Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 User Guide 2

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© 2002 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 2.0 User Guide for Windows® and Macintosh
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under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license, no part
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or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Please note that the content in this guide is protected
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furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems
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Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, PostScript, Premiere, and Streamline are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems
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iii

Contents
Installing and Learning Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installing Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

......................1

Learning Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

......................1

Using Web resources
Customer support

..........................................3

.............................................4

An Overview of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
Use the tools of the trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Get up to speed quickly

.......................................6

Explore digital imaging

........................................6

Quickly Fix Photographs
Photoshop Elements Quick Fix

Chapter 1

.................................9

Looking at the Work Area
Getting familiar with the work area

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Getting the most out of Photoshop Elements
Viewing images

Using rulers and the grid
Undoing operations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Reverting to any state of an image
Working with preset options

Chapter 2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Setting Up Photoshop Elements
About color management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Setting up color management
Calibrating your monitor

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Configuring Photoshop Elements
About Web access

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

iv CONTENTS

Chapter 3

Acquiring and Opening Photos
About this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
About digital images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Getting photos from a scanner

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Importing photos from a digital camera
Getting images from video

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Creating new images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using the File Browser

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Opening images
Placing files

Chapter 4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Closing files and quitting

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Choosing an image mode

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Fixing Your Photos
About fixing your photos

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Quickly fixing your photos

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Adjusting the range of dark and light tones in an image
Describing color
Adjusting color

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Retouching an image

Chapter 5

. . . . . . . 62

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images
About image size and resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Changing image size and resolution
Cropping images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Changing the size of the work canvas
Rotating and straightening images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Creating panoramic images using Photomerge™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Creating multiple-image layouts
Creating PDF slideshows

Chapter 6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Using Layers
About layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
About the Layers palette

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Using the Layers palette

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Selecting layers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Creating a layered image

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Specifying opacity and blending options
Using adjustment and fill layers
Creating grouped layers
Editing layers

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

Managing layered images

Chapter 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

Selecting
About selections

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Selecting pixels

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Adjusting selection borders

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Softening the edges of a selection

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

Moving, copying, and pasting selections
Saving and loading selections
Deleting selected areas

Chapter 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Painting
About painting and drawing

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Selecting foreground and background colors
Using the Adobe Color Picker
Using the painting tools

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Setting options for painting and editing tools
Erasing

Filling and tracing selections and layers
Using the gradient tools

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Transforming and Distorting Images
Transforming layers, selections, and shapes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

Transforming objects in three dimensions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Using Distort filters to transform an image

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Applying Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles
Using the Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles palettes

. . . . . . . . . . . .165

Using filters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Using effects

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Using layer styles

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

vi CONTENTS

Improving performance with filters and effects
Choosing a filter

Applying special color effects to images

Chapter 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186

Creating Shapes and Text
About vector graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
About shapes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191

Editing shapes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193

Creating text

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196

Working with type layers
Formatting text

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199

Creating a text selection border
Setting options for Asian type

Chapter 12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202

Optimizing Images for the Web and E-mail
About creating images for the Web and e-mail

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

Using the Save For Web dialog box

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

Choosing a file format for the Web

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207

Optimizing Web images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210

Making transparent and matted images
Previewing and controlling dithering
Previewing an image in a browser
Saving optimized images
Creating Web banners

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Creating animated GIFs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

Creating Web photo galleries

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

Sending images with an e-mail message

Chapter 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222

Saving Images
Saving images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Saving images in different file formats
About file compression

Setting preferences for saving files
Adding file information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

Using the Batch command

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

vii

Chapter 14

Printing
Printing images

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237

Setting print options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237

Positioning and scaling images
Setting output options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238

Choosing a print encoding method

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

Using color management when printing
Using online services
Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241

Installing and Learning
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
elcome to the Adobe® Photoshop®
Elements application, an easyto-use, yet powerful image-editing,
photo-retouching, and Web-graphics solution.
Photoshop Elements offers robust features
designed specifically for amateur photographers,
hobbyists, and business users who want to create
professional-quality images for print and the Web.

Registration
So that Adobe can continue to provide you with
the highest quality software, offer technical
support, and inform you about new Photoshop
Elements software developments, please register
your application.
When you first start the Adobe Photoshop
Elements 2.0 application, you’re prompted to
register online. You can choose to submit the form
directly or fax a printed copy. You can also register
by filling out and returning the registration card
included with your software package.

Installing Adobe Photoshop
Elements 2.0
You must install the Photoshop Elements application from the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
CD onto your hard drive; you cannot run the
application from the CD.

Follow the on-screen installation instructions. For
more detailed information, see the following file
on the CD:
• (Windows®) HowToInstall.wri
• (Mac® OS) HowToInstall.txt

Learning Adobe Photoshop
Elements 2.0
Adobe provides a variety of options you can use to
learn Photoshop Elements, including a printed
user guide, online Help, Hints, Recipes, tutorials,
and tool tips. You can also use the free Adobe
Online service to easily access a number of
continually updated Web resources, from tips and
tutorials to technical support information.
To view the Adobe Portable Document Format
(PDF) files included on the Photoshop Elements
CD, you must use Adobe Acrobat® Reader™ or
Adobe Acrobat. Acrobat Reader software is
included on the CD.

Using the printed documentation
A printed user guide, Adobe Photoshop Elements
2.0 User Guide, is included with the application.

2
Installing and Learning Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

The user guide assumes you have a working
knowledge of your computer and its operating
conventions, including how to use a mouse and
standard menus and commands. It also assumes
you know how to open, save, and close files. For
help with any of these techniques, please see your
Microsoft Windows or Mac OS documentation.

Using online Help
The Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 application
includes complete documentation in an accessible
HTML-based help system. The help system
includes all of the information in the Adobe
Photoshop Elements 2.0 User Guide. It contains
essential information on using all Photoshop
Elements commands, features, and tools, as well as
tutorials, keyboard shortcuts, and full-color
illustrations.
The accessible HTML format allows for easy
navigation and reading using Web browsers. To
produce a handy desktop reference, you can print
the HTML file or an included PDF copy.

Using Hints, recipes, and tutorials
Photoshop Elements provides Hints, recipes, and
tutorials to help you learn the application quickly
and work knowledgeably.
The Hints palette displays an illustration and brief
description of any palette or tool your mouse
pointer is on. The How To palette provides recipes
that guide you through typical image-editing
tasks, such as removing red eye in photos, adding
effects to text, and creating GIF animations.
Note: To add new recipes, choose Download New
Adobe Recipes from the How To palette pop-up
menu.
Tutorials are available through the Help system
and use sample files to take you step-by-step
through the basics of working with layers,
animated GIFs, and merging photos. The layers
tutorial is particularly helpful, because understanding layers is an important step in mastering
fundamental Photoshop Elements tools and
techniques.

Online Help requires Netscape Communicator 4.x
or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or 5.x.

Using context-sensitive menus

To start online Help:

Context-sensitive menus, which display options
for tools and palettes, change depending on the
item you’ve currently selected.

Do one of the following:
• Choose Help > Photoshop Elements Help.

To display context menus:

• (Windows) Press F1.

1 Position the pointer over an image or palette

Note: To properly view online Help topics, you must
open them in Photoshop Elements.

item.
2 Right-click (Windows) or hold down Control
and press the mouse button (Mac OS).

If no context-sensitive menu appears, no menu is
available for that tool or palette.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 3
User Guide

Using tool tips

Using Adobe Online

The tool tips feature lets you display the names of
tools, buttons, or controls.

Adobe Online is constantly changing, so you
should update it before you use it. Updating
Adobe Online updates its bookmarks and buttons
so you can access the most current content
available. You can set preferences to automatically
update Adobe Online daily, weekly, or monthly.

To identify a tool, button, or control:

Position the pointer over a tool, button, or control,
and pause. A tool tip appears showing the name
and keyboard shortcut (if any) for the item.
Note: Tool tips are not available in most dialog
boxes.

Using Web resources
If you have an Internet connection, you can access
additional resources for learning Photoshop
Elements on the Adobe Systems Web site. These
resources are continually updated.
To access the Adobe home page for your region:

1 Open the Adobe U.S. home page at
www.adobe.com.
2 From the Adobe sites pop-up menu, choose

your geographical region. Adobe’s home page is
customized for 20 different geographical regions.

When you set up Adobe Online, you can choose to
have Adobe either notify you when new information for Adobe Online is available, or automatically download and install that information to
your hard disk. You can also choose Help >
Updates to view and download new Adobe Online
files whenever they are available.
To set preferences for Adobe Online:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Adobe Online

(Windows and Mac OS 9) or Photoshop
Elements> Preferences > Adobe Online
(Mac OS X).
2 To specify how often Adobe Online checks for

updates, choose an option from the pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
To use Adobe Online:

About Adobe Online
Adobe Online provides access to the latest
tutorials, quicktips, and other Web content for
Photoshop Elements and other Adobe products.
Adobe Online also provides bookmarks that take
you quickly to noteworthy sites related to Adobe
and Photoshop Elements.

1 In Photoshop Elements, click the icon at the top
of the toolbox.

Adobe Online icon

4
Installing and Learning Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

Note: To use Adobe Online, you must have an
Internet connection and an installed Web browser.
2 Do any of the following:
• Click Updates to access updated files.

Customer support on Adobe Online
Adobe Online provides access to the Support
Knowledgebase, where you can find troubleshooting information that provides solutions
to common problems.

• Click Preferences to specify how often Adobe

Online checks for updates.
• Click Go Online to access the Adobe Web site.
• Click Close to return to Photoshop Elements.

Additional customer support resources
Adobe Systems also provides several forms of
automated technical support:
• See the ReadMe and ReadMe First! files installed

Customer support
When you register your product, you may be
entitled to technical support for a single incident.
Terms vary depending on the country of residence
and are only available for retail and upgrade
versions. For more information, refer to the
technical support card provided with your
Photoshop Elements documentation.

with the program for information that became
available after this guide went to press.
• Explore the extensive customer support

information on Adobe’s World Wide Web
site (www.adobe.com). To access Adobe’s
Web site from Photoshop Elements, choose
Help > Support.

An Overview of
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
dobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 makes
digital imaging a breeze. Use Photoshop
Elements to create high-quality images for
print, e-mail, and the Web.

With a broad set of features, Photoshop Elements
gives you endless ways to explore your creativity —
restore old photographs, adjust color and lighting,
create a new image by combining photographs,
apply artistic effects, and prepare photos for
sending via email or posting on the Web.

Use the tools of the trade
Based on the leading image-editing software that
professionals have always relied on, Photoshop
Elements 2.0 offers you an easy way to create highquality images.
Quick Fix dialog Make instant color adjustments

with just a few clicks in the Quick Fix dialog box.
Digital video frame acquisition Easily capture

individual video frames from downloaded files
with support for common video file formats,
including MPEG2, MPEG3, and AVI.
Photomerge Automatically assemble multiple
photos into one seamless panorama.
File browser Quickly preview, open, and organize

all of your photos and view important metadata
about each photo using the File menu Browse
feature.

Red eye brush Fix unwanted red eye with a
single stroke of the red eye brush.
Color variations Bring out the best in any

photo by previewing various color adjustments
to your photo and applying your choice with a
single click.
Auto straighten/auto crop Photos are often

taken or scanned at a slight angle, and may need
to be cropped or rotated. You can correct skewed
photos with one click.
Fill flash/adjust backlighting Instantly fix
improper lighting with Fill Flash and Adjust
Backlighting tools.
Broad file format support Save your images for

virtually any use: print on photo paper, import
into newsletters, presentations, reports, or
greeting cards; attach to e-mail, post on the
Web, and share as PDF (Portable Document
Format) files on almost any computer or
handheld device.
GIF animation Import or create GIF anima-

tions using Photoshop Elements layers and
then interactively preview the results before
saving.
Save for Web Compress your photos so they
look sharp on the Web and download quickly.
Mac OS X and Windows XP support Take

advantage of the newest operating systems
including Windows XP and Mac OS X.

6
An Overview of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

WIA Support (Windows only) Easily acquire

Web photo gallery Quickly and easily create a

photos from Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)
enabled digital cameras, scanners, and other
devices.

Web photo gallery featuring your pictures. Choose
from a variety of templates that includes holiday,
sports, and business themes, an old-fashioned
slide show, and many other cool designs.

Get up to speed quickly
The intuitive design, built-in glossary, tutorials,
and innovative Help features in Photoshop
Elements 2.0 make it easy to learn and easy to use.
Comprehensive Help features Get immediate

answers to your questions simply by typing a word
in the new Help field. Linked to all Hints, Recipes,
Tutorials, and the Glossary, the new Help feature
does the searching for you and provides all the
information you need in plain English.

Batch processing Automatically rename, resize,

convert the format, reorganize, or make other
changes to multiple images at once using convenient Batch Processing.
History palette Work without worry knowing you
can instantly undo or redo multiple steps with the
History Palette.
Customizable palette well Access the tools you

need quickly by organizing palettes any way you
like in the palette well.

Glossary Built-in glossary explains digital-

imaging and computer terms.

Explore digital imaging

Attach E-mail Easily attach edited pictures

Expand your creativity with powerful tools and
effects.

to e-mail using your existing e-mail program.
Photoshop Elements can automatically resize and
optimize the file for sending and viewing.
Graphics file management (Windows only) Use

the built-in file association manager to set the file
formats you want to be associated with Photoshop
Elements.
Hints palette Get productive fast with illustrations and tips that show you how to use the wide
variety of painting tools and palettes.
Dialog tips Tips embedded in the more complex

dialogs eliminate confusion.

Recipes Inspirational Recipes spark your imagi-

nation and describe how to perform complex
editing techniques.
Selection brush Easily and precisely mask
unwanted areas of a photo with the Selection
Brush that lets you see feathered edges as you
brush.
Editable text Type and see text right on the canvas

and make changes at any time to the font, size,
color.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 7
User Guide

PDF Slideshow Create PDF slide shows, complete

Liquify Create surreal effects by interactively

with transitions that you can share with anyone
who has Adobe Acrobat Reader—even on Palm
and Pocket PC devices.

twisting and pulling an image, or use Liquify as a
touch-up tool to make subtle enhancements.

Picture package printing Lay out multiple

pictures in various sizes on the same page for highquality printouts from your home inkjet printer.
Painting tools Add creative touches to your

photos using realistic paintbrush effects that
simulate oils, watercolors, charcoal, pastels, and
different canvas textures.
Effects Instantly apply frames, edges, and other

complex effects to your photos, text, and shapes
from the Effects Browser.
Filters Never run out of ways to enhance your

photos. Visually scan the complete range of filter
effects from a floating palette and apply any filter
simply by dragging and dropping it onto your
photo.
Layer styles Quickly create drop shadows, bevels,

glows, and other effects by applying Layer Styles
to the contents of a layer. Watch the contents
instantly update anytime you edit the layer.

Background eraser Easily erase the background

from a photo without disturbing objects in the
foreground. Then paste the objects into another
photo to effortlessly create composite pictures
without harsh edges.
Darkroom-style tools Adjust the tone of specific

areas of a photo using professional photographers’
darkroom tools, including dodge, burn, and
sponge.
Drawing tools Add graphic elements to your

photos from a newly expanded library of shapes
and symbols.
Layers Combine multiple images, text, and

graphics on layers that you can move and modify
independently with complete flexibility.
Contact sheet Quickly create a visual index of
your photos that you can save or print for future
reference.

Quickly Fix Photographs
Photoshop Elements Quick Fix

1. Open the Quick Fix dialog box.

f you are new to digital photography or experienced at digital imaging, you’ll find the tools
you need to correct and enhance your photos
in Photoshop Elements. In this tutorial you’ll learn
about basic tools and techniques to make your
photos look their best. Be sure to look under the
Help menu to read additional tutorials.

With the file you want to fix open, choose
Enhance > Quick Fix. The Quick Fix dialog box
opens and presents tools for fixing photographs
and tips for using the tools.

The Photoshop Elements Quick Fix dialog box
gathers several image correction tools in one spot.
You can fix photos that are too dark or too light,
have an off-color cast, need more contrast, or need
sharpening. Before and after previews let you
compare adjustments to your original image
before saving the changes.

To make adjustments to your photograph:
Select an adjustment category Choose a category

from the list:
• Brightness adjusts your photo’s contrast and

brightness, and quickly fixes overexposed or
underexposed areas.
• Color Correction adjusts the saturation and

color (hue) in your photo, and automatically
corrects a color cast.
• Focus sharpens or blurs your photo.
• Rotate flips your image horizontally and verti-

cally, or rotates your image at 90° or 180° angles.
Select an adjustment Each category has multiple

adjustments that you can choose. The Tips
provide more information for each adjustment.
Apply the adjustment If an adjustment has

options to set, drag the slider to increase or
decrease the value. If you selected an automatic
adjustment, click Apply.
2. Rotate the photograph.

Choose Rotate from Select Adjustment Category,
rotate the photo right, and then click Apply.
The photograph in our example was taken with a
digital camera at a vertical orientation. The After
preview shows the new orientation.

10
Quickly Fix Photographs

To straighten an image that was captured at an
angle, or for more rotation options, choose
Image > Rotate rather than Quick Fix.
3. Correct the color and contrast.

The photograph in our example has a blue color
cast, and it needs a little more contrast. We can fix
both of these problems using Auto Color.
Choose Color Correction from Select Adjustment
Category, select Auto Color, and then click Apply.

5. Accept the changes.

If you are satisfied with the adjustments click OK.
If you are not satisfied, you can undo, redo, or reset
the adjustments:
• Click Undo once or multiple times for each

successive adjustment you’d like to undo.
Clicking Undo can undo the Reset Image
option.
• Click Redo once or multiple times for each

adjustment you’d like to redo that was undone.
• Click Reset Image to start over and undo all

adjustments you’ve set in the current Quick Fix
dialog box.
6. Learn more correction techniques.

The image adjustment tools in the Quick Fix
dialog box are individually available in the
Photoshop Elements menus. You can work in the
Quick Fix dialog box or choose the tools you need
individually.
In addition, you might want to become familiar
with other image correction tools:

If your photograph needs more contrast, but the
color looks fine, you could use the Auto Contrast
command in the Brightness category. The Tips
provide more information on when to use an
adjustment.

Variations to fix color casts, add color saturation,
and lighten and darken images.

4. Sharpen the photos.

control over contrast, brightness, and color
adjustments.

Choose Focus from Select Adjustment Category,
select Auto Focus, and then click Apply. You
can click Apply multiple times for additional
sharpening.

your photo.

Levels and adjustment layers to have more

Unsharp mask to precisely control sharpening in

Complete information for these tools is available
in the Photoshop Elements Help.

Chapter 1: Looking at the Work Area
elcome to Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Photoshop Elements gives you an
efficient work area and user interface to
create and edit images for both print and the Web.

editing images. (See “Using the tools” on page 12.)

Menu bar The menu bar contains menus for
performing tasks. The menus are organized by
topic. For example, the Layers menu contains
commands for working with layers.
C

Options bar The options bar provides options for

Toolbox The toolbox holds tools for creating and

The Photoshop Elements work area is arranged to
help you focus on creating and editing images. The
work area consists of the following components:

for executing common commands. (See “Using
the shortcuts bar” on page 13.)
using a tool. (See “Using the options bar” on
page 12.)

Getting familiar with the
work area

Shortcuts bar The shortcuts bar displays buttons

Palette well The palette well helps you organize
the palettes in your work area. (See “Using the
palette well” on page 13.)
Palettes Palettes help you monitor and modify
images. (See “Using palettes” on page 14.)

Photoshop Elements work area
A. Toolbox B. Menu bar C. Shortcuts bar D. Options bar E. Active image area F. Search field G. Palette well H. Palettes

12 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

Using the tools

• Press the tool’s keyboard shortcut. The

You use tools in the toolbox to select, edit, and
view images; other tools let you paint, draw, and
type. You can view information about any tool in
the toolbox by positioning the pointer over it. The
name of the tool appears below the pointer—this
is called the tool tip. Additional information about
the tool appears in the Hints palette. (See “Using
the Hints palette” on page 16.)
You must select a tool in order to use it. The
currently selected tool is highlighted in the
toolbox. Some tools have additional tools beneath
them—these are called hidden tools. When you see
a small triangle at the lower right of the tool icon,
you know that there are hidden tools.

keyboard shortcut is displayed in its tool tip.
For example, you can select the move tool by
pressing the “v” key (see “Using keyboard
commands and modifier keys” on page 19).
To move the toolbox:

Drag the toolbox by its title bar.
To set tool preferences:

1 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Preferences > General.
2 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > General.
3 Set one or more of the following options:
• Select Show Tool Tips to show or hide tool tips

A
D

and rollover hints in the Hints palette.

• Select Use Shift Key for Tool Switch so you can

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

Selecting a hidden tool
A. Toolbox B. Active tool C. Hidden tool D. Shortcut key

4 Click OK.

To select a tool:

Using the options bar

Do one of the following:

The first thing you should do after you select a tool
is set its options in the options bar. By default, the
options bar appears below the shortcuts bar at the
top of the work area. The options bar is context
sensitive, which means that 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.

• Click a tool in the toolbox. If there is a small

triangle at a tool’s lower right corner, hold down
the mouse button to view the hidden tools.
Then click the tool you want to select.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 13
User Guide

Options bar for lasso tool
A. Gripper bar B. Tool icon C. Active tool D. Hidden tools
E. Tool options
To use the options bar:

1 Select a tool. (See “Using the tools” on page 12.)
2 Look in the options bar to see the available
options. For more information on setting options
for a specific tool, search for the tool’s name in
online Help.
To return a tool or all tools to the default settings:

Click the tool icon in the options bar, then choose
Reset Tool or Reset All Tools from the context
menu.

You can also perform searches in the shortcuts bar.
In the search field, you can enter a word or a
phrase, click the Search button, and then a Search
Results palette will appear. You can click on a link
for more information about your search topic.
Clicking the Help Contents button
in the
shortcuts bar takes you directly to the Help system.
In the Help system, you can search through the
User Guide on-screen to help you find the answers
you need. The results of your search will appear in
the Search Results palette.

Using the palette well
The palette well helps you organize and manage
palettes. You can store palettes that you don’t
frequently use in the palette well. You can still
access the palettes, without having them expanded
in the work area.

Using the shortcuts bar
The shortcuts bar displays buttons for common
commands. You can quickly click commands as
you need them while you’re working in Photoshop
Elements. To see the name of a button, position
the pointer over the button and its tool tip appears.
The shortcuts bar should always be left open in
the work area so you can access all the tools and
options that are available to you.
Palette well

Shortcuts bar
A. Gripper bar B. Tool tip

Note: The shortcuts bar must be showing in order to
use the palette well. Choose Window > Shortcuts to
display the shortcuts bar if it’s not open.

14 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

To use a palette in the palette well:

Click the palette’s tab. The palette remains open
until you click outside it or click the palette’s tab.

Note: Drag a palette out of the palette well if you
want to keep it open.
To display a palette:

To store palettes in the palette well:

Do one of the following:

• Click its tab.

• Drag the desired palette’s tab into the palette

• Choose the palette’s name in the Window

well so that the palette well is highlighted.
• Make sure that the Close Palette to Palette Well

option is selected in the palette’s menu (see
“Using palette menus” on page 15), and then
close the palette.
To move a palette in the palette well:

Click the palette’s tab and then drag it to a new
location in the palette well.
To view information about a palette in the
palette well:

1 Position the pointer over the palette’s tab.
2 Look at the Hints palette to see a brief
description of the palette. (See “Using the Hints
palette” on page 16.)

menu. Choosing the palette a second time hides
the palette.
To change the size of a palette:

Drag any corner of the palette (Windows) or drag
the size box at its lower right corner (Mac OS).
Note: Not all palettes can be resized.
To close a palette:

Do one of the following:
• If the palette is in the palette well, click outside

the palette in the work area or click the palette’s
tab. (See “Using the palette well” on page 13.)
• Click the close icon on the palette title bar.
• If the palette is in a palette group, click the close

icon on the title bar for the group.

Using palettes
Palettes help you monitor and modify images.
There are many ways to organize palettes in the
work area. You can store palettes in the palette well
to keep them out of your way but easily accessible;
or, you can keep frequently used palettes open in
the work area. Another option is to group palettes
together in the work area, or to dock one palette at
the bottom of another palette.

• Choose the palette name in the Window menu.
To show or hide multiple palettes:

Do one of the following:
• To show or hide all open palettes, the options

bar, the shortcuts bar, and the toolbox,
press Tab.
• To show or hide all palettes in the work area

(not in the palette well) press Shift+Tab.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 15
User Guide

To group palettes together:

1 Display the palettes you want to group together.
If the palettes are in the palette well, drag at least
one of them into the work area.
2 Drag a palette’s tab onto the body of the target

palette. A thick line appears around the body of
the target palette when the pointer is over the
correct area.

Note: Entire palette groups cannot be docked
together at once, but you can dock the palettes from
one group to another, one at a time.
To move a palette group:

Drag its title bar.
To collapse a palette group:

Double-click a palette’s tab or title bar.
To reset palettes to their default positions:
A

Choose Window > Reset Palette Locations.
To always start with the default palette and dialog box
positions:

1 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Preferences > General.
B

2 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > General.
Grouping two palettes together
A. Dragging a palette onto another open palette
B. Palettes grouped together

To move a palette to another group, drag the
palette’s tab to that group. To separate a palette
from a group, drag the palette’s tab outside
the group.
To dock palettes together:

Drag a palette’s tab 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.

3 Deselect Save Palette Locations. The change
takes effect the next time you start the application.

Using palette menus
Palette menus are an important part of working
with Photoshop Elements. Some commands in
palette menus can be found in the menu bar; other
commands are exclusive to palette menus.
When a palette has a palette menu, a More button
appears at the top of the palette. The exact location
and appearance of the More button depends on
where the palette is located: in the palette well, in a
palette group, or in the options bar. When a palette
is docked, the More button is a sideways triangle.

16 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

To use a pop-up slider:

Do one of the following:
• Position the pointer over the triangle next to the

setting, hold down the mouse button, and drag
the slider or angle radius to the desired value.
• Click the triangle next to the setting to open the

pop-up slider box, and drag the slider or angle
radius to the desired value. Click outside the
slider box or press Enter or Return to close the
slider box. To cancel changes, press the Escape
key (Esc).
To increase or decrease values in 10% increments when the pop-up slider box is open, hold
down Shift and press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow.
Layers palette menu

Getting the most out of
Photoshop Elements

To use a palette menu:

1 Select a palette. If the palette is in the palette
well, click the palette’s tab to open it.
2 Click the More button
corner of the palette.

in the upper right

3 Choose a command from the palette menu.

Using pop-up sliders
A number of palettes and dialog boxes contain
settings that use pop-up sliders (for example, the
Opacity option in the Layers palette). If there is a
triangle
next to the text box, you can activate
the pop-up slider by clicking the triangle.

The Photoshop Elements interface provides a
variety of features to help you work efficiently and
knowledgeably. Some features—such as the Hints
palette and the How To palette—provide information about using tools and performing tasks.
Other features—such as the Info palette and status
bars—provide feedback about the current image
and operation. Yet other features—such as context
menus and keyboard commands—provide
alternate ways to access commands.

Using the Hints palette
The Hints palette helps you learn how to use tools
and palettes. As you run your mouse over a tool or
select a tool, the Hints palette will give you information on using the tool.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 17
User Guide

To use the Hints palette:

Using the Info palette

1 Display the Hints palette by clicking its tab. If
the Hints palette isn’t showing in the palette well
or the work area, choose Window > Hints to
display the palette.

The Info palette provides feedback as you use a
tool. Make sure the Info palette is visible in your
work area if you want to view information while
dragging in the image.

2 Position the pointer over a tool or palette, and

look at the Hints palette to see a brief description
of the item.
3 Click on one of the Related topics links for more
information about an item.

Using the How To palette
The How To palette provides activities, called
recipes, that guide you through different
image-editing tasks. For example, you can view
instructions about restoring an old photograph.
Photoshop Elements will even do some of the steps
for you.
To use the How To palette:

1 Display the How To palette by clicking its tab in

the palette well. If the How To palette isn’t showing
in the palette well or the work area, choose
Window > How To to display the palette.
2 Select a category of recipes, and click the recipe

you want to use.
3 Follow the instructions in the recipe. When
available, you can click Do this step for me to have
Photoshop Elements perform the task for you.

To use the Info palette:

1 Display the Info palette by clicking its tab if it’s
in the palette well. If the Info palette isn’t showing
in the palette well or the work area, choose
Window > Info to display the palette.
2 Select the desired tool.
3 Move the pointer in the image, or drag in the
image to use the tool. The following information
may appear, depending on which tool you’re
using:

The numeric values for the color beneath the
pointer.
The x- and y-coordinates of the pointer.
The width (W) and height (H) of a marquee or
shape as you drag, or the width and height of an
active selection.
The x- and y-coordinates of your starting
position (when you click in the image).
The change in position along the x-coordinate,
X, and y-coordinate, Y, as you move a
selection, layer, or shape.
The angle (A) of a line or gradient; the change
in angle as you move a selection, layer, or shape; or
the angle of rotation during a transformation. The
change in distance (D) as you move a selection,
layer, or shape.

18 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

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

Using the status bar

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

The status bar at the bottom of the application
window (Windows) or document window
(Mac OS) displays useful information and is
divided into three sections:

To change the mode of color values displayed in the
Info palette:

• The leftmost section displays the current

Do one of the following:
• Click an eyedropper icon

in the Info palette,
and choose a color mode from the pop-up
menu.

• Choose Palette Options from the Info palette

menu. Choose a color mode for First Color
Readout and/or Second Color Readout, and
click OK.
Actual Color displays values in the current
color mode of the image; Grayscale displays the
grayscale values beneath the pointer; RGB Color
displays the RGB values beneath the pointer;
Web Color displays the hexadecimal code for the
RGB values beneath the pointer; and HSB Color
displays the HSB values beneath the pointer.
(See “About image modes” on page 54 for more
information.)
To change the unit of measurement displayed in the
Info palette:

Do one of the following:
• Click the cross-hair icon

in the Info palette,
and choose a unit of measurement from the
pop-up menu.

• Choose Palette Options from the Info palette

menu. Choose a unit of measurement from the
Ruler Units pop-up menu, and click OK.

magnification. (See “Magnifying and reducing
the view” on page 20).
• The middle section displays information about

the current file. You can change the type of
information that displays.
• (Windows only) The rightmost section

provides information as you use a tool. It also
displays a progress bar to help you monitor
operations. When an operation—such as
applying a filter or using the Photomerge
command—is in progress, you cannot perform
other operations. However, you can interrupt
the process or have the program notify you
when it has finished.
To display file information in the status bar:

1 Click the triangle in the status bar.
2 Select a view option:
• Document Sizes to display information on the

amount of data in the image. The number on
the left represents the printing size of the
image—approximately the size of the saved,
flattened file in Photoshop format. The number
on the right indicates the file’s approximate size,
including layers.
• Document Profile to display the name of the

color profile used by the image. (See “About
color management” on page 31.)

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 19
User Guide

• Document Dimensions to display the

document size of the image. (See “Changing the
print dimensions and resolution of an image”
on page 78.)

Using context menus
In addition to the menus at the top of your screen,
context-sensitive menus display commands that
are relevant to the active tool, selection, or palette.

• Scratch Sizes to display information on the

amount of RAM and scratch disk used to
process the image. The number on the left
represents the amount of memory that is
currently being used by the program to display
all open images. The number on the right represents the total amount of RAM available for
processing images.
• Efficiency to display the percentage of time

actually doing an operation instead of reading
or writing the scratch disk. If the value is below
100%, Photoshop Elements is using the scratch
disk and, therefore, is operating more slowly.
• Timing to display the amount of time it took to

complete the last operation.

Context menu for a document window
To use a context menu:

1 Position the pointer over an image or

palette item.

• Current Tool to view the name of the active tool.

2 Click the right mouse button (Windows) or

To cancel operations:

hold down Control and press the mouse
button (Mac OS).

Hold down Esc until the operation in progress
has stopped. In Mac OS, you can also press
Command+period.
To set notification for completion of operations:

1 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Preferences > General.
2 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > General.
3 Select Beep when Done, and click OK.

3 Choose a command from the menu.

Using keyboard commands and
modifier keys
Keyboard commands let you quickly execute
commands without using a menu; modifier keys
let you alter how a tool operates. When available,
the keyboard command appears to the right of the
command name in the menu. You can view a list of
keyboard commands and modifier keys in the
Quick Reference Card section of online Help.

20 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

Using the Welcome window

To zoom in:

The Welcome window provides options for
acquiring images, as well as links to online Help
and tutorials.

Do one of the following:

To display the Welcome window:

Choose Window > Welcome.
Deselect Show this screen at startup if you don’t
want the Welcome window to appear when you
restart Photoshop Elements.

• Select the zoom tool

, and click the Zoom In
button in the options bar. Click the area you
want to magnify. Each click magnifies the image
to the next preset percentage, centering the
display around the point you click. When the
image has reached its maximum magnification
level of 1600%, the magnifying glass appears
empty.

• Click the Zoom In button on the Navigator

palette bar.

Viewing images
The hand tool, the zoom tools, the Zoom
commands, and the Navigator palette let you view
different areas of an image at different magnifications. The document window is where your image
appears. You can open additional windows to
display several views of an image at once (such as
different magnifications).

Magnifying and reducing the view
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), as does the status bar at
the bottom of the window.
When using the zoom tool, hold down Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to switch
between zooming in and zooming out.

• Type the desired magnification in the Navigator

palette bar text box.
• Choose View > Zoom In.
To zoom out:

Do one of the following:
• Select the zoom tool

, and click the Zoom
Out button in the options bar. Click the
center of the area of the image you want to
reduce. Each click reduces the view to the
previous preset percentage. When the file has
reached its maximum reduction level so that
only 1 pixel is visible horizontally or vertically,
the magnifying glass appears empty.

• Choose View > Zoom Out to reduce to the

previous preset percentage. When the image
reaches its maximum reduction level, the
command is dimmed.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 21
User Guide

• Enter the desired magnification level in the

Zoom text box in the status bar (See “Using the
status bar” on page 18) or in the Navigator
palette.
• Click the Zoom Out button on the Navigator

palette bar.

Return.
To change the view to fit the screen:

Do one of the following:
• Double-click the hand tool

• Select the zoom tool or the hand tool, and click

To magnify by dragging:

1 Select the zoom tool

button

• Enter 100% in the Status Bar and press Enter or

, and click the Zoom In
in the options bar.

2 Drag over the part of the image you want

to magnify.

Fit on Screen in the options bar.
• Choose View > Fit on Screen.

These options scale both the zoom level and the
window size to fit the available screen space.
To automatically resize the window when magnifying
or reducing the view:

With the zoom tool active, select Resize Windows
To Fit in the options bar. The window resizes when
you magnify or reduce the view of the image.
Drag the zoom tool to magnify the view.

The area inside the zoom marquee is displayed at
the highest possible magnification. To move the
marquee around the image, begin dragging a
marquee and then hold down the spacebar while
dragging the marquee to a new location.

When Resize Windows To Fit is deselected, the
window maintains a constant size regardless
of the image’s magnification. This can be helpful
when you are using smaller monitors or working
with tiled views.
To automatically resize the window when magnifying
or reducing the view using keyboard shortcuts:

To display an image at 100%:

1 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Do one of the following:

Preferences > General.

• Double-click the zoom tool

• Select the zoom tool or the hand tool, and click

Actual Pixels in the options bar.
• Choose View > Actual Pixels.

2 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > General.
3 Select the Keyboard Zoom Resizes Windows
preference, and click OK.

22 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

Navigating the view area
If you have enlarged your image, you can navigate
to bring another area of the image into view.
To view another area of an image:

Do one of the following:
• Use the window scroll bars.
• Select the hand tool

and drag to pan over

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

View of an image in the Navigator palette
To change the color of the Navigator palette view box:

To move the view of an image using the Navigator
palette:

1 Choose Window > Navigator, or click the

Navigator tab in the palette well.
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the view box in the thumbnail of the

image, which represents the boundaries of the
image window.
• Drag the slider in the Navigator palette.
• Click in the thumbnail of the image. The new

view includes the area you clicked.

1 Choose Palette Options from the Navigator

palette menu.
2 Choose a color:
• To use a preset color, choose an option for

Color.
• To specify a different color, click the color box,

and choose a color. (See “Using the Adobe
Color Picker” on page 131.)
• Choose Custom from the preset list.
3 Click OK.

Using the document window
You can open multiple windows to display
different views of the same file. A list of open
windows appears in the Window menu. Available
memory may limit the number of windows
per image.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 23
User Guide

To open multiple views of the same image:

Duplicating images

Choose View > New View. Depending on the
position of the first window, you may have to move
the second window to view both simultaneously.

Duplicating lets you experiment with and
compare multiple versions of the same image.
You can duplicate an entire image into available
memory without saving to disk.

You can use the New View command when
you’re working with a zoomed image to see
what the image will look like at 100% size in a
separate window.

To duplicate an image:

1 Open the image you want to duplicate.
2 Choose Image > Duplicate Image.

To arrange multiple windows:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Window > Images > Cascade to display

windows stacked and cascading from the upper
left to the lower right of the screen.
• Choose Window > Images >Tile to display

windows edge to edge.
• Choose Window > Images > Arrange Icons to

align minimized images along the bottom of the
work area (Windows only).
To close windows:

Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Close to close the active window.
• Click the close icon on the title bar for the

active window.
• Choose Window > Images > Close All to close

all windows (Windows).
• Choose File > Close All to close all windows

(Mac OS).

