridge Metadata panel: Describes the characteristics of the file, including the size, creation date, and modification date. File Properties Displays editable metadata. You can add captions to your files as well as copyright information. IPTC...
Page 69 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Editing metadata To specify the metadata displayed in the Bridge Metadata panel Do one of the following: Choose Preferences from the Metadata panel menu. • • Choose Bridge > Preferences, and then click Metadata from the list on the left side of the dialog box.
Page 70 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Note: You must save a metadata template before you can import metadata from a template. To apply metadata templates to files in Bridge After you have saved metadata for one file, you can apply it to others.
Page 71 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To change the color mode, choose Palette Options from the Info palette menu, then choose a color mode for First Color Readout and/or Second Color Readout: Displays the grayscale values beneath the pointer. Grayscale Displays the RGB (red, green, blue) values beneath the pointer.
Page 72: Saving And Exporting Images
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Saving and exporting images About saving images After you edit an image, you need to save it or you’ll lose your work. Usually you’ll want to save an image that you are editing in the Photoshop (PSD) format to ensure that all the image data is preserved. Photoshop format doesn’t compress your image data.
Page 73 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Your image is saved as a copy in the specified directory (unless it's already in Indexed Color mode). If you are creating an animated GIF, select the Layers as Frames option. Each layer in the final file will play as a single frame in the animated GIF.
Page 74 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide “About transparent and matted web images” on page 265 “About JPEG format” on page 259 To save a file in JPEG 2000 format Choose File > Save As, and choose JPEG 2000 from the format list.
Page 75 Specify a file name and location, select options, and click Save. (See “To save changes to the current file” on page 67.) In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, select a compression method. (See “Understanding file compression” on page 73.) Choose an option from the Image Quality menu.
Page 76 Preserves multiresolution information. Photoshop Elements does not provide options for Save Image Pyramid opening multiresolution files; the image opens at the highest resolution within the file. However, Adobe InDesign ® and some image servers provide support for opening multiresolution formats.
Page 77 (See “To save a file in Photoshop PDF format” on page 70.) Note: PDF and PDP are the same except that PDPs are opened in Adobe Photoshop and PDFs are opened in Acrobat.
Page 78: Processing Camera Raw Image Files
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Understanding file compression Many image file formats compress image data to reduce file size. Lossless compression preserves all image data without removing detail; lossy compression removes image data and loses some detail. The following are commonly used compression techniques:...
Page 79 To use raw files, you need to set your camera to save files in its own raw file format. When you download the files from the camera, they have file extensions like NEF or CRW. Photoshop Elements can open raw files only from supported cameras. Visit the Adobe website to view a list of supported cameras. Camera Raw dialog box A.
Page 80 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide You can monitor the RGB values of pixels in your image as you adjust it in the Camera Raw dialog box. Position the Zoom tool, Hand tool, White Balance tool, Color Sampler tool, or Crop tool over the preview image to display the RGB values directly beneath the pointer.
Page 81 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Options in this menu set or reset color, lighting, sharpening, and noise settings to the image based on Settings another image or the camera’s default settings. Choose from the following options: Image Settings restores the settings of the current image to their values at the time you first opened the Camera •...
Page 82 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide White balance controls for camera raw A digital camera records the white balance at the time of exposure as metadata, which you can see when you open the file in the Camera Raw dialog box. This setting usually yields the correct color temperature. You can adjust it if the white balance is not quite right.
Page 83 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To adjust the white balance quickly, select the White Balance tool, and then click an area in the preview image that should be a neutral gray or white. The Temperature and Tint sliders automatically adjust to make the selected color exactly neutral (if possible).
Page 84 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Specifies which input levels are mapped to black in the final image. Moving the slider to the right increases Shadows the areas that are mapped to black. This sometimes creates the impression of increased contrast in the image. Using the Shadows slider is similar to using the Black Point slider for input levels in the Levels command.
Page 85 Click Save. Note: The Digital Negative (DNG) format is Adobe’s proposed standard format for camera raw files. DNG files are useful for archiving camera raw images because they contain the raw camera sensor data and data specifying how the image should look.
Page 86: Chapter 6: Using Layers
Chapter 6: Using Layers Creating layers Understanding layers Layers are useful because they let you add components to the image and work on them one at a time, without perma- nently changing your original image. For each layer, you can adjust color and brightness, apply special effects, reposition layer content, specify opacity and blending values, and so on.
Page 87 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About adjustment and fill layers” on page 95 “About layer clipping groups” on page 100 “To lock or unlock a layer” on page 86 “About opacity and blending options in layers” on page 93 About the Layers palette The Layers palette in the Editor (Window >...
Page 88 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The image contains layer groups and was imported from Photoshop. Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer groups and displays them in their collapsed state. You must simplify them to create an editable image. You use the buttons at the top of the palette to perform actions: Create a new layer.
Page 89 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To create and name a new blank layer Do any of the following in the Editor: To create a new layer with default name and settings, click the New Layer button at the top of the Layers •...
Page 90: Editing Layers
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To duplicate a layer within an image” on page 88 “About selections” on page 102 To convert the Background layer to a regular layer The Background layer is the bottom-most layer in an image. Other layers stack on top of the Background, which usually (but not always) contains the actual image data of a photo.
Page 91 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To select layers interactively as you use the Move tool, select Auto Select Layer in the options bar. When you select this option, the Move tool selects the topmost layer containing opaque pixels under the pointer.
Page 92 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About the Layers palette” on page 82 To rename a layer As you add layers to an image, it’s helpful to rename layers according to their content. Use descriptive layer names so that you can easily identify layers in the Layers palette.
Page 93: Copying And Arranging Layers
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “Understanding layers” on page 81 “To create and name a new blank layer” on page 84 To sample color from all visible layers By default, when you work with certain tools, the color you apply is sampled only from the active layer. With this default behavior, you can smudge or sample in a single layer even when other layers are visible, and you can sample from one layer and paint in another one.
Page 94 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide In the source document’s Layers palette, select the name of the layer or layers you want to duplicate. To select more than one layer, hold down the Command key and click each layer’s name.
Page 95 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging the bamboo layer to another image See also “Understanding layers” on page 81 “About image size and resolution” on page 158 To move the content in a layer Layers are like stacked images on panes of glass. You can slide a layer in a stack to change what portion of its content is visible in relation to the layers above and below.
Page 96 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging a layer below another layer changes the stacking order In the Layers palette, select one or more layers. To select more than one layer, hold down the Command key and click each layer.
Page 97 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To merge layers Layers can greatly increase the file size of an image. Merging layers in an image reduces file size. You should merge the layers only after you have finished manipulating them to create the image you want.
Page 98: Opacity And Blending Modes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “Understanding layers” on page 81 “Merging adjustment layers” on page 98 To flatten an image When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements merges all visible layers into the background, greatly reducing the file size.
Page 99 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Blending layers A. Bamboo layer and Borders layer B. Bamboo layer with 100% opacity and Color Burn mode C. Bamboo layer with 50% opacity and Color Burn mode See also “Understanding layers” on page 81 “About blending modes”...
Page 100: Adjustment And Fill Layers
Grid Colors menu and select a color from the Color Picker. See also “About the Layers palette” on page 82 “To use the Adobe Color Picker” on page 223 Adjustment and fill layers About adjustment and fill layers Adjustment layers let you experiment with color and make tonal adjustments without permanently modifying the pixels in an image.