3 Enter a name for the duplicated image.
4 To duplicate the image without layers, select

Duplicate Merged Layers Only.
5 Click OK.

Viewing file information
You can view copyright and authorship information that has been added to the file. This
information includes standard file information
and Digimarc® watermarks. Photoshop Elements
automatically scans opened images for Digimarc
watermarks. If a watermark is detected, Photoshop
Elements displays a copyright symbol in the image
window’s title bar and includes the information
in the Copyright Status, Copyright Notice, and
Owner URL sections of the File Info dialog box.
To view additional file information:

Choose File > File Info. For Section, choose the
attribute you want to view.

24 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

To read a Digimarc watermark:

To show or hide the grid:

1 Choose Filter > Digimarc > Read Watermark.

If the grid isn’t visible, choose View > Grid.
Choose the command a second time to hide
the grid.

If the filter finds a watermark, a dialog box displays
the Digimarc ID, copyright year (if present), and
image attributes.
2 Click OK. If you have a Web browser installed,

To change the rulers’ zero origin:

click Web Lookup to get more information about
the owner of the image. This option launches the
browser and displays the Digimarc Web site, where
contact details appear for the given Digimarc ID.

Position the pointer over the intersection of the
rulers in the upper left corner of the window, and
drag diagonally down onto the image. A set of
cross hairs appears, marking the new origin on
the rulers. The new zero origin will be set where
you release the mouse button.

Using rulers and the grid
Rulers and the grid help you position items (such
as selections, layers, and shapes) precisely across
the width or length of an image.
When visible, rulers appear along the top and left
side of the active window. Markers in the ruler
display the pointer’s position when you move it.
Changing the ruler origin (the (0, 0) mark on the
top and left rulers) lets you measure from a specific
point on the image. The ruler origin also determines the grid’s point of origin.

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

1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click a ruler.
• In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Preferences > Units & Rulers.
• In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >

Preferences > Units & Rulers.
2 For Rulers, choose a unit of measurement.

To show or hide rulers:

If the rulers aren’t visible, choose View > Rulers.
Choose the command a second time to hide the
rulers.

Note: Changing the units on the Info palette
automatically changes the units on the rulers.
(See “Using the Info palette” on page 17.)
3 For Column size, enter values for Width and
Gutter.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 25
User Guide

Some layout programs use the column width
setting to specify the display of an image across
columns. The Image Size and Canvas Size
commands also use this setting. (See “Changing
the print dimensions and resolution of an image”
on page 78 and “Changing the size of the work
canvas” on page 80.)
4 Click OK.
To change the grid settings:

For information on how to restore your image to
how it looked at any point in the current work
session, see “Reverting to any state of an image”
on page 26.
To undo the last operation:

Choose Edit > Undo, or click the Step Backward
button in the shortcuts bar.
If an operation can’t be undone, the command
dims and changes to Can’t Undo.

1 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

Preferences > Grid.

To redo the last operation:

2 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > Grid.

Choose Edit > Redo, or click the Step Forward
button in the shortcuts bar.

3 For Color, choose a preset color, or select
Custom to choose a custom color.
4 For Style, choose the line style for the grid.
Choose Lines for solid lines, or choose Dashed
lines or Dots for broken lines.
5 For Gridline every, enter a number value, and
then choose the unit of measurement to define the
spacing of major grid lines.
6 For Subdivisions, enter a number value to
define the frequency of minor grid lines.
7 Click OK.

To free memory used by the Undo command, the
Undo History palette, or the Clipboard:

Choose Edit > Purge, and choose the item type or
buffer you want to clear. If already empty, the item
type or buffer is dimmed.
Important: The Purge command permanently
clears from memory the operation stored by the
command or buffer; it cannot be undone. Use the
Purge command when the amount of information
held in memory is so large that the performance of
Photoshop Elements is noticeably diminished.
To revert to the last saved version:

Undoing operations

Choose File > Revert.

Most operations can be undone if you make a
mistake. Alternatively, you can restore all or part of
an image to its last saved version. But available
memory may limit your ability to use these
options.

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

26 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

Reverting to any state
of an image
The Undo History palette lets you jump to any
recent state of the image created during the
current working session. Each time you apply a
change to pixels in an image, the new state of that
image is added to the palette.
For example, if you select, paint, and rotate part of
an image, each of those states is listed separately in
the palette. You can then select any of the states,
and the image will revert to how it looked when
that change was first applied. You can then work
from that state.
Actions that do not affect pixels in the image, such
as zooming and scrolling, will not appear in the
Undo History palette.

• Once you close and reopen the document,

all states from the last working session are
cleared from the palette.
• States are added from the top down. That is, the

oldest state is at the top of the list, the most
recent one at the bottom.
• Each state is listed with the name of the tool or

command used to change the image.
• By default, selecting a state dims those below.

This way you can easily see which changes will
be discarded if you continue working from the
selected state.
• Selecting a state and then changing the image

eliminates all states that came after it. Likewise,
deleting a state deletes that state and those that
came after it.
• If you select a state and then change the image,

About the Undo History palette
Note the following guidelines when using the
Undo History palette:
• Program-wide changes, such as changes to

palettes, color settings, and preferences, are not
changes to a particular image and so are not
added to the Undo History palette.
• By default, the Undo History palette lists 20

previous states. Older states are automatically
deleted to free more memory for Photoshop
Elements. You can change the number of states
displayed in the Undo History palette in
General Preferences. The maximum number of
states is 100.

eliminating the states that came after it, you can
use the Undo command to undo the last change
and restore the eliminated states.

Using the Undo History palette
You can use the Undo History palette to revert
to a previous state of an image and delete an
image’s states.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 27
User Guide

To delete one or more states of an image:

Do one of the following:
• Click the name of the state, and choose Delete

from the Undo History palette menu to delete
that change and those that came after it.
A

• Drag the state to the Trash button

to delete
that change and those that came after it.

• Choose Clear Undo History from the palette
B

Undo History palette
A. Undo History state slider B. History state
C. Trash button

menu to delete the list of states from the Undo
History palette, without changing the image.
This option doesn’t reduce the amount of
memory used by Photoshop Elements because
it can be undone.
• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option

To display the Undo History palette:

Choose Window > Undo History, or click the
Undo History palette tab.
To revert to a previous state of an image:

Do any of the following:
• Click the name of the state.
• Drag the slider at the left of the state up or down

to a different state.
• Click the Step Forward or Step Backward

buttons on the shortcuts bar.

(Mac OS), and choose Clear Undo History from
the palette menu to purge the list of states from
the Undo History palette (and from the Undo
buffer) without changing the image. If you get a
message that Photoshop Elements is low on
memory, purging states is useful, since the
command frees up memory.
Important: This action cannot be undone.
• Choose Edit > Purge > Histories to purge the

list of states from the Undo History palette for
all open documents.
Important: This action cannot be undone.

• Choose Step Forward or Step Backward from

the palette menu or the Edit menu to move to
the next or previous state.
To set the keyboard command for Step Forward
and Step Backward, in Windows or Mac OS
9.x, choose Edit > Preferences > General, or in Mac
OS X, choose Photoshop Elements > Preferences >
General, and select an option for Step Back/Fwd.

Working with preset options
Photoshop Elements provides predefined libraries
of brushes, swatches, gradients, patterns, layer
styles, and custom shapes called presets. You can
use the Presets Manager to load different preset
libraries.

28 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

Presets are stored in separate library files that can
be found in the Presets folder in the Photoshop
Elements application folder.

To select a preset in a pop-up palette:

1 Click the triangle in the upper right area of a
pop-up palette.
2 Choose a preset.

Using pop-up palettes
Pop-up palettes appear in the options bar and
provide access to libraries of brushes, swatches,
gradients, patterns, layer styles, and custom
shapes. When closed, pop-up palettes display a
thumbnail image of the currently selected preset.
When you click the triangle to the right of the
thumbnail image, the pop-up palette opens to
show you the currently loaded preset libraries. You
can change the display of a pop-up palette to view
presets by their names, as thumbnail icons, or with
both names and icons.
A

To rename a brush, gradient, or pattern in a pop-up
palette:

1 Select an item, click the triangle in the upper
right corner of the pop-up palette, and choose the
Rename command from the palette menu.
2 Enter a new name in the dialog box provided,
and click OK.
To delete a brush, gradient, or pattern from a pop-up
palette:

Do one of the following:
• Select an item, click the triangle

in the upper
right corner of the pop-up palette, and choose
the Delete command from the palette menu.

• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)

and click a brush or gradient.
To save a library of brushes, gradients, or patterns for
later use:

Choose the Save command from the pop-up
palette menu. Then enter a name for the library
file, and click Save.
To load a library of brushes, gradients, or patterns:
The Brush pop-up palette in the options bar.
A. Click to open the pop-up palette. B. Click to view
the pop-up palette menu.

Choose the Load command from the pop-up
palette menu. Then select the library file you want
to add to the pop-up palette, and click Load.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 29
User Guide

Note: Using the Load command will add the brush
library to the brushes you have available. If you
choose a preset library of brushes, the preset library
will replace your current set of brushes.
To replace the current set of brushes, gradients, or
patterns in a pop-up palette:

Do one of the following:
• Choose the Replace command from the pop-up

palette menu. Then select the library file you
want to use, and click Load.
• Choose a library file from the bottom section of

the palette menu. Then click OK to replace the
current list (gradients or patterns only).
To load to the default library of brushes, gradients,
or patterns:

Note: Not all of the above options are available for
all pop-up palettes.

Using the Preset Manager
The Preset Manager lets you manage the libraries
of brushes, swatches, gradients, and patterns that
come with Photoshop Elements. For example, you
can create a set of favorite brushes, or you can
restore the default presets. The configuration
of presets in the Preset Manager corresponds to
presets that appear in pop-up palettes and regular
palettes.
Each type of library has its own file extension
and default folder. Preset files are installed on
your computer inside the Presets folder in the
Photoshop Elements program folder.

Choose the Reset command from the pop-up
palette menu.

To display the Preset Manager:

To change the display of items in a pop-up palette:

To load a library:

1 Click the triangle in the upper right corner of
the pop-up palette to view the palette menu.

1 Choose Brushes, Swatches, Gradients, or

2 Select a view option:

2 Do one of the following:

• Text Only to display the name of each item.

• Click Load, then select a library from the list.

• Small Thumbnail or Large Thumbnail to

display a thumbnail of each item.
• Small List or Large List to display the name and

thumbnail of each item.
• Stroke Thumbnail to display a sample brush

stroke and brush thumbnail. (This option is
available for brushes only.)

Choose Edit > Preset Manager.

Patterns from the Preset Type menu.

If you want to load a library located in another
folder, navigate to that folder, then select the
library. By default, preset files are installed on
your computer inside the Presets folder in the
Photoshop Elements program folder.
• Click the More button

, and choose a
library from the bottom section of the pop-up
menu.

3 Click the Done button when you’re finished.

30 CHAPTER 1
Looking at the Work Area

To restore the default library or replace the currently
displayed libraries:

Click the More button
, and choose a
command from the pop-up menu:
• Reset to restore the default library for that type.
• Replace to replace the current library with the

contents of another library.
To save a subset of a library:

1 Shift-click to select multiple presets. Only the

selected presets will be saved to the new library.
2 Click Save Set, then enter a name for the library.

If you want to save the library to a folder other
than the default, navigate to the new folder before
saving.
To rename a preset:

1 Do one of the following:
• Select a preset in the list, and click Rename.
• Double-click a preset in the list.
2 Enter a new name for the preset. If you selected
multiple presets, you will be prompted to enter
multiple names.

To delete a preset:

Select the preset you want to delete, and
click Delete.
To change the display of presets in the Preset
Manager:

Click the More button
, and choose a
display mode from the middle section of the
pop-up menu:
• Text Only to display the name of each

preset item.
• Small Thumbnail or Large Thumbnail to

display a thumbnail of each preset item.
• Small List or Large List to display the name and

thumbnail of each preset item.
• Stroke Thumbnail to display a sample brush

stroke and brush thumbnail of each brush
preset. (This option is available for brush
presets only.)

Chapter 2: Setting Up
Photoshop Elements

dobe Photoshop Elements can be
customized to your working
environment.

When an image has a color profile assigned to it,
each device recognizes the profile, and displays
colors according to the settings in the profile. This
way, colors should look the same with all the
devices.

About color management
Color management allows you to get consistent
color between digital cameras, scanners, monitors,
and printers. Color management also helps
different applications, monitors, and operating
systems display colors consistently.
When you create computer graphics, each piece of
equipment you work with that reproduces color—
such as a scanner, color monitor, and desktop
printer—is called a device. Each type of device
reproduces a different range of color, called a color
gamut. As you move an image from one device to
another, its colors can shift in appearance,
sometimes resulting in dramatic changes. Color
management maps colors from a device, such as a
monitor, to another device, such as a printer.
Color mapping ensures that colors on the monitor
represent colors that the printer can reproduce.
By attaching, or tagging, a color profile to an
image, you define how colors appear in the image;
changing the attached profile changes how colors
appear. Images without attached profiles are
known as untagged images and are not color
managed.

Setting up color management
Photoshop Elements allows you to create colormanaged images easily.
To create a color-managed image:

1 Open a file and choose Edit > Color Settings.
2 Select one of these color management options:
• No color management leaves your image

untagged.
• Limited color management optimizes your

images for the Web.
• Full color management tags your image with a

standard ICC color profile for print optimization. The exact color profile depends on the
color mode of your image.
3 Click OK.
4 Choose File > Save As, and select ICC Profile

(Windows) or Embed Color Profile (Mac OS) in
the Save As dialog box.
5 Finish saving the image, as described in “Saving
images” on page 225.

32 CHAPTER 2
Setting Up Photoshop Elements

Calibrating your monitor
Your monitor will display color more reliably if
you use color management and accurate ICC
(International Color Consortium) profiles. Using
an ICC monitor profile helps you eliminate any
color cast in your monitor, make your monitor
grays as neutral as possible, and standardize image
display across different monitors.
On Windows, you can use the Adobe Gamma
software (installed with Photoshop Elements) to
create a monitor profile. On Mac OS, you can use
the Apple® calibration utility to create a monitor
profile. Be sure to use only one calibration utility
to display your profile; using multiple utilities can
result in incorrect color.

Phosphors The substance that monitors use to
emit colors. Different phosphors have different
color characteristics.
White point The coordinates at which red, green,
and blue phosphors at full intensity create white.

Getting ready to calibrate
Before you begin calibrating:
• Make sure that your monitor is displaying

thousands (16 bits) of colors or more.
• Set your desktop to display neutral grays only,

using RGB values of 128. For more information,
see the documentation for your operating
system.
• Make sure your monitor has been on for at least

About monitor calibration settings
Monitor calibration involves adjusting video
settings, which may be unfamiliar to you.
A monitor profile uses these settings to precisely
describe how your monitor reproduces color.
Brightness and contrast The overall level and

range, respectively, of display intensity. These
parameters work just as they do on a television set.
Gamma The brightness of the midtone values.
The values produced by a monitor from black to
white are nonlinear—if you graph the values, they
form a curve, not a straight line. The gamma value
defines the slope of that curve halfway between
black and white. Gamma adjustment compensates
for the nonlinear tonal reproduction of output
devices such as monitor tubes.

30 minutes. If your monitor isn’t warmed up,
the colors it displays may not be accurate.

Calibrating with Adobe Gamma
(Windows)
The ICC profile you get by using Adobe Gamma
uses the calibration settings to describe how your
monitor reproduces color.
Note: If you’re using Windows NT, some calibration
options documented here may not be available.
To use Adobe Gamma:

1 Start Adobe Gamma, located in the Control
Panels folder or in the Program Files/Common
Files/Adobe/Calibration folder on your hard drive.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 33
User Guide

2 Do one of the following:

Setting preferences

• To use a version of the utility that will guide you

Preferences settings control how Photoshop
Elements displays images, cursors, and transparencies, saves files, and uses plug-ins and scratch
disks. You set most of these options in the Preferences dialog box from the Edit menu.

through each step, select Step by Step, and click
OK. This version is recommended if you’re new
to color management. If you choose this option,
follow the instructions described in the utility.
Start from the default profile for your monitor if
available, and enter a unique description name
for the profile. When you are finished with
Adobe Gamma, save the profile using the same
description name. (If you do not have a default
profile, contact your monitor manufacturer for
appropriate phosphor specifications.)
• To use a compact version of the utility with all

the controls in one place, select Control Panel,
and click OK. This version is recommended if
you have experience creating color profiles.
At any time while working in the Adobe
Gamma control panel, you can click the Wizard
button to switch to the wizard for instructions that
guide you through the same settings as in the control
panel, one option at a time.

Configuring Photoshop
Elements
You can configure preferences in Photoshop
Elements to best meet your needs. By setting
preferences, you can control the working
environment in Photoshop Elements and change
how the program uses memory.

If the preferences you set are not behaving as you
expect, the preferences file may be damaged. You
can restore all preferences to their defaults, then
create a new file by setting new preferences.
To open the preferences dialog box:

1 Choose the desired preference set from the

Edit > Preferences submenu.
2 To switch to a different preference set, do one of

the following:
• Choose the preference set from the Edit >

Preferences drop-down menu.
• Choose the preference set from the menu at the

top of the dialog box.
• Click Next to display the next preference set in

the menu list; click Prev to display the previous
preference set.
For information on a specific preference option,
search for the preference name in the index.
To restore all preferences to their default settings:

In Windows, press and hold Alt+Control+Shift
immediately after launching Photoshop Elements.
Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements
settings file.

34 CHAPTER 2
Setting Up Photoshop Elements

In Mac OS, hold down Option+Command+Shift
immediately after launching Photoshop Elements.
Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements
settings file.

The Other Cursors options control the pointers
for the marquee, lasso, magic wand, crop,
eyedropper, gradient, paint bucket, shape, hand,
and zoom tools.

New preferences files are available the next time
you start Photoshop Elements.

To toggle between standard and precise cursors
of some tool pointers, press Caps Lock. Press
Caps Lock again to return to your original setting.

Using tool pointers
When you select most tools, the mouse pointer
matches the tool’s icon. The marquee pointer
appears by default as cross hairs, the text tool
pointer appears as an I-beam, and painting tools
appear as the Brush Size icon.

Making previews display more quickly
Pixel Doubling speeds up an image preview by
temporarily doubling the size of the pixels by
halving the resolution of the preview. This option
has no effect on the pixels in the file; it simply
provides faster previews.

To set the appearance of a tool pointer:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Display & Cursors.

To speed up previews:

2 Select a setting for the tool pointer:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Display & Cursors.

• Standard to display pointers as tool icons.

2 Select Use Pixel Doubling.

• Precise to display pointers as cross hairs.

3 Click OK.

• Brush Size to display the painting cursors as

brush shapes representing the size of the current
brush. Brush Size cursors may not display for
very large brushes.
3 Click OK.

The Painting Cursors options control the pointers
for the eraser, pencil, airbrush, paintbrush,
impressionist brush, background eraser, magic
eraser, selection brush, red eye brush, clone stamp,
pattern stamp, and the smudge, blur, sharpen,
dodge, burn, and sponge tools.

Resetting all warning dialogs
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. You can also reset Photoshop Elements to
display all messages that you've disabled.
To reset the display of all warning messages:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2 Click Reset All Warning Dialogs, and click OK.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 35
User Guide

Using plug-in modules
Plug-in modules are software programs developed
by Adobe Systems and other software developers
to add functionality to Photoshop Elements.
A number of importing, exporting, and specialeffects plug-ins come with your program; they
are in folders inside the Photoshop Elements
Plug-ins folder.
You can select an additional plug-ins folder to use
compatible plug-ins stored with another application. You can also create a shortcut (Windows)
or an alias (Mac OS) for a plug-in stored in
another folder on your system. You can then add
the shortcut or alias to the Plug-ins folder to use
that plug-in with Photoshop Elements. Once
installed, plug-in modules appear as options
added to the Import or Export menu, or as file
formats in the Open and Save As dialog boxes.
Photoshop Elements can accommodate a large
number of plug-ins. However, if the number of
installed plug-in modules becomes great enough,
Photoshop Elements may not be able to list all the
plug-ins in their appropriate menus. Newly
installed plug-ins will then appear in the Filter >
Other submenu.
To install an Adobe Systems plug-in module:

Do one of the following:
• Use the plug-in installer, if provided.
• In Windows, copy the module into the appro-

priate Plug-ins folder in the Photoshop
Elements folder.

• In Mac OS, drag a copy of the module to the

appropriate Plug-ins folder inside the
Photoshop Elements folder.
Note: Before copying or dragging the plug-in files
into the Plug-ins folder, make sure that the files are
uncompressed.
To install a third-party plug-in module:

Follow the installation instructions that came with
the plug-in module.
To select an additional plug-ins folder:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Plug-Ins & Scratch

Disks.
2 In the Preferences dialog, do one of the
following:
• In Windows, select Additional Plug-ins

Directory, click Choose, and select a folder from
the list. Click OK.
• In Mac OS, select Additional Plug-ins Folder,

select a folder from the list. Click Select or
Choose.
3 To display the contents of a folder, double-click

the directory (Windows) or click Open (Mac OS).
The path to the folder appears in the preferences
window.
Make sure that you do not select a location
inside the Plug-ins folder for Photoshop
Elements.
4 Restart Photoshop Elements to load the

plug-ins.

36 CHAPTER 2
Setting Up Photoshop Elements

To prevent a plug-in or folder of plug-ins from
loading:

Add a tilde character (~) at the beginning of the
plug-in name, folder, or directory. That file (or all
files in the folder) is ignored by the application
when you restart it.
To view information about installed plug-ins:

Choose Help > About Plug-In and select a plug-in
from the submenu (Windows) or choose Apple
menu > About Plug-In and select a plug-in from
the submenu (Mac OS).

Setting memory preferences
The amount of memory (RAM) Photoshop
Elements needs is approximately three to five
times the file size of your open images. When the
amount of memory is insufficient, the application
uses any available hard-disk space. To improve the
application’s performance, you can increase the
amount of memory reserved for the application.
If you use other applications simultaneously
with Photoshop Elements, make sure you leave
enough memory for the other applications to use.

Assigning scratch disks
When your system does not have enough RAM
to perform an operation, Photoshop Elements
uses a proprietary virtual memory technology, also
called scratch disks. A scratch disk is any drive or
partition of a drive with free memory. By default,
Photoshop Elements uses the hard drive that the
operating system is installed on as its primary
scratch disk.
You can change the primary scratch disk or
designate a second, third, or fourth scratch disk, to
be used when the primary disk is full. Your
primary scratch disk should be your fastest hard
disk and have plenty of defragmented space
available.
The following guidelines can help you assign
scratch disks:
• You can use up to four scratch disks of any size

your file system supports. Photoshop lets you
create up to 200 GB of scratch disk space.
• For best performance, scratch disks should be

on a different drive than any large files you are
editing.
• Scratch disks should be on a different drive than

To set memory preferences in Windows:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Memory & Image

Cache.
• In the Memory Usage menu, drag the

Maximum Used By Photoshop Elements slider
to the right.

the one used for virtual memory.
• Scratch disks should be on a local drive. That is,

they should not be accessed over a network.
• Scratch disks should be conventional (non-

removable) media.
• Raid disks/disk arrays are good choices for

dedicated scratch disk volumes.
To set memory preferences in Mac OS:

In Mac OS, memory preferences are set outside of
Photoshop Elements. Refer to your Mac OS
documentation.

• Drives with scratch disks should be defrag-

mented regularly.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 37
User Guide

To change the scratch disk assignment:

About Web access

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Plug-Ins & Scratch

So that you can use all of the Web-related features
in Photoshop Elements, including Online
Services, make sure that you’ve set up your
computer to send e-mail and browse the Web.
Refer to any documentation provided by your
preferred e-mail or Internet provider for setting
up Web access.

Disks.
2 Select the desired disks from the Scratch Disks
menu (you can assign up to four scratch disks).
3 Click OK.
4 Restart Photoshop Elements for the change to
take effect.

Important: The scratch disk file that is created by
Photoshop Elements must be in contiguous hard
drive space. For this reason you should frequently
defragment your hard drive. Adobe recommends
that you use a disk tool utility, such as Windows Disk
Defragmenter or Norton Speed Disk, to defragment
your hard drive on a regular basis. See your
Windows or Mac OS documentation for information on defragmentation utilities.

You can also adjust these settings in your operating
system. Refer to the operating system’s documentation if you need help with settings.

Chapter 3: Acquiring and Opening
Photos
ou can acquire digital images from a
variety of sources—you can create new
images, import them from another
graphics application, or capture them using a
digital camera. Often you will begin by scanning a
photograph, a slide, or an image.

About this chapter
Before you begin working with your photos, it’s
helpful to understand a few things about digital
images. In this chapter, you’ll also learn about the
different ways of getting your photos into
Photoshop Elements.

Bitmap images are the most common electronic
medium for continuous-tone images, such as
photographs or digital paintings, because they can
represent subtle gradations of shades and color.
Bitmap images are resolution-dependent—that is,
they contain a fixed number of pixels. As a result,
they can lose detail and appear jagged if they are
scaled on-screen or if they are printed at a lower
resolution than they were created for.

300%

1600%

About digital images
Computer graphics falls into two main
categories—bitmap and vector. Files can contain
both bitmap and vector data. Understanding the
difference between the two categories helps as you
create, edit, and import artwork.
Bitmap images—technically called raster images—
use a grid of colors known as pixels to represent
images. Each pixel is assigned a specific location
and color value. For example, a bicycle tire in a
bitmap image is made up of a mosaic of pixels in
that location. When working with bitmap images,
you edit pixels rather than objects or shapes.

Bitmap images are good for reproducing subtle gradations
of color, as in photographs. They can have jagged edges
when printed at too large a size or displayed at too high a
magnification.

Vector images are displayed according to
geometric characteristics and are resolutionindependent—that is, they can be scaled to any
size and printed at any resolution without losing
detail or clarity. Vector objects include shapes and
text in Photoshop Elements. (See “About vector
graphics” on page 191.)

40 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

Getting photos from a scanner

Importing photos using a TWAIN device

Before you scan a photo, make sure that the
software necessary for your scanner has been
installed. Scanner drivers are provided and
supported by scanner manufacturers, not Adobe
Systems Incorporated. If you have problems with
scanning, make sure that you are using the latest
version of the appropriate scanner driver.

TWAIN is a cross-platform interface for acquiring
images captured by certain scanners, digital
cameras, and frame grabbers. The manufacturer
of the TWAIN device must provide a Source
Manager and TWAIN Data Source for your device
to work with Photoshop Elements.

If you can’t import the scan using the TWAIN
interface, use the scanner manufacturer’s
software to scan your images, and save the images as
TIFF, PICT, or BMP files. Then open the files in
Photoshop Elements.

Importing scanned photos
You can directly import scanned photos from any
scanner that has an Adobe Photoshop Elementscompatible plug-in module. See your scanner
documentation for instructions on installing the
scanner plug-in. For general plug-in information,
see “Using plug-in modules” on page 35.
If your scanner does not have a compatible
plug-in, you can import scanned photos using
the TWAIN interface. (See “Importing photos using
a TWAIN device” on page 40.)
To import the scan using a plug-in module:

1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Connect to Camera or Scanner button

in the Welcome window, then choose the
scanner name from the Import pop-up menu in
the Select Import Source dialog box.
• Choose the scanner name from the File >

Import submenu.

You must install the TWAIN device and its
software, and restart your computer before you
can use it to import images into Photoshop
Elements. See the documentation provided by
your device manufacturer for installation
information.
To import a photo using the TWAIN interface:

Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import, and choose the device

you want to use from the submenu.
• Click the Connect to Camera or Scanner button

in the Welcome window, then choose the
scanner name from the Import pop-up menu in
the Select Import Source dialog box.

Importing photos using WIA (Windows
Image Acquisition) Support
You can use WIA Support to import images from
certain scanners. When you use WIA Support,
Photoshop Elements works with Windows Me,
Windows XP or later, and your scanner software to
import images.
Note: WIA Support is only available if you are using
Windows Me or Windows XP, or later.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 41
User Guide

To import images from a scanner using WIA Support:

10 The scanned image will be saved in the .bmp

1 Choose File > Import > WIA Support.

file format.

2 Choose a destination on your computer to save

image files to.
3 Click Start.
4 Make sure Open Acquired Images in Photoshop

Elements is checked. If you have a large number of
images to import, or if you want to edit the images
at a later time, deselect it.
5 Make sure Unique Subfolder is selected so that

the imported images are put directly into a folder
named with the current date.
6 Select the scanner that you want to use.

Note: If the name of your scanner does not appear in
the submenu, verify that the software and drivers
were properly installed and that the scanner is
connected.
7 Choose the kind of image you want to scan:
• Color picture to use the default settings for

scanning color images.
• Grayscale picture to use the default settings for

scanning grayscale images.
• Black and White picture or Text to use the

default settings.
• Click Adjust the Quality of the Scanned Picture

to use custom settings.

Importing photos from a digital
camera
Photoshop Elements works with digital camera
software to import images directly from a camera.
Make sure that the software and drivers that came
with your digital camera are properly installed
before you import images.
There are several ways digital cameras connect to
computers. Be sure to check the documentation
that came with your camera before you try to
import photos.
To import photos:

1 Follow the procedures in the digital camera
documentation to install any software that came
with your camera and to connect the digital
camera to your computer.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Connect to Camera or Scanner button

in the Welcome window, and then choose the
digital camera name from the Import pop-up
menu in the Select Import Source dialog box.
• Choose File > Import, and select your digital

camera from the submenu.

8 Click Preview to view the scan. Crop the scan
if needed by pulling the rectangle so it surrounds
the image.

Note: If the camera name does not appear in the
submenu, verify that the software and drivers were
installed properly.

9 Click Scan.

3 Once the digital camera software launches,
import the desired images as you would if you
were downloading them to your computer.

42 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

4 Save the imported image as a Photoshop
Elements file.

4 Save your photos as .psd files on your computer
so you can edit them in Photoshop Elements. (See
“Saving images” on page 225.)

Importing photos from digital cameras
mounted to your computer

If you’re using Windows XP, you can set up
your computer so Photoshop Elements is
automatically launched as soon as photos are
detected after your digital camera is connected. See
the Windows XP documentation for more help.

Certain digital cameras are connected, or
mounted, to your computer in such a way that
they are treated as additional storage devices. You
can browse the contents of your mounted digital
cameras as you would a CD-ROM drive or a hard
disk drive.
Note: Some cameras mounted to your computer
cannot be accessed via the Import command. In that
case, you can use the File > Open command and
then navigate to your camera to retrieve your photos.
Some mounted cameras require that you install
manufacturer’s software before you can connect
the camera to your computer, so check any
documentation that came with your camera.

Importing photos using WIA (Windows
Image Acquisition) Support
You can use WIA Support to import images from
certain digital cameras. When you use WIA
Support, Photoshop Elements works with
Windows Me, Windows XP or later, and your
digital camera software to import images.
Note: WIA Support is only available if you are using
Windows Me, Windows XP or later.

To import photos from a mounted digital camera:

To import images from a digital camera using
WIA support:

1 Connect your digital camera to your computer

1 Choose File > Import > WIA Support.

as directed in the documentation accompanying
your camera.

2 Choose a destination on your computer for

2 Once your camera is detected by your
computer, launch Photoshop Elements.

3 Make sure Open Acquired Images in Photoshop

3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Browse for File button in the Welcome

window, or choose Window > File Browser to
browse the contents of your digital camera and
open photos.
• Choose File > Open to navigate to a specific

photo.

saving your image files.
Elements is checked. If you have a large number of
images to import, or if you want to edit the images
at a later time, deselect it.
4 Make sure Unique Subfolder is selected so that

the imported images are put directly into a folder
named with the current date.
5 Click Start.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 43
User Guide

6 Select the digital camera from which you want
to import images.

Note: If the name of your camera does not appear in
the submenu, verify that the software and drivers
were properly installed and that the camera is
connected.
7 Choose the image or images you want to

import:
• Click the image from the list of thumbnails to

import the image.
• Hold down Shift and click on multiple images

to import them at the same time.
• Click Select All to import all available images.
8 Click Get Picture to import the image.

Getting images from video
You can quickly and easily capture frames from
your digital videos using the Frame from Video
command. When you see a frame you’d like to
import as a still image, click the Grab Frame
button, or simply press the space bar.
Your video clips must be saved in video file
formats that Photoshop Elements can open in the
Frame for Video dialog box. Windows formats
include .avi, .mpg, and .mpeg, and Mac OS
formats include QuickTime and .mpeg.

Capturing a frame from video
To acquire still frames from a video:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import > Frame from Video.
• Click the Connect to Camera or Scanner button

in the Welcome window, and then choose
Frame from Video from the Import pop-up
menu in the Select Import Source dialog box.
2 In the Frame from Video dialog box, click the
Browse button, navigate to the video from which
you want to acquire still frames, and then click
Open.
3 To start the video, click the Play button

44 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

4 To import a frame of the video as a still image,

click the Grab Frame button or press the space bar
when the frame is visible on the screen. You can
move forward and backward in the video to
capture additional frames.
Note: Some video formats don’t support rewinding
or fast-forwarding. In these cases, the Rewind and
Fast Forward buttons are grayed out.
5 When you have all the frames you want, click

the Done button.
6 Save the still files in Photoshop Elements.

Creating new images
The New command
image.

lets you create a blank

To create a new image:

To match the width and height of the new
image to that of any open image, choose a
filename from the Window > Images menu.
3 Set the resolution and mode. (See “About image
modes” on page 54.)
4 Select an option for the contents of the
bottommost layer of the image:
• White to create a white background.
• Background Color to fill the background with

the current background color. (See “Selecting
foreground and background colors” on
page 127.)
• Transparent to make the background layer

transparent, with no color values. The resulting
document will not have a background layer.
(See “About the Background layer” on page 92.)
5 Click OK.

1 Do one of the following:
• Click New on the Welcome window that

appears when you start Photoshop Elements.
• To base the image dimensions and resolution on

copied art pasted on the Clipboard, choose
File > New. If the Clipboard does not contain
image data, the image dimensions and
resolution are based on the last image you
created.
• To create an image from data on the Clipboard,

select File > Create from Clipboard.
2 If desired, enter a name for the image, and set
the width and height.

Using the File Browser
File Browser lets you view, sort, and process image
files. You can use the File Browser to perform tasks
such as creating new folders; renaming, moving,
and deleting files; and rotating images. You can
also view individual file information and data
imported from your digital camera.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 45
User Guide

Opening files from File Browser
File Browser helps you quickly locate image files
and open them in the work area. You can also
rotate images and view file information in the
File Browser.
To open a file:

Select the file or files you want to open, and do one
of the following:
• Double-click the file.
• Drag the selected file or files into the work area.
• Choose Open from the File Browser menu.
• Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
B

To rotate an image in the File Browser:
File Browser screen
A. File Browser menu B. File information pop-up menu
C. File information D. Sort By pop-up menu
E. View By pop-up menu

Select one or more files, and do one of the
following:
• Choose a rotation option from the File Browser

menu.

To display the File Browser:

Do one of the following:

• Click the Rotate button

• Click the Browse for File button in the Welcome

• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)

window.

the Rotate button
to rotate the images
counterclockwise by 90 degrees.

• Choose File > Browse.
• Choose Window > File Browser.
To display the File Browser menu:

Click the More button

to rotate the images

clockwise by 90 degrees.

Note: Using the File Browser, you can’t Rotate or
Batch Rename files stored on your computer desktop.
To display file information:

Click the File Information pop-up menu at the
bottom of the File Browser, and select one of the
following:
• All to view all image information for a file.

46 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

• EXIF to view image information imported from

2 Do one of the following:

your digital camera. (See “Viewing file information” on page 23).

• Click the Trash button.
• Drag the files to the Trash button

Working with files and folders

• Press the Delete key.

Using File Browser, you can manage your folders
and files. You can select files and folders, sort them
by different criteria, and move, copy, and delete
files. You can rename one file, or rename all of the
files in a folder using the Batch Rename command.

• Choose Delete from the File Browser menu.
To create new folders:

To select or deselect files:

2 Type a name, and press Enter (Windows) or
Return (Mac OS).

1 Choose New Folder from the File Browser

menu.

Do any of the following:
• On the right side of the palette, click a

thumbnail to select a file.
• Shift-click to select multiple files.
• Control-click (Windows) or Command-click

(Mac OS) to select non-contiguous images.
To select all files in the current folder:

Choose Select All from the palette menu. To
deselect all files, choose Deselect All from the
palette menu.

To rename files or folders:

1 On the right side of the palette, click a filename
or folder name, or select a file or folder and choose
Rename from the palette menu.
2 Type a new name, and press Enter (Windows)
or Return (Mac OS).

Note: To move to the next filename, press Tab.
To move to the previous filename, press Shift+Tab.
To rename all the files in a folder:

1 Make sure that no files are selected.
To sort files:

Click the Sort By pop-up menu at the bottom of
the File Browser, and choose a sorting option.
To copy files:

Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS)
files to a different folder.
To delete files:

1 Select the file or files you want to delete.

2 To rename a subset of files in a folder, select the
files you want to rename.
3 Choose Batch Rename from the File Browser

menu, and set the following options:
• For Destination Folder, select where you want to

place the renamed files: in the same folder or in
a different folder. If you select Move to New
Folder, click Browse (Windows) or Choose
(Mac OS) to select a different folder.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 47
User Guide

• For File Naming, choose elements from the

pop-up menus or enter text into the fields. The
specified elements and text will be combined to
create the new filename.
• For Compatibility, select the operating systems

with which you want renamed files to be
compatible. The current operating system is
selected by default, and you cannot deselect it.