Page 101 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Adjustment and fill layers have the same opacity and blending mode options as image layers, and you can move and reposition them just as you do image layers. By default, adjustment and fill layers are named for their type (for instance, Solid Color fill layer;...
Page 102 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Original image, and image with Hue/Saturation adjustment applied. Only the layers under the adjustment layer are affected. Corrects tonal values in the image. Levels Lightens or darkens the image. Brightness/Contrast Adjusts colors in the image.
Page 103 Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > [fill type]. In the New Layer dialog box that appears, click OK. • Creates a layer filled with a solid color chosen from the Adobe Color Picker. Solid Color Creates a layer filled with a gradient. You can choose a predefined gradient from the Gradient menu. To Gradient edit the gradient in the Gradient Editor, click the color gradient.
Page 104 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To edit the layer masks A layer mask prevents sections of a layer, or an entire layer, from being visible. You use the mask to show or hide sections of an image or an effect. When the layer mask (right thumbnail) attached to an adjustment layer is completely white, the adjustment effect is applied to all underlying layers.
Page 105: Layer Groups
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Layer groups About layer clipping groups A clipping group is a group of layers to which a mask is applied. The bottommost layer, or base layer, defines the visible boundaries of the entire group. For example, you might have a shape on the base layer, a photograph on the layer above it, and text on the topmost layer.
Page 106 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To link and unlink layers” on page 91 To remove a layer from a clipping group Ungrouping the base layer from the layer above it ungroups all layers in the clipping group.
Page 107: Chapter 7: Selecting Parts Of An Image
Chapter 7: Selecting parts of an image Making selections About selections A selection defines the editable area in a photo (for example, you might want to lighten one part of a photo without affecting the rest). You can make a selection with either a selection tool or a selection command. A selection border, which you can hide, surrounds the selection.
Page 108 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide About the selection tools The selection tools are located in the toolbox, by default positioned on the left side of your screen. Rectangular Marquee tool Draws Elliptical Marquee tool Draws round or Lasso tool Draws freehand selection square or rectangular selection borders.
Page 109 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide From the Mode pop-up menu, choose Normal to visually set the size and proportions of the selection border; • Fixed Aspect Ratio to set a width-to-height ratio for the selection border; or Fixed Size to specify the marquee’s height and width.
Page 110 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide (Optional) Set Polygonal Lasso tool options in the options bar located above your image: Specify whether to create a new selection, add to an existing selection, subtract from a selection, or select an area •...
Page 111 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 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 112 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To use the Magic Selection Brush tool The Magic Selection Brush tool makes a selection based on color and texture similarity when you draw, scribble, or click the area you want to select. The mark you make doesn’t need to be precise, because when you release the mouse, Photoshop Elements draws the selection border.
Page 113 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Selection Brush tool options A. Magic Selection Brush tool B. Selection Brush tool C. Add to selection D. Subtract from selection E. Brush preset pop-up palette F. Brush size In the Editor, select the Selection Brush tool from the toolbox.
Page 114 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Using the Magic Extractor A. Area you want to extract marked with red dots B. Background marked with blue dots C. Extracted image In the Editor, open the photo containing the object you want to extract.
Page 115 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To specify preview settings, do any of the following: To change what is displayed in the preview area, choose either Selection Area or Original Photo from the Display • menu. Or press x on your keyboard to toggle back and forth between the two views.
Page 116: Modifying Selections
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To reselect the most recent selection, choose Select > Reselect. • To show or hide selection borders, choose View > Selection. Note: You can also deselect by clicking anywhere in the photo outside the selected area. However, you might accidentally make further selections if you’re using a selection tool that selects based on clicking, such as the Magic Wand tool.
Page 117 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To select an area that intersects an existing selection You can limit the area a selection affects. For example, in a picture of snow-capped mountains, you can select white clouds in the sky without selecting parts of the white mountain below them by selecting the entire sky, and then using the Magic Wand tool with Intersect With Selection selected and Contiguous deselected to select only the white areas included within the existing sky selection.
Page 118 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Using the Border command to create a 4 pixel border selection (top). Copying the selection to a new layer and filling to make an outline of image (center). Filling the selection on original image to create an outline around the image (bottom).
Page 119 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To defringe a selection When you move or paste a selection, some of the pixels surrounding the selection border are included with the selection. These extra pixels can result in a fringe or halo around the edges of the selection. The Defringe Layer command replaces the color of any fringe pixels with the colors of nearby pixels containing pure colors (those without background color).
Page 120: Smoothing Selection Edges With Anti-Aliasing And Feathering
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Smoothing selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering To smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by anti-aliasing or feathering. Anti-aliasing smooths the jagged edges of a selection by softening the color transition between edge pixels and background pixels.
Page 121: Moving And Copying Selections
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Choose Select > Feather. Type a value between 2 and 250 in the Feather Radius text box, and click OK. The feather radius defines the width of the feathered edge. Moving and copying selections...
Page 122 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Selections that you cut or copy are stored on the Clipboard. Only one selection is stored on the Clipboard at a time. When you exit Photoshop Elements, anything in the Clipboard is lost unless Export Clipboard is selected in the General Preferences.
Page 123: Saving Selections
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Copying a selection from one image to another A. Part of original photo selected B. Photo to copy and paste into original C. Resulting image In the Editor, use the Copy command to copy the part of the photo you want to paste. (You can even copy from photos in other applications.)
Page 124 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Saving selection (top), loading selection (center), and using the selection to fill with a solid color (bottom) In the Editor, make a selection in your photo. Choose Select > Save Selection. In the Save Selection dialog box, choose New from the Selection pop-up menu.
Page 125 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Replaces the saved selection with the intersection between the current selection and the Intersect With Selection saved selection. You can also modify a saved selection by loading it and using selection tools to add to it (Shift-drag) or subtract from it (Option-drag).
Page 126: Chapter 8: Correcting And Understanding Color
Chapter 8: Correcting and understanding color Color correction basics Color correction overview Photoshop Elements provides several tools and commands for fixing the tonal range, color, and sharpness in your photos, and for removing dust spots or other defects. You can work in one of three workspaces, depending on your experience and needs.
Page 127 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Using the Auto Contrast adjustment in Quick Fix to instantly fix the photo With a photo open in Standard Edit, click the Quick Fix button. Any photos that you have stored in the Photo Bin are accessible while you are in Quick Fix.
Page 128 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Set any of the image fixing options on the right side of the window. Click the Reset button if you don’t get the result you are looking for, and then try the other controls.
Page 129 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Makes colors more vivid or more muted. Saturation Shifts all colors in an image. This control is best used in small amounts or with selected objects whose color you want to change. Makes colors warmer (red) or cooler (blue). Use this control to enhance sunsets or skin tones, or when Temperature the color balance set by your camera is off.
Page 130 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Standard Edit 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 in the Editor. C. The Palette Bin holds palettes that you use to transform and enhance photos.
Page 131 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 4. Resize your image, if necessary Resize your image to the size that you need if you are going to use it in another application or project. If you are going to print the image, you generally don’t need to resize it. (See “About image size and resolution” on page 158.) 5.
Page 132 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Adjusts the contrast and color by identifying shadows, midtones, and highlights in the image, Auto Color Correction rather than in individual color channels. It neutralizes the midtones and clips the white and black pixels using a default set of values.
Page 133 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide How to read a histogram A. Overexposed photo B. Properly exposed photo with full tonality C. Underexposed photo See also “About camera raw image files” on page 73 “Using the histogram and RGB values in camera raw” on page 76 To view a histogram If the Histogram palette is not open in the Editor or the Palette Bin, choose Window >...
Page 134: Adjusting Shadows And Light
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Grayscale images have a single channel option: Gray. To view the following statistical information about a range of values, drag and hold in the histogram to highlight the range, or to view information about a specific area on the histogram, place the pointer over the area: Represents the average intensity value.
Page 135 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide When you work with Levels, you can work directly on the image pixels or through an adjustment layer. Adjustment layers give you flexibility in the following ways: • You can modify an adjustment at any time by double-clicking the adjustment layer to reopen the Levels dialog box.
Page 136 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Before adjusting shadows and highlights (top) and after (bottom). Adjusting softens the face and reveals more detail behind sunglasses. See also “To remove a color cast automatically” on page 135 “To correct color in Quick Fix” on page 121...
Page 137 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging the highlight slider to the left lightens the photo. Option-drag the Shadow slider to see which areas will be clipped to black (level 0). Option-drag the Highlight slider to see which areas will be clipped to white (level 255). Colored areas show clipping in individual channels.
Page 138 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast to make adjustments on a layer. • Drag the sliders to adjust the brightness and contrast. Dragging to the left decreases the level; dragging to the right increases it. The number at the right of each slider displays the brightness or contrast value.
Page 139: Correcting Color Casts
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “Adjusting saturation and hue” on page 136 Correcting color casts To 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 140 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide If you are adjusting the color of midtones, shadows, or highlights, do either of the following: To add a color to the image, click the corresponding Increase color thumbnail. • To subtract a color, click the corresponding Decrease color thumbnail.
Page 141: Adjusting Color Saturation And Hue
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To remove a color cast using Levels This technique requires color correction experience and some knowledge of the RGB color wheel. Do one of the following in the Editor: Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels.
Page 142 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Use the Saturation slider to make colors more vivid or more muted. A good use of this adjustment would be to add a color punch to a landscape by adding saturation to all the colors, or to tone down a distracting color, like a vivid red sweater in a portrait.
Page 143 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To modify the range of Hue/Saturation sliders” on page 138 “Color wheel” on page 144 To modify the range of Hue/Saturation sliders Do one of the following in the Editor: • Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation.
Page 144 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Original (top) and after adjusting for skin tone (bottom) Open the photo in the Editor, and select the layer that needs correction. Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Color For Skin Tone. When the Adjust Skin Tone dialog box appears, click an area of skin.
Page 145 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Increasing saturation by scrubbing with the Sponge tool In the Editor, select the Sponge tool Set tool options in the options bar: Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from Brushes pop-up menu the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Page 146: Setting Press Target Values
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To add color to a grayscale image You can colorize an entire grayscale image, or select areas to colorize with different colors. For example, you could select a person’s hair and color it brown, and then add pink to their cheeks after making another selection.
Page 147 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide You can set target values in two ways: Using the Output sliders in the Levels dialog box is the most straightforward way; however the Output slider • doesn’t work if you have specular highlights in the image that need to remain as pure white. Specular white has no detail, and so no ink is printed on the paper.
Page 148: Understanding Color
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide In the image, click the highlight area that you identified. If you accidentally click the wrong highlight, click Reset and try again. The pixel values throughout the image are adjusted proportionately to the new highlight values. Any pixels lighter than the area you clicked become specular white.
Page 149 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide HSB view in the Adobe Color Picker A. Saturation B. Hue C. Brightness RGB model A large percentage of the visible spectrum can be represented by mixing red, green, and blue (RGB) light in various proportions and intensities.
Page 150: Using Image Modes And Color Tables
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 0/360 Color wheel. A. Magenta B. Red C. Yellow D. Green E. Cyan F. Blue Using image modes and color tables About image modes An image mode determines the number of colors that can be displayed in an image and can also affect the file size of the image.
Page 151 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Uses up to 256 shades of gray. Grayscale images are 8-bit images. Every pixel of a grayscale image Grayscale mode has a brightness value ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white). Grayscale values can also be measured as percentages of black ink coverage (0% is equal to white, 100% to black).
Page 152 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Converts an image by using an error-diffusion process, starting at the pixel in the upper left corner Diffusion Dither of the image. If the pixel’s value is above middle gray (128), the pixel is changed to white—if it’s below middle gray, it’s changed to black.
Page 153 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide • System (Windows) Uses the Windows system’s default 8-bit palette, which is based on a uniform sampling of RGB colors. Uses the 216 colors that web browsers, regardless of platform, use to display images on a monitor limited to •...
Page 154 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Specifies whether to use a dither pattern or not. Unless you’re using the Exact color table option, the color Dither table may not contain all the colors used in the image. To simulate colors not in the color table, you can dither the colors.
Page 155: Setting Up Color Management
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Displays a palette based on 256 levels of gray—from black to white. Grayscale Displays a palette based on the colors produced as white light passes through a prism—from violet, blue, Spectrum and green to yellow, orange, and red.
Page 156 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Managing color with profiles A. Profiles describe the color spaces of the input device and the document. B. Using the profiles’ descriptions, the color management system identifies the document’s actual colors. C. The monitor’s profile tells the color managements system how to translate the numeric values to the monitor’s color space.
Page 157 Uses AdobeRGB as the working space, preserves embedded profiles, and assigns Always Optimize For Printing Adobe RGB when opening untagged files. Lets you choose sRGB (the default) or AdobeRGB when opening untagged files. Allow Me To Choose Click OK.
Page 158: Chapter 9: Cropping And Resizing Photos
Chapter 9: Cropping and resizing photos Cropping To crop an image The Crop tool removes the part of an image surrounding the crop marquee, or selection. Cropping is useful when you want to remove distracting background elements and focus in on the target of your photo. By default, when you crop a photo, the resolution remains the same as the original photo.
Page 159 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To resize the marquee, drag a handle. (If you choose No Restriction from the Aspect Ratio menu, you can • constrain the proportions while scaling by holding down Shift as you drag a corner handle.) To rotate the marquee, position the pointer outside the bounding box (the pointer turns into a curved arrow •...
Page 160 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Use the Cookie Cutter tool to clip a photo into a fun shape. In the Editor, select the Cookie Cutter tool Click the Shapes menu on the options bar to view a library of shapes from which to choose. To view other libraries, click the triangle on the right side of the currently open library and choose a new library from the list that appears.
Page 161 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Increasing the size of the canvas makes room for a colored border. In the Editor, choose Image > Resize > Canvas Size. Do one of the following: In the Width and Height boxes, enter the full dimensions of the new canvas in the Width and Height boxes.
Page 162 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Crops the image to remove any blank background areas that become visible after Crop To Remove Background straightening. Some pixels will be clipped. Keeps the canvas the same size as the original image. The straightened image will include areas Crop To Original Size of blank background and some pixels will be clipped.
Page 163: Image Size And Resolution