To purge the cache:

Choose Purge Cache from the File Browser menu.

Opening images
You can open and import images in various file
formats. The available formats appear in the Open
dialog box, the Open As dialog box (Windows),
or the Import submenu.

To change the display of files:

Do one of the following:
• Choose a thumbnail display option from the

File Browser menu.
• Click the View By pop-up menu at the bottom

of the File Browser and choose a display option.

Note: Photoshop Elements uses plug-in modules to
open and import many file formats. If a file format
does not appear in the Open dialog box or in the
File > Import submenu, you may need to install
the format’s plug-in module. (See “Using plug-in
modules” on page 35.)

To refresh the view:

Opening files

Choose Refresh Desktop View from the File
Browser menu. Closing and reopening the File
Browser also refreshes the view.

The Open dialog box provides controls for
locating and previewing files. You can also quickly
access frequently used files with the Open Recent
command.

When you rename a file, the order of files in the
File Browser is not automatically updated, so
you can refresh the view to see the changes you made.
To display files in Windows Explorer or Mac OS Finder:

Choose Reveal Location in Explorer (Windows) or
Reveal Location in Finder (Mac OS) from the File
Browser menu.

There may be instances when Photoshop Elements
cannot determine the correct format for a file.
For example, transferring a file between Mac OS
and Windows can cause the format to be
mislabeled. In such cases, you must specify the
correct format in which to open the file.
To open a file:

Working with the cache
The cache stores thumbnail and file information
to make loading times quicker when you return to
a previously viewed folder. Purging the cache frees
up disk space on your computer.

1 Choose File > Open

2 Navigate to the file you want to open. If the file

does not appear, select the option for showing all
files from the Files of Type (Windows) or Show
(Mac OS) pop-up menu.

48 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

3 (Mac OS) Click Show Preview to preview the
selected file. This option requires the Apple
QuickTime extension.

Note: Previews display faster if they are saved with
the file. Select Always Save for Image Previews in the
Saving Files preferences to always save a preview;
select Ask When Saving to save previews on a fileper-file basis.
4 Click Open. In some cases, a dialog box appears,
letting you set format-specific options.
(See “Opening and importing PDF files” on
page 48 and “Opening PostScript artwork” on
page 49.)
To open a recently used file:

Choose File > Open Recent, and select a file from
the submenu.
To specify the number of files that are available in
the Open Recent submenu, choose Edit > Preferences > Saving Files, and enter a number in the
Recent File List Contains text box.
To specify the file format in which to open a file:

Do one of the following:
• (Windows) Choose File > Open As, and

select the file you want to open. Then choose the
desired format from the Open As pop-up menu,
and click Open.
• (Mac OS) Choose File > Open, and choose

All Documents from the Show pop-up menu.
Then select the file you want to open, choose the
desired file format from the Format pop-up
menu, and click Open.

Important: If the file does not open, then the chosen
format may not match the file’s true format, or the
file may be damaged.

Opening and importing PDF files
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.
Photoshop Elements recognizes two types of PDF
files: Photoshop PDF files and Generic PDF files.
You can open both types of PDF files; however,
you can only save images to Photoshop PDF
format.
Photoshop PDF files Created using the Photoshop

Elements Save As command, Photoshop PDF files
can contain only a single image.
Photoshop PDF format supports all of the color
modes and features that are supported in standard
Photoshop format.
Generic PDF files Created using applications
other than Photoshop Elements, such as Adobe
Acrobat and Adobe Illustrator®, Generic PDF files
can contain multiple pages and images. When you
open a Generic PDF file, Photoshop Elements
rasterizes the image.

You can also bring PDF data into Photoshop
Elements using the Place command, the Paste
command, and the drag-and-drop feature.
(See “Placing files” on page 52, “Using drag-anddrop to copy between applications” on page 124,
and “Using the Clipboard to copy between applications” on page 124.)

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 49
User Guide

To open a PDF file:

1 Choose File > Open.
2 Select the name of the file, and click Open.

You can change which types of files are shown by
selecting an option from the Files of Type
(Windows) or Show (Mac OS) pop-up menu.
3 If you are opening a Generic PDF file, do the

following:
• If the file contains multiple pages, select the

page you want to open, and click OK.
• Indicate the desired dimensions, resolution,

and mode. If the file has an embedded ICC
profile, you can choose the profile from the
mode pop-up menu.
• Select Constrain Proportions to maintain the

same height-to-width ratio.
• Select Anti-aliased to minimize the jagged

appearance of the artwork’s edges as it is
rasterized.
• Click OK.
To import images from a PDF file:

1 Choose File > Import > PDF Image, select

the file from which you want to import images,
and click Open.
2 Select the image you want to open:
• To open a specific image, select it and click OK.

You can use the arrows to scroll through the
images, or click Go to Image to enter an image
number.
• To open each image as a separate file, click

Import All Images.

Press Esc to cancel the import operation before
all images are imported.
To create a new Photoshop file for each page of a
multiple-page PDF file:

1 Choose File > Automation Tools > Multi-Page

PDF to PSD.
2 Under Source PDF, click the Choose button,
and select the file from which you want to import
images.
3 Under Page Range, specify a range of pages to

import.
4 Under Output Options, specify a resolution,
choose a color mode, and set the Anti-alias
option for rasterizing each page of the PDF file.
(To blend edge pixels during rasterization, select
the Antialias option. To produce a hard-edged
transition between edge pixels during rasterization, deselect the Anti-alias option.)
5 Under Destination, enter a base name for the
generated files. (When Photoshop creates the new
files, the base name is appended with a number
that corresponds to the page number of the
PDF file.) Then click the Choose button, and
select the location where you want to save the
generated files.

Opening PostScript artwork
Encapsulated PostScript® (EPS) can represent both
vector and bitmap data and is supported by
virtually all graphics, illustration, and page-layout
programs. Adobe applications that produce
PostScript artwork include Adobe Illustrator.
When you open an EPS file containing vector art,

50 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

it is rasterized—the mathematically defined lines
and curves of the vector artwork are converted
into the pixels or bits of a bitmap image.
You can also bring PostScript artwork into
Photoshop Elements using the Place command,
the Paste command, and the drag-and-drop
feature. (See “Placing files” on page 52, “Using
drag-and-drop to copy between applications” on
page 124, and “Using the Clipboard to copy
between applications” on page 124.)
To open an EPS file:

1 Choose File > Open.

2 Select the PCD file you want to open, and click
Open. If the file does not appear, select the option
for showing all files from the Files of Type
(Windows) or Show (Mac OS) menu.
3 Select options for the source image:
• Pixel Size to specify the pixel dimensions of the

image. Keep in mind that the on-screen size of
the opened image depends on both the pixel size
and resolution you choose. (See “About image
size and resolution” on page 75.)
• Profile to specify a device profile for color

management. (See “Setting up color
management” on page 31.)

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

4 Select options for the destination image:

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

• Resolution to specify the resolution of the

4 Select Anti-aliased to minimize the jagged

appearance of the artwork’s edges as it is opened.
Anti-aliasing lets you produce smooth-edged
objects by partially filling the edge pixels, so
the edges of the objects blend into the background.

opened image.
• Color Space to specify a color profile for the

opened image. (See “Setting up color
management” on page 31.)
• Landscape or Portrait to specify the orientation

of the opened image.
5 Click OK.

5 Click OK.

Opening Raw files
Opening Photo CD files
You can open Kodak® Photo CD™ (PCD) files,
including high-resolution files from Pro
Photo CDs.
Note: You cannot save files in PCD format in
Photoshop Elements.

The Raw format is designed to accommodate
images saved in undocumented formats, such
as those created by scientific applications.
Compressed files, such as PICT and GIF, cannot
be opened using this format.
To open a file using the Raw format:

To open a Photo CD file:

1 Choose File > Open or File > Open As

1 Choose File > Open.

(Windows).

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 51
User Guide

2 Choose Raw from the file format list, and

click Open.
3 For Width and Height, enter values for the
dimensions of the file.
4 To reverse the order of the width and height,

click Swap.
5 Enter the number of channels.
6 Select Interleaved if the file was saved with an
interlaced data option.

The Anti-aliased PICT dialog box indicates the
current file size and dimensions. To change the
image dimensions, enter new values for Width and
Height. The file size is then updated. To maintain
image proportions, select Constrain Proportions.
You can choose Grayscale or RGB color mode for
an anti-aliased PICT file.

Importing PICT resources (Mac OS)

8 For Header, enter a value.

The PICT Resource module lets you read PICT
resources from a file—for example, from another
application. To open a PICT resource, choose
File > Import > PICT Resource.

9 If you are missing the dimensions or header
value, you can have Photoshop Elements estimate
the parameters. Either enter the correct height and
width values to estimate the header size, or enter
the correct header size to estimate the height and
width, and then click Guess.

To preview a resource, click Preview. Click the
arrow buttons to step forward and backward
through the resources. Note that the number
displayed for Resource refers to the resource’s
position in ascending order in the resource fork
and not to the resource’s identification number.

10 To have Photoshop Elements retain the header

Note: In Photoshop Elements, you can also open a
file in the PICT Resource file format by choosing
File > Open, choosing All Documents from the Show
pop-up menu, selecting the file you want to open,
choosing PICT Resource from the Format pop-up
menu, and clicking Open. However, the Open
command automatically opens the first resource in
the file and does not display any other PICT
resources in the file.

7 Select a color depth and, if necessary, a byte

order.

when you save the file, select Retain When Saving.
11 Click OK.

Importing anti-aliased PICT files (Mac OS)
Choose File > Import > Anti-aliased PICT to
import object-oriented PICT files (such as those
created with MacDraw and Canvas) as smoothedged, or anti-aliased, images. Because the entire
PICT file must be held in memory for this module
to operate, you may not be able to use the module
with large PICT files.

52 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

Opening images in EPS TIFF or EPS PICT
Preview format
These formats let you open images saved in file
formats that create previews but are not supported
by Adobe Photoshop Elements (such as QuarkXPress®). An opened preview image can be edited
and used like any other low-resolution file. EPS
PICT Preview is available only in Mac OS.

Using the File Association Manager
(Windows only)
The File Association Manager lets you decide
which file types are opened in Photoshop
Elements. Choosing to open digital images in
Photoshop Elements can help you streamline your
workflow.
To select file types:

3 Click the OK button when you’re done.

Placing files
You can use the File > Place command to
place artwork into a new layer in an image.
In Photoshop Elements, you can place PDF,
Adobe Illustrator, and EPS files.
When you place a PDF, Adobe Illustrator, or EPS
file, it is rasterized; you cannot edit text or vector
data in placed artwork. Keep in mind that artwork
is rasterized at the resolution of the file into which
it is placed.
To place a PDF, Adobe Illustrator, or EPS file:

1 Open the Photoshop Elements image into
which you want to place the artwork.
2 Choose File > Place, select the file you want to

1 Choose Edit > File Association.

place, and click Place.

2 Do one of the following to select the file types
you want to open in Photoshop Elements:

3 If you are placing a PDF file that contains

• Click the box next to the file type names to add

a file type. Selected file types have a check next
to them.
• Click the Default button to have the suggested

file types checked.
• Click the Select All button to have all available

file types open in Photoshop Elements.
• Click Deselect All if you don’t want any of the

listed file formats to open in Photoshop
Elements. This means that you would have to
use the Open command to open an image file
from your computer.

multiple pages, select the page you want to place
from the provided dialog box, and click OK.
The placed artwork appears inside a bounding box
at the center of the Photoshop Elements image.
The artwork maintains its original aspect ratio;
however, if the artwork is larger than the
Photoshop Elements image, it is resized to fit.
4 If desired, reposition the placed artwork by
doing one or more of the following:
• Position the pointer inside the bounding box of

the placed artwork, and drag.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 53
User Guide

• In the options bar, enter a value for X to specify

the distance between the center point of the
placed artwork and the left edge of the image.
Enter a value for Y to specify the distance
between the center point of the placed artwork
and the top edge of the image.

8 Set the Anti-alias option in the options bar as
desired. To blend edge pixels during rasterization,
select the Anti-alias option. To produce a hardedged transition between edge pixels during
rasterization, deselect the Anti-alias option.
9 To commit the placed artwork to a new layer,

5 If desired, scale the placed artwork by doing one

do one of the following:

or more of the following:

• Click the OK button

• Drag one of the handles at the corners or

• Press Enter or Return.

sides of the bounding box. Hold down Shift as
you drag a corner handle to constrain the
proportions.

in the options bar.

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

• In the options bar, enter values for W and H to

specify the width and height of the artwork.
By default, these options represent scale as a
percentage; however, you can enter another unit
of measurement (in, cm, or px). To constrain
the proportions of the artwork, click the
Constrain Proportions icon ; the option is on
when the icon has a white background.
6 If desired, rotate the placed artwork by doing

one or more of the following:
• Position the pointer outside the bounding box

Closing files and quitting
To close a file:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Close.
• Choose Window > Close All (Windows).
• Choose File > Close All (Mac OS).
2 Choose whether or not to save the file:

of the placed artwork (the pointer turns into a
curved arrow), and drag.

• Click Yes (Windows) or Save (Mac OS) to save

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

• Click No (Windows) or Don’t Save (Mac OS) to

the Rotation option

7 If desired, skew the placed artwork by holding
down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS)
and dragging a side handle of the bounding box.

the file.
close the file without saving it.
To exit Photoshop Elements:

1 Choose File > Exit (Windows) or File >

Quit (Mac OS).
2 Choose whether or not to save any open files:
• Click Yes (Windows) or Save (Mac OS) for each

open file to save the file.

54 CHAPTER 3
Acquiring and Opening Photos

• Click No (Windows) or Don’t Save (Mac OS)

for each open file to close the file without
saving it.

Choosing an image mode
Photoshop Elements provides several image
modes for displaying and printing images. The
image mode you choose determines the number of
colors that can be displayed in an image and can
also affect the file size of the image.

About image modes
Photoshop Elements provides four image modes:
RGB, Bitmap, Grayscale, and Indexed color.
RGB mode RGB is the default mode for new

Photoshop images. It uses the RGB image model
to assign an intensity value to each pixel ranging
from 0 (black) to 255 (white) for each of the RGB
components in a color image. For example,
a bright red color might have an R value of 246,
a G value of 20, and a B value of 50. When the
values of all three components are equal, the result
is a shade of neutral gray. When the value of all
components is 255, the result is pure white;
when the value is 0, pure black.
RGB images use three colors, or channels, to
reproduce up to 16.7 million colors on-screen. In
addition to being the default mode for new
Photoshop images, the RGB model is used by
computer monitors to display colors.

Bitmap mode This mode uses one of two color
values (black or white) to represent the pixels in
an image. Images in Bitmap mode are called
bitmapped 1-bit images because they have a bit
depth of 1.
Grayscale mode This mode uses up to 256 shades

of gray. Every pixel of a grayscale image 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). Images produced using
black-and-white or grayscale scanners typically are
displayed in Grayscale mode.
Indexed Color mode This mode uses at most

256 colors. When converting to indexed color,
Photoshop Elements builds a color lookup table
(CLUT), which stores and indexes the colors in the
image. If a color in the original image does not
appear in the table, the program chooses the
closest one or simulates the color using available
colors.
By limiting the palette of colors, indexed color can
reduce file size while maintaining visual quality—
for example, for a Web page. Limited editing is
available in this mode. For extensive editing you
should convert temporarily to RGB mode.
For more information, see “Converting to
indexed color” in online Help.

Converting between color modes
When you choose a different color mode for an
image, you permanently change the color values in
the image.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 55
User Guide

Consequently, before converting images, it’s best
to do the following:
• Edit as much as possible in RGB mode.
• Save a backup copy before converting. Be sure to

save a copy of your image that includes all layers
in order to edit the original version of the image
after the conversion.
• Flatten the file before converting it. The inter-

action of colors between layer blending modes
will change when the mode changes.

To convert an image to another mode:

Choose Image > Mode, and choose the mode you
want from the submenu. Modes not available for
the active image appear dimmed in the menu.
Note: Images are flattened when you convert them to
Bitmap or Indexed Color mode, because these modes
do not support layers.
For more information, see “Converting
between Grayscale and Bitmap modes” in
online Help.

Chapter 4: Fixing Your Photos
ou can fix photos in Adobe Photoshop
Elements by using the retouching, editing,
and color adjusting features. You can
correct an entire image, or portions of an image.

About fixing your photos
You may need to correct the color and tone of an
image for several reasons. The original photograph may have a color cast caused by the film,
lighting, or aging. Or the scan may have been
imperfect—scanners can introduce color casts or
artifacts. Or the colors in your original art may be
out of printable range.
You can quickly fix simple image problems by
using automated or simple correction features in
Photoshop Elements. For example, you can easily
fix underexposed photos or subtle color casts with
an auto correction command or with a few simple
visual adjustments. For more information, see
“Quickly fixing your photos” on page 58 and
“Using the Color Variations command” on
page 66.
If you need more precise controls for adjusting a
photo’s color, highlights, and shadows, you can use
more advanced features, including the Levels
command. For more information, see “Adjusting
the range of dark and light tones in an image” on
page 62.
For more information, see “Checking scan
quality and tonal range” in online Help.

To remove blemishes, such as dust and scratches,
you can use filters to quickly repair the damaged
areas. If the blemished areas are more complex,
you can use the clone stamp tool to manually
repair the photo. To fix other common issues,
including red-eye, color-saturation, and exposure
problems, you can use other retouching tools. For
more information, see “Retouching an image” on
page 70.

Workflow for fixing photos
To correct the color balance and tonal range of an
image, complete the following steps:
Calibrate your monitor Use Adobe Gamma to
calibrate your monitor or the display calibrator
(Mac OSX only). A calibrated monitor ensures
consistent color from other devices such as
printers. (See “Calibrating your monitor” on
page 32.)
View the image at 100% Before making any color
corrections, view the image at a zoom percentage
of 100%. At that percentage, Photoshop Elements
displays color most accurately.
Check the scan quality and tonal range Look at

the image’s histogram to evaluate whether the
image has sufficient detail to produce high-quality
output. The greater the range of values in the
histogram, the greater the detail. Poor scans and
photographs without much detail can be difficult
if not impossible to correct. Too many color
corrections can also result in a loss of pixel values
and too little detail.

58 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

For more information, see “Checking scan
quality and tonal range” in online Help.
Adjust the tonal range Begin tonal corrections by

adjusting the values of the extreme highlight and
shadow pixels in the image, setting an overall tonal
range that allows for the sharpest detail possible
throughout the image. This process is known as
setting the highlights and shadows or setting the
white and black points. (See “Adjusting the range of
dark and light tones in an image” on page 62.)
Setting the highlights and shadows typically redistributes the midtone pixels appropriately. When
pixel values are concentrated at either end of the
tonal range, however, you may need to adjust your
midtones manually.
Adjust the color balance After correcting the

tonal range, you can adjust the image’s color
balance to remove unwanted color casts or to
correct oversaturated or undersaturated colors.
(To manually fix a color cast, see “Using the Color
Cast command” on page 67; or you can try the
Auto Color Correction command: See “Using the
Auto Color Correction command” on page 59.)

For information on viewing the range of
shadows, midtones, and highlights in an
image, see “Checking scan quality and tonal range”
in online Help.

Quickly fixing your photos
Some image problems are simple enough that they
can be quickly fixed using the automated or simple
correction features in Photoshop Elements.

Using the Auto Levels command
To enhance the contrast of an image that has an
average distribution of color values, use the Auto
Levels command. Auto Levels defines the lightest
and darkest pixels in an image, and then redistributes intermediate pixel values proportionately.
Note: Because Auto Levels adjusts each color channel
(red, green, and blue) individually, it may remove or
introduce color casts. If Auto Levels introduces an
undesirable color cast, undo the command, and then
try the Auto Contrast command instead. See “Using
the Auto Contrast command” on page 59.

Make other special color adjustments Once you

have corrected the overall color balance of your
image, you can make optional adjustments to
enhance colors. For example, you can increase the
vividness of color in your image by increasing its
saturation. (See “Adjusting color” on page 65.)
Sharpen the edges of the image As a final step,
use the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen the clarity
of edges in the image. This step helps restore detail
and sharpness that tonal adjustments may reduce.
(See “Sharpen filters” on page 179.)

To use the Auto Levels command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 59
User Guide

2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Enhance > Auto Levels.
• Choose Enhance > Adjust Brightness/

Contrast > Levels. In the Levels dialog box,
click Auto, and then click OK.

Using the Auto Contrast command
The Auto Contrast command adjusts the overall
contrast and mixture of colors in an image
automatically. Because it does not adjust each
color channel (red, green, and blue) individually,
Auto Contrast does not introduce or remove color
casts. It maps the lightest and darkest pixels in the
image to white and black, which makes highlights
appear lighter and shadows appear darker.
Auto Contrast can improve the appearance of
many photographic or continuous-tone images.
It does not improve flat-color images.

Using the Auto Color Correction
command
The Auto Color Correction command adjusts the
contrast and color by identifying shadows,
midtones, and highlights in the image as a whole,
rather than in individual color channels. It
neutralizes the midtones and clips the white and
black pixels using a default set of values.
To apply Auto Color Correction command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.
2 Choose Enhance > Auto Color Correction.

To use the Auto Contrast command:

1 Do one of the following:

Using the Adjust Backlighting command

• To make adjustments to your entire image,

When taking photos with a camera, you can use
backlighting to emphasize the shape of the subject.
However, backlighting can cause overexposure in
the areas surrounding the subject. You can use the
Adjust Backlighting command to correct this
problem by darkening the overexposed areas.

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.
2 Choose Enhance > Auto Contrast.

The Adjust Backlighting command is especially
useful for correcting overexposed skies, and other
backgrounds.

60 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

Original image, and Backlighting applied

Original image, and Fill Flash applied

To use the Adjust Backlighting command:

To use the Fill Flash command:

1 Do one of the following:

• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Adjust

2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Fill Flash.

Backlighting.

3 Drag the Lighter slider or enter a value in the
text box to adjust the tonal variation in the image.
Values can range from 0 to 100.

3 Drag the Darker slider or enter a value in the

text box to adjust the tonal variation in the image.
Values can range from 0 to 100.

4 Click OK.

Using the Quick Fix dialog box
Using the Fill Flash command
In pictures taken in bright light, shadows are often
so dark that they show little detail. You can lighten
such shadows using the Fill Flash command.

The Quick Fix command lets you adjust the
brightness, color, sharpness, and even the rotation
of your image in a single dialog box. You compare
your original image without changes next to a
preview of the same image with the adjustments
you select.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 61
User Guide

Quick Fix dialog box

1 Do one of the following:

3 Select an Adjustment Category in the first step
of the Quick Fix dialog box:

• To make adjustments to your entire image,

• Brightness lets you adjust your photo’s contrast,

To use the Quick Fix command:

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

tonal range, and brightness, and quickly fix
overexposed or underexposed areas.
• Color Correction lets you adjust the saturation

and color (hue) in your photo, and automatically correct a color cast.
• Focus lets you sharpen or blur your photo.

2 To open the Quick Fix dialog box, you can

• Rotate lets you flip your image horizontally and

either click the Quick Fix button in the
Shortcuts bar or choose Enhance > Quick Fix.

vertically, or rotate your image at 90° or 180°
angles. (To straighten an image or for more
rotation options, see “Rotating and straightening images” on page 81.)

62 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

4 Select an adjustment type in the second step of
the Quick Fix dialog box. The text in the Tip
section provides helpful information and instructions about using the selected adjustment.

Elements. Of all the features for adjusting tonal
values, the Levels dialog box gives you the most
precision.

5 Some adjustments give you options to set, and
others have default options you can apply
automatically. Depending on the adjustment you
selected, one of the following options will be
available to you in the third step of the Quick Fix
dialog box:

Using the Levels dialog box

• If there are options to set, drag the slider to the

left to decrease the value, or drag it to the right
to increase it.
• Click Apply to apply the default adjustment

values to the preview image.
6 To undo or redo adjustments made in the Quick

Fix dialog box, you can do any of the following:
• Click Reset Image to start over and undo all

adjustments you’ve set in the current Quick Fix
dialog box.
• Click Undo for each successive adjustment

you’d like to undo. Note that you can click Undo
to undo the Reset Image command.
• Click Redo for each adjustment you’d like to

redo that was undone.
7 To apply the adjustments to your image,

click OK.

The Levels dialog box lets you correct the tonal
range and color balance of an image by adjusting
intensity levels of the image’s shadows, midtones,
and highlights. The Levels histogram serves as a
visual guide for adjusting the image’s key tones.
Note that dragging the gray slider in Levels has no
effect on the black and white points of the image.
You can set the highlights and shadows in an image
by moving Input sliders to the first group of pixels
on both ends of the Levels histogram. This maps
these pixels—the darkest and lightest pixels in
each channel—to black and white, increasing the
tonal range of the image. The corresponding pixels
in the other channels are adjusted proportionately
to avoid altering the color balance. You can use the
middle Input slider to change the intensity values
of the middle range of gray tones without dramatically altering the highlights and shadows.
To adjust tonal range using Levels:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.

Adjusting the range of dark and
light tones in an image

• To make adjustments to a portion of your

You can adjust the tonal relationships between
pixels in an image using a variety of commands
with different levels of control in Photoshop

2 Do one of the following:

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

• Choose Enhance > Adjust Brightness/

Contrast > Levels.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 63
User Guide

• Create a new Levels adjustment layer, or open

an existing Levels adjustment layer. (See “Using
adjustment and fill layers” on page 101.)
3 To adjust the values for the composite channels
(RGB) or for a specific color channel (red, green,
or blue), choose an option from the Channel
menu.
4 To adjust the shadows or highlights, do any of

the following:
• Drag the black and white Input Levels sliders

(directly underneath the histogram) to the edge
of the first group of pixels on either end of the
histogram. You can also enter values directly
into the first and third Input Levels text boxes.
• Drag the black and white Output Levels sliders

(at the bottom of the dialog box) to adjust the
shadow and highlight range. You can also enter
values directly into the Output Levels text boxes.

Note: You can click Auto to move the highlight and
shadow sliders automatically to the brightest and
darkest points. This is the same as using the Auto
Levels command and may be adequate for an
average-key image. (See “Using the Auto Levels
command” on page 58.)
5 If your image needs midtone corrections, use
the gray Input Levels slider. Drag the slider to the
right to darken the midtones; drag it to the left to
lighten the midtones. You can also enter values
directly in the middle Input Levels text box. (A
value of 1.0 represents the current unadjusted
midtone value.)
6 Click OK.
7 To view the adjusted histogram, reopen the

Levels dialog box.
Gaps in the adjusted histogram do not indicate a
problem unless they are large.
To use the eyedropper tool to set target
colors for the lightest, darkest, and neutral
gray areas in the image, see “Using the
Brightness/Contrast command” in online Help.

Using the Brightness/Contrast command
A

The Brightness/Contrast command lets you make
simple adjustments to the tonal range of an image.
To use the Brightness/Contrast command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

Adjusting the white Input Levels slider
A. Original B. Resulting histogram and image

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.

64 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

• To make adjustments to a portion of your

on the standard color wheel, expressed as a
degree between 0 and 360. In common use, hue
is identified by the name of the color such as red,
orange, or green.

image, make a selection in the document
window. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Enhance > Adjust Brightness/

• Saturation, sometimes called chroma, is the

strength or purity of the color. Saturation represents the amount of gray in proportion to the
hue, measured as a percentage from 0 (gray) to
100 (fully saturated). On the standard color
wheel, saturation increases from the center to
the edge.

Contrast > Brightness/Contrast.
• Create a new Brightness/Contrast adjustment

layer, or open an existing Brightness/Contrast
adjustment layer. (See “Using adjustment and
fill layers” on page 101.)
3 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 value displays the brightness or
contrast value. Values range from –100 to +100.
4 Click OK.

• Brightness is the relative lightness or darkness of

the color, usually measured as a percentage from
0 (black) to 100 (white).
Although you can use the HSB model in
Photoshop Elements to define a color in the Color
Picker dialog box, there is no HSB mode available
for creating and editing images.
H
0

Describing color
The human eye perceives color in terms of three
characteristics—hue, saturation, and brightness
(HSB), while computer monitors display colors by
generating varying amounts of red, green, and
blue (RGB) light. Photoshop Elements lets you use
the HSB and RGB color models to select and
manipulate color.

100

Based on the human perception of color, the HSB
model describes three fundamental characteristics
of color:
• Hue is the color reflected from or transmitted

through an object. It is measured as a location

100

HSB model

360

HSB model
H. Hue S. Saturation B. Brightness

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 65
User Guide

RGB model
A large percentage of the visible spectrum can be
represented by mixing red, green, and blue (RGB)
colored light in various proportions and intensities. Where the colors overlap, they create cyan,
magenta, yellow, and white.
Because the RGB colors combine to create white,
they are also called additive colors. Adding all
colors together creates white—that is, all light is
transmitted back to the eye. Additive colors are
used for lighting, video, and monitors. Your
monitor, for example, creates color by emitting
light through red, green, and blue phosphors.
G

Additive colors (RGB)
R. Red G. Green B. Blue Y. Yellow M. Magenta C. Cyan

About the color wheel
Because there are numerous ways to achieve
similar results in color balance, it’s useful to
consider the type of image you have and the effect
you want to produce. If you’re new to adjusting

color components, it helps to keep a diagram of
the color wheel on hand. You can use the color
wheel to predict how a change in one color
component affects other colors.
G

Color wheel
C. Cyan G. Green Y. Yellow R. Red M. Magenta B. Blue

You can decrease the amount of any color in an
image by increasing the amount of its opposite on
the color wheel—and vice versa. Similarly, you can
increase and decrease a color by adjusting the two
adjacent colors on the wheel, or even by adjusting
the two colors adjacent to its opposite. For
example, in an RGB image you can decrease
magenta by removing red and blue or by adding
green. This results in an overall color balance
containing less magenta.

Adjusting color
You can quickly adjust an image’s color balance to
remove unwanted color casts or to correct color
saturation using the Color Cast and Color
Variation commands.

66 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

Using the Color Variations command
The Color Variations command lets you adjust the
color balance, contrast, and saturation of an image
by selecting previews that show the effect of
different adjustments.
This command is most useful for averagekey images that don’t require precise color
adjustments.
Note: You can’t use the Color Variations command
with images in Indexed Color mode.

• Saturation to change the vividness of color in

the image.
4 Drag the Adjust Color Intensity slider to
determine the amount of each adjustment.
Dragging the slider to the left decreases the
amount, and dragging to the right increases it.
5 With either the Midtones, Shadows, or
Highlights option selected, do either of the
following:
• To add a color to the image, click the appro-

priate Increase color thumbnail.
To use the Color Variations command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.
2 To open the Color Variations dialog box, you

can either choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Color
Variations, or click the Color Variations button
in the Shortcuts bar.
The two thumbnails at the top of the dialog box
show the original image (Before) and the image
with its currently selected adjustments (After).
When you first open the dialog box, these two
images are the same. As you make adjustments, the
After image changes to reflect your choices.
3 Select what to adjust in the image:
• Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights to indicate

whether you want to adjust the dark, middle, or
light areas.

• To subtract a color, click the appropriate

Decrease color thumbnail.
Each time you click a thumbnail, all thumbnails
are updated.
6 With the Saturation option selected, click either
the Less Saturation or More Saturation buttons.
7 To undo or redo adjustments made in the Color

Variations dialog box, you can do any of the
following:
• Click Reset Image to start over and undo all

adjustments you’ve set in the current Color
Variations dialog box.
• Click Undo once or multiple times for each

successive adjustment you’d like to undo. You
cannot undo the Reset Image option.
• Click Redo once or multiple times for each

adjustment you’d like to redo that was undone.
8 To apply the adjustments to your image,

click OK.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 67
User Guide

Using the Color Cast command
The Color Cast command changes the overall
mixture of colors to remove color casts in your
image.
To use the Color Cast command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Cast.
3 In your image, click an area that should be
neutral gray, white, or black. The image changes
based on the color you selected.

To start over, and undo the changes made to the
image, click the Reset button.
4 Click OK.

Adjusting color using the Levels
dialog box
The Levels dialog box lets you correct the color
balance and tonal range of an image by adjusting
intensity levels of the image’s shadows, midtones,
and highlights. The Levels histogram serves as a
visual guide for adjusting the image’s key tones.

To use Levels to fine-tune the color balance of your
image:

In the Levels dialog box, choose a single color
channel from the Channel pop-up menu, and
use the sliders or text boxes to adjust the intensity
levels. (See “Using the Levels dialog box” on
page 62.)

Using the Hue/Saturation command
The Hue/Saturation command lets you adjust the
hue (color), saturation, and lightness of the entire
image or of individual color components in an
image. Adjusting the hue represents a move
around the color wheel. Adjusting the saturation,
or purity of the color, represents a move across the
radius of the color wheel.
You can also use the Colorize option to add color
to a grayscale image converted to RGB, or to an
RGB image—for example, to make it look like a
duotone by reducing its color values to one hue.
To use the Hue/Saturation command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Enhance > Adjust Color >

Hue/Saturation.

68 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

• Create a new Hue/Saturation adjustment layer,

or open an existing Hue/Saturation adjustment
layer. (See “Using adjustment and fill layers” on
page 101.)
The two color bars in the dialog box represent the
colors in their order on the color wheel. The upper
bar shows the color before the adjustment; the
lower bar shows how the adjustment affects all
hues at full saturation.

6 For Lightness, enter a value or drag the slider to
the right to increase the lightness or to the left to
decrease it. Values range from –100 to +100.
7 Click OK.
To modify the range of an adjustment slider:

1 In the Hue/Saturation dialog box, choose an
individual color from the Edit menu.
2 Do any of the following to the adjustment

3 For Edit, choose which colors to adjust:

slider:

• Choose Master to adjust all colors at once.

• Drag one of the triangles to adjust the amount

• Choose one of the other preset color ranges

of color fall-off without affecting the range.

listed for the color you want to adjust. (An
adjustment slider appears between the color
bars, which you can use to edit any range of
hues. For information on how to modify the
slider’s range, see “To modify the range of an
adjustment slider” after step 7.)
4 For Hue, enter a value or drag the slider until

the colors appear as you want.
The values displayed in the text box reflect the
number of degrees of rotation around the wheel
from the pixel’s original color. A positive value
indicates clockwise rotation, a negative value
counterclockwise rotation. Values range from
–180 to +180. (See “About the color wheel” on
page 65.)

• Drag one of the light gray bars to adjust the

range without affecting the amount of fall-off.
• Drag the dark-gray center part to move the

entire adjustment slider, selecting a different
color area.
• Drag one of the vertical white bars next to the

dark gray center part to adjust the range of the
color component. Increasing the range
decreases the fall-off, and vice versa.
• To move the color bar and the adjustment slider

bar together, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or
Command-drag (Mac OS) the color bar.

5 For Saturation, enter a value or drag the slider
to the right to increase the saturation or to the left
to decrease it.

The color shifts away from or toward the center
of the wheel, relative to the beginning color
values of the selected pixels. Values range from
–100 to +100.

Adjustment slider
A. Adjusts fall-off without affecting range B. Adjusts range
without affecting fall-off C. Adjusts range of color
component D. Moves entire slider

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User Guide

If you modify the adjustment slider so that it falls
into a different color range, the name changes to
reflect this. For example, if you choose Yellow and
alter its range so that it falls in the red part of the
color bar, the name changes to Red 2. You can
convert up to six of the individual color ranges to
varieties of the same color range (for example, Red
through Red 6).
Note: By default, the range of color selected when
you choose a color component is 30° wide, with 30°
of fall-off on either side. Setting the fall-off too low
can produce banding in the image.
3 To edit the range by choosing colors from the

image, select the eyedropper tool
in the dialog
box, and click in the image. Use the eyedropper +
tool to add to the range; use the eyedropper – tool
to subtract from the range.
While the eyedropper tool is selected, you can also
press Shift to add to the range or Alt (Windows) or
Option (Mac OS) to subtract from it.
To colorize a grayscale image or create a duotone
effect:

1 If you are colorizing a grayscale image, choose
Image > Mode > RGB to convert the image
to RGB.

5 Click OK.

Using the Remove Color command
The Remove Color command converts the colors
in the image to gray values. For example, it assigns
equal red, green, and blue values to each pixel in an
RGB image to make the image appear grayscale.
The lightness value of each pixel does not change.
The Remove Color command can also be used on
a selected area.
This command has the same effect as setting
Saturation to –100 in the Hue/Saturation
dialog box.
To use the Remove Color command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Remove

Color.

2 Open the Hue/Saturation dialog box.
3 Select Colorize. If the foreground color isn’t

black or white, Photoshop Elements converts the
image to the hue of the current foreground color.
The lightness value of each pixel does not change.
4 Use the Hue slider to select a new color if
desired. Use the Saturation and Lightness sliders to
adjust the saturation and lightness of the pixels.

Using the Replace Color command
The Replace Color command lets you create a
mask around specific colors and then replace
those colors in the image. You can set the hue,
saturation, and lightness of the area identified by
the mask. The mask is temporary.

70 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

To use the Replace Color command:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
2 Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Replace

6 Drag the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness sliders
(or enter values in the text boxes) to change the
color of the selected areas.
7 Click OK.

Retouching an image
You can retouch images using filters, and the clone
stamp, red eye brush, smudge, focus, toning, and
sponge tools.