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 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. Image size and resolution 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...
Page 164 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Printer resolution is different from, but related to image resolution. To print a high quality photo on an inkjet printer, an image resolution of about 220 ppi should provide good results. Using a lower resolution you can print a slightly larger photo—if you are willing to accept some image degradation.
Page 165 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Note: If you want to change only the print dimensions or the resolution and adjust the total number of pixels in the image proportionately, you must resample the image. (See “To resample an image” on page 160.) In the Editor, choose Image >...
Page 166 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Resampling an image A. Image resampled down B. Original image C. Image resampled up To avoid the need for resampling up, scan or create the image at the resolution required for your printer or output device.
Page 167 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To maintain the current proportions of pixel width to pixel height, select Constrain Proportions. This option automatically updates the width as you change the height, and vice versa. In Pixel Dimensions, enter values for Width and Height. To enter values as percentages of the current dimensions, choose Percent as the unit of measurement.
Page 168: Chapter 10: Retouching And Transforming
Chapter 10: Retouching and transforming Retouching To remove red eye The Red Eye Removal tool removes red eye in flash photos of people. Red eye is caused by a reflection of the subject’s retina by the camera’s flash. You’ll see it more often when taking pictures in a darkened room because the subject’s iris is wide open.
Page 169 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Easily remove spots or imperfections using the Spot Healing Brush tool. In the Editor, select the Spot Healing Brush tool 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.
Page 170 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Sets the source to use for repairing pixels. Sampled uses pixels from the current image. Pattern uses pixels Source from the pattern you specify in the Pattern palette. Samples pixels continuously without losing the current sampling point, even if you release the mouse Aligned button.
Page 171 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Original photos (top), after adding two starfish with the Clone Stamp tool (center), and after removing a person with the Clone Stamp tool (bottom) In the Editor, select the Clone Stamp tool (Optional) Set options in the options bar: Sets the brush tip.
Page 172 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About blending modes” on page 217 To replace colors in an image The Color Replacement tool simplifies replacing specific colors in your image. You can paint over a targeted color— for example, a yellow flower in an image—with a different color, like red. You can also use the Color Replacement tool to correct colors.
Page 173 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Drag in the image to replace the targeted color. See also “To adjust the color of skin tone” on page 138 To sharpen areas of an image The Sharpen tool focuses soft edges in a photo to increase clarity or focus. Over-sharpening a photo gives it a grainy look.
Page 174: Transforming
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To blur or soften edges The Blur tool softens hard edges or areas in an image to reduce detail. Blurring a busy background can bring the target of your image more into focus. You can also use Blur filters for this purpose.
Page 175 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Flip the photo, layer, or selection horizontally. Flip Horizontal, Flip Layer Horizontal, and Flip Selection Horizontal Flip the photo, layer, or selection vertically. Flip Vertical, Flip Layer Vertical, and Flip Selection Vertical Rotating an image A.
Page 176 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Using the Free Rotate Layer command to straighten image and clicking the Commit button to apply the rotation. In the Editor, select the layer or selection you want to rotate. Choose Image > Rotate > Free Rotate Layer or Selection. A bounding box appears in the image.
Page 177 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Note: If you select a photo 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 178 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To freely transform an item” on page 173 To apply perspective to an item Applying perspective creates the appearance of objects existing in three dimensions. Original image (left), and image after perspective applied (right) In the Editor, select the item you want to transform.
Page 179 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Do one or more of the following to transform the object: To scale, drag any handle on the bounding box. To scale the width and height proportionally, either press Shift as • you drag a corner handle, or click the Maintain Aspect Ratio button in the options bar and then drag a corner handle.
Page 180 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 3D Transform filter A. Image of 2D label B. Cylinder wireframe in 3D Transform preview C. Tilting the bottle by using the Trackball tool with the Display Background option deselected D. Completed image with the Lens Flare effect applied and background changed to white To transform an item in three dimensions In the Editor, select the photo, layer, or selection you want to transform.
Page 181 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To move or reshape the wireframe, do any of the following: To move the entire frame, choose the Selection tool in the 3D Transform dialog box and drag an edge of the • wireframe.
Page 182: Chapter 11: Using Filters, Effects, And Styles
Chapter 11: Using filters, effects, and styles Filters, effects, and layer styles About filters, effects, and layer styles Filters let you change the look of your images, for instance giving them the appearance of impressionistic paintings or mosaic tiles, or adding unique lighting or distortions. In addition to filters, Photoshop Elements also provides a variety of effects—such as shadows, glows, bevels, overlays, and strokes—that let you quickly change the appearance of a layer’s contents.
Page 183: Layer Styles And Effects
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Styles And Effects palette A. Category menu B. Palette menu C. Library menu D. Selected thumbnail Do one of the following: To view the visual effects by their names, choose List View from the More pop-up menu at the top of the palette.
Page 184 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Three different layer styles applied to text The boundaries of the effect are automatically updated when you edit that layer. For example, if you apply a drop shadow style to a text layer, the shadow changes automatically when you edit the text.
Page 185 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Click a style in the Styles And Effects palette. An “f ” icon indicates a layer style is applied to the layer. If you don’t like the result, click the Step Backward button in the shortcuts bar to remove the style.
Page 186 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To preview the changes in your image, select Preview. Adjust one or more of the layer style settings, and click OK. If a setting is dimmed, it is not available for the effect you are using.
Page 187: About Effects
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To apply a layer style” on page 179 “To hide or show all layer styles in an image” on page 180 “To edit a layer’s style settings” on page 180 About effects The Effects in the Styles And Effects palette lets you quickly create different looks for your images.
Page 188: Filters
Filters let you change the look of your images—for instance, by applying mosaic tile, lighting, and three-dimensional effects. You can also use some filters to clean up or retouch your photos. In addition to the filters provided by Adobe, some third-party filters are available as well. Once installed, these filters appear at the bottom of the Filter lists.
Page 189 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Filters can radically change the mood of a photo or image. You can apply filters in any of three ways: Contains all of the available filters and lets you apply filters individually. Filter menu Displays thumbnail examples of what each filter does, like the palette does.
Page 190 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Tips for creating visual effects with filters Use the following techniques to create special visual results with filters: Feature the filter edges. If you’re applying a filter to a selected area, you can soften the edges of the filter effect by •...
Page 191 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Click the zoom bar (where the zoom percentage appears) to choose a zoom percentage. • Drag in the preview window to center a specific area of the image in the window. • Click the Show/Hide button at the top of the dialog box to hide the filter thumbnails.
Page 192 Let you create your own filter effects, modify masks, offset a selection within an image, and make quick Other filters color adjustments. Represent filters developed by non-Adobe software developers. Plug-in filters Lets you read a Digimarc watermark. Digimarc filter See also “About filters”...
Page 193 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide However, not all filters are available from the Filter Gallery. Some are available only as individual commands from the Filter menu or from the Styles And Effects palette. Also, you cannot apply effects and layer styles from the Filter Gallery, as you can from the Styles And Effects palette.
Page 194: Adjustment Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Adjustment filters Equalize 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. When you apply this command, Photoshop Elements finds the brightest and darkest values in the composite image and remaps them so that the brightest value represents white and the darkest value represents black.