Color.
3 Select a display option under the image

thumbnail:
• Selection to display the mask in the preview

box. Masked areas are black and unmasked
areas are white. Partially masked areas (areas
covered with a semitransparent mask) appear as
varying levels of gray according to their opacity.
• Image to display the image in the preview box.

This option is useful when you are working with
a magnified image or have limited screen space.
4 Click the eyedropper button, and then click in
the image or in the preview box to select the area
exposed by the mask. Use the eyedropper + button
to add areas or use the eyedropper – button to
remove areas.
5 Adjust the tolerance of the mask by dragging the

Fuzziness slider or entering a value. This controls
the degree to which related colors are included in
the selection.

Using the clone stamp tool
The clone stamp tool takes a sample of an image,
which you can then apply over another image or
part of the same image. Each stroke of the tool
paints on more of the sample. Cross hairs mark the
original sampling point.
To use the clone stamp tool:

1 Select the clone stamp tool
. (For information about the pattern stamp tool
, see
“Using the pattern stamp tool” on page 135.)
2 Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the

options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set
the brush size.
3 Specify a blending mode and opacity.
(See “Setting options for painting and editing
tools” on page 135.)
4 Select Aligned to copy the sampled area once,

regardless of how many times you stop and resume
painting. This option is useful when you want to
eliminate unwanted areas such as a telephone line
across the skyline or a rip in a scanned photo.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 71
User Guide

If Aligned is deselected, the clone stamp tool
applies the sampled area from the initial sampling
point each time you stop and resume painting.
This option is useful for applying multiple copies
of the same part of an image to different areas
within the same image or to another image.

3 If you need to adjust the preview image in the
Dust & Scratches dialog box, you can do any of the
following:

5 To sample data from all visible layers, select Use

• Click the zoom out

All Layers. To sample data from only the active
layer, deselect this option.
6 Position the pointer on the part of any

open image you want to sample, and Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS). This
sample point is the location from which the tool
duplicates your image as you paint.
7 Drag to paint with the tool.

Using the Dust & Scratches filter
If your photo has a lot of minor imperfections, you
can use the Dust & Scratches filter to quickly
remove the defects. The filter reduces defects by
changing dissimilar pixels. To achieve a balance
between sharpening the image and hiding defects,
try various radius and threshold settings. Or apply
the filter to selected areas of the image.
To use the Dust & Scratches filter:

1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,

choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your

image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.

2 Choose Filter > Noise > Dust & Scratches, or

use the Filters palette to apply the Dust & Scratches
filter.

or zoom in button
until the area containing defects is visible.

• Drag in the preview image to view other areas in

your image
• Move your pointer over your image in the

document window and click in an area you
want to center.
4 Drag the Threshold slider left to 0 to turn off the
value, so that all pixels in the selection or image
can be examined.

The Threshold determines how different the
pixels’ values should be before they are eliminated.
Note: The Threshold slider gives greater control for
values between 0 and 128—the most common range
for images—than for values between 128 and 255.
5 Drag the Radius slider left or right, or enter a
value in the text box from 1 to 100 pixels. The
radius determines how far the filter searches for
differences among pixels.

Increasing the radius makes the image more
blurry. Stop at the lowest value that eliminates the
defects.
To correct large defects in your image, try using
the clone stamp tool. See “Using the clone
stamp tool” on page 70.

72 CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos

6 Increase the threshold gradually by dragging
the slider to the lowest value that eliminates
defects by entering a value between 1 and 255.
7 Click OK.

• To use the default replacement color, click

Default Colors.
Note: Clicking Default Colors also resets the
target color.

Using the red eye brush
Red eye occurs in photos when light from a camera
flash reflects off the back of a person’s eye. You can
easily remove red eye from an image using the red
eye brush. You can also use the red eye brush to
retouch other details in an image, such as dental
braces. The red eye brush tool changes the hue of
the area you paint without removing detail in the
image.
To use the red eye brush:

1 Select the red eye brush

4 Specify a replacement color by doing one of
the following:

2 Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the

options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set
the brush size. A brush that is a little larger than
the pupil of the eye may be the most effective size.
3 Specify a target color (the color you want to
remove) by doing one of the following:
• To set the target color when you click in the

image, choose First Click from the Sampling
pop-up menu.

• To pick a custom replacement color, click the

Replacement color swatch, and pick the color
that you want to use for the correction.
5 Specify a value for Tolerance. This setting
defines how similar in color replaced pixels must
be. A low percentage replaces adjacent pixels
within a range of color values very similar to the
pixel you click. A high percentage replaces adjacent
pixels within a broader range of color values.

If a person has pinkish skin, the red eye brush
might have problems differentiating between the
colors of the pupil and the face. Specifying a lower
tolerance might help.
6 Click in the image over the details you want to
correct and drag if necessary. Any pixels that
match the target color are colorized with the
replacement color.

If you want to darken the effect, try using the burn
tool over the details you want to correct. See
“Using the toning tools” on page 72.

• To use the default target color, choose Current

Color from the Sampling pop-up menu. Then
click Default Colors.
• To pick a custom target color, choose Current

Color from the Sampling pop-up menu. Then
click the Current color swatch. When the Color
Picker appears, click in the image on the color
you want to remove. Alternately, you can choose
a target color using the Color Picker.

Using the toning tools
The toning tools consist of the dodge tool and the
burn tool. Used to lighten or darken areas of the
image, the dodge and burn tools are based on a
traditional photographer’s technique for changing
exposure on specific areas of a print. Photographers hold back light to lighten an area on the

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 73
User Guide

print (dodging) or increase the exposure to darken
areas on a print (burning). You can use the dodge
tool to bring out details in shadows and the
burn tool to bring out details in highlights.

options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set
the brush size.
3 Select how to change the color:
• Saturate to intensify the color’s saturation.

To use the dodge or burn tool:

1 Select the dodge tool

2 Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the

or burn tool

• Desaturate to dilute the color’s saturation.

2 Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the

4 To set the rate of saturation change, drag the

options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set
the brush size.

Flow pop-up slider or enter a value in the text box.

3 Select the tonal range to change in the image:

5 Drag over the part of the image you want
to modify.

• Midtones to change the middle range of grays.
• Shadows to change the dark areas.
• Highlights to change the light areas.
4 Specify the exposure for the tool. (See “Specifying opacity, strength, exposure, or flow” on
page 138.)
5 Drag over the part of the image you want to
modify.

To gradually dodge or burn an area, set the tool
with a low exposure value and drag several
times over the area you want to correct.

The focus tools consist of the blur tool and the
sharpen tool. The blur tool softens hard edges or
areas in an image to reduce detail. The sharpen
tool focuses soft edges to increase clarity. For
information on other ways to adjust sharpness, see
“Sharpen filters” on page 179.
To use the blur or sharpen tool:

1 Select the blur tool

or sharpen tool

2 Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the

options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set
the brush size.

Using the sponge tool
The sponge tool subtly changes the color
saturation or vividness of an area. In Grayscale
mode, the tool increases or decreases contrast by
moving gray levels away from or toward the
neutral gray.
To use the sponge tool:

1 Select the sponge tool

Using the focus tools

3 Specify a blending mode and stroke strength.
(See “Setting options for painting and editing
tools” on page 135.)
4 To blur or sharpen using data from all layers

visible in the document window, select Use All
Layers. To affect only the active layer, deselect this
option.
Drag over the part of the image you want to blur or
sharpen.

Chapter 5: Resizing, Cropping, and
Laying Out Images

djusting the resolution and size of
your images is easy using the tools
in Photoshop Elements.

About image size and resolution
When you take a photo with a digital camera, or
scan a photo, you create an image that has specific
number of pixels on each side. For example, your
digital camera may make a photo that is 1024
pixels wide and 800 pixels high. These two
measurements, referred to as the pixel dimensions,
have a direct correlation to the image’s file size,
and both are an indication of the amount of image
data in a photo.
Resolution is the number of pixels per linear unit
of measure—for example, the number of pixels
per inch (ppi). While a digital photo contains a
specific amount of image data, it doesn’t have a
specific physical output size or resolution. As you
change the resolution of a file, its physical dimensions change, or as you change the width and
height of an image the resolution changes.

You can see the relationship between image size
and resolution in the image size dialog box
(choose Image > Resize > Image Size). Deselect
Resample Image, because you don’t want to
change the amount of image date in your photo.
Then change the width or the height or the
resolution. Notice that as you change one value the
other two values change.

The image size dialog box with Resample Image deselected

Generally, the higher the resolution of your image,
the better the printed image quality. Some printing
devices may require a specific image resolution,
but for a photo inkjet printer, the resolution can
range from 240 to 360 ppi.

76 CHAPTER 5
Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images

Your printer’s resolution is different from, but
related to your image’s resolution. To print a high
quality photo on an inkjet printer, an image
resolution of about 300 ppi should provide very
good results. Depending on the image, you can get
acceptable results with a resolution of 240 ppi.
Using the lower resolution will let you print a
slightly larger photo—if you are willing to accept
some image degradation.

Same image printed at 72-ppi and 300-ppi; inset zoom 200%

If you need to print using a specific resolution, or
you want to print an image significantly smaller or
larger than the image’s pixel dimensions allow, you
can resample the image. Resampling involves
either throwing away or adding pixels to the
image. For more information, see“Resampling
images” on page 77.

Your monitor’s resolution is described in pixels per
inch. For example, if your monitor resolution is set
to 1024 x 768 and your photo’s pixel dimensions
are the same size, the photo will fill the screen. You
should consider the lowest monitor resolution that
your photo is likely to be viewed on when you are
preparing images for viewing on-screen.
20"
15"

About printer and monitor resolution
Printer resolution refers to the number of ink dots
per inch (dpi) produced by a printer. Most desktop
laser printers have a resolution of 600 dpi. Inkjet
printers produce a spray of ink, not actual dots;
however, most inkjet printers have an approximate
resolution of 720 to 2880 dpi.

832 x 624 / 640 x 480

1024 x 768 / 640 x 480

How large an image appears on-screen depends on a combination of factors––the pixel dimensions of the image, the monitor
size, and the monitor resolution setting. The examples above
show a 620- by 400-pixel image displayed on monitors of
various sizes and resolutions.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 77
User Guide

When you work in Photoshop Elements, you
can change the image magnification on-screen,
so you can easily work with images of any pixel
dimensions.

Changing image size and
resolution
Once you have scanned or imported an image,
you may want to adjust its size. The Image Size
command lets you adjust the pixel dimensions,
print dimensions, and resolution of an image.
Keep in mind that bitmap and vector data can
produce different results when you resize an
image. Bitmap data is resolution-dependent;
therefore, changing the pixel dimensions of a
bitmap image can cause a loss in image quality and
sharpness. In contrast, vector data is resolutionindependent; you can resize it without losing its
crisp edges.

Resampling images
Changing the pixel dimensions of an image is
called resampling. Resampling also affects the
display size of your image. When you downsample,
meaning that you decrease the number of pixels in
your image, information is deleted from the
image. When you resample up, or increase the
number of pixels in your image, new pixels are
added based on color values of existing pixels.

Displaying image size information
You can display information about the current
image size using the information box at the
bottom of the application window (Windows)
or the document window (Mac OS). (See “Using
the status bar” on page 18.)

To display the current image size:

Click the file information box, and hold down the
mouse button. The box displays the width and
height of the image (both in pixels and in the unit
of measurement currently selected for the rulers),
the number of channels, and the image resolution.

Resampling pixels that make up the dog’s eye
A. Downsampled B. Original C. Resampled up
(Selected pixels displayed for each image.)

78 CHAPTER 5
Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images

Keep in mind that resampling can result in poorer
image quality. For example, when you resample an
image to larger pixel dimensions, the image will
lose some detail and sharpness.

3 To maintain the current proportions of pixel

Applying the Unsharp Mask filter to a
resampled image can help refocus the image’s
details. (See “Using the focus tools” on page 73.)

4 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.

To avoid the need for resampling, scan or create
the image at a high resolution. If you want to
preview the effects of changing pixel dimensions
on-screen or print proofs at different resolutions,
resample a duplicate of your file.
Resampling affects not only the size of an image
on-screen but also its image quality and its printed
output—either its printed dimensions or its image
resolution. (See “About image size and resolution”
on page 75.)
If you’re preparing images for the Web, it’s
useful to specify image size in terms of the pixel
dimensions.
To resample an image:

1 Choose Image > Resize > Image Size.
2 Make sure that Resample Image is selected, and

choose an interpolation method:
• Bicubic is the slowest but most precise method,

resulting in the smoothest tonal gradations.
• Nearest Neighbor is the fastest but least precise

method.This method can result in jagged
effects, which become apparent when distorting
or scaling an image or performing multiple
manipulations on a selection.
• Bilinear is the medium-quality method.

width to pixel height, select Constrain Proportions. This option automatically updates the width
as you change the height, and vice versa.

The new file size for the image appears at the top
of the Image Size dialog box, with the old file size
in parentheses.
5 Click OK to change the pixel dimensions and

resample the image.
For best results in producing a smaller image,
downsample and apply the Unsharp Mask
filter. To produce a larger image, rescan the image at
a higher resolution.

Changing the print dimensions and
resolution of an image
When creating an image for print media, it’s useful
to specify image size in terms of the printed
dimensions and the image resolution. These two
measurements, referred to as the document size,
determine the total pixel count and therefore
the file size of the image; document size also
determines the base size at which an image is
placed into another application. You can further
manipulate the scale of the printed image in the
Print Options dialog box; however, changes you
make in the Print Options dialog box affect only
the printed image, not the document size of the
image file. (See “Positioning and scaling images”
on page 238.)

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User Guide

If you turn on resampling for the image, you can
change print dimensions and resolution independently (and change the total number of pixels in
the image). If you turn resampling off, you can
change either the dimensions or the resolution—
Photoshop Elements adjusts the other value
automatically to preserve the total pixel count.
For the highest print quality, it’s generally best
to change the dimensions and resolution first
without resampling. Then resample only as
necessary.
To change the print dimensions and resolution of
an image:

4 Under Document Size, enter new values for the
height and width. If desired, choose a new unit of
measurement. Note that for Width, the Columns
option uses the width and gutter sizes specified in
the Units & Rulers preferences. (See “Using rulers
and the grid” on page 24.)
5 For Resolution, enter a new value. If desired,
choose a new unit of measurement.
6 Click OK.

To return to the original values displayed in
the Image Size dialog box, hold down Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click Reset.

1 Choose Image > Resize > Image Size.

To view the print size on-screen:

2 Change the print dimensions, image resolution,

Do one of the following:

or both:

• Choose View > Print Size.

• To change only the print dimensions or only the

• Select the hand tool or zoom tool, and click

resolution and adjust the total number of pixels
in the image proportionately, make sure that
Resample Image is selected. Then choose an
interpolation method. (See “Resampling
images” on page 77.)
• To change the print dimensions and resolution

without changing the total number of pixels in
the image, deselect Resample Image.

Print Size in the options bar.
The magnification of the image is adjusted to
display its approximate printed size, as specified in
the Document Size section of the Image Size dialog
box. Keep in mind that the size and resolution of
your monitor affect the on-screen print size.

3 To maintain the current proportions of image

Cropping images

width to image height, select Constrain Proportions. This option automatically updates the width
as you change the height, and vice versa.

Cropping is the process of selecting and removing
a portion of an image to create focus or strengthen
its composition. You can crop an image using the
crop tool or the Crop command. In addition, you
can use the Straighten and Crop Image command
to automatically correct a skewed image. (See
“Straightening images” on page 82.)

80 CHAPTER 5
Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images

• To rotate the marquee, position the pointer

outside the bounding box (the pointer turns into a
curved arrow ), and drag.
Note: You can’t rotate the crop tool marquee for an
image in Bitmap mode.
6 Do one of the following to crop the image:
• Click the OK button

in the options bar.

• Double-click inside the crop marquee.
Using the crop tool to focus on the dog in the image.

• Select a different tool in the toolbox.
• Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

To crop an image using the crop tool:

1 Select the crop tool

2 If you want to specify the size or resolution of
the crop, enter the values in the Width, Height, or
Resolution text boxes in the options bar. You can
also click Front Image to enter the values of the
currently active image.

Click the Cancel button
in the options bar to
cancel the cropping operation.
To crop an image using the Crop command:

1 Select the part of the image you want to keep.
(See “About selections” on page 113.)
2 Choose Image > Crop.

3 Drag over the part of the image you want to

keep. When you release the mouse button,
the crop marquee appears as a bounding box with
handles at the corners and sides.
4 If necessary, select the Shield cropped area
option to show the cropping shield. To adjust the
color and opacity of the cropping shield, use the
color selection box and the opacity pop-up slider
in the options bar.

Changing the size of the work
canvas

5 Adjust the crop marquee:

The Canvas Size command lets you add or remove
work space around an existing image. You can crop
an image by decreasing the canvas area. Added
canvas appears in the currently selected
background color or transparent as the
background.

• To move the marquee to another position, place

To use the Canvas Size command:

the pointer inside the bounding box, and drag.
• To scale the marquee, drag a handle. To

constrain the proportions, hold down Shift as you
drag a corner handle.

1 Choose Image > Resize > Canvas Size.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 81
User Guide

2 Choose the units of measurement you want.

To rotate or flip an entire image:

The Columns option measures width in terms
of the columns specified in the Units & Rulers
preferences.

Choose Image > Rotate, and choose one of the
following commands from the submenu:

3 Enter the dimensions in the Width and

Height boxes.
4 For Anchor, click a square to indicate where to

position the existing image on the new canvas.
5 Click OK.

• 90° Left to rotate the image counterclockwise by
a quarter-turn.
• 90° Right to rotate the image clockwise by a
quarter-turn.
• 180° to rotate the image by a half-turn.
• Custom to rotate the image by the angle you
specify. If you choose this option, enter an angle
between –359.99 and 359.99 in the angle text box,
and then select Right or Left to rotate clockwise or
counterclockwise. Click OK.
• Flip Horizontal to flip the image horizontally.
• Flip Vertical to flip the image vertically.

Adding canvas to an image.
A

Rotating and straightening
images
You can rotate, flip, and straighten an entire image
using the commands in the Image > Rotate
submenu.

Rotating and flipping images
Rotating an image turns it around its center point,
while flipping an image inverts it across its
horizontal or vertical axis.

Rotating an image
A. Rotate 90° left B. Flip Horizontal C. Rotate 90° right
D. Rotate 180° E. Original image F. Free rotate
G. Flip Vertical

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Straightening images
Skewed images are a common by-product of the
scanning process. For example, if you lay a photograph on the scanner at an angle, the image will
appear rotated when you open it in Photoshop
Elements. You can quickly correct a rotated image
using one of the Straighten Image commands.
To straighten an image:

Do one of the following:
• To straighten and crop the image, choose

Photomerge composition of the skyline of Chicago

Image > Rotate > Straighten and Crop Image.
Note: The Straighten and Crop Image command
may not produce good results if the edges of the
rotated scan are too close to the image window
boundaries. In this case, you can use the Canvas Size
command to enlarge the work canvas. (See
“Changing the size of the work canvas” on page 80.)
• To straighten the image and leave the canvas size

the same, choose Image > Rotate > Straighten
Image. Using this command results in an image
with a transparent border at its edges.

Creating panoramic images
using Photomerge
™

The Photomerge command combines several
photographs into one continuous image. For
example, you can take five overlapping photographs of a city skyline, and then assemble them
into a panorama. The Photomerge command is
capable of assembling photos that are tiled
horizontally as well as vertically.

Taking pictures for use with Photomerge
Your source photographs play a large role in
panoramic compositions. To avoid problems,
follow these guidelines when taking pictures for
use with Photomerge:
Overlap images sufficiently Images should have

an overlap of approximately 15% to 40% of the
image area. If the overlap is less, Photomerge may
not be able to automatically assemble the
panorama. However, keep in mind that the images
shouldn’t overlap too much. If images overlap by
50% or more, it can be difficult to work with them,
and blending may not be as effective. Try to keep
the individual photos at least somewhat distinct
from each other.
Use a consistent focal length Avoid using the

zoom feature of your camera while taking your
pictures.

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User Guide

Keep the camera level Although Photomerge can
process slight rotations between pictures, a tilt of
more than a few degrees can result in errors when
automatically assembling the panorama. Using a
tripod with a rotating head helps maintain camera
alignment and viewpoint.

When photographing a panoramic scene from a
high place, the natural inclination is to keep the
horizon level in the viewfinder. However, this
actually produces a noticeable rotation between
images. Try using a tripod to keep the camera level
when taking photographs in this situation.
Stay in the same position Try not to change your

position as you take a series of photographs so the
pictures are from the same viewpoint. If you walk
to a new position while taking photographs, you’ll
likely disrupt the continuity of your images. Using
the optical viewfinder with the camera held close
to the eye helps keep the viewpoint consistent.
Or try using a tripod to keep the camera in the
same place.
Avoid using distortion lenses Lenses, such as fish-

eye lenses, that cause noticeable distortion to the
image can interfere with Photomerge.
Maintain the same exposure Avoid using the flash
in some pictures and not in others. The advanced
blending feature in Photomerge helps smooth out
different exposures, but extreme differences make
alignment difficult.

Creating a Photomerge composition
When you set up a Photomerge composition, you
identify your source files, and then the assembly of
the panorama is automatically done for you. Once
the panorama is complete, you can still make
changes to the placement of the individual photos,
if necessary.
The Photomerge dialog box helps you create
panoramic compositions. This dialog box
contains tools for manipulating the composition,
a lightbox for storing source images that are not
in use, a work area for assembling the composition, and options for viewing and editing the
composition.
To set up a new Photomerge composition:

1 Choose File > Create Photomerge.
2 Click the Browse button in the Photomerge
dialog box. Open files are automatically added to
the Source Files list.
3 Navigate to the source files and select the files

for your Photomerge composition.
4 Click Open to add the files to the Source Files
list in the Photomerge dialog box.

You can add more files by clicking the Browse
button again and navigating to the source files.
You can always remove a file from the Source Files
list by selecting the file and clicking the Remove
button.

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5 When you’ve added all the source files, click OK
to create the Photomerge composition. The source
files will open automatically, and will be processed.
6 Once the new panorama image appears in the
Photomerge dialog box, you can work with
individual source files and change your view of the
work area. (See “Editing a Photomerge composition” on page 85.)

If the panorama can’t be automatically
assembled, a message appears on-screen. You
can assemble the composition manually in the
Photomerge dialog box. (See “Editing a Photomerge
composition” on page 85.)
7 If necessary, adjust the settings of your

panorama. (See “Changing Photomerge composition settings” on page 85.)
8 Click OK to generate the panorama as a new
Photoshop Elements file.
9 Save the panorama image.

Photomerge dialog box
A. Lightbox B. Navigator C. Toolbox D. Work area E. Status bar

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Editing a Photomerge composition

To navigate in the Photomerge dialog box:

You may need to reposition an individual source
file, or rotate a file in your composition. The
editing tools in the Photomerge dialog box help
you work with your panorama. You can also zoom
in and out to better see the alignment of each file.

Do one or more of the following in the
Photomerge dialog box:

To reposition images in a composition:

1 Select the select image tool .

• Select the hand tool
to move the view.

and drag in the work area

• Drag the view box or the scroll bars in the
Navigator thumbnail. The view box represents the
boundaries of the work area.

2 Do one or more of the following:

To zoom in:

• Drag an image in the work area to reposition it.

Do one of the following:

• Drag an image from the lightbox to the work
area to add it to the composition.

• Click the zoom in icon
• Use the zoom tool

below the Navigator.
to zoom in.

• Drag an image from the work area to the

lightbox to remove it from the composition.

To zoom out:

• Double-click an image in the lightbox to add it to
the composition.

Click the zoom out icon

Make sure Snap to Image is selected to
automatically snap overlapping images into
place when a commonality is detected.

Changing Photomerge composition
settings

To rotate an image in the work area:

1 Select the select image tool , and click on the
image you want to rotate.
2 Select the rotate tool

below the Navigator.

How source images appear in the Photomerge
dialog box depends on the settings you choose.
Photoshop Elements lets you adjust the
perspective and blend exposure differences to
produce the best possible effect.

3 Click near the edge of the image and drag in a

circular motion around the center of the image.

To change the vanishing point of a composition:

1 Select Perspective in the Settings area of the

Photomerge dialog box.

86 CHAPTER 5
Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images

2 Select the vanishing point tool , and click on
an image in the work area to make it the vanishing
point image.

To apply Advanced Blending or Cylindrical Mapping:

The vanishing point tool selects the vanishing
point image, which changes the perspective of
the composition. The middle image is the default
vanishing point image (it has a blue border around
it when selected). There can only be one vanishing
point image in a composition.

distortion that can occur when you apply
perspective correction. You must select the
Perspective option in order to apply cylindrical
mapping.

1 Select Composition options as desired:
• Cylindrical Mapping to reduce the “bow tie”

3 If necessary, use the Select Image Tool
to
adjust the position of the non-vanishing point
images. A non-vanishing point image has a red
border around it when selected.

When you apply perspective correction to a
composition, the non-vanishing point images are
linked to the vanishing point image. You can break
this link by clicking the Normal button, by
separating the images in the work area, or by
dragging the vanishing point image back to the
lightbox. Once the link is broken, images return to
their original shapes.
The perspective correction only works up to an
approximately 120° angle of view. For a wider
angle of view, the Perspective option should be
deselected.
To change the perspective of a composition,
select the vanishing point tool, and click on a
non-vanishing point image in the work area. Notice
how the perspective of the composition changes
depending on which image is the vanishing
point image.

Adding Cylindrical Mapping
A. Original B. Cylindrical Mapping applied

• Advanced Blending to minimize color inconsis-

tencies that result from blending images with
exposure differences. When this option is selected,
broad colors and tones are blended over a large
area, while detailed colors and tones are blended
over a smaller area.
2 Click Preview.

The Cylindrical Mapping and Advanced
Blending options are used to process the final
image. The results of applying these options are
visible only in Preview mode or in the final,
generated image.

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User Guide

To preview changes to your Photomerge composition:

To create a picture package from a single image:

Click the Preview button. To return to edit mode,
click Exit Preview.

1 Choose File > Print Layouts > Picture Package.
2 Specify the photos you want to use:
• Frontmost Document to use the currently

Creating multiple-image layouts
You can export multiple images automatically
as contact sheets and picture packages using
Automate commands.

Creating picture packages
With the Picture Package command, you can place
multiple copies of one or more photos on a single
page, similar to the photo packages traditionally
sold by portrait studios. You can choose from a
variety of size and placement options to customize
your package layout.
Using Picture Package is a great way to print
more than one image on a single page.

active image.
• File to browse to a saved image.
• Folder to browse to a folder containing multiple

image files.
Select Include All Subfolders to include images
inside any subfolders.
3 To add other pictures to the layout, click on an

image and then choose a new source image.
4 Under Document, select page size, layout,
resolution, and color mode for the picture
package. (A thumbnail of the selected layout is
displayed on the right side of the dialog box.)

Select Flatten All Layers to create a picture package
with all images and text on a single layer. Deselect
Flatten All Layers to create a picture package where
each image is on a separate layer and each caption
is on a separate text layer.
5 For Layout, choose a preset layout option.
Layout dimensions are measured in inches, and
a preview of the chosen layout appears in the
dialog box.
6 Under Label, select the source for label text
from the Content menu (or choose None). Specify
font, font attributes, and position for the labels.

Picture package

7 Click OK to create the package layout.

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Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images

Customizing picture package layouts

Note: The width and height of the document should
not exceed the printable area of the paper. For
example, if you plan to print on 11 x 17 paper,
specify 10 x 16 as the document size.

You can customize existing layouts or create new
layouts using a text-editing application. The layout
options in the Picture Package dialog box are
determined by text files that are stored in the
Layouts folder (inside the Presets folder). For
example, the following text describes a layout with
two 5 x 7 images:

3 In the second line of the file, enter the name of
the layout as you want it to appear in the Picture
Package dialog box. You can enter up to 75
characters.

I 8 10
(2) 5x7
0.5 0 7 5
0.5 5 7 5

4 In the subsequent lines of the file, enter the
position and dimensions for images in the layout
using the following elements (separated by a
space):

First line Defines the unit of measurement and the

• The position of the image in relation to the

document size.
Second line Contains the name of the layout as it

appears in the Picture Package dialog box.
Subsequent lines Define the position and dimen-

sions of each image in the layout.

left edge of the document (the x position of
the image).
• The position of the image in relation to the

top edge of the document (the y position of
the image).
• The width of the image.

To customize a new picture package layout:

• The height of the image.

1 In a text-editing application, create a new file,

or open an existing file in the Layouts folder
(inside the Presets folder).

Enter the position and dimensions for each image
in the layout on a separate line. You can specify up
to 50 images per layout.

2 In the first line of the file, enter the following
elements (separated by a space):

5 To add comments to the file, start the line with

• A letter for the unit of measurement: i or I

(for inches), p or P (for pixels), or c or C (for
centimeters). All numbers in the file use the
specified unit.
• The width of the document.
• The height of the document.

a semicolon (;). Lines beginning with a semicolon
are ignored, as are blank lines.
6 Save the file in the Layouts folder.

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User Guide

Creating contact sheets
By displaying a series of thumbnail previews on a
single page, contact sheets let you easily preview
and catalog groups of images. You can automatically create and place thumbnails on a page using
the Contact Sheet command.
Note: Make sure that the images are closed before
applying this command.

5 Click OK to create the contact sheet.

Creating PDF slideshows
A great way to share your pictures is to export
them as a PDF slideshow. Photoshop Elements
generates a PDF file of the images you select that
plays like a slideshow when it’s opened in Adobe
Acrobat.

To create a contact sheet:

1 Choose File > Print Layouts > Contact Sheet.
2 Click Browse (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS)
to specify the folder containing the images you
want to use. Select Include All Subfolders to
include images inside any subfolders of the chosen
folder.
3 Under Document, specify the dimensions,
resolution, and color mode for the contact sheet,
using the menus to specify measurement units.
4 Under Thumbnails, specify layout options for

the thumbnail previews:
• For Place, choose whether to arrange thumb-

nails across first (from left to right, then top to
bottom) or down first (from top to bottom,
then left to right).

PDF Slideshow dialog box

• Enter the number of columns and rows that you

want per contact sheet. The maximum dimensions for each thumbnail are displayed to the
right, along with a visual preview of the
specified layout.
• Select Use Filename As Caption to label the

thumbnails using their source image filenames.
Use the menu to specify a caption font.

To create a PDF slideshow:

1 Choose File > Automation Tools > PDF

Slideshow.
2 Click the Browse button to navigate to the files
you want to include in the slideshow.

Click Add Open Files to add the active images to
the Source Files list.

90 CHAPTER 5
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3 Select the files (Shift-click to select more
than one file at a time) and then click Open.
The filenames will appear in the PDF Slideshow
dialog box.

5 In Slide Show Options, select from the
following:

If you want to remove a file from the list, select the
filename and then click the Remove button. To
rearrange the files, click and drag them into a new
position.

• Select Loop After Last Page if you want the

4 In the PDF Slideshow dialog box, click Choose

to set the name and location of the slideshow file,
and then click the Save button.
Note: If you want to compress your final PDF
file, click the Advanced button to specify
encoding options.

• Enter the number of seconds each slide remains

on the screen in the Advance Every text box.
slideshow to continuously loop instead of
playing through just one time.
• For Transition, choose how a new slide replaces

the slide before it.
6 When you’re done setting options, click the OK
button to generate the slideshow.
7 Once processing is complete, a message will
appear indicating the success of the generation.
To see your slideshow, open the PDF file in
Adobe Acrobat.

Chapter 6: Using Layers
ayers are the basis for creating and editing
images in Photoshop Elements. Layers can
help you customize your images, fix color
and contrast, and give your images different
artistic effects. Layers also make composing and
managing different elements in an image much
easier.

About layers
You create and manage layers using the Layers
palette and the Layers menu. Layers give you the
freedom to rearrange your image, adjust its color
and brightness, apply special effects, edit, and add
new elements to your image. With layers, all these
things can be done without making permanent
changes to your original image and without
affecting other layers.

experiment freely with different compositions
without making permanent changes to your
overall image. In addition, special features such as
adjustment layers, fill layers, and layer styles let
you create sophisticated effects.
A good way to think of layers is as sheets of transparent glass stacked one on top of the other. Where
there is no image on a layer, you can see through to
the layers below. Behind all of the layers is the
Background layer. In the following illustration,
each animal and the map are on separate layers.
The map of Africa is the Background layer.
Depending on how you stack and position the
layers, the composition changes.

When you create, import, or scan an image in
Photoshop Elements, the image consists of a single
layer. If you’re retouching the image, you can edit
the original layer to make permanent changes.
Alternatively, you can leave the original layer intact
as a backup, and retouch a duplicate copy of the
layer, or use adjustment layers to fine-tune your
image.
The power of layers is that they enable you to work
on one element of your image without disturbing
the others, and without making tedious selections.
Until you combine, or merge, the layers, each
layer remains independent. This means you can

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

92 CHAPTER 6
Using Layers

You can also create sophisticated visual effects with
layers. Grouped layers use a base layer to define the
image boundaries of a layer group, and you can
use layers to create a Web animation. In addition,
the Layer Styles palette lets you apply special visual
effects to a layer. (See“About layer styles” on
page 169.)
In addition to pixel-based image layers, there are
several other layer types. Fill layers are filled with a
color gradient, solid color, or pattern. You can fill
the entire image area or just a selected area. You
can fine-tune the color, brightness, saturation of
your image using Adjustment layers. Type layers
and Shape layers let you create crisp vector-based
text and shapes. See “Creating text” on page 196
and “Creating shapes” on page 191. When you’re
ready to paint on these four layer types or apply
special effects to them, you must convert them to
regular pixel-based image layers by simplifying
them.

About the Background layer
When you create a new image with a color-filled
background, the bottommost layer in the Layers
palette is locked and labeled Background. You
cannot change the stacking order of a Background
layer, its blending mode, or its opacity. However,
to do any of these things, you can convert a
Background layer to a regular layer. (See “Adding
layers” on page 95.)
To create a new image with transparent regions—
for example, a round button with transparent
edges for a Web page—select Transparent in the
New dialog box. (See “Creating new images” on
page 44.) In a new transparent image, the
bottommost layer is called Layer 1 by default. This
layer is not constrained like the Background layer;
you can move it anywhere in the Layers palette and
change its opacity and blending mode.

About the Layers palette
The Layers palette lists all layers in an image. The
order of layers in the Layers palette indicates the
stacking order of layers in the image—the topmost
layer in the Layers palette is the topmost layer
in the image. You can drag any layer except the
Background layer up or down in the Layers palette
to change the layer stacking order.

Zebra is the topmost layer.

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About layers in the Layers palette
Except in the case of adjustment layers and some
changes to linked layers, changes to an image affect
only the selected or active layer, which appears
highlighted in the Layers palette. To make a layer
active, you can select a layer in the Layers palette.
(See “Selecting layers” on page 95.) You can
accomplish many tasks—such as creating, hiding,
linking, locking, and deleting a layer—using the
icons in the Layers palette. You can access
additional commands and options in the Layers
menu and in the More menu in the Layers palette.
The Layers palette uses icons to provide information about layers. The leftmost column in the
palette displays an eye icon next to visible layers
and no eye icon next to hidden layers.
The second column from the left shows a paintbrush icon or layer mask icon next to the
active layer; layers without either of these icons
can’t be modified. It also shows a link icon for
layers that are linked to the active layer.
The right column lists the layer’s name and may
display additional icons. By default, this column
also shows a thumbnail image of the layer which is
updated as you edit the layer. You can change the
thumbnail size or choose not to show thumbnails
in the Layers palette by changing the Layers palette
options.

F
A

B
C

D
E
H

Layers palette
A. Layer lock options (from left to right): Transparency, All
B. Show/Hide layer C. Indicates active layer
D. Link/Unlink E. Layer thumbnail F. More menu
G. Highlighted layer is active layer H. Locked layer
I. Create a new fill or adjustment layer
J. Create a new layer K. Delete a layer

Note: If you open a file that was created in
Photoshop 7.0 or 6.0, the image may contain layer
sets. Layer sets are indicated by a folder icon in the
Layers palette and can contain multiple layers.
Although Photoshop Elements doesn’t support layer
sets, it displays preexisting layer sets in their
collapsed state. You can simplify a layer set to convert
it to a single, editable raster layer. (See “Simplifying
layers” on page 110.)

94 CHAPTER 6
Using Layers

Using the Layers palette
When you open Photoshop Elements for the first
time, the Layers palette appears in the palette well.
(See “Using the palette well” on page 13.) You can
drag the palette out of the palette well to keep it on
display.
Using the Layers palette, you can control whether
a layer is visible and whether Photoshop Elements
displays a preview, or thumbnail, of a layer.
Turning off thumbnails or reducing their size can
save space in your work area and reduce memory
usage.
Note: Only visible layers are printed.
To display the Layers palette:

Choose Window > Layers.

Multiple hidden layers

To show or hide a layer in the document window:

To change the display of layer thumbnails:

Do one of the following:

1 Choose Palette Options from the Layers

palette More menu.
• In the Layers palette, click the eye icon next to a

layer to hide that layer. Click in the leftmost
column again to redisplay the layer.
• Drag through the eye column to show or hide

multiple layers.
• To display just one layer, Alt-click (Windows) or

Option-click (Mac OS) the eye icon for that
layer. Alt/Option-click in the eye column again
to redisplay all the layers.

2 Select a size or select None to hide the thumbnails, and then click OK.
To change the transparency display:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Transparency

or Photoshop Elements > Preferences >
Transparency (Mac OS X).
2 For Grid Size, choose a pattern size. By default,

the transparent areas of a document appear as a
checkerboard pattern. If you choose None, transparent areas in the layer appear white.

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3 For Grid Colors, choose an option:
• Light, Medium, or Dark to specify a gray

pattern.
• Any other color from the list to display the

checkerboard in that color.
• Custom to choose a color that does not appear

in the list. Then click either of the color
selection boxes to specify a custom color in the
Color Picker.
4 Click OK.

• Select the move tool, right-click (Windows) or

Control-click (Mac OS) in the image, and
choose the layer you want from the context
menu. The context menu lists all the layers that
contain pixels under the current pointer
location, and all adjustment layers.
To select layers interactively as you use the move
tool in the document window, select Auto Select
Layer in the Move tool options bar. When this
option is selected, the move tool selects the
topmost layer containing opaque pixels under the
pointer. (See “Moving, copying, and pasting selections” on page 122.)

Selecting layers
If your image has multiple layers, you must select
what layer you want to work on. Any changes you
make to the image affect only the active layer,
except for changes made with adjustment layers,
and some changes to linked layers. You select a
layer to make it active, and only one layer can be
active at a time.
If you don’t see the desired results when you use
a tool or apply a command, you may not have
the correct layer selected. Check the Layers palette to
make sure the desired layer is highlighted.
To select a layer:

Do one of the following:
• In the Layers palette, select a layer’s thumbnail

or name to make it active.

Creating a layered image
Photoshop Elements lets you create up to 8000
layers in an image, each with its own blending
mode and opacity. However, the amount of
memory in your system may put a lower limit on
the number of possible layers.

Adding layers
Newly added layers appear above the selected layer
in the Layers palette. You can add layers to an
image in a variety of ways:
• By creating new blank layers or turning selec-

tions into layers.
• By converting a background to a regular layer or

vice versa.
• By pasting copied or cut selections into the

image. (See “Copying selections or layers” on
page 122.)

96 CHAPTER 6
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• By using the type tool or by using a shape tool.

(See “Creating text” on page 196 and “Creating
shapes” on page 191.)
• By duplicating an existing layer. See “Dupli-

cating layers” on page 98.
To create a new transparent layer with default
options:

Click the New Layer button at the bottom of the
Layers palette. The layer uses Normal mode with
100% opacity and is named according to its order
of creation.

2 Choose Layer > New, and choose one of the

following commands from the submenu:
• Layer Via Copy to copy the selection into a new

layer.
• Layer Via Cut to cut the selection and paste it

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

To add a new layer and specify options:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Layer > New > Layer.
• Choose New Layer from the Layers

palette menu.
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)

the New Layer button at the bottom of the
Layers palette.
2 Name the layer, and set other layer options.

(See “Specifying layer blending modes” on
page 100, “Specifying opacity” on page 100, and
“Creating grouped layers” on page 106.)
3 Click OK.
To turn a selected area into a new layer:

1 Select an existing layer, and make a selection.
(See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)

New layer created from feathered selection with Layer Via
Copy command, and then moved
To create a layer from the background:

1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the background in the Layers

palette to convert it to a layer.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 97
User Guide

• Choose Layer > New > Layer from Background

to convert the background to a layer.
• Select the background, and choose Duplicate

Layer from the Layers palette More menu to
leave the background intact and create a copy of
it as a new layer.
2 Rename the layer in the New Layer dialog box,
and click OK.

If you drag the background eraser tool on the
background layer, the background is automatically converted to a regular layer, and erased areas
become transparent.
To convert a layer into a background:

1 Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2 Choose Layer > New > Background from Layer.

Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled
with the background color.
Note: If your image already has a background, you
can’t convert a layer to a background until you
convert the existing background to a layer.

Dragging the zebra layer below the lion layer changes the
stacking order
To change the order of a layer:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer that you
want to move.
2 Choose Layer > Arrange, and choose a

Changing the stacking order of layers

command from the submenu to arrange the layer:

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

• Bring to Front to make the layer the topmost

To change the order of layers by dragging:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer that you

want to move.
2 Drag the layer up or down in the Layers palette.

When the highlighted line appears in the desired
position, release the mouse button.

layer.
• Bring Forward to move the layer one level up in

the stacking order.
• Send Backward to move the layer one level

down in the stacking order.

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• Send to Back to make the layer the bottommost

layer in the image (except for the background).
Note: By default, the Background layer cannot be
moved from the bottom of the layer list. To move the
background, first convert it to a layer. (See “Adding
layers” on page 95.)

To copy a layer between images:

1 Open the two images you want to use.
2 In the Layers palette of the source image, select

the layer that you want to copy.
3 Do one of the following:
• Choose Select > All to select all of the pixels on

Duplicating layers
You can duplicate any layer (including the
background) within an image. And you can copy
any layer (including the background) from one
image to another.
When copying layers between images, keep in
mind that the printed size of the copied layer
depends on the resolution of the destination
image. (See “About digital images” on page 39.)
To duplicate a layer in an image:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette, and do one
of the following to duplicate it:

the layer, and choose Edit > Copy. Then make
the destination image active, and choose Edit >
Paste.
• Drag the layer’s name from the Layers palette of

the source image into the destination image.
• Use the move tool

to drag the layer from the
source image to the destination image.

The copied layer appears in the destination image
where you release the mouse button (and above
the active layer in the Layers palette). If the layer
you’re dragging is larger than the destination
image, only part of the layer is visible. You can use
the move tool to drag other sections of the layer
into view.

• To duplicate and rename the layer, choose

Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose Duplicate
Layer from the Layers palette More menu.
Name the duplicate layer, and click OK.
• To duplicate without naming, select the layer

and drag it to the New Layer button
bottom of the Layers palette.

at the

• (Windows only) Right-click on the layer name

(not the thumbnail) and choose Duplicate
Layer.

Hold down Shift as you drag a layer to copy it to
the same position it occupied in the source
image (if the source and destination images have the
same pixel dimensions) or to the center of the destination image (if the source and destination images
have different pixel dimensions).
To copy multiple layers into another image:

1 Make sure that both the source and destination

images are open, and select one of the layers you
want to copy.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 99
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2 In the Layers palette, click in the column
immediately to the left of any additional layers you
want to copy. The link icon appears in the
column.
3 Use the move tool
to drag the linked layers
from the source image to the destination image.
To duplicate a layer into another image or a
new image:

1 Open the source image. If you plan to copy a
layer to an existing image, open the destination
image too.
2 In the source document’s Layers palette, select
the name of the layer you want to duplicate.

Repositioning layers
You can quickly adjust the composition of an
image by repositioning its layers. Using the move
tool, you can make adjustments or radically
change the position of a layer. The layer’s content
is preserved even if you move it outside the
image area.
To reposition layers:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer that you
want to reposition. To reposition multiple layers at
the same time, link the layers together in the Layers
palette. (See “Linking layers” on page 99.)
2 Select the move tool

3 Choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose

3 Do one of the following:

Duplicate Layer from the Layers palette More
menu.

• Drag in the image to move the selected layer to

4 Type a name for the duplicate layer in the

Duplicate Layer dialog box, and choose a destination document for the layer:
• To duplicate the layer to an existing image,

choose a filename from the Document
pop-up menu.
• To create a new document for the layer, choose

New from the Document pop-up menu, and
enter a name for the new file. An image created
by duplicating a layer has no background.
(See “About the Background layer” on page 92.)
5 Click OK.

the desired position.
• Press the arrow keys on the keyboard to move

the layer in 1-pixel increments, or press Shift
and an arrow key to move the layer in 10-pixel
increments.
• Hold down Shift as you drag to move the layer

directly up or down, directly to either side, or on
a 45° diagonal.

Linking layers
By linking two or more layers, you can move their
contents together. You can also copy, paste, merge,
and apply transformations to all linked layers
simultaneously.

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To link layers:

1 Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2 Click in the column immediately to the left of

any layers you want to link to the active layer. The
link icon appears in the column.
To unlink layers:

In the Layers palette, click the link icons to
remove them.

Specifying opacity and blending
options
Keep in mind that a layer’s opacity and blending
mode interact with the opacity and mode of
painting tools. For example, consider a layer that
uses Dissolve mode and an opacity of 50%. If you
paint on this layer with the paintbrush tool set to
Normal mode with an opacity of 100%, the paint
appears in Dissolve mode with a 50% opacity.
Likewise, consider a layer that uses Normal mode
and 100% opacity. If you use the eraser tool with
an opacity of 50%, only 50% of the paint disappears from this layer as you erase.

Specifying opacity
A layer’s opacity determines to what degree it
obscures or reveals the layer beneath it. A layer
with 1% opacity appears nearly transparent, while
one with 100% opacity appears completely
opaque. Transparent areas remain transparent no
matter what opacity setting you use.

Map layer with 100% opacity and map layer with 50%
opacity
To specify opacity for a layer:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.
2 In the Layers palette, enter a value between 0
and 100 for Opacity, or drag the Opacity pop-up
slider.

Specifying layer blending modes
You use layer blending modes to determine how a
layer blends with pixels in layers beneath it. By
applying modes to layers, you can create a variety
of special effects. For a description of each
blending mode, see “Selecting a blending mode”
on page 135.

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To specify a blending mode for a layer:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.
2 Choose an option from the Blending Mode

pop-up menu.
Right after you choose a blending mode,
you can press the up or down arrows on your
keyboard to try other blending mode options in
the menu.

Filling a new layer with a neutral color
Some filters (such as the Lighting Effects filter)
cannot be applied to layers without opaque pixels.
Selecting Fill with Neutral Color in the New Layer
dialog box resolves this problem by first filling the
layer with a preset, neutral color. The neutral color
is assigned based on the layer’s blending mode and
is invisible. If no effect is applied, filling with a
neutral color has no effect on the image.
To fill a new layer with a neutral color:

1 Choose New Layer from either the Layers menu,

or the Layers palette menu.
2 In the New Layer dialog box, choose a blending
mode from the Mode pop-up menu, and then
select Fill with [blending mode] Neutral Color.

Note: This option isn’t available for layers that use
the Normal, Dissolve, Hue, Saturation, Color, or
Luminosity modes.
3 Click OK.

4 Select the neutral color layer in the Layers
palette, and choose a filter, effect, or layer style
from the Filters, Effects, or Layer Styles palette.
(See “Using the Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles
palettes” on page 165.)

Using adjustment and fill layers
Adjustment layers and fill layers add another level
of flexibility to working with layers. Adjustment
layers allow you to experiment with color and
make tonal adjustments to an image; fill layers
allow you to quickly add color, pattern, and
gradient elements to an image. If you change your
mind about the results, you can go back and edit
or remove the adjustment or fill at any time.

About adjustment layers
Adjustment layers let you experiment with color
and make tonal adjustments to an image without
permanently modifying the pixels in the image.
The color and tonal changes reside within the
adjustment layer, which acts as a veil through
which the underlying layers appear. By default, an
adjustment layer affects all the layers below it. This
means that you can correct multiple layers by
making a single adjustment, rather than making
the adjustment to each layer separately. To limit
the adjustment to a portion of the image, you can
select an area in your image before adding the
adjustment layer. If you want the adjustment layer
to only affect a single layer, you can group them
together. (See “Creating grouped layers” on
page 106.)

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To create an adjustment layer:

1 In the Layers palette, select the topmost layer
you want to affect.
2 To confine the effects of the adjustment layer to

a selected area, make a selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• To affect all the layers below the adjustment

layer, click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer
button
at the bottom of the Layers palette,
and choose the adjustment type you want to
create. (Note that the first three commands in
the menu are fill layers, not adjustment layers.)
• To affect only one or more successive layers
Original image, and image with levels adjustment applied

Creating adjustment layers
Adjustment layers have the same opacity and
blending mode options as image layers and can be
rearranged in the layer stacking order, deleted,
hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as
image layers. By default, adjustment layers take the
name of the adjustment type.

below the adjustment layer, Choose Layer >
New Adjustment Layer, and choose an
adjustment type from the submenu. In the New
Layer dialog box, select Group With Previous
Layer, and then click OK.
4 In the [adjustment type] dialog box, set the
options for the adjustment type you chose:
Levels Specify values for the highlights, shadows,

and midtones. (See “Using the Levels dialog box”
on page 62.)
Brightness/Contrast Specify values for Brightness

and Contrast. (See “Using the Brightness/Contrast
command” on page 63.)
A

Hue/Saturation Choose which colors to edit, and
specify values for Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.
(See “Using the Hue/Saturation command” on
page 67.)
Gradient Map Choose a gradient and set gradient

options. (See “Using the Gradient Map
command” on page 188.)
New Fill or Adjustment Layer menu
A. Fill layers B. Adjustment layers

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Invert Invert adjustment layers don’t have
options. (See “Using the Invert command” on
page 186.)

To create a fill layer:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer you want
the fill layer to be above.

Threshold Specify a threshold level. (See “Using
the Threshold command” on page 187.)

2 To confine the effects of the fill layer to a

Posterize Specify the number of tonal levels for

3 Do one of the following:

each color channel. (See “Using the Posterize
command” on page 188.)

• Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button

If you chose the Group With Previous Layer
option in step 3, Photoshop Elements groups the
adjustment layer with the layer immediately below
it and the effect is confined to the group. To add
more layers to the group, press Alt (Windows) or
Option (Mac OS), and position the pointer over
the line dividing the bottommost layer in the
group with the next layer below it (the pointer
changes to two overlapping circles ), and then
click. For more information, see “Creating
grouped layers” on page 106.

selected area, make a selection.

at the bottom of the Layers palette, and
choose the fill type you want to create. (Note
that the first three commands in the menu are
fill layers, and the rest are adjustment layers.)
• Choose Layer > New Fill Layer, and choose a fill

type from the submenu. In the New Layer dialog
box which appears, click OK.
4 In the [fill layer type] dialog box which appears,

set the options for the fill type you chose:
Solid Color Specify a color. (See “Using the Adobe

Color Picker” on page 131.)
Gradient In the Gradient Fill dialog box, click the

About fill layers
Fill layers let you fill a layer with a solid color, a
gradient, or a pattern. Unlike adjustment layers,
fill layers do not affect the layers underneath them.

Creating fill layers
Fill layers have the same opacity and blending
mode options as image layers and can be
rearranged in the layer stacking order, deleted,
hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as
image layers. By default, fill layers take the name of
the fill type.

Gradient pop-up menu arrow to choose a
predefined gradient, or to edit the gradient in the
Gradient Editor, click the color gradient. (See
“Creating or editing gradient fills” on page 148.)
You can drag in the image window to move the
center of the gradient.
Set additional options in the Gradient Fill dialog
box as desired:
• Style specifies the shape of the gradient.
• Angle specifies the angle at which the gradient is

applied.

104 CHAPTER 6
Using Layers

• Scale changes the size of the gradient.

To edit an adjustment or fill layer:

• Reverse flips the orientation of the gradient.

1 To open the adjustment or fill options

• Dither reduces banding by applying dithering to

the gradient.
• Align With Layer uses the bounding box of the

layer to calculate the gradient fill.

dialog box:
• Double-click the adjustment or fill layer’s

leftmost thumbnail in the Layers palette.
• Choose Layer > Layer Content Options.

Pattern Click the pattern, and choose a pattern

2 Make the desired changes, and click OK.

from the pop-up palette. Set additional pattern
options as desired:

To change the adjustment or fill layer type:

• Click Scale and enter a value or drag the slider to

1 Select the adjustment layer or fill layer that you

scale the pattern.
• Click Snap to Origin to position the origin of

the pattern with that of the document window.
(See “Using rulers and the grid” on page 24.)

want to change.
2 Choose Layer > Change Layer Content and

select a different fill or adjustment layer from
the list.

• Select Link With Layer to specify that the

pattern moves with the fill layer as it is relocated.
When this option is selected, you can drag in the
image to position the pattern while the Pattern
Fill dialog box is open.
To create a new preset pattern after editing pattern
settings, click the New Preset button . For more
information about creating patterns and loading
pattern presets, see “Creating and editing
patterns” on page 145 and “Working with preset
options” on page 27.

Editing adjustment or fill layer options or
layer type
Once you create an adjustment or fill layer, you can
easily edit the settings, or dynamically replace it
with a different adjustment or fill type.

Editing the layer mask of adjustment or fill
layers
A layer mask protects sections of a layer (or the
entire layer) from being edited, and can be used to
show or hide sections of an image or layer effect.
When the layer mask is attached to an adjustment
layer, it’s used to control which areas of the underlying layers are affected by the adjustment layer.
When the layer mask is attached to a fill layer, it’s
used to define the area that’s filled in the fill layer.
You can edit the mask of an adjustment layer or fill
layer. If you made a selection before you added the
adjustment or fill layer, a mask is automatically
created for the selected area. If you didn’t select an
area beforehand, all areas of an adjustment or fill
layer are “unmasked”.

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Editing a mask involves painting or erasing with
black, white, or shades of gray. When you select an
adjustment or fill layer in the Layers palette, the
color swatches in the toolbox are black and white.
To add to the mask, paint with black or erase with
white. The mask defines areas that aren’t affected
by an adjustment or fill layer. To subtract from
the mask, paint with white or erase with black.
Subtracting from the mask increases the area
affected by an adjustment or fill layer. Painting or
erasing in shades of gray will remove areas from
the mask and add areas to the mask in various
levels of transparency.

3 Use the following methods to view the
layer mask:
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)

the layer’s leftmost thumbnail to view only the
grayscale mask. Alt/Option-click the thumbnail
again to redisplay the other layers.
• Hold down Alt+Shift (Windows) or

Option+Shift (Mac OS), and click the layer’s
leftmost thumbnail to view the mask in a red
masking color. Hold down Alt/Option+Shift
and click the thumbnail again to turn off the red
display.
4 To constrain editing to part of the mask, make a

selection. (See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.)
5 Edit the layer mask:
• To remove areas of the adjustment effect or fill,

paint the layer mask with black.
• To add areas to the adjustment effect or fill,

paint the layer mask with white.
• To partially remove the adjustment effect or fill

Adjustment layer with triangular mask added
To edit the layer mask for an adjustment or fill layer:

1 Select the adjustment layer or fill layer in the
Layers palette.
2 Select the paintbrush tool, or any painting or
editing tool.

so that it shows in various levels of transparency,
paint the layer mask with gray. (Double-click
the foreground color swatch in the toolbox to
choose a gray shade in the Color Picker.) The
extent to which the effect or fill is removed
depends on the tones of gray you use to paint.
Darker shades are more transparent; lighter
shades are more opaque.
Shift-click the mask thumbnail (the layer’s
rightmost thumbnail) in the Layers palette to
turn off the mask; click the thumbnail again to
turn on the mask.

106 CHAPTER 6
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Merging adjustment layers
You can merge an adjustment or fill layer in several
ways: with the layer below it, with the layers in its
own group of layers, with the layers it’s linked to,
and with all other visible layers. You cannot,
however, use an adjustment layer or fill layer as the
base or target layer for a merge.

Note that you can group only successive layers.
The name of the base layer in the group is underlined, and the thumbnails for the overlying layers
are indented. Additionally, the overlying layers
display the grouped layer icon .
You can link grouped layers so they move
together. See “Linking layers” on page 99.

When you merge an adjustment layer or fill layer
with the layer below it, the adjustments are
rasterized and permanently applied to the merged
layer. Adjustment no longer affects other layers
below the merged adjustment layer. (See “Merging
layers” on page 111.) You can also rasterize a fill
layer without merging it. (See “Simplifying layers”
on page 110.)
Adjustment layers and fill layers whose masks (the
layer’s rightmost thumbnail in the Layers palette)
contain only white values do not add significantly
to the file size, so you needn’t merge these
adjustment layers to conserve file space.
Africa text layer is the base layer in a layer group with the
Lion layer

Creating grouped layers
In grouped layers, the bottommost layer, or base
layer, defines the visible boundaries for 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. If you group all three
layers, the photograph and text appear only
through the shape outline on the base layer; they
also take on the opacity of the base layer.

To create grouped layers:

1 Do one of the following:
• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option

(Mac OS), position the pointer over the line
dividing two layers in the Layers palette (the
pointer changes to two overlapping circles ),
and then click.
• In the Layers palette, select the top layer of a pair

of layers you want to group, and choose Layer >
Group with Previous.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 107
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• Link together the desired layers in the Layers

palette. (See “Linking layers” on page 99.)
Then choose Layer > Group Linked.
• When creating a new layer to group with an

existing layer, select the existing layer in the
Layers palette, and then choose New Layer from
the Layers menu or the Layers palette menu. In
the New Layer dialog box, select Group with
Previous Layer, and click OK.
The grouped layer is assigned the opacity and
mode attributes of the bottommost base layer in
the group.
If you need to change the stacking order of the
layer group relative to other layers in the image,
drag the group’s base layer up or down in the Layers
palette. (Dragging any other layer in the group will
remove that layer from the group.)

• In the Layers palette, select any layer in the

group besides the base layer, and either drag the
layer below the base layer, or drag it between
two ungrouped layers in the image.
To ungroup all layers:

1 In the Layers palette, select the base layer in the
grouped layer, or the layer immediately above the
base layer.
2 Choose Layer > Ungroup.

Editing layers
A newly created layer is transparent. You can add
color values to the layer using the painting and
editing tools, and then apply filters or use special
effects to modify the layer. All painting and editing
occurs on the active layer.

To remove a layer from a grouped layer:

Do one of the following:

Locking layers

• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option

You can fully or partially lock layers to protect
their contents. When a layer is locked, a lock
displays to the right of the layer name, and the
layer cannot be deleted. The lock is solid when the
layer is fully locked and no editing is possible; it is
hollow when only the layer’s transparency is
locked. Except for the background layer, locked
layers can be moved to different locations in the
stacking order of the Layers palette. When a layer
is fully locked, you cannot edit the pixels, move it,
or change its opacity, blending mode, or layer
style. When only a layer’s transparency is locked,

(Mac OS), position the pointer over the line
separating two grouped layers in the Layers
palette (the pointer changes to two overlapping
circles ), and click. Ungrouping the base layer
from the layer above it will ungroup all layers in
the group.
• In the Layers palette, select a layer in the

grouped layer, and choose Layer > Ungroup.
This command removes the selected layer and
any layers above it from the grouped layer.

108 CHAPTER 6
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painting and editing are confined to opaque areas
of the layer. For example, if you lock a layer’s transparency, you can edit an object without adding
opaque pixels to the transparent area outside the
object.
To lock all layer properties:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.
2 Click the Lock All icon
Layers palette.

at the top of the

To protect the transparent areas in a layer from
editing:

By default, when you work with the magic wand,
smudge, blur, sharpen, or clone stamp tool, you
are applying color sampled only from pixels on the
active layer. This means 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.
Alternatively, you can choose to paint using
sampled data from all the visible layers. For
example, you can use the clone stamp tool to clone
an area containing pixels from all the visible layers.
To sample from all visible layers:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.
2 Click the Lock Transparency icon

Sampling from all layers

at the top

of the Layers palette.
Note: For type and shape layers, transparency is
locked by default and cannot be unlocked.

1 Select the magic wand tool

tool
tool

, paint bucket
, smudge tool , blur tool , sharpen
, or clone stamp tool .

2 In the options bar, select Use All Layers. If you
selected the paint bucket tool, select All Layers.

Smudging all layers in the image

Selecting opaque areas on a layer
Painting with transparency locked

You can quickly select all the opaque areas on a
layer within the layer boundaries. This is useful
when you want to exclude transparent areas from
a selection.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 109
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• To load the intersection of the pixels and an

existing selection, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift
(Windows) or Command+Option+Shift
(Mac OS), and either click the layer thumbnail
in the Layers palette or if the layer has a mask,
the mask thumbnail.

Managing layered images

Layer pixels loaded as selection
To select all opaque areas on a layer:

Do one of the following:
• In the Layers palette, Ctrl-click (Windows) or

Command-click (Mac OS) either the layer
thumbnail or if the layer has a mask, the mask
thumbnail.
• Right-click (Windows) on the layer thumbnail

in the Layers palette, and choose Select Layer
Transparency from the pop-up menu.

After you add layers to an image, you can use the
Layers palette to manage them. You can rename
layers, delete layers, simplify layers, merge two or
more layers, or flatten all layers in an image into
one layer.

Renaming layers
As you add more layers to an image, it’s helpful to
rename layers based on their content. Using
descriptive layer names allows you to easily
identify layers in the Layers palette.
Note: You can’t rename the Background layer unless
you change it to a normal layer. See “Adding layers”
on page 95.

• To add the pixels to an existing selection, press

Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Command+Shift
Mac OS), and either click the layer thumbnail in
the Layers palette or, if the layer has a mask, the
mask thumbnail.
• To subtract the pixels from an existing

selection, press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or
Command+Option (Mac OS), and either click
the layer thumbnail in the Layers palette or if the
layer has a mask, the mask thumbnail.

To rename a layer:

1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the layer’s name in the Layers

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

palette, and type a new name in the Layers
Properties dialog box.

110 CHAPTER 6
Using Layers

• Select the layer in the Layers palette, and choose

Rename Layer from the Layer menu or the More
menu in the Layers palette. Type a new name in
the Layers Properties dialog box.

Simplifying layers
You can simplify a type layer, shape layer, solid
color layer, gradient layer, pattern fill layer, or a
layer set imported from Photoshop in order to
convert the layer’s content into a raster image.
Once you simplify a layer, you can apply filters to
it and edit it with the painting tools. However, you
can no longer make changes to the layer using the
type- and shape-editing options.

your purposes. If the file is becoming too large,
you can merge some layers together, remove
hidden layers you don’t need, flatten your image,
or change the image size. (See “Merging layers” on
page 111, “Flattening all layers” on page 112, and
“About image size and resolution” on page 75.)
To track file size:

Choose Document Sizes from the status bar popup menu at the bottom of the application window.
(See “Using the status bar” on page 18.)
The value on the left shows what the file size would
be if you were to flatten all the layers into one. The
value on the right shows the file size with all the
layers intact.

To simplify a layer:

1 In the Layers palette, select a type layer, shape
layer, fill layer, or a Photoshop layer set.
2 Simplify the layer or layer set:
• If you selected a shape layer, click Simplify in the

options bar.
• If you selected a type, shape, or fill layer, or a

Photoshop layer set, choose Simplify Layer from
either the Layer menu or the Layers palette
More menu.

Status bar pop-up menu
A. Flattened document size B. Document size with
layers intact

Tracking file size
File size depends on the pixel dimensions of an
image and the number of layers contained in the
image. Images with more pixels may produce
more detail when printed, but they require more
disk space to store and may be slower to edit and
print. You should keep track of your file sizes to
make sure the files are not becoming too large for

Deleting layers
Deleting layers that you no longer need reduces
the size of your image file.
To delete a layer:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.

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2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the layer to the Delete Layers button

the bottom of the Layers palette.
• Click the Trash button at the bottom of the

Layers palette, and click Yes in the delete confirmation dialog box. To bypass this dialog box,
press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you
click the Trash button.
• Choose Delete Layer from either the Layers

menu or the Layers palette More menu, and
click Yes.

Note: If the bottom layer in the pair is a shape, type,
or fill layer, you can’t choose Merge Down until
you’ve simplified the layer. (See“Simplifying layers”
on page 110.) If the bottom layer in the pair is linked
to another layer or is an adjustment layer, you also
can’t choose Merge Down.
To merge all visible linked layers:

1 Make sure an eye icon displays next to all layers

you want to merge, and make sure they’re linked
together. Select one of the linked layers in the
Layers palette.
2 Choose Merge Linked from either the Layers

Merging layers
When you’ve finalized the characteristics and
positioning of two or more layers, merging these
layers into one helps reduce the size of your image
file. You can also choose to merge only the linked
layers, only the visible layers, or only the layers in a
group. (See “Creating grouped layers” on
page 106.) The intersection of all transparent areas
in the merged layers remains transparent.
For information on merging adjustment layers, see
“Merging adjustment layers” on page 106.
To merge a layer with the layer below it:

1 Make sure an eye icon displays next to each of

the two layers you want to merge. Select the top
layer of the pair in the Layers palette.
2 Choose Merge Down from either the Layers

menu, or from the Layers palette menu.

menu, or from the Layers palette menu.
To merge all the visible layers in an image:

1 Hide any layers you don’t want to merge.
2 Choose Merge Visible from either the Layers

menu, or the Layers palette menu.
To merge layers that are in a layer group:

1 Hide any layers you don’t want to merge that are
in the layer group.
2 Select the base layer in the group. If the base
layer is a type, shape, solid color fill, gradient fill,
or pattern fill layer, you must simplify the layer.
(See “Simplifying layers” on page 110.)
3 Choose Merge Group from the Layers menu or

the Layers palette menu.
To create a merged layer from all visible layers, while
keeping the hidden layers intact:

1 Click the eye icon next to layers you don’t want
to merge.

112 CHAPTER 6
Using Layers

2 Select a layer in the Layers palette on which to
merge all visible layers.

To flatten an image:

3 Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option

your image are visible.

(Mac OS), and choose Merge Visible from either
the Layers menu, or the Layers palette menu.
Photoshop Elements merges a copy of all visible
layers into the selected layer.

2 Choose Flatten Image from either the Layers

1 Make sure that the layers you want to keep in

menu or the Layers palette menu.

Flattening all layers
When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements
merges all visible layers into the background,
greatly reducing the file size. Flattening an image
discards all hidden layers, and fills any transparent
areas with white. In most cases, you won’t want to
flatten a file until you’ve finished editing
individual layers.
You can see the difference between your image’s
layered file size and its flattened file size by
choosing Document Sizes from the status bar pop-up
menu. See “Tracking file size” on page 110.

Layered file and flattened file

113

Chapter 7: Selecting
o modify or copy a specific area of an image
in Adobe Photoshop Elements, you first
select the area in the active layer. You can
choose from a variety of specialized tools for
creating selections.

About selections
When you want to edit a particular area of your
image without affecting other areas, you select the
area you want to change. You also make selections
when you want to copy or duplicate an area of
your image.
Photoshop Elements indicates a selected area with
a border of moving dashes, also called a selection
marquee or marching ants. The area outside the
selection border is protected while you move,
copy, paint, or apply special effects to the selected
area. To make a selected area easier to distinguish
from unselected areas, you can use the selection
brush tool in mask mode to display unselected
areas with a color overlay.

Selection made with magnetic lasso tool, color adjusted in
selected area

The selection tool or command you choose
depends on the nature of your image, the changes
you want to make, and the area you want to select.
For example, the magic wand tool is useful for
quickly selecting areas of similar color, such as a
clear blue sky. To select a more complex area, such
as a person standing in a crowd of people, you can
use the selection brush or lasso tool. To create
smooth transitions between selected and
unselected areas, you can use a selection tool that
supports feathering.
After you make a selection, you can fine-tune the
selection border in many ways. You can use
commands in the Select menu to invert, expand,
contract, or smooth the border. You can use a
selection tool to add to or subtract from the
selection. You can also move the selection border
alone (see “Moving or inverting a selection
border” on page 118) or move the border with the
selected image area (see “Moving pixel selections
within an image” on page 122.)
Note: To select shape, type, or fill layers, you must
use the shape selection tool or the move tool. To select
a portion of these layer types (or to paint on or apply
special effects to them) you must first simplify the
layer. (See “Simplifying shape layers” on page 194 or
“Simplifying type layers” on page 199.)

114 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

Selecting pixels

Showing or hiding selection borders

You can select pixels in an image by dragging
with the marquee tools, lasso tools, selection
brush tool, or by targeting areas with the magic
wand tool. Making a new selection replaces the
existing one, unless you’re using the selection
brush tool, which adds to selections. You can also
invert selections and expand or reduce the area of
a selection.

Selections are marked by a border of moving
dashes. You can show or hide selection borders in
your image.

Using the Select menu
You can use commands in the Select menu to
select the entire layer, deselect everything, or to
reselect an area you just deselected.

To hide selection borders or show hidden selection
borders:

Choose View > Selection.

Making rectangular or elliptical selections
with the marquee tools
The marquee tools draw rectangular and elliptical
selection borders.
To use the marquee tools:

To select all pixels on a layer:

1 Select the layer in the Layers palette.
2 Choose Select > All.
To deselect selections:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Select > Deselect.
• If you are using the rectangular marquee, ellip-

tical marquee, or lasso tool, click anywhere in
the image outside the selected area.
To reselect the most recent selection:

Choose Select > Reselect.
You can also choose selection commands from a
context menu while using the marquee, lasso,
or magic wand tools. To access this menu, right-click
(Windows) or Ctrl+click (Mac OS) in the image
window.

1 Select a marquee tool in the toolbar:
• Rectangular marquee

to make a rectangular

selection.
• Elliptical marquee

to make an elliptical

selection.
2 In the options bar, specify whether to create a
new selection , add to a selection , subtract
from a selection , or select an area intersected by
other selections .
3 To soften the selection border so that it blends

into the area outside the selection, enter a Feather
value in the options bar. (For more information on
feathering selections, see “Softening the edges of a
selection” on page 121.)

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4 If you chose the elliptical marquee, you can
select Anti-aliased in the options bar to smooth
the edges of your selection. (For more information
on anti-aliasing, see “Softening the edges of a
selection” on page 121.)
5 In the options bar, choose an option from the

Style pop-up menu:

By default, a selection border is created from one
of its corners. To create a marquee from its center,
press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while
making the selection.
To reposition a marquee tool selection while
dragging to define the selected area, hold down
the spacebar, and drag.

• Normal to visually set the size and proportions

of the selection border.
When making a Normal selection, you can
press the Shift key as you drag to constrain the
selection to a square or circle.
• Fixed Aspect Ratio to set a width-to-height ratio

for the selection border. Enter values (decimal
values can be used) for the aspect ratio. For
example, to draw a marquee twice as wide as it
is high, enter 2 for the width and 1 for the
height.

Using the lasso, polygonal lasso, and
magnetic lasso tools
The lasso and polygonal lasso tools let you draw
both straight-edged and freehand segments of a
selection border. With the magnetic lasso tool,
the selection border snaps to edges you drag over
in the image.
The magnetic lasso tool is especially useful for
quickly selecting objects with complex edges set
against high-contrast backgrounds.

• Fixed Size to specify values for the marquee’s

height and width in inches, centimeters, or
pixels. If you use pixel measurements, enter
values in whole numbers, and keep in mind that
the number of pixels in one inch depends on the
resolution of the image. (See “About image size
and resolution” on page 75.)
6 Do one of the following:
• To make a Normal or Fixed Aspect Ratio

selection, drag over the area you want to select.
• To make a Fixed Size selection, click in the

image to set the upper left corner of the
selection border.

To set options for the lasso tools:

1 Select a lasso tool in the toolbar.
2 In the options bar, specify whether to create a
new selection , add to an existing selection ,
subtract from a selection , or select an area
intersected by other selections .
3 If desired, specify feather and anti-aliasing
options. (See “Softening the edges of a selection”
on page 121.)
4 To use the tool, see the lasso, polygonal lasso, or

magnetic lasso tool instructions that follow.
To use the lasso tool:

1 Select the lasso tool
in the options bar.

, and select tool options

116 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

2 Drag to draw a freehand selection border.

To use the magnetic lasso tool:

3 To draw a straight-edged selection border,

1 Select the magnetic lasso tool , and then
select tool options in the options bar:

hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS),
and click where segments should begin and end.
You can switch between freehand and straightedged segments.
4 To close the selection border, release the mouse

button and Alt key (Windows) or Option key
(Mac OS).
To use the polygonal lasso tool:

1 Select the polygonal lasso tool
tool options in the options bar.

, and select

2 Click in the image to set the starting point.
3 Do one or more of the following:
• To draw a straight segment, position the pointer

where you want the first straight segment to
end, and click. Continue clicking to set
endpoints for subsequent segments.
• To draw a freehand segment, hold down

Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and drag.
When finished, release Alt or Option and the
mouse button.
• To erase recently drawn straight segments,

press the Delete key.
4 To close the selection border, do one of the

following:
• Position the pointer over the starting point

(a closed circle appears next to the pointer),
and click.
• If the pointer is not over the starting point,

double-click the pointer, or Ctrl-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS).

• To specify the area of edge detection, enter a

pixel value between 1 and 40 for Width. The
magnetic lasso detects edges only within the
specified distance from the pointer.
To change the magnetic lasso cursor so that it
indicates the area of edge detection (the Width
value), press the Caps Lock key on the keyboard.
Change the cursor while the tool is selected but not
in use.
• To specify the lasso’s sensitivity to edges in the

image, enter a value between 1% and 100% for
Edge Contrast. A higher value detects only edges
that contrast sharply with their surroundings;
a lower value detects lower-contrast edges.
• To specify the rate at which the lasso sets

fastening points, enter a value between 0 and
100 for Frequency. A higher value anchors the
selection border in place more quickly.
On an image with well-defined edges, try higher
Width and Edge Contrast settings, and trace the
border roughly. On an image with softer edges, try
lower Width and Edge Contrast settings, and trace
the border more precisely.
• If you are working with a stylus tablet, select or

deselect the Pen Pressure option. When the
option is selected, an increase in stylus pressure
causes the width of the edge detection to
decrease.
2 Click in the image to set the first fastening
point. Fastening points anchor the selection
border in place.