Page 195 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Specify the gradient fill you want to use: To choose from a list of gradient fills, click the triangle to the right of the gradient fill displayed in the Gradient • Map dialog box. Click to select the desired gradient fill, and then click in a blank area of the dialog box to dismiss the list.
Page 196 For example, the Underwater color simulates the greenish-blue color cast caused when photographing underwater. Alternately, select the Color option, click the color square, and use the Adobe Color Picker to specify a color for a custom color filter. You can click the New Swatch button to save your custom color in Color Swatches for future use.
Page 197 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To adjust the amount of color applied to the image, use the Density slider or enter a percentage in the Density text box. A higher Density applies a stronger color adjustment. Click OK. See also “About filters”...
Page 198: Artistic Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Do one of the following: Choose Filter > Adjustments > Threshold. • Create a new Threshold adjustment layer, or open an existing Threshold adjustment layer. • The Threshold dialog box displays a histogram of the luminance levels of the pixels in the current selection.
Page 199 To select a glow color, click the Glow Color box, and select a color in the Adobe Color Picker.
Page 200: Blur Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Sponge The Sponge filter paints a layer with highly textured areas of contrasting color. You can set the brush size, image definition, and edge smoothness. Underpainting The Underpainting filter paints a layer as if it were on a textured background. You can set the brush size, texture coverage area, and texture options.
Page 201: Gaussian Blur
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Blurring the background of a photo Gaussian Blur The Gaussian Blur filter quickly blurs a selection by an adjustable amount. Gaussian refers to the bell-shaped curve that Photoshop Elements generates when it applies a weighted average to the pixels. The Gaussian Blur filter adds low-frequency detail and can produce a hazy effect.
Page 202: Brush Stroke Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Brush Stroke filters 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; when set to a low value, the accents resemble black ink. You can set the edge width, edge brightness, and smoothness.
Page 203: Distort Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Distort filters Diffuse Glow The Diffuse Glow filter renders an image as though it were viewed through a soft diffusion filter. The filter adds see- through white noise to an image, with the glow fading from the center of a selection.
Page 204 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide 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, and reflect areas of the image.
Page 205: Polar Coordinates
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide (Optional) To revert to a previous state, do one of the following: Select the reconstruct tool , and hold down the mouse button or drag over the distorted areas. The restoration • occurs more quickly at the brush center. Shift-click to reconstruct in a straight line between the current point and the previous point that you clicked.
Page 206 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To define a distortion curve, do one of the following in the Shear dialog box: Click anywhere on either side of the vertical line. • Click on the vertical line, and then drag the new curve point.
Page 207 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To set the number of wave generators, drag the slider or enter a number between 1 and 999. Drag the minimum and maximum Wavelength sliders to set the distance from one wave crest to the next. Set both sliders to the same value to create a consistent pattern of wave crests.
Page 208: Noise Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Noise filters 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 209: Pixelate Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Pixelate filters 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.
Page 210: Render Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Pointillize The Pointillize filter redraws a layer as randomly placed dots, as in a pointillist painting, and uses the background color in the toolbox as a canvas area between the dots. You can set the cell size.
Page 211 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To apply the Lighting Effects filter In the Editor, select an image, layer, or area. Choose Render > Lighting Effects from the Styles And Effects palette, or Filter menu. Specify options as desired and click OK.
Page 212 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide • Specifies the width of the beam of light. Focus Displays the Color Picker so you can change the color of the light. Click this white box to use it. • Color box Contains these options for the image you’re shining the light on: Properties Determines how much the surface reflects light, from Matte (low reflectance) to Shiny (high reflectance).
Page 213: Sharpen Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Sharpen filters Sharpen and Sharpen More The Sharpen and Sharpen More filters increase clarity. Adds moderate focus to a selection and improves its clarity. Sharpen Adds stronger focus to a selection and improves its clarity. This filter applies a stronger sharpening Sharpen More effect than the Sharpen filter.
Page 214: Sketch Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Specifies the number of pixels to sharpen around edges. For high-resolution images, a radius between 1 and Radius 2 is usually recommended. A lower value sharpens only the edge pixels, whereas a higher value sharpens a wider band of pixels.
Page 215: Halftone Pattern
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Graphic Pen The Graphic Pen filter uses fine, linear ink strokes to capture the details in the original image and is especially striking with scanned images. The filter replaces color in the original image, using the foreground color for ink and background color for paper.
Page 216: Stylize Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Stylize filters 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; Darken Only replaces light pixels with darker pixels;...
Page 217: Texture Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Glowing Edges The Glowing Edges filter identifies the edges of color and adds a neon-like glow to them. You can set the edge width, brightness, and smoothness. 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.
Page 218: Video Filters
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Patchwork The Patchwork filter breaks up an image into squares filled with the predominant color in different areas of the image. The filter randomly reduces or increases the tile depth to replicate the highlights and shadows. You can set the square size and relief.
Page 219 “About filters” on page 183 Plug-in filters 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. For previews to appear in the Styles And Effects palette, plug-in filters must be specially designed for Photoshop Elements.
Page 220 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About filters” on page 183 “To apply a filter” on page 185 “About plug-in modules” on page 39 Digimarc filter Photoshop Elements automatically scans opened images for Digimarc watermarks. If a watermark is detected, the ®...
Page 221: Chapter 12: Painting
Chapter 12: Painting Painting overview About painting The Standard Edit workspace in Photoshop Elements provides a variety of tools for applying and editing color. When you select a painting tool, the option bar displays a variety of preset brush tips and settings for brush size, paint blending, opacity, and airbrush effects.
Page 222 D. Background color box You can change the foreground or background color in the toolbox by using the eyedropper, the Color Swatches palette, or the Adobe Color Picker. See also “To choose a color from the toolbox” on page 221 “To choose a color with the Eyedropper tool”...
Page 223 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide You can choose any of the following blending modes from the Mode menu in the options bar: Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. This is the default mode. (Normal mode is called Normal Threshold when you’re working with an image in Bitmap or Indexed Color mode.)
Page 224 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide highlights to an image. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened. This is useful for adding shadows to an image. Painting with pure black or white results in pure black or white.
Page 225: Choosing Colors
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.
Page 226 Creating libraries can help you group related or special swatches and manage palette size. The Adobe Photoshop Elements/Presets/Color Swatches folder contains the various swatch libraries. When you create custom libraries, saving them to the Color Swatches folder makes them automatically appear in the palette libraries pop-up menu.
Page 227 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide “To save and use custom swatch libraries” on page 223 “About the Preset Manager” on page 37 To choose a color using the Color Swatches palette If the Color Swatches palette is not already open in the Editor, choose Window > Color Swatches.
Page 228 To 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...
Page 229 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Adobe Color Picker A. Adjusted color B. Original color C. HSB color values D. RGB color values E. Hexadecimal color value F. Displays only web colors G. Color field H. Color slider Click the foreground or background color boxes in the toolbox to display the Color Picker.
Page 230: Painting Tools
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Painting tools To use the Brush tool The Brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of color. You can use it to simulate airbrush techniques. (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Impressionist Brush...
Page 231 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide You can specify any of the following Pencil tool options: Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from Brushes pop-up menu the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Page 232 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image. (See “About blending Mode modes” on page 217.) Sets the opacity of the paint you apply. A low opacity setting allows pixels under a paint stroke to show Opacity through.