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User Guide

3 Drag the pointer along the edge you want to
trace. (You can also drag with the mouse button
depressed.)

As you move the pointer, the active segment snaps
to the strongest edge in the image, based on the
Width and Edge Contrast options. Periodically,
the magnetic lasso tool adds fastening points to the
selection border to anchor segments, using the
rate set by the Frequency option.
4 If the border doesn’t snap to the desired edge,
click once to add a fastening point manually.
Continue to trace the edge, and click to add
fastening points as needed.
5 To switch temporarily to the other lasso tools,

do one of the following:
• To activate the lasso tool, hold down Alt

(Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and drag with
the mouse button depressed.
• To activate the polygonal lasso tool, hold down

Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click.
6 To erase recently drawn segments and fastening

points, press the Delete key until you’ve erased the
fastening points for the desired segment.
7 To close the selection border, do one of the

following:
• To close the border manually, drag back over the

starting point (a closed circle appears next to the
pointer), and click.
• To close the border with a freehand magnetic

segment, double-click, press Enter or Return, or
click anywhere outside the document window.

• To close the border with a straight segment,

hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS),
and double-click.

Using the Selection Brush tool
The selection brush tool lets you drag with a
variety of soft-edged or hard-edged brushes to
define selected areas. You can drag to either define
the selected area or define a mask (unselected
areas).
To use the selection brush tool:

1 Select the selection brush tool
toolbox.

in the

2 In the options bar, choose a brush from the
brush presets pop-up palette (See “Using pop-up
palettes” on page 28).
3 To set the brush size, drag the Size pop-up

slider, or enter a pixel value in the Size text box.
4 From the Mode menu, choose one of the
following:
• Selection to drag over the area you want to

select, and to display a selection border with
moving dashes. If a selection already exists, this
option adds to the selection. To remove from
the selection, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac OS) while dragging.
• Mask to drag over the area you want outside the

selection, and to display a color overlay over that
area. If a selection already exists, this option
subtracts from the selection. To add to the
selection, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac OS) while dragging.

118 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

5 To adjust the brush tip’s hardness, drag the

4 To define a smooth selection edge, select Anti-

Hardness pop-up slider, or enter a number
between 0 and 100.

aliased. (See “Softening the edges of a selection” on
page 121.)

6 If the Mode option is set to Mask, set the color
and opacity of the overlay color:

5 To select only adjacent areas using the same

• To set the color, click the Overlay Color swatch

and select a color in the Color Picker.
• To set the opacity, drag the Overlay Opacity

pop-up slider, or enter a percentage between 0
and 100 in the text box.
If you use a soft-edged brush with the selection
brush tool, changing the Mode option to Mask
can help you see the soft edges of the selection.

Using the magic wand tool
The magic wand tool lets you select an area of
similar colors (for example, a blue sky) without
having to trace its outline. You specify the color
range, or tolerance, for the magic wand tool’s
selection.
To use the magic wand tool:

1 Select the magic wand tool

2 In the options bar, specify whether to create a
new selection , add to an existing selection ,
subtract from a selection , or select an area
intersected by other selections .
3 For Tolerance, enter a value between 0 to 255.

Enter a low value to select colors very similar to the
pixel you click, or enter a higher value to select a
broader range of colors.

colors, select Contiguous. When this option is
deselected, pixels using the same colors are
selected throughout the entire image.
6 To select colors using data from all the visible

layers, select Use All Layers. When this option is
deselected, the magic wand tool selects colors from
only the active layer.
7 In the image, click the color you want to select.
If Contiguous is selected, all adjacent pixels within
the tolerance range are selected.

To add to the selected area, you can Shift+click
unselected areas, or choose Select > Grow.

Adjusting selection borders
You can adjust and refine your selection borders
using the selection tools and a variety of
commands in the Select menu.
In addition, you can apply geometric transformations to change the shape of a selection border.
(See “Transforming objects in three dimensions”
on page 157.)

Moving or inverting a selection border
You can move or hide a selection border, and you
can invert a selection to select the opposite part of
the image. Moving the selection border repositions just the border and doesn’t alter the image.
To move the selected image area, see “Moving pixel
selections within an image” on page 122.

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To move a selection border:

1 Using any selection tool, select New
Selection in the options bar, and position
the pointer inside an existing selection border.
The pointer changes to indicate that you can
move the selection .
2 Drag the border to enclose a different area of

the image. You can drag a selection border partly
beyond the canvas boundaries. You can also drag
the selection border to another image window.
To control the movement of a selection:

• To move the selection in 1-pixel increments,

For consistent results when manually adding to or
subtracting from a selection, use the same feather
and anti-aliasing settings used for the original
selection. (See “Softening the edges of a selection”
on page 121.)
To add to a selection:

1 Select a selection tool, and do one of the
following:
• Select the Add to Selection option

in the
options bar, and make another selection.

• Hold down Shift (a plus sign appears next to the

pointer), and make another selection.

use an arrow key.
• To move the selection in 10-pixel increments,

hold down Shift, and use an arrow key.
• To constrain the direction to multiples of 45°,

begin dragging, and then hold down Shift as
you continue to drag.
To select the unselected areas of an image:

In an image with an existing selection border,
choose Select > Inverse.
You can use this command to easily select an
object that appears against a solid-colored area.
Select the solid color using the magic wand tool, and
then choose Select > Inverse.

To subtract from a selection:

1 Select a selection tool, and do one of the
following:
• Select the Subtract from Selection option

in the options bar, and select an area to subtract
from the selection.
• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)

so that a minus sign appears next to the pointer,
and select an area to subtract from the selection.
To select only areas intersected by an existing
selection:

1 Select a selection tool, and do one of the

following:

Adjusting selections manually
You can use the selection tools to add to or
subtract from existing pixel selections.

• Select the Intersect with Selection option

in
the options bar, and select an area that intersects
the existing selection.

120 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

• Hold down Alt+Shift (Windows) or

Option+Shift (Mac OS) so that cross hairs
appear next to the pointer, and select an area
that intersects the existing selection.

Adjusting selections numerically
You can use commands in the Select menu to
increase or decrease the size of an existing
selection and to clean up stray pixels left inside or
outside a color-based selection.
To expand or contract a selection by a specific number
of pixels:

1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.
2 Choose Select > Modify > Expand or Contract.
3 For Expand By or Contract By, enter a pixel
value between 1 and 100, and click OK.

The border is increased or decreased by the
specified number of pixels. Any portion of the
selection border that runs along the canvas’s edge
is unaffected.

command on a selection that lacks feathering or
anti-aliasing. (See “Filling and tracing selections
and layers” on page 144.)
To expand a selection to include areas with similar
color:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Select > Grow to include all adjacent

pixels falling within the tolerance range
specified in the magic wand options. A higher
Tolerance value adds a broader range of colors.
• Choose Select > Similar to include pixels

throughout the image, not just adjacent ones,
that fall within the tolerance range.
To increase the selection incrementally, choose
either command multiple times.
Note: You cannot use the Grow and Similar
commands on images in bitmap mode.
To clean up stray pixels left inside or outside a
color-based selection:

1 Choose Select > Modify > Smooth.
To frame an existing selection with a new selection
border:

1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.
2 Choose Select > Modify > Border.
3 Enter a value between 1 and 200 pixels in the
Width text box, and click OK. The new selection
frames the original selected area.

The Border command creates a soft-edged, antialiased selection border. (See “Softening the edges
of a selection” on page 121.) To paint a hardedged border around a selection, use the Stroke

2 For Sample Radius, enter a pixel value between
1 and 100, and click OK.

Photoshop Elements searches around each
selected pixel for unselected pixels within the
specified range. For example, if you enter 16 for
Sample Radius, Photoshop Elements searches 16
pixels on each side of every selected pixel. If most
pixels in that range are selected, any unselected
pixels are added to the selection. If most pixels in
that range are unselected, any selected pixels are
removed from the selection.

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Note: The relationship between physical distance
and the pixel distance depends on the resolution of
the image. For example, 5 pixels is a longer distance
in a 72-ppi print than in a 300-ppi print. (See
“About image size and resolution” on page 75.)

Softening the edges of a
selection
You can smooth the hard edges of a selection by
anti-aliasing or feathering, or by using a softedged brush with the selection brush tool. Feathering lets you smooth an edge subtly with small
transitions of just a few pixels or create more
visible transitions up to 250 pixels wide.
Anti-aliasing Smooths the jagged edges of a

selection by softening the color transition between
edge pixels and background pixels. Since only the
edge pixels change, no detail is lost. Anti-aliasing is
useful when cutting, copying, and pasting selections to create composite images.
In the options bar, you can select anti-aliasing for
the lasso, polygonal lasso, magnetic lasso, elliptical
marquee, and magic wand tools. To use antialiasing, you must select this option before using
these tools; you cannot add anti-aliasing to an
existing selection.
Feathering Blurs edges by building a transition
between the selection and surrounding pixels. This
blurring can cause some loss of detail at the edge
of the selection.

You can create a feathered selection with the
elliptical marquee, rectangular marquee, lasso,
polygonal lasso, or magnetic lasso tool. You can

also add feathering to an existing selection by
using the Select menu. Feathering effects are
apparent when you move, cut, copy, or fill the
selection.
To view the boundaries of an existing feathered
selection, select the selection brush tool, and
choose Mask in the options bar. Unselected areas
display with a color overlay. See “Using the Selection
Brush tool” on page 117.
To use anti-aliasing:

1 Select the lasso, polygonal lasso, magnetic lasso,
elliptical marquee, or magic wand tool.
2 Select Anti-aliased in the options bar.
3 Make a selection in the image window.
To define a feathered edge for a selection tool:

1 Do one of the following:
• Select any of the lasso or marquee tools, and

enter a Feather value from 1 to 250 pixels in the
options bar. This value defines the width of the
feathered edge.
• Select the selection brush tool, and select a soft-

edged brush from the brushes popup palette in
the options bar.
2 Make a selection in the image window.
To define a feathered edge for an existing selection:

1 Use a selection tool to make a selection.
2 Choose Select > Feather.
3 Enter 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.

122 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

Note: If you make a small selection with a large
feather radius, Photoshop Elements displays the
message “No pixels are more than 50% selected.”
If you click OK, Photoshop Elements creates a
selection with invisible edges. To avoid this situation,
either decrease the feather radius, or increase the
selection’s size.

Moving pixel selections within an image
The move tool lets you drag a pixel selection to a
new location in the image. With the Info palette
open, you can track the exact distance of the move.
To specify move tool options:

1 Select the move tool

2 Select any of the following in the options bar:
• Auto Select Layer to select the topmost layer that

has pixels under the move tool, rather than the
selected layer.
• Show Bounding Box to display the bounding

box around the selected item.
A

To move a pixel selection:

1 Select the move tool

2 Move the pointer inside the selection border,
and drag the pixel selection to a new position. If
you’ve selected multiple areas, all pixel selections
move as you drag.

Selections without and with feathering
A. Selection with no feather, same selection filled with gray
pattern B. Selection with feather, same selection filled with
with gray pattern

Moving, copying, and pasting
selections
You can move or copy selections within or
between images—and also between images in
other applications. If you want to move an entire
layer, see “Repositioning layers” on page 99.

Note: To move just the selection border, see “Moving
or inverting a selection border” on page 118.
To activate the move tool when another tool is
selected, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or
Command (Mac OS). (This technique does not
work with the hand tool .)

Copying selections or layers
You can use the move tool to copy selections as
you drag them within or between images, or you
can copy and paste selections using the Copy,
Copy Merged, Cut, Paste, or Paste Into commands
in the Edit menu.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 123
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Copying with the move tool within a single image
saves memory because the Clipboard isn’t used,
but once you deselect the copied selection, you
can’t move it again. The Paste command creates a
new layer for the copied selection, which you can
move freely at any time.
Depending on your color management settings
and the color profile associated copied data,
Photoshop Elements may ask you how to convert
copied colors. For more information, see “Setting
up color management” on page 31.

Note: Keep in mind that when a selection or layer is
pasted between images with different resolutions, the
pasted data retains its original pixel dimensions.
This can make the pasted portion appear out of
proportion to the new image. Use the Image Size
command to make the source and destination
images the same resolution before copying and
pasting.
To copy a selection:

1 Select the area you want to copy.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Copy to copy the selection to the

Clipboard.
• Choose Edit > Copy Merged to copy all layers in

the selected area to the Clipboard.
To copy a selection while dragging:

1 Do one of the following:
• Select the move tool
A

, and press Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while dragging
the selection you want to copy and move.

• With any tool, press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or

Command+Option (Mac OS) to activate the
move tool, and drag the selection you want to
copy and move.
2 To make additional copies of the same selection,

do one of the following:
• Hold down the keys used in step 1 while

dragging the selection to each new location.
C

Using the Paste Into command
A. Window panes selected B. Copied image C. Paste Into
command D. Pasted image repositioned

• To offset the duplicate by 1 pixel, hold down the

keys in step 1, and press an arrow key.

124 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

• To offset the duplicate by 10 pixels, press

Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift
(Mac OS), and press an arrow key.
When copying between images, drag the selection
from the active image window into the destination
image window. A border highlights the destination
image window when you can drop the selection
into it.
To paste one selection into another selection border:

1 Use the Cut or Copy command to copy the part
of the image you want to paste.
2 Make a selection in the image into which you

want to paste the copied image.
Note: The copied image appears only within the
selection border. You can move the copied image
within the border, but if you move it completely out
of the border, it won’t be visible.
3 Choose Edit > Paste Into.
4 With your pointer within the selection border,
drag the pasted image to the proper location.
5 When you’re satisfied with the results, deselect
the pasted image to lock the layer.

Using drag-and-drop to copy between
applications
The drag-and-drop feature lets you copy and
move images between Photoshop Elements and
other applications. In Windows, the other application must be OLE-compliant.

To duplicate an entire image by dragging and
dropping, use the move tool to drag the image to
the other open application. If your image has
multiple layers, you must link the layers first to
drag all of them together. (See “Linking layers” on
page 99.) To copy an OLE object that contains .psd
data, use the OLE Clipboard. (See your Windows
documentation.)
In Mac OS, the application must support Mac OS
Drag Manager, and you must be running System
9.1 or later.
When you drag vector shapes or text to Photoshop
Elements from an application that uses Adobe
Illustrator Clipboard, Photoshop Elements
rasterizes the vector artwork—converting its
mathematically defined lines and curves into the
pixels of a bitmap image.

Using the Clipboard to copy between
applications
You can often use the Cut or Copy command to
copy selections between Photoshop Elements and
other applications. The cut or copied selection
remains on the Clipboard until you cut or copy
another selection.
In some cases, the contents of the Clipboard can be
converted to a raster image. Photoshop Elements
prompts you to paste the vector artwork as pixels
or as a shape layer.
Note: The image is rasterized at the resolution of the
file into which you paste it.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 125
User Guide

To change the Export Clipboard preference:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General

(Windows, Mac OS 9.x) or Photoshop Elements >
Preferences > General (Mac OS X).
2 Select Export Clipboard to save copied data
from Photoshop Elements on the Clipboard when
you exit from Photoshop Elements. If this option
is deselected, the contents are deleted when you
exit from the application.
3 Click OK.
To paste PostScript artwork from another application:

1 In the other application, select the artwork, and
choose Edit > Copy. Applications that produce
PostScript artwork include Adobe Photoshop,
Adobe Illustrator (versions 5.0 through 10),
Adobe Dimensions®, and Adobe Streamline™.
(See “Saving images in different file formats” on
page 226.)
2 In Photoshop Elements, select the image into

which you want to paste the selection.
3 Choose Edit > Paste.
4 In the dialog box, select from the following

5 If you chose Paste as Pixels in the previous step,
you can choose Anti-alias in the options bar to
make a smooth transition between the edges of the
selection and surrounding pixels. (See “Softening
the edges of a selection” on page 121.)
6 Click OK.

Saving and loading selections
You can save selections with an image and load
them for reuse in the same image. You can also
modify saved selections by replacing, adding to, or
subtracting from them.
Note: Some file formats, including JPEG and GIF,
cannot save selections.
To save a new selection:

1 Make a selection in your image.
2 Choose Select > Save Selection.
3 In the Save Selection dialog box, choose New
from the Selection pop-up menu.
4 Enter a name for the selection in the Name
textbox, and then click OK.

options:
• Paste as Pixels to rasterize the artwork as it is

pasted. Rasterizing converts mathematically
defined vector artwork to pixels.
• Paste as Shape Layer to create a new shape layer

that uses the path as a layer clipping path.

To modify a saved selection:

1 Make a selection in your image.
2 Choose Select > Save Selection.
3 In the Save Selection dialog box, choose a
selection name from the Selection menu.
4 Select one of the following operations:
• Replace Selection to replace the saved selection

with the current selection.

126 CHAPTER 7
Selecting

• Add To Selection to add the current selection to

the saved selection.
• Subtract From Selection to subtract the current

selection from the saved selection.
• Intersect With Selection to replace the saved

selection with the intersection between the
current selection and the saved selection.

• Subtract From Selection to subtract the saved

selection from the current selection.
• Intersect With Selection to replace the current

selection with the intersection between the
current selection and the saved selection.
6 To invert the selected area, select Invert.
7 Click OK.

5 Click OK.
To delete a saved selection:
To load a saved selection:

1 Choose Select > Delete Selection.

1 Open an image that contains a saved selection.

2 Choose a saved selection from the Selection

2 Choose Select > Load Selection.

menu, and click OK.

3 Choose the saved selection from the Selection

menu.
4 To invert the selected area, select Invert.
5 Click OK.
To modify a selection with a saved selection:

1 Open an image that contains a saved selection.
2 Make a new selection in your image.
3 Choose Select > Load Selection.
4 Choose a saved selection from the Selection

menu.
5 Select one of the following operations:
• Add To Selection to add the saved selection to

the current selection.

Deleting selected areas
To delete a selected area in your image, choose
Edit > Clear, or press Backspace (Windows) or
Delete (Mac OS). To cut a selection to the
Clipboard, choose Edit > Cut.
If you delete a selection on a background layer or
a layer that uses the Lock Transparency option
(located in the Layers palette), Photoshop
Elements replaces the selected area with the
current background color, which appears in the
toolbox.

127

Chapter 8: Painting
ou can paint, erase, and fill areas of your
image with several different tools in Adobe
Photoshop Elements. By customizing the
options for these tools, you can create sophisticated effects. Other tools and commands let you
transform and stylize an image.

When you want to transform your image without
adding new colors or patterns, a few tools allow
you to change the image details with stylized brush
strokes. When you want to remove areas from your
image, you can select from several different eraser
tools.

About painting and drawing

After you choose a painting or erasing tool, you
can set tool options to control blending mode,
opacity, brush style and size, and other options
that are unique to each tool.

When you create graphics in Photoshop Elements,
there is a distinction between painting and
drawing. Painting involves changing the colors of
pixels using a painting tool. Drawing involves
creating shape layers, type layers, and fill layers.
These layer types contain vector graphics, which
are defined by geometric characteristics rather
than by pixels. For example, if you draw a circle
shape using the ellipse tool, the circle is defined by
a specific radius, location, and color. To paint on
these layers and apply certain layer effects to them,
you must first convert the vector data to bitmap
data by simplifying the layer (see “Simplifying
layers” on page 110).
Photoshop Elements provides many ways to
creatively enhance your images. You can paint, fill,
or trace with preset colors, patterns, and color
gradients, or with customized patterns and
gradients you create.

Selecting foreground and
background colors
The toolbox displays a foreground color and a
background color in two overlapping color boxes.
Photoshop Elements uses the foreground color to
paint, fill, and trace selections and shapes, and it
uses the background color to create fills, such as
gradient fills and fills in erased areas of the image
background. The foreground and background
colors are also used by some special effects filters.
C
A

Foreground and background color boxes in toolbox
A. Foreground color box B. Default colors icon
C. Switch colors icon D. Background color box

128 CHAPTER 8
Painting

You can change the foreground or background
color by using the eyedropper tool, the Swatches
palette, the icons in the toolbox, or the Adobe
Color Picker.

Using the eyedropper tool

In the toolbox, the current foreground color
appears in the topmost color selection box; the
current background color appears in the bottom
box.

The eyedropper tool samples color from an image
to designate a new foreground or background
color. You can sample from the active image or
from another open image. (When you’re using the
eyedropper, you can click in another image
without making it the active image.) You can even
sample color anywhere on your computer screen
including the desktop and within the application
window.

The Info palette and the Adobe Color Picker let
you display color values using a number of color
models. (See “Choosing an image mode” on
page 54.)

You can also specify the size of the area that the
eyedropper tool samples. For example, you can set
the eyedropper to sample the color values of a
5-by-5 or 3-by-3 pixel area under the pointer.

Using color settings in the toolbox

To change the foreground or background color:

1 Do one of the following:
A

• To change the foreground color, click the

topmost color box in the toolbox.
• To change the background color, click the

bottom color box in the toolbox.
2 Choose a color in the Adobe Color Picker, and

click OK. (See “Using the Adobe Color Picker” on
page 131.)

Selecting a foreground color with the eyedropper tool
A. Point Sample B. 5 x 5 average sample
To select the foreground or background color:

To switch the color in the foreground and background
boxes:

1 Select the eyedropper tool

Click the Switch Colors icon

choose an option from the Sample Size menu:

in the toolbox.

To set the foreground and background color boxes to
black and white:

Click the Default Colors icon

in the toolbox.

2 To change the sample size of the eyedropper,
• Point Sample to get the precise value of the pixel

you click.
• 3 by 3 Average or 5 by 5 Average to get the

average value of the specified number of pixels
within the area you click.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 129
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3 Select a color:
• To select a new foreground color from an image,

click the desired color in your image. To select a
color that appears elsewhere on your computer
screen, click inside your image and drag away
from it.
• To select a new background color from an

image, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac OS) the color you want. To select a color
that appears elsewhere on your computer
screen, click inside your image and drag away
from it.
As you click and drag the eyedropper tool, the
foreground color selection box changes dynamically. Alt-click and drag (Windows) or Optionclick and drag (Mac OS) to activate the
background color selection box. Release the
mouse button to pick the new color.
To use the eyedropper tool temporarily while
using most painting tools, hold down Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS).

Using the Swatches palette
You can select a foreground or background color
from the Swatches palette, or you can add or delete
colors to create a custom swatch library. You can
also save a library of swatches and reload them for
use in another image. Although you can add many
colors to the Swatches palette, you should manage
its size and organization to improve performance.
To display the Swatches palette:

Choose Window > Color Swatches, or click the
Swatches palette tab in the palette well.

To change the thumbnail display in the Swatches
palette:

In the Swatches palette, choose either Small
Thumbnail or Small List from the More menu.
To select a foreground or background color:

Do one of the following:
• To choose a foreground color, click a color in

the Swatches palette.
• To choose a background color, Ctrl-click

(Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) a
color in the Swatches palette.
To choose a swatch library:

In the upper left corner of the Swatches palette,
choose a swatch library name from the Swatches
pop-up menu.

Managing swatches
The Swatches palette can hold many different
color swatches and different libraries of color
swatches. Creating libraries can help you group
related or special swatches and manage palette
size. The Adobe Photoshop Elements application
folder includes a Color Swatches folder inside the
Presets folder to contain the various swatch
libraries. When you create custom libraries, saving
them to the Color Swatches folder causes them to
automatically appear in the palette libraries popup menu.
You can also load or save swatches using the Preset
Manager. (See “Using the Preset Manager” on
page 29.)

130 CHAPTER 8
Painting

To add a color to the Swatches palette:

1 Set the foreground color in the toolbox to the
color you want to add. (For information on setting
the foreground color, see “Using color settings in
the toolbox” on page 128, or “Using the
eyedropper tool” on page 128.)
2 Do one of the following in the Swatches palette:
• Click the New Swatch button at the bottom of

the Swatches palette. The color swatch is added
and named Swatch.
• Choose New Swatch from the More menu in the

Swatches palette.
• If the palette is in thumbnail view, position the

pointer over an empty space in the bottom row
of the palette (the pointer turns into the paint
bucket tool), and click to add the color.
• If the palette is in list view, position the pointer

over an empty space in the rightmost column of
the palette (the pointer turns into the paint
bucket tool), and click to add the color.
3 Enter a name for the new color and click OK.

Note: To save swatches you add to a library, you
must save the entire library. See “To save and use
custom swatch libraries” below.

inside the Presets folder of the Photoshop
Elements application folder. (To see the new
swatch set in the menu, you must restart the
application.)
• To select and load a swatch library, choose Load

Swatches from the More menu in the palette.
• To replace the current swatch library with a

different library, choose Replace Swatches from
the More menu in the palette, and select a
library.
You can also load or save swatches using the Preset
Manager. (See “Using the Preset Manager” on
page 29.)
To delete a color in the Swatches palette:

Do one of the following:
• Drag the color swatch to the Trash button in the

palette.
• Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to

change the pointer to a scissors icon
click a color in the Swatches palette.

, and

Note: To permanently remove swatches you delete,
you must resave the library that contained them.
To reset a swatch library to its default color swatches:

To save and use custom swatch libraries:

1 Choose a swatch library from the pop-up menu

Choose one of the following commands in the
Swatches palette:

in the Swatches palette.

• To save a library of swatches, choose Save

Swatches from the More menu. To make the set
appear in the palette’s swatch libraries pop-up
menu, save the file to the Color Swatches folder

2 From the More menu in the Swatches palette,
choose Preset Manager.
3 In the Preset Manager dialog box, choose
Swatches from the Preset Type menu.
4 Choose Reset Swatches from the More menu,

and click Done.

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Using the Adobe Color Picker
You can use the Adobe Color Picker to select the
foreground or background color by choosing from
a color spectrum or by defining colors numerically. In addition, you can select colors based on
HSB or RGB color models, or choose to select only
Web-safe colors.
To display the Adobe Color Picker:

In the toolbox, click the foreground or
background color selection box.
A

the selected color component (for example, R, G,
or B). The color field displays the range for the
remaining two components—one on the
horizontal axis, one on the vertical. (For more
information about HSB and RGB color modes, see
“Describing color” on page 64.)
For example, if the current color is black and you
select the red radio button (R) using the RGB color
mode, the color slider displays the range of color
for red (0 is at the bottom, and 255 is at the top).
The color field displays blue values along its
horizontal axis and green values along its
vertical axis.
To specify a color using the color field and color slider
in the Color Picker dialog box:

1 Select a radio button next to an HSB or RGB

value.
2 Select a color:
• Drag the white triangles along the slider.
• Click inside the color slider.
• Click inside the color field.
C

Adobe Color Picker
A. Adjusted color B. Original color C. Web Colors option
D. Color field E. Color slider F. Hexadecimal color value
G. RGB color values H. HSB color values

Specifying a color using the color field and
color slider
To select a color in the HSB (Hue, Saturation, and
Brightness) or RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color
modes, you can use the color field or the color
slider in the Color Picker dialog box. The color
slider displays the range of color levels available for

When you click in the color field, a circular marker
indicates the color’s position in the field, and the
numerical values change to reflect the new color.
The color rectangle to the right of the color slider
displays the new color in the top section of the
rectangle. The original color appears at the bottom
of the rectangle.

Specifying a color using numeric values
In the Adobe Color Picker, you can select a color
by specifying numeric values for each color
component.

132 CHAPTER 8
Painting

To specify a color using numeric values:

Using other color pickers

Do one of the following:

In addition to the default Adobe Color Picker, you
can select colors by using the built-in color pickers
on your system or a plug-in color picker. These
color pickers appear in the General Preferences
dialog box. For information on installing and
using a plug-in color picker, see the documentation that came with the plug-in.

• In RGB color mode (the mode your monitor

uses), specify component values from 0 to 255
(0 is no light, and 255 is the brightest light).
• In HSB color mode, specify saturation and

brightness as percentages; specify hue as an
angle from 0° to 360° that corresponds to a
location on the color wheel. (See “About the
color wheel” on page 65.)

Using Web-safe colors
The Web-safe colors are the 216 colors used by
browsers on both the Windows and Mac OS
platforms. By working only with these colors, you
ensure that colors in art you prepare for the Web
display accurately on a system set to display 256
colors.

To use the Windows Color Picker (Windows):

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2 Choose Windows from the Color Picker menu,

and click OK.
For more information, see your Windows
documentation.
To use the Apple Color Picker (Mac OS):

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2 For Color Picker, choose Apple, and click OK.

To identify Web-safe colors in the Adobe Color Picker:

• Select Only Web Colors in the lower left corner

of the Color Picker, and then choose any color
in the Color Picker. When this option is
selected, any color you pick is Web-safe.
• Choose a color in the Color Picker. If you

choose a color that isn’t Web-safe, an alert cube
appears next to the color rectangle in the
upper right area of the Color Picker. Click the
alert cube to select the closest Web-safe color. (If
no alert cube appears, the color you chose is
Web-safe.)

For more information, see your Mac OS
documentation.
To return to the Adobe Color Picker after using
another color picker:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2 Choose Adobe from the Color Picker menu,

and click OK.

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Using the painting tools
You can use the brush, pencil, pattern stamp, or
smudge tool to paint color on an image. The
impressionist brush and smudge tools can also
paint using the existing colors in an image. The
five tools create different effects:
• The brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of

color and can simulate airbrush techniques.
• The pencil tool creates hard-edged freehand

lines.
• The smudge tool either smudges the existing

colors in your image or smears new color
through your image.
• The pattern stamp tool paints with a pattern

defined from your image, another image, or a
preset pattern.
• The impressionist brush tool repaints the

existing colors and details in your image using
stylized brush strokes.

Use the brush tool to paint with soft or hard
strokes of color and to paint with special effects
such as strokes that fade out. Use the pencil tool to
paint hard-edged lines of color.
To use a painting tool:

1 Select a color to paint by setting the foreground
color. (See “Selecting foreground and background
colors” on page 127.)

or pencil tool

4 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
5 Choose a blending mode to control how

painting affects existing pixels in the image.
(See “Selecting a blending mode” on page 135.)
6 To set the color opacity, drag the pop-up slider

or enter an opacity value. (See “Specifying opacity,
strength, exposure, or flow” on page 138.)
7 Set additional tool-specific options:
• For the brush tool, select airbrush to enable

airbrush capabilities. This option applies
gradual tones to an image, simulating traditional airbrush techniques. Click the More
Options button to specify additional options.
(See “Specifying brush dynamics” on page 138.)
• For the pencil tool, select Auto Erase to paint the

Using the brush or pencil tools

2 Select the brush tool

3 Click the inverted arrow next to the brush
sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes
pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
To learn more about using the brush presets, see
“Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.

background color over areas containing the
foreground color.
8 Drag in the image to paint.

To draw a straight line with a painting tool,
click a starting point in the image. Then hold
down Shift and click an ending point.

134 CHAPTER 8
Painting

Using the impressionist brush tool
The impressionist brush tool lets you re-create
your image as if it were painted with stylized
strokes. By experimenting with different style, area
size, and tolerance options, you can simulate the
texture of painting with different artistic styles.
The impressionist brush tool doesn’t add new
color or use the foreground and background
colors.

6 Click the More Options button to specify the
following options:
• Choose a style to control the shape of the paint

stroke.
• For Area, enter a value to specify the area

covered by the paint strokes. The greater the
size, the larger the covered area and the more
numerous the strokes.
• For Tolerance, enter a value or drag the slider to

limit the regions where paint strokes are
applied. A low spacing tolerance affects pixels
within a range of color values very similar to the
pixel you click. A high spacing tolerance affects
pixels within a broader range of color values.
7 Drag in the image to paint.

Original image and with impressionist brush strokes
To use the impressionist brush tool:

1 Select the impressionist brush tool

2 Click the inverted arrow

next to the brush
sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes
pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
To learn more about using the brush presets,
see“Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.
3 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

Using the smudge tool
The smudge tool simulates the actions of dragging
a finger through wet paint. The tool picks up color
where the stroke begins and pushes it in the
direction you drag. You can smudge existing colors
in your image, or smear foreground color on
the image.
To use the smudge tool:

1 Select the smudge tool

brush affects existing pixels in the image.
(See “Selecting a blending mode” on page 135.)

2 Click the inverted arrow next to the brush
sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes
pop-up palette, and then select a brush thumbnail.
To learn more about using the brush presets, see
“Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.

5 To set the opacity, drag the pop-up slider or

3 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

enter an opacity value. (See “Specifying opacity,
strength, exposure, or flow” on page 138.)

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4 Choose a blending mode to control how the

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 135
User Guide

4 Specify a blending mode and strength.
(See “Setting options for painting and editing
tools” on page 135.)

5 Choose a pattern from the Pattern pop-up

palette in the options bar.

6 Select Finger Painting to smear the foreground

To load additional pattern libraries, select a library
name from the pop-up palette menu, or choose
Load Patterns and navigate to the folder where the
library is stored. To learn more about patterns and
pattern libraries, see “Creating and editing
patterns” on page 145.

color at the beginning of each stroke. If this option
is deselected, the smudge tool uses the color under
the pointer at the beginning of each stroke.

6 Select Aligned to repeat the pattern as
contiguous, uniform tiles. The pattern is aligned
from one paint area to the next.

7 Drag in the image to smudge color.

If Aligned is deselected, the pattern is centered on
the pointer each time you stop and resume
painting.

5 Select Use All Layers to smudge using color data

from all layers visible in the image window. If this
option is deselected, the smudge tool uses colors
from only the active layer.

To temporarily use the Finger Painting option
as you drag with the smudge tool, press Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac OS).

Using the pattern stamp tool

8 Drag in the image to paint with the tool.

The pattern stamp tool lets you paint with a
pattern. You can select a pattern from the pattern
libraries or create your own patterns.
To use the pattern stamp tool:

1 Select the pattern stamp tool

7 Select Impressionist to apply the pattern with
an impressionistic effect.

2 In the options bar, click the inverted arrow
next to the brush sample, choose a brush category
from the Brushes pop-up palette, and then select a
brush thumbnail. To learn more about using the
brush presets, see “Working with preset options”
on page 27.
3 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4 Specify a blending mode and opacity.

(See “Setting options for painting and editing
tools” on page 135.)

Setting options for painting and
editing tools
You set options for a painting or editing tool in the
options bar.

Selecting a blending mode
The blending mode specified in the options bar
controls how pixels in the image are affected by a
painting or editing tool. It’s helpful to think in
terms of the following colors when visualizing a
blending mode’s effect:
• The base color is the original color in the image.
• The blend color is the color being applied with

the painting or editing tool.

136 CHAPTER 8
Painting

• The result color is the color resulting from

the blend.
To select a blending mode for a tool:

Choose from the Mode menu in the options bar.
Normal Edits or paints each pixel to make it the

result color. This is the default mode. (Normal
mode is called Threshold when you’re working
with an image in Bitmap or Indexed Color mode.)
Dissolve Edits or paints each pixel to make it the

result color. However, the result color is a random
replacement of the pixels with the base color or the
blend color, depending on the opacity at any pixel
location. This mode works best with the brush tool
and a large brush.
Behind Edits or paints only on the transparent
part of a layer. This mode works only on layers
with Lock Transparency deselected, and is
analogous to painting on the back of transparent
areas on a sheet of glass.
Clear Edits or paints each pixel and makes it

transparent. You must be on a layer with Lock
Transparency deselected in the Layers palette to
use this mode.
Darken Looks at the color information in each
channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is darker—as the result color. Pixels
lighter than the blend color are replaced, and
pixels darker than the blend color do not change.
Multiply Looks at the color information in each

channel and multiplies the base color by the blend
color. The result color is always a darker color.
Multiplying any color with black produces black.
Multiplying any color with white leaves the color

unchanged. When you’re painting with a color
other than black or white, successive strokes with a
painting tool produce progressively darker colors.
The effect is similar to drawing on the image with
multiple felt-tipped pens.
Color Burn Looks at the color information in
each channel and darkens the base color to reflect
the blend color. Blending with white produces
no change.
Linear Burn Looks at the color information in
each channel and darkens the base color to reflect
the blend color by decreasing the brightness.
Blending with white produces no change.
Lighten Looks at the color information in each

channel and selects the base or blend color—
whichever is lighter—as the result color. Pixels
darker than the blend color are replaced, and
pixels lighter than the blend color do not change.
Screen Looks at each channel’s color information
and multiplies the inverse of the blend and base
colors. The result color is always a lighter color.
Screening with black leaves the color unchanged.
Screening with white produces white. The effect is
similar to projecting multiple photographic slides
on top of each other.
Color Dodge Looks at the color information in
each channel and brightens the base color to
reflect the blend color. Blending with black
produces no change.
Linear Dodge Looks at the color information in
each channel and brightens the base color to
reflect the blend color by increasing the
brightness. Blending with black produces no
change.

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Overlay Multiplies or screens the colors,

depending on the base color. Patterns or colors
overlay the existing pixels while preserving the
highlights and shadows of the base color. The base
color is mixed with the blend color to reflect the
lightness or darkness of the original color.
Soft Light Darkens or lightens the colors,
depending on the blend color. The effect is similar
to shining a diffused spotlight on the image.

If the blend color (light source) is lighter than
50% gray, the image is lightened as if it were
dodged. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray,
the image is darkened as if it were burned in.
Painting with pure black or white produces a
distinctly darker or lighter area but does not result
in pure black or white.
Hard Light Multiplies or screens the colors,

depending on the blend color. The effect is similar
to shining a harsh spotlight on the image.
If the blend color (light source) is lighter than
50% gray, the image is lightened as if it were
screened. This is useful for adding highlights to an
image. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray,
the image is darkened as if it were multiplied. This
is useful for adding shadows to an image. Painting
with pure black or white results in pure black or
white.
Vivid Light Burns or dodges the colors by

increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending
on the blend color. If the blend color (light source)
is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by
decreasing the contrast. If the blend color is darker
than 50% gray, the image is darkened by increasing
the contrast.

Linear Light Burns or dodges the colors by
decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending
on the blend color. If the blend color (light source)
is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by
increasing the brightness. If the blend color is
darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by
decreasing the brightness.
Pin Light Replaces the colors, depending on the

blend color. If the blend color (light source) is
lighter than 50% gray, pixels darker than the blend
color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the
blend color do not change. If the blend color is
darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the blend
color are replaced, and pixels darker than the
blend color do not change. This mode is useful for
adding special effects to an image.
Difference Looks at the color information in each
channel and subtracts either the blend color from
the base color or the base color from the blend
color, depending on which has the greater
brightness value. Blending with white inverts the
base color values; blending with black produces no
change.
Exclusion Creates an effect similar to but lower in

contrast than the Difference mode. Blending with
white inverts the base color values. Blending with
black produces no change.
Hue Creates a result color with the luminance and

saturation of the base color and the hue of the
blend color.
Saturation Creates a result color with the

luminance and hue of the base color and the
saturation of the blend color. Painting with this
mode in an area with zero saturation (a neutral
gray area) causes no change.

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Color Creates a result color with the luminance of

the base color and the hue and saturation of the
blend color. This preserves the gray levels in the
image and is useful for coloring monochrome
images and for tinting color images.
Luminosity Creates a result color with the hue and

To specify opacity, pressure, exposure, tolerance, or
flow:

In the options bar, enter a value, or drag the popup slider for Opacity, Pressure, Exposure,
Tolerance, or Flow.

saturation of the base color and the luminance of
the blend color. This mode creates an inverse effect
from that of the Color mode.

The value can range from 1% to 100%. For transparent paint or a weak effect, specify a low
percentage value; for more opaque paint or a
strong effect, specify a high value.

Specifying opacity, strength, exposure, or
flow

Specifying brush dynamics

You can specify opacity, pressure, flow, tolerance,
or exposure for a variety of tools:
• Opacity is used by the gradient, pencil, eraser,

magic eraser, brush, clone stamp, pattern
stamp, paint bucket, and impressionist brush
tools.
• Strength of stroke is used by the smudge, blur,

and sharpen tools.
• Amount of exposure is used by the dodge and

burn tools.
• Flow is used by the sponge tool to set the rate of

saturation change.
• Tolerance is used by the background eraser,

impressionist bush, paint bucket, magic wand,
and the red eye brush tools. The tolerance
percentage defines how similar in color a pixel
must be to be affected by the tool. A low
tolerance value affects pixels within a range of
color values very similar to the pixel you click. A
high tolerance affects pixels within a broader
range of color values.

If you don’t have a stylus or art tablet, you can still
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 stroke
scattering, size, and color. The brush thumbnail in
the options bar reflects the brush changes as you
adjust the brush dynamics options.
To set brush dynamics:

1 Select the brush tool in the toolbox.
2 Click the More Options button
options bar.

in the

3 Set any of the following options:
Spacing Controls the distance between the brush
marks in a stroke. To change the spacing, type a
number, or use the slider to enter a value that is a
percentage of the brush diameter. (The brush
thumbnail in the options bar dynamically changes
to reflect your spacing adjustments.)

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Increasing the spacing makes the brush skip.

Paint stroke without and with color jitter

Fade Sets the number of steps until the paint flow
fades to nothing. A low value makes the paint
stroke fade away very quickly, and a value of zero
creates no fading effect. Each step is equal to one
mark of the brush tip. Possible values range from 0
to 9999. For example, entering 10 for Fade
produces a fade in 10 increments. For smaller
brushes, you may want to set a value of 25 or
larger. If strokes fade too quickly, increase the
values.

Hardness Controls the size of the brush’s hard

center. Type a number, or use the slider to enter a
value that’s a percentage of the brush diameter.

Brush strokes with different hardness values

Scatter Brush scattering determines how brush
marks are distributed in a stroke. A low value
produces a denser stroke with less paint scattering,
and higher values increase the scattering area.
Fade showing setting of 40, 60, and 80 steps

Color jitter Sets the rate at which the stroke color

switches between the foreground and background
colors. Higher values cause more frequent
switches between the two colors than lower values.
(To set the colors used by the color jitter option,
see “Selecting foreground and background colors”
on page 127.)

Brush stroke with low and high scatter values

140 CHAPTER 8
Painting

Angle Specifies the angle by which an elliptical

brush’s long axis is offset from horizontal. Type a
value in degrees, or drag the arrowhead in the
angle icon to mark the desired angle.

tool properties based on the chosen Pen Pressure
brush and the amount of pressure you apply with
your stylus.
To enable tablet support:

1 Select the brush tool in the toolbox.
2 In the options bar, click the More Options
button, and select Tablet Support.
3 Select the brushes pop-up palette, choose Pen

Pressure Brushes from the Brushes pop-up menu,
and then select a brush from the list.
Angled brushes create a chiseled stroke.

Roundness Specifies the ratio between the brush’s

short and long axes. Enter a percentage value, or
drag a dot in the angle icon away from or toward
the arrow. A value of 100% indicates a circular
brush, a value of 0% indicates a linear brush, and
intermediate values indicate elliptical brushes.

Pen Pressure brush names that include the words
opacity, scatter, or size change only that property
when you apply more or less pressure to the pen.
Other Pen Pressure brushes change several
different properties.
Note: If the highest pressure of your stylus does not
reach 100%, contact your tablet vendor. This
problem is caused by the driver software, not
Photoshop Elements.

Creating and editing brushes
You can create new brushes and delete brushes
you no longer need, and you can use part of an
image to create a custom brush. You can also create
a temporary brush that you only expect to use
one time.
Adjusting roundness affects the shape of a brush tip.

Setting tablet support
A

Photoshop Elements is compatible with most
pressure-sensitive digitizing tablets, such as the
Wacom® tablets. With a software control panel
for your tablet installed, you can vary brush

Brush options in options bar
A. Brush pop-up palette and brush thumbnail
B. Brush size pop-up slider and text box

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To add a new brush to the brush library:

1 Click the inverted 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.
2 Use the options bar to modify the original

brush and then click OK. (See “Setting options for
painting and editing tools” on page 135.)
3 Click the inverted arrow next to the brush

sample to display the pop-up palette, and then
choose New Brush from the palette menu.
4 Enter a name in the Brush Name dialog box and
click OK.

The new brush is selected in the options bar, and is
added at the bottom of the brushes pop-up palette.

• Choose Preset Manager from the palette menu,

select Brushes from the Preset Type list, select
the brush from the list in the dialog box, and
click Delete.
To create a custom brush shape:

1 Select a selection tool in the toolbox, and select
part of an image to use as a custom brush. (See
“Selecting pixels” on page 114.)

The brush shape can be up to 1024 pixels by 1024
pixels in size. To define brushes with soft edges,
select brush shapes composed of pixels with gray
values. (Colored brush shapes appear as gray
values.)
2 Choose Define Brush from the Edit menu.
3 Name the brush and click OK.

To create a temporary brush or temporarily change
a brush:

1 Select a brush from the brushes pop-up palette
in the options bar.
2 Set the brush options. (See “Specifying brush
dynamics” on page 138.)
3 Paint or erase in the image.

Selection defined as custom brush, and brush stroke using
custom brush set with 100% spacing

To delete a brush:

Do one of the following:
• Click the inverted arrow

next to the brush
sample to display the brushes pop-up palette in
the options bar, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac OS) to change the pointer to scissors ,
and then click the brush you want to delete.

• Select the brush in the pop-up palette, and

choose Delete Brush from the palette menu.

You can easily save, load, replace, or delete brushes
using the pop-up palette menu. You can also
customize the view of the pop-up palette.
(See “Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.) You can
also load or save brushes using the Preset Manager.
(See “Working with preset options” on page 27.)
Exiting Photoshop Elements saves the contents of
the current pop-up palette in the Preferences file.

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Managing brush libraries
The brush sizes and shapes available for painting
and editing appear in the pop-up palette in the
options bar for the painting and editing tools. You
can customize the brushes and settings for each of
the painting tools (airbrush, brush, eraser, and
pencil) and editing tools (clone stamp, smudge,
focus, toning, and red eye brush).
In Photoshop Elements, you can save libraries,
load, replace, save, rename brushes in libraries,
reset, or delete new brushes or libraries of brushes
using the Preset Manager. (See “Working with
preset options” on page 27.)

transparency, erased pixels change to the
background color; otherwise, erased pixels
become transparent.
To use the eraser tool:

1 Select the eraser tool

2 Click the inverted arrow next to the brush
sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes
pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
To learn more about using the brush presets, see
“Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.
3 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.
4 Choose the mode you want the eraser to use:

Erasing
The eraser, background eraser, and magic eraser
tools let you erase areas of an image to transparency. The eraser tool also lets you erase to the
background color in a Background layer or a layer
with locked transparency. You can use the
background eraser and magic eraser tools to erase
a Background layer to transparency and convert it
to a regular layer.
You can also use the Auto Erase option with the
pencil tool to erase the foreground color to the
background color as you paint, unless the area
does not contain the foreground color. In that case
the area is painted with the foreground color.

Using the eraser tool
The eraser tool changes pixels in the image as
you drag through them. If you’re working on
the Background layer or on a layer with locked

brush, pencil, or block.
5 Specify an opacity to define the strength of the
erasure. An opacity of 100% erases pixels to
complete transparency on a layer and to the
background color on the Background layer. A
lower opacity erases pixels to partial transparency
on a layer and paints partially with the background
color on the Background layer. (This option isn’t
available for block mode.)
6 Drag through the area you want to erase.

Using the magic eraser tool
When you click in a layer with the magic eraser
tool, the tool automatically changes all similar
adjacent pixels. If you’re working in a layer with
locked transparency, the pixels change to the
background color; otherwise, the pixels are erased
to transparency. You can choose to erase
contiguous pixels only or all similar pixels on the
current layer.

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6 Specify an opacity to define the strength of the
erasure. An opacity of 100% erases pixels to
complete transparency on a layer and to the
background color on a locked layer. A lower
opacity erases pixels to partial transparency on a
layer and paints partially with the background
color on a locked layer.
7 Click in the area of the layer you want to erase.

Using the background eraser tool

Erasing similar pixels

Note: When used on a Background layer, the magic
eraser and the background eraser tools convert the
Background layer to a regular layer. To erase on the
Background layer without converting it, use the
eraser tool. See “Using the eraser tool” on page 142.
To use the magic eraser tool:

1 Select the magic eraser tool

2 Enter a tolerance value in the options bar.
This setting defines the range of colors that can
be erased. A low tolerance erases pixels within a
range of color values very similar to the pixel you
click. A high tolerance erases pixels within a
broader range.
3 Select Anti-aliased to smooth the edges of the
area you erase.

The background eraser samples the color in the
brush center, also called the hotspot, and deletes
that color wherever you drag the brush. This
approach allows you to erase the background
while maintaining the edges of an object in the
foreground. The background eraser also performs
color extraction at the edges of any foreground
objects, so that color halos are not visible if the
foreground object is later pasted into another
image.
Note: The background eraser overrides the Lock
Transparency setting of a layer.
To use the background eraser tool:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer containing
the areas you want to erase.
2 Select the background eraser tool

4 Select Contiguous to erase only pixels that are

3 To set the brush size in the options bar, drag the

adjacent to the one you click. Deselect this option
to erase all similar pixels in the image.

4 Choose a Limits mode:

5 Select Use All Layers to sample the erased color
using combined data from all visible layers.

Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box.

• Discontiguous to erase the sampled color

wherever it occurs under the brush.

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• Contiguous to erase areas that contain the

sampled color and are connected to one
another.
5 For Tolerance, enter a value or drag the slider.

A low tolerance limits erasure to areas that are very
similar to the sampled color. A high tolerance
erases a broader range of colors.
6 Drag through the area you want to erase.

The tool pointer for the background eraser is a
brush shape with a cross hair indicating the tool’s
hotspot .

Using the Auto Erase option
The Auto Erase option for the pencil tool lets you
paint with the background color if your stroke
begins in an area that contains the foreground
color.
To use the Auto Erase option:

1 Specify foreground and background colors.
(See “Selecting foreground and background
colors” on page 127.)
2 Select the pencil tool

3 Select Auto Erase in the options bar.
4 Drag over the image.

If you begin dragging over areas in your image that
contain the foreground color, the pencil tool
paints with the background color. If you begin
dragging from an area that doesn’t contain the
foreground color, the tool paints with the
foreground color.

Filling and tracing selections and
layers
Photoshop Elements provides a variety of ways to
fill and trace selections and layers. You can fill
them with colors and patterns, or you can paint a
border around them.

Filling a selection or layer with colors or
patterns
You can fill a selection or layer with the foreground
color, the background color, or a pattern. In
Photoshop Elements, you can use patterns from
the provided pattern libraries or create your own
patterns. When you use fill layers to fill a selection,
you can easily change the type of layer being used.
(See “About the Layers palette” on page 92 and
“Creating fill layers” on page 103.) To increase the
contrast between your image and the surrounding
area in the image window, you can fill the area with
a color.
To fill opaque pixels with the foreground color,
press Alt+Shift+Backspace (Windows) or
Option+Shift+Delete (Mac OS). To fill opaque
pixels with the background color, press
Ctrl+Shift+Backspace (Windows) or
Command+Shift+Delete (Mac OS).
To fill a selection or a layer with a pattern, foreground
color, or background color:

1 Specify a foreground or background color.
(See “Selecting foreground and background
colors” on page 127.)
2 Select the area you want to fill. To fill an entire
layer, select the layer in the Layers palette.

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3 Choose Edit > Fill to fill the selection or layer.
4 In the Fill dialog box, choose one of the
following options from the Use pop-up menu:
• Foreground Color, Background Color, Black,

50% Gray, or White to fill the selection with the
specified color.
• Pattern to fill the selection with a pattern. Click

the Custom Pattern pop-up menu, and then
select a pattern from the pop-up palette. You
can create or load additional patterns, see
“Creating and editing patterns” on page 145.
5 Specify the blending mode and opacity for the
paint. (See “Setting options for painting and
editing tools” on page 135.)

Filling the area surrounding the work canvas with color

6 To fill only areas opaque pixels on a layer,

Creating and editing patterns

choose Preserve Transparency.

In addition to using the libraries of patterns
provided with Photoshop Elements, you can
create your own custom patterns. Once you’ve
created patterns, you can save them in a library,
and then load and manage libraries of patterns
using the Preset Manager. This allows you to easily
use multiple patterns in an image. You can also use
the pattern stamp tool to paint with a pattern.
(See “Using the pattern stamp tool” on page 135).

7 Click OK to fill the selection.
To fill the area surrounding the work canvas:

1 In the toolbox, set the foreground color you
want to use. (See “Selecting foreground and
background colors” on page 127.)
2 Drag the image window corners away from
your image so that the image window dimensions
are greater than your image dimensions.
3 Select the paint bucket tool

4 In the options bar, set Fill to Foreground.
5 Hold down Shift, and click in the area
surrounding your image.

Note that these steps affect all images in
Photoshop Elements.

To add a custom pattern to the pattern picker:

1 To create a pattern from part of the image, make

a rectangular selection with Feather set to 0 px. Or,
to create a pattern from the entire image, deselect
everything. (Note that large patterns may become
hard to manage.)
2 Choose Edit > Define Pattern.

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Painting

3 Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern
Name dialog box.
4 To deselect the rectangle, choose Select >

Deselect.
Note: If you apply a pattern from one image to
another in a different color mode, Photoshop
Elements converts the pattern’s color mode to the
current image’s color mode.
To use a preset pattern from the PostScript Patterns
folder:

1 Choose File > Open. Each preset file in the

PostScript Patterns folder (located in Photoshop
Elements 2/Presets/Patterns/PostScript Patterns/)
contains a single pattern in the Adobe Illustrator
format. You can scale and render these patterns at
any resolution.
2 Select the pattern file you want to use, and

Managing patterns
To manage patterns, you use the Pattern pop-up
palette, which appears in the options bar for the
pattern stamp tool and the paint bucket tool. You
can change how that palette displays patterns (See
“Using pop-up palettes” on page 28.), and you can
load or save patterns using the Preset Manager.
(See “Working with preset options” on page 27.)
Exiting Photoshop Elements saves the contents of
the Pattern pop-up palette in the Preferences file.

Tracing a selection or layer with color
You can use the Stroke command to automatically
trace a colored border around a selection or layer.
To stroke a selection or layer:

1 Select the area or layer you want to stroke.

click Open.

2 Choose Edit > Stroke.

3 Select any rasterizing options. (See “Using the

3 In the Stroke dialog box, specify the width of
the hard-edged border. Values can range from 1 to
250 pixels.

File Browser” on page 44.)
4 Click OK.
5 Choose Select > All, or make a rectangular

selection around the pattern with Feather set to 0
px in the options bar.
6 Choose Edit > Define Pattern. The pattern is

defined as an Adobe Photoshop Elements pattern.
7 Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern

Name dialog box.
8 Click OK.

4 To set the stroke color, click the color swatch to

select a color in the color picker.
5 For Location, specify whether to place the
border inside, outside, or centered over the
selection or layer boundaries.
6 Specify a blending mode and an opacity.
(See “Setting options for painting and editing
tools” on page 135.)
7 To stroke only areas containing opaque pixels

on a layer, select Preserve Transparency. (If your
image has no transparency, this option isn’t
available.)

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8 Click OK to stroke the selection or layer.

7 To smooth the edges of the filled selection,

select Anti-aliased. (See “Softening the edges of a
selection” on page 121.)

Using 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.
Note: If you don’t want to fill transparent areas on a
layer, lock the layer’s transparency in the Layers
palette. (See “Locking layers” on page 107.)

8 To fill only pixels in a contiguous group with the

one you click, select Contiguous. Deselect this
option to fill all similar pixels in the image.
9 To fill pixels based on all layers visible in the

document window, select All Layers.
(See “Sampling from all layers” on page 108.)
10 Click the part of the image you want to fill.

To use the paint bucket tool:

1 Specify a foreground color. (See “Selecting
foreground and background colors” on page 127.)
2 Select the paint bucket tool

3 In the options bar, choose whether to fill the

selection with the foreground color, or with a
pattern. (See “Filling and tracing selections and
layers” on page 144.)
4 If you chose to fill the selection with a pattern,

click the inverted arrow next to the pattern
sample, and select a pattern for the fill. (See “Using
adjustment and fill layers” on page 101.)
5 Specify a blending mode and opacity for the
paint. (See “Setting options for painting and
editing tools” on page 135.)
6 Enter the tolerance for the fill.

The tolerance defines how similar in color filled
pixel must be. Values can range from 0 to 255. A
low tolerance fills pixels with color values very
similar to the pixel you click. A high tolerance fills
pixels that have a broader range of colors.

All specified pixels within the specified tolerance
are filled with the foreground color or pattern.

Using the gradient tools
The gradient tools create a gradual blend between
multiple colors. You can choose from existing
gradient fills or create your own.
Shades from the starting point
to the ending point in a straight line.

Linear gradient

Radial gradient
Shades from the starting point
to the ending point in a circular pattern.
Angle gradient
Shades in a counterclockwise
sweep around the starting point.
Reflected gradient
Shades using symmetric
linear gradients on either side of the starting point.
Diamond gradient
Shades from the starting
point outward in a diamond pattern. The ending
point defines one corner of the diamond.

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Applying a gradient fill

Creating or editing gradient fills

You fill an area with a gradient by dragging in the
image or in a selection. 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.

The Gradient Editor dialog box lets you define a
new gradient by modifying a copy of an existing
gradient. You can also edit fills by either adding
intermediate colors to a gradient, or creating a
blend between three or more colors.
A

To apply a gradient fill:

1 To fill part of the image, select the desired area.

Otherwise, the gradient fill is applied to the entire
active layer.
2 Select the gradient tool

3 In the options bar, click the desired gradient
type (linear , radial , angle , reflected ,
or diamond ).

B
C

4 Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker

pop-up palette in the options bar. (See “Using
pop-up palettes” on page 28.)
5 Specify a blending mode and opacity for the
paint. (See “Setting options for painting and
editing tools” on page 135.)
6 To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill,

Gradient Editor dialog box
A. Palette menu B. Opacity stop C. Color stop D. Adjust values or delete the selected opacity or color stop E. Midpoint

select Reverse.
To create a gradient:

7 To create a smoother blend with less banding,

select Dither.
8 To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill,

select Transparency. (See “Specifying the gradient
transparency” on page 150.)
9 In the image, position the pointer where you

want to set the starting point of the gradient, and
drag to define the ending point. To constrain the
gradient angle to a multiple of 45°, hold down
Shift as you drag.

1 Select the gradient tool

2 To display the Gradient Editor dialog box, do

one of the following:
• Click the Edit button next to the gradient

sample.
• Click the gradient sample in the options bar.
3 In the Presets section of the Gradient Editor
dialog box, select a gradient on which to base your
new gradient.

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4 To define the starting color of the gradient, click

the left color stop under the gradient bar. The
triangle above the stop turns black, indicating that
you’re editing the starting color.
5 To choose a color, do one of the following:
• Double-click the color stop, or click the color

swatch below the gradient bar. Choose a color,
and click OK. For information on choosing a
color, see “Using the Adobe Color Picker” on
page 131.
• Choose foreground from the color pop-up

menu in the Gradient Editor dialog box to use
the current foreground color.
• Choose background from the color pop-up

menu to use the current background color.
• Position the pointer over the gradient bar (the

pointer turns into the eyedropper), and click to
sample a color, or click anywhere in the image to
sample a color.
6 To define the ending color, click the right color

stop under the gradient bar. Then choose a color as
described in step 5.
7 To adjust the location of the starting point or

ending point, do one of the following:
• Drag the corresponding color stop left or right

gradient bar to the left or right, or click the
diamond and enter a value for Location.
9 To delete the color stop you are editing,

click Delete.
Note: Gradients require at least two color stops.
10 To set the color transition’s smoothness, enter

a percentage in the Smoothness text box, or drag
the pop-up slider.
11 If desired, set transparency values for the

gradient. (See “Specifying the gradient transparency” on page 150.)
12 To save the gradient to the gradient presets,

enter a name for the new gradient, and then click
New.
13 Click OK to exit the dialog box; the newly

created gradient is selected and ready to use.
To add intermediate colors to a gradient:

In the Gradient Editor dialog box, click below the
gradient bar to define another color stop. Specify
the color and adjust the location and midpoint for
the intermediate point as you would for a starting
or ending point. To remove an intermediate color,
drag the color stop down and off the gradient bar,
or select the color stop and press Delete.

to the location you want.
• Click the corresponding color stop, and enter a

value for Location. A value of 0% places the
point at the far left end of the gradient bar, a
value of 100% at the far right end.

Applying gradient fill to text
You can fill text using the gradient tool.
To apply gradient fill to text:

8 To adjust the location of the midpoint (where

1 Do one of the following:

the gradient displays an even mix of the starting
and ending colors), drag the diamond below the

• Select the Horizontal Type tool to enter

horizontal text.

150 CHAPTER 8
Painting

• Select the Vertical Type tool to enter vertical

text.

1 Create a gradient as described in steps 1

2 Enter the type you want, and then in the

options bar, click the Commit Text button
commit changes to the text.

To specify the gradient transparency:

through 10 of “Creating or editing gradient fills”
on page 148.
2 To adjust the starting opacity in the Gradient

vector text to a bitmap image. (For more information on simplifying type, see “Simplifying type
layers” on page 199.)

Editor, click the left opacity stop above the
gradient bar. The triangle below the stop turns
black, indicating that you’re editing the starting
transparency.

4 Control-click (Windows) or Command-click

3 Set the Opacity by doing one of the following:

(Mac OS) on the text layer in the Layers palette to
select the text.

• Enter a value between 0 (fully transparent) and

5 Select the Gradient tool.

• Drag the arrow on the Opacity pop-up slider.

6 In the options bar, click the desired gradient
type (linear, radial, angular, reflected, or
diamond).

4 To adjust the opacity of the endpoint, click the

7 Choose a gradient fill from the Gradient Picker

5 To adjust the location of the starting or ending

pop-up palette.

opacity, do one of the following:

8 Position the pointer on the text where you want

• Drag the corresponding opacity stop to the left

3 Choose Layer > Simplify Layer to convert the

to set the starting point of the gradient, and drag
to define the ending point.

100% (fully opaque).

right transparency stop above the gradient bar.
Then set the opacity as described in step 3.

or right.
• Select the corresponding opacity stop, and enter

a value for Location.

Specifying the gradient transparency
Each gradient fill contains settings that control the
opacity of the fill at different locations on the
gradient. For example, you can set the starting
color to 100% opacity and have the fill gradually
blend into an ending color with 50% opacity.
The checkerboard pattern indicates the amount of
transparency in the gradient preview.

6 To adjust the location of the midpoint opacity

(the point midway between the starting and
ending opacities), do one of the following:
• Drag the diamond above the gradient bar to the

left or right.
• Select the diamond, and enter a value for

Location.
7 To delete the opacity stop you are editing,

click Delete.
Note: Gradients require at least two opacity stops.

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8 To add an intermediate opacity, click above the

4 To set the roughness for the gradient, enter a

gradient bar to define a new opacity stop. You can
then adjust and move this opacity as you would a
starting or ending opacity. To remove an intermediate opacity, drag its transparency stop up and off
the gradient bar, or select the stop and click the
Delete button.

value, or drag the pop-up slider.

9 To save the gradient to the gradient presets,

enter a new name in the Name text box, and then
click New. This creates a new gradient preset with
the transparency setting you specified.
10 Click OK to exit the dialog box and select the

newly created gradient.

5 Choose a color model from the Color Model

list. (See “Describing color” on page 64.)
6 To define the range of colors in the gradient,

drag the sliders for each color component. For
example, if you choose the HSB model, you can
restrict the gradient to blue-green hues, high
saturation, and medium brightness.
7 To prevent oversaturated colors, select Restrict
Colors. To add transparency to random colors,
select Add Transparency.
8 To randomly create a gradient that conforms to

your settings, click the Randomize button until
you find a gradient you like.

Creating noise gradient fills
In addition to creating smooth gradients, the
Gradient Editor dialog box lets you define a new
noise gradient. A noise gradient is a gradient that
contains randomly distributed colors within a
range of colors that you specify.

9 Enter a name for the new gradient.
10 To create a new gradient preset, with the

settings you specified, click New.
11 Click OK to exit the dialog box and select the

newly created gradient.
A
B
C

Noise gradients with different noise values
A. 10% noise B. 50% noise C. 90% noise
To create a noise gradient:

1 Select the gradient tool

2 To display the Gradient Editor dialog box,

either click the Edit button or click in the gradient
sample in the options bar.
3 Choose Noise from the Gradient Type menu.

Managing gradients
By saving and loading libraries of gradients, you
can customize the gradient presets that appear in
the gradient options bar and the Gradient Editor
dialog box. You can also manage gradients by
using the Preset Manager. (For more information
on the Preset Manager, see “Working with preset
options” on page 27.)
To display gradient presets in different ways, you
can change the view of the pop-up palette in the
options bar and the list box in the Gradient Editor
dialog box. (See “Using pop-up palettes” on
page 28.)

153

Chapter 9: Transforming and
Distorting Images
ou can transform a layer in many ways by
making subtle changes to retouch an
image, or by making drastic distortions to
create an artistic effect. For example, you can scale,
rotate, or apply perspective to a selection, and
make areas of a layer look like they’ve been melted.

Transforming layers, selections,
and shapes
You can scale, rotate, skew, distort, and apply
perspective to entire layers, selected parts of layers,
and shapes. Some memory-intensive transformations cause Photoshop Elements to display a
progress indicator in the status bar (Windows) or
progress bar (Mac OS) to mark the time remaining
until the transformation is applied.

• To transform the background layer, select the

layer in the Layers palette and choose Select >
All. Some areas of the background layer may
display the background color after you apply a
transformation. Alternatively, you can convert a
background layer to a regular layer before
applying a transformation. (See “Adding layers”
on page 95.)
• To transform part of a layer, select the layer in

the Layers palette, and then use any selection
tool to select an area in the layer. (See “Selecting
pixels” on page 114).
• To transform multiple layers simultaneously,

link the layers together in the Layers palette.
(See “Linking layers” on page 99.)
• To transform a shape on a layer, use the shape

selection tool to select the shape. (See “Transforming shapes” on page 194.)

Specifying what to transform
You can apply a transformation to a selection on a
layer or to an entire layer. You can also transform
multiple layers in an image simultaneously.
To specify what to transform:

Do one of the following:
• To transform an entire layer or a type layer,

deselect everything, and then select the layer in
the Layers palette.

Rotating layers, selections, and shapes
Rotating a layer, a selection on a layer, or a shape
turns it around its center point.
To rotate or flip a layer, selection, or shape:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to
transform. (See “Specifying what to transform” on
page 153.)

154 CHAPTER 9
Transforming and Distorting Images

2 Choose Image > Rotate, and choose one of the

following commands from the submenu:
• Layer/Selection 90° Left to rotate counter-

clockwise by a quarter-turn.
• Layer/Selection 90° Right to rotate clockwise by

a quarter-turn.
• Layer/Selection 180° to rotate by a half-turn.
• Flip Layer/Selection Horizontal to flip

horizontally.
• Flip Layer/Selection Vertical to flip vertically.
To freely rotate a layer, selection, or shape:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to
rotate. (See “Specifying what to transform” on
page 153.)
2 Choose Image > Rotate > Free Rotate

Layer/Selection. A bounding box appears in the
image.
3 By default, the rotation occurs around the
center of your selection. To change this behavior,
click a square on the reference point locator
in
the options bar.

• Type an angle of rotation (–180 to 180) in the

angle degree text box of the options bar. A
positive value rotates clockwise, and a negative
value rotates counterclockwise.
5 Do one of the following:
• To commit the transformation, double-click

inside the bounding box, click the Commit
button
in the options bar, or press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
• To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel

button

To simultaneously apply several transformations, including rotate, use the Free Transform
command. (See “Using the Free Transform
command” on page 156.)

Scaling layers, selections, and shapes
Scaling a layer, a selection on a layer, or a shape
enlarges or reduces it relative to its center point.
You can scale horizontal and vertical dimensions
separately or simultaneously.

Each square on the reference point locator represents a point on the bounding box. For example, to
set the reference point to the top left corner of the
bounding box, click the top left square on the
reference point locator.
4 Do one of the following:
• Move the pointer outside of the bounding

border (it becomes a curved, two-sided arrow)
, and then drag. To constrain the rotation to
15° increments, hold down Shift as you drag.

in the options bar, or press Esc.

Scaling a layer

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To scale a layer, selection, or shape:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to scale.
(See “Specifying what to transform” on page 153.)

in any direction; applying perspective makes
things appear to go backward or forward in threedimensions.

2 Choose Image > Resize > Scale.
3 Do one of the following:
• To maintain the relative proportions as you

scale, click the Maintain Aspect Ratio button
in the options bar, and then drag a corner
handle. Alternatively, you can hold down Shift
as you drag a corner handle.
• To scale only the height or the width, drag a side

handle.
• Enter a percentage for the Width, Height, or

both in the options bar. To scale both dimensions proportionately, select the Maintain
Aspect Ratio button .
4 Do one of the following:
• To commit the transformation, double-click

inside the bounding box, click the Commit
button
in the options bar, or press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
• To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel

button

in the options bar, or press Esc.

To simultaneously apply several transformations, including scale, use the Free Transform
command. (See “Using the Free Transform
command” on page 156.)

Skewing, distorting, and setting
perspective
Skewing, distorting, and applying perspective
change the geometry of a layer, selection, or a
shape. Skewing lets you slant things vertically
and horizontally; distorting lets you stretch things

Correcting perspective
To skew, distort, or apply perspective to a layer,
selection, or shape:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to
transform. (See “Specifying what to transform” on
page 153.)
2 Do one of the following:
• To skew an image, choose Image > Transform >

Skew, and drag a handle in the middle of any
side to slant the bounding box.
If you are transforming a shape with the shape
tool selected, choose Image > Transform
Shape > Skew.
• To distort an image, choose Image > Transform

> Distort, and drag a corner handle to stretch
the bounding box. If you are transforming a
shape with the shape tool selected, choose
Image > Transform Shape > Distort.

156 CHAPTER 9
Transforming and Distorting Images

• To give your image perspective, choose Image >

Transform > Perspective, and drag a corner
handle to apply perspective to the bounding
box. If you are transforming a shape with the
shape tool selected, choose Image > Transform
Shape > Perspective.
3 Do one of the following:
• To commit the transformation, double-click

inside the bounding box, click the Commit
button
in the options bar, or press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
• To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel

button

in the options bar, or press Esc.

To simultaneously apply several transformations, including skew, distort, and perspective,
use the Free Transform command. (See “Using the
Free Transform command” on page 156.)

Using the Free Transform command
The Free Transform command lets you apply
transformations (rotating, scaling, skewing,
distorting, and applying perspective) in one
continuous operation. Instead of choosing
different commands, you simply hold down a key
on your keyboard to switch between transformation types.
To freely transform a layer:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to

transform. (See “Specifying what to transform” on
page 153.)

2 By default, any rotation occurs around the
center of your selection. To change this behavior,
click a square on the reference point locator
in
the options bar.

If you are transforming a shape with the custom
shape tool selected, choose Image > Transform
Shape > Free Transform Shape.
4 Do one or more of the following:
• 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.
• To rotate, move the pointer outside of the

bounding box (it becomes a curved, two-sided
arrow) , and then drag. Press Shift to
constrain the rotation to 15° increments.
• To distort freely, press Ctrl (Windows) or

Command (Mac OS), and drag any handle.
When positioned over a handle, the pointer
becomes a gray arrowhead .
• To skew, press Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or

Command+Shift (Mac OS), and drag a handle
in the middle of a side of the bounding box.
When positioned over a side handle, the pointer
becomes a gray arrowhead with a small double
arrow .

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• To apply perspective, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift

(Windows) or Command+Option+Shift
(Mac OS), and drag a corner handle. When
positioned over a corner handle, the pointer
becomes a gray arrowhead .
To undo the last handle adjustment, choose
Edit > Undo.

include anything from simple objects, such as a
can of soup, to more complex shapes, such as a
bottle or a lamp.
You can create and manipulate any grouping of
cubes, spheres, and cylinders in the same image.
For example, you can create and rotate a box, three
spheres, and a bottle together in the same image.

5 Do one of the following:
• To commit the transformation, double-click

inside the bounding box, click the Commit
button
in the options bar, or press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS).
• To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel

button

in the options bar, or press Esc.

Transforming objects in three
dimensions

The 3D Transform filter lets you manipulate a flat,
two-dimensional image as if it were a solid, threedimensional object. Take, for example, a
perspective photograph of a cereal box. You specify
the corners of the box using a wire frame, and you
can then manipulate the box as if it were a threedimensional object. You can reposition the box,
turn or rotate it, shrink or enlarge it, and change
its field of view.

Using the 3D Transform filter
You can transform a two-dimensional object into
a cube, sphere, or cylinder and manipulate it using
wire frames based on that shape. Cylinders can

3D Transform Filter
A. Image of 2D label B. Cylinder wireframe in 3D transform
preview C. Tilting the bottle by using Track Ball tool
D. Completed Image with Lens Flare effect applied

158 CHAPTER 9
Transforming and Distorting Images

To transform and manipulate an object in three
dimensions:

1 Select the layer, area, or shape you want to
transform.

Note: The wire frame turns red if you try to make a
wire frame that is impossible to re-create in three
dimensions.

2 Choose Filter > Render > 3D Transform.

2 If you are creating a complex cylinder, do any of
the following:

3 Select one of the tools in the dialog box:

• To add an anchor point, select the add anchor

• Cube

to map the image (such as a file
cabinet) to a cubic surface.

• Sphere

to map the image (such as a globe or
ball) to a spherical surface.

• Cylinder

to map the image (such as a can or
bottle) to a cylindrical surface.

4 Drag to create a cubic, cylindrical, or spherical
wire frame over the image.
5 Move or reshape the wire frame, as described

point tool in the dialog box, and click the
right side of the wire frame. For example, you
can add an anchor point to more closely fit the
cylindrical wire frame to a picture of a bottle.
• To change an added anchor point from a

smooth anchor point to a corner anchor point
and vice versa, select the convert anchor point
tool , and click the point. A smooth anchor
point creates a gentle curve when you adjust it;
a corner anchor point creates a sharp corner.

later in this section. The anchor points should line
up with the corners of the box, or the top and
bottom of the sphere or cylinder you want to
manipulate.

• To delete an added anchor point, select the

6 Manipulate the object in three dimensions, as
described later in this section.

3 For Field of View, enter a value between 1 and
130. Alternatively, drag the pop-up slider to the left
to increase the apparent field of view, or to the
right to decrease it. This technique can make the
wire frame fit the image better. If you know the
field of view angle used to photograph the image,
you can enter it here.

7 Click OK.
To move or reshape the wire frame:

1 Do either of the following:

delete anchor point tool , and click the point.
You can delete only round or diamond-shaped
points.

• To move the entire frame, select the selection

tool in the 3D Transform dialog box and drag
an edge of the wire frame.
• To move an anchor point, select the direct

selection tool in the 3D Transform dialog box
and drag an anchor point on the wire frame.

To manipulate the object in three dimensions:

Do any of the following in the 3D Transform
dialog box:
• To move the object, click the pan camera

tool

in the dialog box, and drag the object.

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User Guide

• To rotate the object in any direction, click the

trackball tool

, and drag the object.