Page 233 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Smears the foreground color at the beginning of each stroke. If this option is deselected, the smudge Finger Painting tool uses the color under the pointer at the beginning of each stroke. See also “Understanding layers”...
Page 234 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Original image (left) and after erasing the clouds (right) In the Layers palette, 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.
Page 235 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide “About the Layers palette” on page 82 “To smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing” on page 115 To use the Background Eraser tool The Background Eraser tool turns color pixels to transparent pixels so that you can easily remove an object from its background.
Page 236: Setting Up Brushes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Setting up brushes About brush options You can simulate actual brush strokes by setting the rates at which the brush tool strokes fade out. You can specify which options dynamically change over the course of a brush stroke including scattering, size, and color. The brush thumbnail in the options bar reflects the brush changes as you adjust the brush dynamics options.
Page 237 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Controls the size of the brush’s hard center. Type a number, or use the slider to enter a value that’s a Hardness percentage of the brush diameter. Brush strokes with different hardness values Brush scattering determines how brush marks are distributed in a stroke. A low value produces a denser Scatter stroke with less paint scattering, and higher values increase the scattering area.
Page 238 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About blending modes” on page 217 To add a new brush to the brush library Select the Brush tool Click the arrow next to the brush sample to display the pop-up palette in the options bar; choose a category from the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush to modify in the brush list.
Page 239 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Creating a custom brush of a dog. When you paint with this brush, you paint on dogs. Do one of the following: To use part of the image as a custom brush, select part of an image.
Page 240: Fills And Strokes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Fills and strokes To 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.
Page 241 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Set options in the Fill dialog box, and then click OK. Choose a color from the Use menu. To select a different color, choose Color and then select a color from Contents the Color Picker. Choose Pattern to fill with a pattern.
Page 242: Patterns
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Patterns 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 243 “About selections” on page 102 To use a preset pattern from the PostScript Patterns folder Each preset file in the PostScript Patterns folder contains a single pattern in the Adobe Illustrator format. You can scale these patterns at any resolution.
Page 244: Gradients
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Gradients About gradients You fill an area with a gradient by dragging in the image or in a selection with the Gradient tool. The distance between the starting point (where you press and hold the mouse button) and ending point (where you release the mouse button) affects the gradient appearance, as does the gradient type.
Page 245 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To apply a gradient To fill part of the image, select the area with one of the selection tools. Otherwise, the gradient fill is applied to the entire active layer. Select the Gradient tool In the options bar, click the desired gradient type.
Page 246 Click OK. The newly created gradient is selected and ready to use. See also “To use the Adobe Color Picker” on page 223 To specify gradient transparency Each gradient fill contains settings (opacity stops) that control the opacity of the fill at different locations on the gradient.
Page 247 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To adjust the location of the starting or ending opacity, do one of the following: Drag the corresponding opacity stop to the left or right. • Select the corresponding opacity stop, and enter a value for Location.
Page 248: Chapter 13: Adding Text And Shapes
Chapter 13: Adding text and shapes Adding and editing text About text In the Editor, you use the Horizontal Type and Vertical Type tools to create and edit text. The new text you type is entered on a new type layer. You can create single-line text or paragraph text. Each line of single line text you enter is independent—the length of a line grows or shrinks as you edit it, but it doesn’t wrap to the next line.
Page 249 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide (Optional) Select type options, such as font, style, size, and color, in the options bar. (See “Type tool options” on page 244.) Type the characters you want. If you did not create a text box, you can press Enter to create a new line.
Page 250 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Sets the space between lines of new or selected text. Leading menu Applies a color to new text or selected text. Color menu Warps text on the selected layer. (See “To warp type” on page 248.) Warp text Changes vertical text to horizontal and horizontal text to vertical.
Page 251 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Aligns the center of each vertical text line in the layer to the initial cursor position. Center Vertical Aligns the bottom edge of each vertical text line in the layer to the initial cursor position.
Page 252 To choose a color from a list of color swatches, click the triangle on the Color menu in the options bar. • See also “Using the Color Swatches palette” on page 221 “To use the Adobe Color Picker” on page 223...
Page 253 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To create and use masked type The Horizontal Type Mask tool and Vertical Type Mask tool create a selection in the shape of text. You can have fun with text selection borders by cutting text out of an image to show the background, or pasting the selected text into a new image.
Page 254: Asian Type
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Select an orientation for the warp effect—Horizontal or Vertical. (Optional) Specify values for additional warping options to control the orientation and perspective of the warp effect: • Bend to specify the amount of warp.
Page 255 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Select a percentage for Tsume from the pop-up menu, and press the Enter or Return key. The greater the percentage, the tighter the compression between characters. At 100% (the maximum value), there is no space between the character’s bounding box and its em box.
Page 256: Creating Shapes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Creating shapes About shapes In Photoshop Elements, shapes are vector graphics, which means they are made up of lines and curves defined by their geometric characteristics instead of pixels. Vector graphics are resolution-independent—that is, they can be scaled to any size and printed at any resolution without losing detail or clarity.
Page 257 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Lets you set the width and height of a rectangle by dragging. Unconstrained (Rounded rectangle only) Determines the amount the corners curve for rounded rectangles. Radius Drag in your image to draw the shape.
Page 258 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Choosing options for an arrowhead Specify the proportions of the arrowhead as a percentage of the line width (10% to Arrowheads Width and Length 1000% for Width, and 10% to 5000% for Length). Defines the amount of curvature on the widest part of the arrowhead, where the arrowhead meets the Concavity line.
Page 259: Editing Shapes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The Custom Shape tool has ready-made frames that you can drag around a photo. To create multiple shapes in the same layer In the Editor, select a shape layer in the Layers palette or create a new shape layer.
Page 260 “f ” icon in the Layers palette). Some layer styles override the base color of a shape. See also “To use the Adobe Color Picker” on page 223 “To use the Paint Bucket tool” on page 235 To apply a layer style to a shape You can apply effects—such as drop shadows and bevels—to shapes quickly and easily using layer styles.
Page 261 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Click a style to apply it to the shape layer. • You can also apply a style by selecting the shape and using the Styles and Effects palette.
Page 262: Chapter 14: Optimizing For The Web And E-Mail
Three major graphic file formats are used on the web: GIF, JPEG, and PNG. You can optimize images in these formats using one of the following methods: To precisely optimize an image for use in a web page authoring application, such as Adobe GoLive, you can use •...
Page 263 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Save for Web dialog box A. Toolbox B. Color Picker C. Optimization settings D. Animation options E. Zoom level menu F. Original image G. Optimized image H. Browser preview menu Optimization options appear on the right side of the Save For Web dialog box. In addition to selecting a web file format, you can choose compression and color options, preserve background transparency or set background matting, and change the size of the image.
Page 264 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Optimized file formats for the web You can choose between four formats for the web. Use the following guidelines when choosing the format for your web image: In most cases, this is the best format in which to save photographs.
Page 265 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The JPEG format does not support transparency. When you save an image as a JPEG file, transparent pixels are filled with the matte color specified in the Save For Web dialog box. To simulate the effect of background transparency, you can match the matte color to the web page background color.
Page 266 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide The PNG-8 format uses more advanced compression schemes than GIF does, and a PNG-8 file can be 10% to 30% smaller than a GIF file of the same image, depending on the image’s color patterns. Although PNG-8 compression is lossless, optimizing an original 24-bit image as an 8-bit PNG file can subtract colors from the image.
Page 267 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide About Animated GIFs Animated GIFs create the illusion of movement by displaying a sequence of images, or frames, over time. Photoshop Elements provides a powerful, easy way to create animated GIFs from a multiple-layer image.
Page 268 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Choose JPEG from the optimization format menu. To optimize to a specific file size, click the arrow to the right of the Preset menu, and then click Optimize To File Size. Enter a number in the Desired File Size text box, and select either Current Settings, which optimizes for the current settings, or Auto Select GIF/JPEG, which automatically determines whether JPEG or GIF is the better format.
Page 269 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Creates a custom color table by sampling colors from the spectrum appearing most commonly in the Adaptive image. For example, an image with only shades of green and blue produces a color table made primarily of greens and blues.
Page 270: Using Transparency And Mattes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “About PNG-24” on page 261 “To preserve background transparency in a GIF or PNG image” on page 267 To create an animated GIF In the Editor, place the images you want to appear in each frame of the animation on separate layers of the Layers palette.
Page 271 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Web button without transparency (left) and with transparency (right) Background matting, supported by the GIF, PNG, and JPEG formats, simulates transparency by filling or blending transparent pixels with a matte color that matches the web page background. Background matting works best if the web page background is a solid color and if you know what that color is.
Page 272 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To preserve background transparency in a GIF or PNG image GIF and PNG-8 formats support one level of transparency—pixels can be fully transparent or fully opaque, but not partially transparent. (By contrast, PNG-24 format supports multilevel transparency; that is, you can have up to 256 degrees of transparency in an image, ranging from opaque to completely transparent.)
Page 273: Dithering In Web Images
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide In the Save For Web dialog box, select GIF or PNG-8 as the optimization format. Select Transparency. Select None from the Matte menu. See also “About GIF format” on page 260 “About JPEG format” on page 259...
Page 274 Elements, you can control the amount of browser dither by shifting selected colors in the image to web-safe colors. You can also specify web-safe colors when choosing a color in the Adobe Color Picker. You can preview application dither in GIF and PNG-8 images. Images with primarily solid colors may work well without dithering.
Page 275: Previewing Web Images
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To preview dither You can preview browser dither directly in Photoshop Elements or in a browser that uses an 8-bit color display (256-color mode). In the Editor, open an image and choose File > Save For Web.
Page 276 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide When you change the Internet access speed, the estimated download time displayed under the optimized image is updated. If the download time seems too long, try different optimization settings or change the image size in the Save For Web dialog box.
Page 277: Chapter 15: Printing And Sharing Photos
Chapter 15: Printing and sharing photos Printing photos To print a photo Before you print your photos, you need to let Photoshop Elements know some basic information about your print job, such as the size of paper you are using and the page orientation. Set these options in the Page Setup dialog box. You might also need to specify measurement units in the Preferences dialog box.
Page 278 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide preview image to a different position when the Center Image option is deselected. (See “To reposition an image in the Print Preview dialog box” on page 274.) Ensures that a photo prints at the size chosen from the Print Size menu. The image is Crop To Fit Print Proportions scaled and, if necessary, cropped to match the size of the print layout.
Page 279 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide See also “To print a photo” on page 272 To reposition an image in the Print Preview dialog box You can change the placement of a photo before printing. Do one of the following: Click Show Bounding Box, deselect Center Image, and drag the image to a new location in the preview area.
Page 280 Elements > Contact Sheet II. Unless you select specific images, the contact sheet will include all the images currently displayed in Adobe Bridge. You can select a different image folder or select other currently open images after the Contact Sheet II dialog box opens.
Page 281 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Click OK. To create a picture package With the Picture Package command, you can place multiple copies of images on a single page, much as portrait studios do with school photos and other photo packages. You can choose from a variety of size and placement options to customize your package layout.
Page 282 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Select Flatten All Layers to create a picture package with all images and label text on a single layer. Deselect Flatten All Layers to create a picture package with separate image layers and text layers (for labels). If you place each image and label on a separate layer, you can update your picture package after it’s been saved.
Page 283: Print Options
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Dragging a placeholder to a new location in the Picture Package layout In the Grid area of the Picture Package Edit Layout dialog box, select the Snap To option to display a grid to help you position the elements in the custom layout.
Page 284: Sharing Your Photos
Using Adobe Photoshop Services You can use Adobe Photoshop Services in Bridge to send image s to online service providers. You can order prints and greeting cards, as well as share your photos online. All you have to do is set up an account with the provider and follow the on-screen instructions.
Page 285 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide PDF presentation as a slide show A. First slide B. Wipe Left transition C. Second slide To create a PDF Slide Show Do one of the following: (Photoshop Elements) Choose File > Automation Tools > PDF Slide Show.
Page 286 Save. In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, choose an Adobe PDF preset or specify save options for the PDF document. Click Save PDF. Photoshop closes the Save Adobe PDF dialog box and creates the PDF presentation. A dialog box appears telling you whether the PDF presentation was successfully created.
Page 287 (Optional) Select the files you want to use in Adobe Bridge. Your images will be presented in the order in which they’re displayed in Bridge. If you’ d rather use a different order, change the order in Bridge.
Page 288 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Select formatting options for the web gallery. Choose from the Options menu to display each set of options. (See “Web photo gallery options” on page 283.) Click OK. Photoshop places the following HTML and JPEG files in your destination folder: A home page for your gallery named index.htm or index.html, depending on the Extension options.
Page 289 Options for colors of elements in the gallery. To change the color of an element, click its color swatch Custom Colors and then select a new color from the Adobe Color Picker. You can change the background color of each page (Background option) and of the banner (Banner option).
Page 290 When you set up a Photomerge Panorama composition, you identify the files you want to merge (called your source files), and then Adobe Photoshop Elements automatically assembles them into a single panorama. After the panorama is complete, you can still make changes to the placement of the individual photos, if necessary.
Page 291 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide If the composition can’t be automatically assembled, a message appears on-screen. You can assemble the composition manually in the Photomerge dialog box by dragging photos from the lightbox into the work area, and assembling them there manually.
Page 292 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide To change the vanishing point The Vanishing Point tool selects the vanishing point image, which changes the perspective of the Photomerge Panorama composition. Select Perspective in the Settings area of the Photomerge dialog box. The middle image is the default vanishing point image (it has a blue border around it when selected).
Page 293: Chapter 16: Keyboard Shortcuts
Chapter 16: Keyboard shortcuts Editor workspace keyboard shortcuts Keys for selecting tools This is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. This table lists only those shortcuts that are not displayed in the menu commands or tool tips. In addition, many commands are available by Option-clicking on a palette, window, or image.
Page 294: Keys For The Liquify Filter
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Clone Stamp tool Pattern Stamp tool Pencil tool Eraser tool Background Eraser tool Magic Eraser tool Brush tool Impressionist Brush Color Replacement tool Paint Bucket tool Gradient tool Rectangle tool Rounded Rectangle tool...
Page 295: Keys For The Filter Gallery
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Warp tool Turbulence tool Twirl Clockwise tool Pucker tool Bloat tool Push Left tool Mirror tool Reconstruct tool Zoom tool Hand tool Keys for the Filter Gallery This is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. This table lists only those shortcuts that are not displayed in the menu commands or tool tips.
Page 296: Keys For Using Blending Modes
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Keys for using Photomerge This is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. This table lists only those shortcuts that are not displayed in the menu commands or tool tips. In addition, many commands are available by Option-clicking on a palette, window, or image.
Page 297: Keys For Selecting And Moving Objects
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Soft Light Shift + Option + F Hard Light Shift + Option + H Vivid Light Shift + Option + V Shift + Option + J Linear Light Pin Light Shift + Option + Z...
Page 298 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Deselect a selection Command + D Reposition marquee while selecting Any marquee tool + spacebar-drag Add to or subtract from a selection Any selection tool + Shift or Option-drag Intersect a selection...
Page 299: Keys For Using Text
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Display Fill Layer dialog box Shift + Backspace Lock transparent pixels on/off / (forward slash) Connect points with a straight line (draw a straight line) Any painting tool + Shift-click Keys for transforming selections and selection borders This is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts.
Page 300 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Return to default font style Command + Shift + Y Turn Underlining on/off Command + Shift + U Turn Strikethrough on/off Command + Shift + / (forward slash) Decrease or increase type size of selected text 2 pts/px Command + Shift + <...
Page 301: Keys For The Magic Extractor Dialog Box
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Copy all visible layers to active layer Option + Merge Visible command from the palette pop-up menu Copy visible linked layers to active layer Option + Merge Linked command from the palette pop-up menu...
Page 302: Adobe Bridge Keyboard Shortcuts
Show/Hide Info palette Show/Hide Navigator palette Adobe Bridge keyboard shortcuts Keys for working with Adobe Bridge This is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. This table lists only those shortcuts that are not displayed in menu commands or tool tips.
Page 303 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Result Action Show files with 3 or more stars Option + Command + 3 Show files with 4 or more stars Option + Command + 4 Show files with 5 stars Option + Command + 5...
Page 304: Chapter 17: Glossary
A built-in utility for specifying a foreground or background color in an Adobe application. Adobe Color Picker The RGB color space profile created by Adobe Systems, Incorporated. It provides a large gamut of colors. Adobe RGB An Adobe Graphics Manager library file, which Photoshop Elements installs with and requires.
Page 305 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide Any unexpected and undesired change to a digital image caused by incorrect settings or faulty processing. artifact Examples include blooming, moire, sharpening, and noise. The ratio of an image’s width to its height. It is used to determine how an image fits on a page or monitor.
Page 306 A file used for virtual memory. The cache file speeds the performance of Photoshop Elements. cache file The dialog box for your monitor calibration software. For example, the Adobe Gamma dialog box. calibrate dialog A photo file containing unprocessed image information, exactly as it comes off the sensor before camera raw file in-camera processing.
Page 307 RGB color model: Adobe RGB is the color space used by Adobe applications, and sRGB is the color space used by most monitors. Color spaces are important in color management, where the color profile of an image is reconciled against the color space of the application or device on which it is viewed.
Page 308 The colors at the blue end of the spectrum. cool colors A font technology from Adobe that improves on-screen text resolution. CoolType An internal part of an Adobe PDF file. Cos object Hairline surface cracking seen in old paintings, and the effect used to simulate surface cracking in photo- craquelure graphic images.
Page 309 A computer-generated version of a font that simulates the appearance of an unavailable font. faux font File containing comments from an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Photoshop Elements cannot open FDF files. The softening of an edge of a selection. feathering...
Page 310 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide A high-bit image mode that can contain thousands of colors per channel. Photoshop Elements 48-bit RGB color supports 8-bit or 16-bits per color channel, so an RGB image can be a total of 24-bit or 48-bit, depending on the bit depth per channel.
Page 311 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide International Color Consortium. ICC device profiles are the industry standard for reproducing colors accurately across devices such as scanners, monitors, and printers. See profile. Image Color Management, is the Windows built-in color management system that uses color profiles for images and devices such as scanners or printers.
Page 312 Any service to which you can connect to and order from over the Internet. You can access online online service services from Adobe Bridge to order prints, photo books, cards, and such. In addition, you can share your photos online through online sharing services.
Page 313 You can search, navigate through, print, and e-mail PDF documents. PDF and PDP files are identical, except that PDF files are opened in Adobe Acrobat and PDP files are opened in Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Page 314 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide A programming language developed by Adobe that describes the appearance of text, graphic shapes, and PostScript sampled images on printed or displayed pages. A text object that can be printed. printable character Profiles that describe how printers reproduce colors.
Page 315 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide A model for representing colors on a computer display. Red, green, and blue (RGB) are combined in different proportions to represent any color. The RGB model can represent 256 x 256 x 256 colors.
Page 316 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide A high-bit image mode that can contain thousands of shades of gray. Photoshop Elements supports 16-bit grayscale flattened 16-bit images (it does not support layers in 16-bit images). Deviation of the content of an image from a vertical or horizontal axis. Skewing can be a camera artifact or skewing an intentionally applied effect.
Page 317 For this reason, the graphics scale without degradation of image quality, and there are no jagged lines in the output. Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics program. Video monitors use a progressive scanning method to display images (as compared to televisions video monitor which use interlaced fields).
Page 318 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 User Guide A distortion of an image, often text, to conform to a variety of shapes. For instance, a line of text can be warping warped in the shape of an arc or wave. Any of the 216 colors that are displayed consistently on the web, regardless of browser and computer web-safe color platform.
Page 319: Index
43 spacing 249 adding a brush 233 workspaces 43 tate-chuu-yoko 250 deleting a brush 233 Adobe Color Picker, using 223 auto commands 126 Brush options 231 Adobe Expert Support 1 automating, batch processing 58 Brush tool...
Page 320 138 composites, Magic Extractor 108 from 53 adjusting saturation and hue 136 Conté Crayon filter 209 Displace filter adjusting specific areas 139 content area, in Adobe Bridge 40 about 198 bitmap mode 145 contrast, adjusting 132 applying 198...
Page 321 257 rating in Bridge 48 Fresco filter 194 Emboss filter 211 selecting in Bridge 44 Full view, in Adobe Help Center 6 Enhance commands 126 fill layers function keys 297 EPS files, opening 56 applying fill or pattern 235...
Page 322 INDEX 317 optimizing as 263 history information, adding to IPTC (IIM, legacy) 62 files 61 preserving transparency 267 IPTC Core 62 Horizontal Type Mask tool 248 Glass filter 198 IPTC information 63 Horizontal Type tool 243 Global Positioning System (GPS) IPTC metadata, editing 63 data 62 How To palette 19...
Page 323 INDEX 318 layers Liquify filter templates 61, 64 about 81 about 199 viewing in Bridge 63 adding 83 applying 199 Metadata Focus command, Bridge 43 adding to an image 83 Load Selection command 119 Metadata panel 62 changing stacking order of 90 locked layers 86 metadata, specifying types to display in Metadata panel 64...
Page 324 32 reverting to previous state 34 blending modes 217 units & rulers 246 scaling in the Print Preview dialog Brush tool 216 Premiere Elements. See Adobe box 274 Premiere Elements Impressionist Brush tool 216 viewing at 100% 29 Preset Manager...
Page 325 INDEX 320 options 278 Reset To Default Workspace saving command, Bridge 43 press values, about 141 about 67 Reset Tool command 24 scaling an image 274 options 67 resizing scaling in Print Preview 274 scaling automatically 30 setting target and press values 142 in the Print Preview dialog box 274 for print 159 target values 141, 142...
Page 326 Move tool 116 superimposing, using the Magic Bridge 43 Extractor 108 pasting into one another 117 Show Vector Files Only command, support documents, in Adobe Help saving new 118 Bridge 44 Center 2 selecting intersecting 112 Similar command 113...
Page 327 Standard Edit 27 choosing font 246 print size 159 choosing size 246 tiled windows 31 color 247 views editing 245 in Adobe Help Center 6 entering 243 mask 248 mojikumi 250 warping type 248 orientation 249 Water Paper filter 210 selecting 246...

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Photoshop elements 4.0

Adobe 29180155 - Photoshop Elements 4.0 User Manual

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Chapter 2: Tutorials

Chapter 3: Photoshop Elements Workspace

Chapter 4: Using Adobe Bridge

Chapter 5: Opening and Saving Files

Chapter 6: Using Layers

Chapter 7: Selecting Parts of an Image

Chapter 8: Correcting and Understanding Color

Chapter 9: Cropping and Resizing Photos

Chapter 10: Retouching and Transforming

Chapter 11: Using Filters, Effects, and Styles

Chapter 12: Painting

Chapter 13: Adding Text and Shapes

Chapter 14: Optimizing for the Web and E-Mail

Chapter 15: Printing and Sharing Photos

Chapter 16: Keyboard Shortcuts

Chapter 17: Glossary

Index

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Summary of Contents for Adobe 29180155 - Photoshop Elements 4.0

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