• With any of the bottom four tools selected in the

dialog box, enter a value between 0 and 99 for
Dolly Camera. Alternatively, drag the slider to
the left to magnify the transformed object, to
the right to shrink it. This has the same effect as
dollying, or moving, the camera further from or
closer to the image.
• With any of the bottom four tools selected in the

dialog box, enter a value between 1 and 130 for
Field of View. Alternatively, drag the slider to the
left to increase the apparent field of view, to the
right to decrease it.
The 3D Transform dialog box previews only the
active layer.

2 Click the image to zoom in, or Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to
zoom out.
To move the view of the preview image:

Select the hand tool
in the 3D Transform dialog
box, and drag the preview image. This technique
works only if you are zoomed in on the image.

Setting 3D rendering options
You can set the resolution and anti-aliasing of
rendered images and specify whether to show
the background from the original image in the
3D preview.
To set 3D rendering options:

1 Click Options in the 3D Transform dialog box.
To delete a wire frame:

1 Select the selection tool

2 Do any of the following:

in the 3D Transform

dialog box.
2 Select the wire frame, and press Backspace

(Windows) or Delete (Mac OS).

Modifying the preview image
Use the zoom and hand tools in the 3D Transform
dialog box to change your preview of an image.
These actions do not modify the transformation
itself, only your view of it.
To magnify or shrink the preview image:

1 Select the zoom tool

dialog box.

in the 3D Transform

• For Resolution, choose the quality of the

rendered image. This setting has little effect on
the image quality of cubes, but produces
smoother curved surfaces in cylinders and
spheres.
• For Anti-aliasing, choose the level of anti-

aliasing to apply to the rendered image.
• Select Display Background to include the

portions of the original image outside of the
wire frame in the preview and the rendered
image. Turn this option off to separate the
transformed object from the original
background.
3 Click OK.

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Using Distort filters to transform
an image
Many of the Distort filters let you apply 3D effects
to a layer and reshape a layer or selection in your
image. You work with a preview of the filter’s effect
on your image to set the filter options.

Using the Liquify filter
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. You can make
subtle changes to retouch an image or drastic
distortions to create an artistic effect.

3 To zoom in or out on the image preview, do one

of the following:
• Choose a zoom level from the pop-up menu in

the bottom left area of the dialog box.
• Select the zoom tool from the toolbox in the

dialog box, and click in the image to zoom in, or
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS)
to zoom out. You can also use the zoom tool to
drag over an area of the preview you want to
magnify.
4 In the Tool Options section, adjust the brush
size and pressure of the tools, as needed:
• To change the brush size, drag the pop-up slider,

or enter a brush size value from 1 to 600 pixels.
• To change the brush pressure, drag the pop-up

slider, or enter a brush pressure value from 1 to
100.
A low brush pressure makes more gradual
changes.
• If you’re using a stylus tablet, select Stylus

Pressure.

Using the Liquify filter to distort and reconstruct

5 Use any of the following tools to distort the
preview image:
• The warp tool

To use the Liquify filter:

1 Select the layer or area you want to distort.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Liquify.

Note: If a type layer is selected, you must simplify the
layer before applying the Liquify filter. See “Simplifying type layers” on page 199. Alternatively, to
distort type without simplifying the type layer, click
the Warp Text button in the type tool’s option bar.

to push pixels forward as

you drag.
• The turbulence tool

to smoothly scramble
pixels and create fire, clouds, waves, and similar
effects. To adjust the smoothness, drag the
Turbulent Jitter pop-up slider in the Tool
Options section, or enter a value between 1 and
100 in the text box. Higher values increase
smoothness.

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• The twirl clockwise tool

to rotate pixels
clockwise as you hold down the mouse button
or drag.

• The twirl counterclockwise tool

to rotate
pixels counterclockwise as you hold down the
mouse button or drag.

• The pucker tool

to move pixels toward the
center of the brush area as you hold down the
mouse button or drag.

• The bloat tool

to move pixels away from the
center of the brush area as you hold down the
mouse button or drag.

• The shift pixels tool

to move pixels perpendicularly to the stroke direction. Drag to move
pixels to the left, and Alt-drag (Windows) or
Option-drag (Mac OS) to move pixels to the
right.

• The reflection tool

to copy pixels to the
brush area. Drag to reflect the area perpendicular to the direction of the stroke (to the left
of or below the stroke). Alt-drag (Windows) or
Option-drag (Mac OS) to reflect the area in the
direction opposite to that of the stroke (for
example, the area above a downward stroke).
Use overlapping strokes to create an effect
similar to a reflection in water.

• To fully or partially reverse the changes, use the

reconstruct tool. See “To restore a preview
image to a previous state” in the next set of
procedures.
To create the effect of dragging in a straight line
between the current point and the previous
point that you clicked, Shift-click with the warp, shift
pixels, and reflection tools.

6 To apply the changes in the preview image to

the actual image, click OK.
To restore a preview image 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.

• To restore the entire preview image to its state

when you opened the dialog box, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) Reset.
Alternatively, click Revert to restore the original
image and reset the tools to their previous
settings.

Using the Displace filter
The Displace filter uses an image, called a
displacement map, to determine how to distort a
selection. For example, using a parabola-shaped
displacement map, you can create an image that
appears to be printed on a cloth held at its corners.
This filter requires a displacement map file
composed of either a flattened image saved in
Photoshop format (see “Flattening all layers” on
page 112) or an image in Bitmap mode. You can
use your own files or the files included in the
Photoshop Elements 2 / Plug-Ins / Displacement
Maps folder or the Photoshop Elements 2 / Presets
/ Textures folder.

162 CHAPTER 9
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To use Displace:

1 Choose Filter > Distort > Displace.
2 To define the magnitude of the displacement,

enter a value between –999 and 999 in the
Horizontal and Vertical Scale text boxes.

3 Drag the slider to the right, into positive values,
to pinch a selection inward toward its center; or to
the left, into negative values, to shift a selection
outward.
4 Click OK.

When the horizontal and vertical scales are 100%,
the greatest displacement is 128 pixels (because
middle gray produces no displacement).

Applying the Shear filter

3 If the displacement map is not the same size as
the selection, select how the map will fit the image:

To shear a layer or selection:

• To resize the map, select Stretch to Fit.
• To fill the selection by repeating the map in a

pattern, select Tile.
4 Select how to fill voids that are created by the

filter in the image:
• To fill voids with content from the opposite edge

of the image, select Wrap Around.
• To extend the colors of pixels along the image’s

edge in the direction specified, select Repeat
Edge Pixels.
5 Click OK.
6 Select and open the displacement map.

Photoshop Elements applies the map to the image.

The Shear filter distorts an image along a curve.

1 Select the layer or area you want to shear.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Shear
3 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.
You can drag any point along the curve to adjust
the distortion, and you can add additional curve
points.
4 Select one of the following in the Undefined
Areas options:
• Wrap Around fills new voids in the image with

content from the opposite side of the image.

Applying the Pinch filter
The Pinch filter squeezes a selection or layer
inward or outward.
To pinch a layer or selection:

1 Select the layer or area you want to pinch.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Pinch.

• Repeat Edge Pixels extends the colors of pixels.

Banding may result if the edge pixels are
different colors.
You can click Defaults to start over and return the
curve to a straight line.

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Applying the Spherize filter

Applying the Wave filter

The Spherize filter gives objects a 3D effect by
wrapping a selection around or inside a spherical
shape, distorting and stretching the image.

The Wave filter creates an undulating pattern on a
layer or selection. You can set the wave pattern
type, and fine tune various wave properties.

For more options and control, use the 3D
Transform filter. See “Using the 3D Transform
filter” on page 157.

To apply the Wave filter:

1 Select the layer or area you want to undulate.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Wave.

To spherize a layer or selection:

1 Select the layer or area you want to spherize.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Spherize.
3 Drag the slider to the right, into positive values,
to stretch the image outward as if it’s wrapped
around a sphere. Drag the slider to the left, into
negative values, to stretch the image inward as if
it’s wrapped inside a sphere.

Applying the Twirl filter
The Twirl filter rotates a selection more sharply in
the center than at the edges. Specifying an angle
produces a twirl pattern. Select the layer or area
you want to twirl, and then choose Filter >
Distort > Twirl.
To apply the Twirl filter:

1 Select the layer or area you want to twirl.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > Twirl.
3 Drag the slider to the right into positive values

to twirl the image clockwise, drag to the left into
negative values to twirl counterclockwise, or enter
a value between –999 and 999.

3 Select a wave type in the Type section: Sine

(creates a rolling wave pattern), Triangle, or
Square.
4 To set the number of wave generators, drag the

slider or enter a number between 1 and 999.
5 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.
6 Drag the minimum and maximum Amplitude
sliders to set the wave strength.
7 Drag the horizontal and vertical Scale sliders to
set the height and width of the wave effect.
8 To apply random results based on the set of

values in the dialog box, click Randomize. You can
click Randomize multiple times to get more
results.
9 Select the Wrap Around option to fill the voids
in the image with content from the opposite edge
of the image, or select Repeat Edge Pixels to extend
the colors of pixels along the image’s edge in the
direction specified.
10 Click OK.

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Applying the ZigZag filter

5 Choose a displacement option from the Style

The ZigZag filter distorts a selection radially,
depending on the radius of the pixels in your
selection.

pop-up menu:

To apply the ZigZag filter:

1 Select the layer or area you want to affect.
2 Choose Filter > Distort > ZigZag.
3 Drag the Amount slider to set the level and

direction of distortion.
4 Drag the Ridges slider to set the number of
direction reversals for the zigzag from the center of
to the edge of the selection.

• Around Center rotates the pixels around the

center of the selection.
• Out From Center produces a rippling effect

toward or away from the center of the selection.
• Pond Ripples produces a rippling effect that

distorts the selection to the upper left or lower
right.
6 Click OK.

165

Chapter 10: Applying Filters, Effects,
and Layer Styles
photographer can place filters over a
camera lens to create interesting visual
effects. Adobe Photoshop Elements
provides filters, layer styles, and effects you can use
to enhance your photos, simulate photographic
effects, and create visual effects beyond the bounds
of traditional photography.

Glow category from the Layer Styles palette with
Neon Nights from the Image Effect category in the
Effects palette.

Using the Filters, Effects, and
Layer Styles palettes
The Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles palettes let
you view thumbnail examples of each visual effect
and apply a filter, layer style, or effect to your
image. In addition, many filters have specific
options you can access with the Filters palette or
Filter menu.

Working with the Filters, Effects, and
Layer Styles palettes
From any palette, you can choose from a variety of
categories to apply to your images. You can also
change how the categories are displayed on a
palette.
You can combine the different categories of filters,
effects, and layer styles to create unique images
from a simple photograph. For example, you can
create a dramatic look by combining the Outer

Filters and Effects palettes
A. Filters palette B. Effects palette C. List View button
D. Thumbnail View button
To display the Filters, Effects, or Layer Styles palettes:

Do one of the following:
• Choose a palette name from the Window menu.

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• Click the Filters, Layer Styles, or Effects tab in

the palette well.

mode, or any filters on images in Bitmap or
Indexed Color mode.

To change categories in the Filters, Layer Styles,
or Effects palettes:

Choose a category from the pop-up menu at the
top of the palette.
To change how filters, layer styles, or effects are
displayed in the palette:

Do one of the following:
• To view the visual effects by their names, click

the List View button
at the bottom of the
palette. When you select a name, the left side of
the palette displays thumbnails with and
without the filter or effect.
• To view the visual effects as thumbnails, click

the Thumbnail View button
the palette.

• You can’t use some filters on images in Grayscale

at the bottom of

Using filters

• The last filter you applied will appear at the top

of the Filter menu and can be reapplied with the
same filter settings you last used.

Displaying filter options and
applying filters
Applying filters to an image—especially to a large
image—can be time-consuming. It’s quicker to
view an example of the filter’s effect in the Filters
palette instead. Most filters also let you preview
their effect on your image in the Filter Options
dialog box and the document window. See
“Choosing a filter” on page 172 for more information about the effects you can expect from a
filter.
To save time when testing the effect of various
filters, select a small, representative part of your
image.

Filters let you apply special visual effects to your
images, such as mosaic tile, lighting, and threedimensional effects. You can also use some filters
to clean up or retouch your photos.

To set filter options and apply a filter:

Filter sets appear in the Filters palette and in the
Filter menu. In addition, some third-party filters
appear at the bottom of the Filter menu. Keep in
mind the following guidelines when choosing a
filter:

2 To apply a filter to a portion of a layer, use any

• Filters affect the active, visible layer or a selected

area of the layer.

1 To apply a filter to an entire layer, deselect any

selected areas, and then select the layer in the
Layers palette.
selection tool to select an area.
3 Do one of the following:
• Choose a filter from a submenu in the Filter

menu. If a filter name is followed by ellipses
(…), a Filter Options dialog box appears.
• In the Filters palette, select the filter you want

to apply.

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4 To set filter options and preview the filter, select

Filter Options at the top of the Filters palette. Or,
to apply the preset filter settings deselect Filter
Options. (Filter Options and preview windows are
not available for all filters.)
5 To apply the filter to your image, double-click

the filter, drag the filter into the image, or click
Apply in the Filters palette.
6 If a dialog box appears, enter values or select
options. (Read more about each filter and setting
filter options later in this chapter.)

See “Transforming layers, selections, and shapes”
on page 153 for more information.

Using texture and glass surface controls
The Conté Crayon, Glass, Rough Pastels,
Texturizer, and Underpainting filters have texturizing options. These options make images appear
as if they are painted onto textures such as canvas
and brick or viewed through glass blocks.
To use texture and glass surface controls:

To start over, and reset the filter options, press
the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key,
and click Reset in the dialog box.

Do one of the following:

7 If available, select the Preview option to preview
the filter effect in the document window. Use one
of the following methods to preview the effect:

• Use the Filters palette to apply the desired filter

• Use the + or – button under the preview

1 For Texture, choose a texture type or choose
Load Texture to specify a Photoshop file.

window to zoom in or zoom out on the preview.
• Drag in the preview window to center a specific

area of the image in the window.

• Choose the filter from the appropriate submenu

in the Filter menu.
(make sure Filter Options is selected in the
Filters palette before you apply the filter).

2 Drag the Scaling slider to enlarge or reduce the
effect on the image surface.

Note: A flashing line beneath the preview size
indicates that the preview is being rendered.

3 Drag the Relief slider (if available) to adjust the
depth of the texture’s surface.

8 Click OK to apply the filter.

4 For Light Angle (if available), choose the
direction of the light source on the image.

In some cases, a progress indicator marks the time
remaining until the filter is applied.

Defining undistorted areas
The Displace, Shear, and Wave filters in the Distort
submenu and the Offset filter in the Other
submenu let you treat areas undefined by the filter.

5 Select Invert to reverse the surface’s light and
dark colors.
6 Click OK.

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Tips for applying filters

Using effects

Try the following techniques to create special
visual effects with filters.

The Effects palette lets you quickly create different
looks for your images.

Feather the filter edges If you’re applying a filter

If an effect name is followed by (Selection),
(Layer), or (Type), the effect can only be applied to
a selected portion of your image, to a selected
layer, or to a type layer, respectively. Some effects
are automatically applied to a copy of the selected
layer, while other effects can only be applied to a
flattened image. You cannot preview layer effects
or change options for the effects.

to a selected area, you can soften the edges of the
filter effect by feathering the selection before you
apply the filter. See “About selections” on page 113
for more information on defining a feathered
edge.
Apply filters to multiple layers Apply filters to
individual layers or to several layers in succession
to build up an effect. You can choose different
blending modes in the Layers palette to blend the
effect. (See “Specifying layer blending modes” on
page 100.) For a filter to affect a layer, the layer
must be visible and must contain pixels.
Create textures and backgrounds By applying
filters to solid-color or grayscale images, you can
generate a variety of backgrounds and textures.
You can then blur these textures if desired.
Although some filters (for example, the Glass
filter) have little or no visible effect when applied
to solid colors, others produce interesting effects.
For such colors, you can use Add Noise, Chalk &
Charcoal, Clouds, Conté Crayon, Difference
Clouds, Glass, Graphic Pen, Halftone Pattern,
Mezzotint, Note Paper, Pointillize, Reticulation,
Rough Pastels, Sponge, or Underpainting. You can
also use any of the filters in the Texture submenu.
Improve image quality and consistency You can

disguise faults, alter or enhance images, or make a
series of images look similar by applying the same
filter to each.

Many of the choices in the Effects palette are
modified versions of filters—giving you a
default value of a filter. See “Choosing a filter” on
page 172 to decide whether to use an Effect or a
Filter.
To apply an effect:

1 Do one of the following:
• To apply an effect to an entire layer, deselect any

selected areas in the image, and then select the
layer in the Layers palette.
• To apply an effect to a portion of a layer, use any

selection tool to select the area.
• To apply a Text effect, use the text tool to enter

the text you want.
2 Do one of the following in the Effects palette:
• Double-click an effect.
• Select an effect, and click Apply.
• Drag an effect to the image.

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Note: In some cases, when applying an effect to an
image with multiple layers, you are prompted to
flatten the image first.

Frames effects
Frames effects apply a variety of effects to the edges
of a selected layer, or to a portion of a layer.
The Vignette effect, for example, creates a separate
layer from a selected portion of an image. Using
any selection tool, select a portion of the image
and apply the Vignette effect. The results are two
new layers added to the image—a white layer
appearing to frame the new vignette layer. You can
either flatten the image, or drag the vignette layer
to another image.

Image effects
Image effects apply an effect to a copy of a selected
layer. Adding the Blizzard effect to an image makes
it look like it’s snowing. The Neon Glow effect
turns the image into a dramatic neon picture. You
can use Image effects such as Oil Pastel or Soft
Focus to soften colors or blur an image. You can
also combine Image effects, but you may be
prompted to flatten layers first.

Using layer styles
Layer styles let you quickly apply visual effects to
an entire layer. You can scan through a variety of
predefined layer styles in the Layer Styles palette
and apply a style with just a click of the mouse.

Textures effects
Texture effects apply texture layers to an image.
You can add texture to a new, blank image as a
background, or add a texture to an existing image.
By arranging layers, and working with opacity and
other layer tools, you can create interesting and
attractive images.

Text effects
Text effects apply text effects to text layers you have
added to your image.
To apply text effects:

1 Select the text tool and type a caption or
message in your image. (The text is added as a new
layer.)
2 Choose a Text effect and drag it to the text in

your image. You can reposition the text if needed.

The Layer Styles Palette, Patterns category

About layer styles
Layer styles allow you to apply visual effects—
such as drop shadows and bevels—to a layer. 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.

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Layer styles are cumulative, which means that you
can create a complex effect by applying multiple
styles to a layer. You can also change a layer’s style
settings to adjust the final effect.

You can also drag the style to the image, where
it is applied to the selected layer.
To hide or show all layer styles in the image:

1 Choose one of the following:

Applying layer styles

• Layer > Layer Style > Hide All Effects.

When you apply a style to a layer, an “f ” icon
appears to the right of the layer’s name in the
Layers palette. Layer styles are linked to the layer
contents. When you move or edit the contents of
the layer, the effects are modified correspondingly.

• Layer > Layer Style > Show All Effects.

Editing layer styles
You can edit a layer’s style settings to adjust the
effect. You can also copy style settings between
layers and remove a style from a layer.
To edit a layer’s style settings:

1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the “f ” icon

in the Layers

palette.
• Choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings.
2 To preview the changes in your image, select

Preview.
3 Adjust one or more of the following settings,

and click OK. If a setting is dimmed, it is not
available for the effect you are using.
Layer style added

To remove a layer style, click the Step Backward
button in the shortcuts bar.
To apply a layer style to a layer:

1 Select a layer from the Layers palette.
2 Click a style in the Layer Styles palette.

Lighting Angle Specifies the lighting angle at
which the effect is applied to the layer.
Use Global Light Applies the lighting angle to all

styles in the image. Using a global angle gives the
appearance of a consistent light source shining on
the image.
Shadow Distance Specifies the distance of a drop
shadow from the layer’s content.

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Outer Glow Size Specifies the size of a glow that

To remove a layer style:

emanates from the outside edges of the layer’s
content.

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer containing
the style you want to remove.

Inner Glow Size Specifies the size of a glow that

2 Do one of the following:

emanates from the inside edges of the layer’s
content.

• Choose Layer > Layer Style > Clear Layer Style.

Bevel Size Specifies the size of beveling along the

• Click Clear Style in the Layer Styles palette.

inside edges of the layer’s content.
Bevel Direction Specifies the direction of the
bevel, either up or down.

Improving performance with
filters and effects

To change the scale of a layer style:

Some filters and effects are memory-intensive,
especially when applied to a high-resolution
image. You can use these techniques to improve
performance:

You can only change the scale of Shadow Distance,
Outer Glow or Inner Glow Size, and Bevel Size.
1 In the Layers palette, select the layer containing
style effects you want to scale.
2 Choose Layer > Layer Style > Scale Effect.
3 To preview the changes in your image, select

Preview.
4 Specify how much you want to scale the effects.
For example, if you are increasing the size of an
outer glow, 100% is the current scale; 200%
doubles the glow size.
5 Click OK.
To copy style settings between layers:

1 In the Layers palette, select the layer containing
the style settings you want to copy.
2 Choose Layer > Layer Style > Copy Layer Style.
3 Select the destination layer in the Layers palette,
and choose Layer > Layer Style > Paste Layer Style.

• Try out filters and settings on a small selected

area of the image.
• Try filters and settings on a smaller, resized copy

of your image. When you’re satisfied with the
results, apply the filter with the same settings to
your original image.
• Free up memory before running the filter or

effect by using the Purge command. (See
“Undoing operations” on page 25.)
• Allocate more RAM to Photoshop Elements.

(See “Setting memory preferences” on page 36).
If necessary, exit from other applications to
make more memory available to Photoshop
Elements.

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• Adjust filter settings to make memory-intensive

filters less complex. Memory-intensive filters
include Lighting Effects, Cutout, Stained Glass,
Chrome, Ripple, Spatter, Sprayed Strokes, and
Glass. (For example, to reduce the complexity of
the Stained Glass filter, increase cell size. To
reduce the complexity of the Cutout filter,
increase Edge Simplicity, decrease Edge Fidelity,
or both.)

Choosing a filter
The filters are grouped into categories. Any thirdparty filters appear at the bottom of the Filter
menu.

Artistic filters
Choose an Artistic filter to simulate painterly
effects on traditional media, and to create unique
visual effects. For example, use the Rough Pastels
filter to simulate pastels on a painter’s canvas, or
use Plastic Wrap to give your image a plastic sheen.
Colored Pencil Redraws an image using colored
pencils on a solid background. Retains important
edges and gives them a rough crosshatch
appearance; the solid background color shows
through the smoother areas. You can set the pencil
width, stroke pressure, and paper brightness in the
filter options.

For a parchment effect, change the background
color before applying the Colored Pencil filter to
a selected area.

Cutout Portrays an image as though it is made

from roughly cut-out pieces of colored paper.
High-contrast images appear as if in silhouette,
while colored images are built up from several
layers of colored paper. You can set the tonal levels,
edge simplicity, and edge fidelity in the filter
options.
Dry Brush Paints an image using a dry brush

technique (between oil and watercolor). The filter
simplifies an image by reducing its range of colors
to areas of common color. You can set the brush
size, brush detail, and texture amount in the filter
options.
Film Grain Applies an even, grainy pattern to an

image. Adds a smoother, more saturated pattern to
the image’s lighter areas. This filter is useful for
eliminating banding in blends and visually
unifying elements from various sources. You can
set the grain amount, highlight area range, and
intensity level in the filter options.
Fresco Paints a layer in a coarse style using short,
rounded, and hastily applied dabs. You can set the
brush size, brush detail, and texture in the filter
options.
Neon Glow Uses the foreground color,
background color, and glow color to colorize an
image while softening its look. You can set the glow
size, glow brightness, and glow color in the filter
options. Lower glow size values restrict the glow
color to the shadow areas, and higher values move
the glow color to the midtones and highlight areas
of a layer. To select a glow color, click the Glow
Color box, and select a color in the color picker.

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Paint Daubs Makes an image look painted. You

can set the brush size, image sharpness, and brush
types in the filter options.
Palette Knife Reduces detail in an image to give

Sponge Paints a layer with highly textured areas
of contrasting color. You can set the brush size,
image definition, and edge smoothness in the filter
options.

the effect of a thinly painted canvas that reveals the
texture underneath. You can set the stroke size,
stroke detail, and edge softness in the filter
options.

Underpainting Paints a layer as if it exists on a
textured background. You can set the brush size,
texture coverage area, and texture options in the
filter options.

Plastic Wrap Renders a layer as if it is coated in
shiny plastic, accentuating the surface detail. You
can set the highlight strength, plastic wrap detail,
and plastic smoothness in the filter options.

Watercolor Paints an image in a watercolor style,
simplifying details in an image by using a medium
brush loaded with water and color. Where significant tonal changes occur at edges, the filter
saturates colors. You can set the brush detail,
shadow intensity, and texture in the filter options.

Poster Edges Reduces the number of colors in an

image according to the posterization option you
set, finds the edges of the image, and draws black
lines on them. Large broad areas of the image
receive simple shading while fine dark details are
distributed throughout the image. You can set the
edge thickness, edge intensity, and posterization in
the filter options.
Rough Pastels Makes an image appear as if it was
stroked with colored pastel chalk on a textured
background. In areas of bright color, the chalk
appears thick with little texture; in darker areas,
the chalk appears scraped off to reveal the texture.
You can set the stroke length, stroke detail, and
texture in the filter options. For more information
on setting the Texture options, see “Transforming
layers, selections, and shapes” on page 153.
Smudge Stick Softens an image using short

diagonal strokes to smudge or smear the darker
areas of the images. Lighter areas become brighter
and lose detail. You can set the stroke length,
highlight area, and intensity in the filter options.

Blur filters
The Blur filters soften a selection or an image, and
are useful for retouching. They smooth transitions
by averaging the color values of pixels next to the
hard edges of defined lines and shaded areas.
Note: Before applying a Blur filter, deselect the Lock
transparent pixels option in the Layers palette. (See
“Locking layers” on page 107.)
Blur and Blur More Eliminate noise where signif-

icant color transitions occur in an image. Blur
filters smooth transitions by averaging the color
values of pixels next to the hard edges of defined
lines and shaded areas. The Blur More filter
produces an effect several times stronger than that
of the Blur filter.

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Gaussian Blur Quickly blurs a selection by an
adjustable amount. Gaussian refers to the bellshaped 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. You can set the blur
radius in the filter options to determine how far
the filter searches for dissimilar pixels to blur.
Motion Blur Blurs in a particular direction

(from –360º to +360º) and at a specific distance
(from 1 to 999). The filter’s effect is analogous to
taking a picture of a moving object with a fixed
exposure time. You can set the blur angle, and
distance in the filter options.
Radial Blur Simulates the blur of a zooming or

rotating camera to produce a soft blur. Drag the
Amount slider to control the blur amount. Choose
Spin to blur along concentric circular lines, and
then specify a degree of rotation; or choose Zoom,
to blur along radial lines, as if zooming in or out of
the image, and then specify an amount from 1 to
100. Blur quality ranges from Draft for fast but
grainy results to Good and Best for smoother
results, which are indistinguishable except on a
large selection. Specify the origin of the blur by
dragging the pattern in the Blur Center box.
Smart Blur Precisely blurs an image. You can

specify a radius to determine how far the filter
searches for dissimilar pixels to blur, a threshold to
determine how different the pixels’ values must be
before they are eliminated, and a blur quality. You
also can set a mode for the entire selection
(Normal) or for the edges of color transitions
(Edge Only and Overlay Edge). Where significant
contrast occurs, Edge Only applies black-andwhite edges, and Overlay Edge applies white.

Brush Stroke filters
Like several of the Artistic filters, the Brush Stroke
filters give a painterly or fine-arts look using
different brush and ink stroke effects. Some of the
filters add grain, paint, noise, edge detail, or
texture to an image for a pointillist effect.
Accented Edges 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 in the filter options.
Angled Strokes Repaints an image using diagonal

strokes. The lighter areas of the image are painted
in strokes going in one direction, while the darker
areas are painted in strokes going the opposite
direction. You can set the stroke direction balance,
stroke length, and sharpness in the filter options.
Crosshatch Preserves the details and features of

the original image while adding texture and
roughening the edges of the colored areas in the
image with simulated pencil hatching. You can set
the stroke length, sharpness, and strength (the
number of hatching passes) in the filter options.
Dark Strokes Paints dark areas of an image closer

to black with short, tight strokes, and paints lighter
areas of the layer with long, white strokes. You can
set the stroke balance, and black and white
intensity levels in the filter options.
Ink Outlines Redraws an image with fine narrow

lines over the original details, in pen-and-ink style.
You can set the stroke length, and dark and light
intensity levels in the filter options.

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Spatter Replicates the effect of a spatter airbrush.
You can set the spray radius, and smoothness in
the filter options.
Sprayed Strokes Repaints a layer using its

dominant colors with angled, sprayed strokes of
color. You can set the stroke length, spray radius,
and stroke direction in the filter options.
Sumi-e Redraws a layer with a Japanese style, as if

with a wet brush full of black ink on rice paper.
The effect is soft blurry edges with rich blacks. You
can set stroke width, stroke pressure, and contrast
in the filter options.

Distort filters
The Distort filters geometrically distort an image,
creating three-dimensional or other reshaping
effects. Note that these filters can be very memoryintensive.
See“Transforming layers, selections, and shapes”
on page 153 for more information about using the
Distort filters.

Noise filters
The Noise filters add or remove noise, or pixels
with randomly distributed color levels. This helps
to blend a selection into the surrounding pixels.
Noise filters can create unusual textures or remove
problem areas, such as dust and scratches, from
an image.

Add Noise Applies random pixels to an image,
simulating the effect of shooting pictures on highspeed film. The Add Noise 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. You can set the amount of noise, the type of
noise distribution, and color mode in the filter
options.

Uniform creates a subtle distribution effect, and
Gaussian creates a speckled distribution effect.
The Monochromatic option applies the filter using
the existing tones of the image without changing
the colors.
Despeckle Detects the edges in a layer (areas
where significant color changes occur) and blurs
all of the selection except those edges. This blurring removes noise while preserving detail. You
can use this filter to remove banding or visual
noise that often appear in scans of magazines or
other printed materials.
Dust & Scratches Reduces visual noise by
changing dissimilar pixels. See “Using the Dust &
Scratches filter” on page 71.
Median Reduces noise in a layer by blending the
brightness of pixels within a selection. The filter
searches for pixels of similar brightness, discarding
pixels that differ too much from adjacent pixels,
and replaces the center pixel with the median
brightness value of the searched pixels. This filter
is useful for eliminating or reducing the effect of
motion on an image, or undesirable patterns that
may appear in a scanned image.

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Pixelate filters
The Pixelate filters sharply define an image or
selection by clumping pixels of similar color
values.
Color Halftone Simulates the effect 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.
To use the Color Halftone filter:

1 Either choose Filter > Pixelate > Color

Halftone, or use the Filters palette to apply the
Color Halftone filter. (If using the palette, select
Filter Options before applying the filter.)
2 Enter a value for the maximum radius of a

halftone dot, from 4 to 127 pixels.
3 Enter a screen-angle value between -360 and
360 (the angle of the dot from the true horizontal)
for one or more channels:
• For Grayscale images, enter a value in channel 1.

Values in the other channel text boxes do not
affect the filter.
• For color images, use channels 1, 2, 3, and 4,

which correspond to CMYK channels (Cyan,
Magenta, Yellow, and Black).
• Click Defaults to return all the screen angles to

their default values.
4 Click OK.
Crystallize Redraws a layer as polygon-shaped

clumps of color. You can set the cell size of the
crystals in the filter options.

Facet Redraws a layer as blocks of solid color. You

can use this filter to make a scanned image look
hand painted or to make a realistic image resemble
an abstract painting.
Fragment Redraws a layer so it appears offset and

blurred.
Mezzotint Redraws a layer as a random pattern of
black-and-white areas in a grayscale image, or fully
saturated colors in a color image. You can choose a
dot, line, or stroke pattern in the filter options.
Mosaic Redraws a layer as square blocks of color.

You can set the mosaic cell size in the filter options.
Pointillize 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 in the
filter options.

Render filters
The Render filters create 3D shapes, cloud
patterns, refraction patterns, and simulated light
reflections in an image. You can also manipulate
objects in 3D space, create 3D objects (cubes,
spheres, and cylinders), and create texture fills
from grayscale files to produce 3D-like effects
for lighting.
3D Transform Maps images to cubes, spheres, and
cylinders, which you can then rotate in three
dimensions. (See “Transforming objects in three
dimensions” on page 157.)
Clouds Generates a soft cloud pattern using

random values that vary between the foreground
and the background color in the toolbar.

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To generate a starker cloud pattern, hold down
Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you
choose Filter > Render > Clouds.
Difference Clouds Uses randomly generated
values that vary between the foreground and background color in the toolbox to produce a cloud
pattern. The first time you choose this filter,
portions of the image are inverted in a cloud
pattern. Applying the filter several times creates rib
and vein patterns that resemble a marble texture.
Lens Flare Simulates the light refraction caused by

shining a bright light into a camera lens. You can
set the flare brightness, flare location, and flare
shape (the lens type) in the filter options. Click
inside the preview window in the dialog box to set
the flare location.
Lighting Effects Lets you produce myriad lighting
effects on RGB images by varying 17 light styles,
three light types, and four sets of light properties.
You can also use textures from grayscale files called
texture maps to produce 3D-like effects, and save
your own styles for use in other images. (See
“Using the Lighting Effects filter” on page 177.)

Using the Lighting Effects filter
The Lighting Effects filter lets you produce sophisticated lighting effects on RGB images. You can
create multiple lights, set individual light
properties, and easily drag lights around in the
preview window to test different lighting setups.
You can also use textures from grayscale files called
texture maps to produce 3D-like effects, and save
your own styles for use in other images.

To use the Lighting Effects filter:

1 Either choose Filter > Render > Lighting
Effects, or use the Filters palette to apply the
Lighting Effects filter. (If using the palette, select
Filter Options before applying the filter.)
2 Choose a lighting effects style from the Style

menu.
For more information, see “Choosing a
Lighting Effects style” in online Help.
Note: If the style you choose has multiple lights,
you must select and set the options for each light
individually.
3 Choose a Light Type from the pop-up menu.

For more information on adjusting lights in the
preview window, see “Adjusting omni lights, directional lights, and spotlights” on page 178.
4 If your lighting effects style uses multiple lights,

you can turn a light off by selecting it in the
preview window and deselecting On.
5 To add or remove lights in the preview window,

see “Creating and deleting lights” on page 179.
6 Drag the Intensity and Focus sliders to decrease
or increase these values.
7 To change the color of the light, click the color

box in the Light Type section of the dialog box to
display the Color Picker.
8 To set light properties, drag the corresponding

slider for the following options:
• Gloss determines how much the surface reflects

light, from Matte (low reflectance) to Shiny
(high reflectance).

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• Material determines whether the light or the

object on which the light is cast reflects more
light. Plastic reflects the light’s color; Metallic
reflects the object’s color.
• Exposure increases the light (positive values) or

decreases the light (negative values). A value of
0 has no effect.
• Ambience diffuses the light as if it were

combined with other light in a room, such as
sunlight or fluorescent light. Choose a value of
100 to use only the light source, or a value of
–100 to completely diffuse the light source. To
change the color of the ambient light, click the
color box and use the Color Picker that appears.
9 To use a texture map, choose a color or layer

from the Texture Channel pop-up menu.
The Texture Channel option lets you manipulate
how light reflects off an image. You can create a
texture effect based on the light and dark areas of
the red, green, and blue color information in your
image. You can also choose to use the layer transparency of the active layer to create a texture effect.
10 Select White Is High to raise the light parts of

the channel from the surface. Deselect this option
to raise the dark parts.
11 Drag the Height slider to vary the depth of the

texture from Flat (0) to Mountainous (100).
12 Click OK.

Adjusting omni lights, directional lights,
and spotlights
You can choose from several light types.

• Omni shines light in all directions from directly

above the image—like a light bulb over a piece
of paper.
• Directional shines light from one angle—like

the parallel light rays of the sun.
• Spotlight casts an elliptical beam of light. The

line in the preview window defines the light
direction and angle, and the handles define the
edges of the ellipse.
To adjust an Omni light:

Do any of the following:
• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To increase or decrease the size of the light (like

a light moving closer or farther away), drag one
of the handles defining the edges of the light.
To adjust the angle and height of the Directional light
using the preview window:

Do any of the following:
• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To change the direction of the light, drag the

handle at the end of the line to rotate the light’s
angle. Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag
(Mac OS) to keep the light’s height constant.
• To change the light’s height, drag the handle at

the end of the line. Shorten the line for a bright
light, lengthen it for a less intense one. A very
short line produces pure white light, a very long
one no light. Shift-drag to keep the angle
constant and change the light’s height (line
length).

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To adjust the angle and height of the Spotlight using
the preview window:

Do any of the following:
• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To increase the light angle, drag the handle at

the end of the line to shorten the line. To
decrease the light angle, drag to lengthen the
line.
• To stretch the ellipse or rotate the light, drag one

of the handles. Shift-drag to keep the angle
constant and change only the size of the ellipse.
Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag
(Mac OS) to keep the size constant and change
the angle or direction of the spotlight.
• To set the light focus (or spotlight intensity) and

control how much of an ellipse is filled with
light, drag the Intensity slider: a full intensity
value of 100 is brightest; normal intensity is
about 50; 0 intensity produces no light; and
negative intensity takes away light. Use the
Focus slider to control how much of the ellipse
is filled with light.

Creating and deleting lights
You can create your own lighting style by adding
lights to an existing style or removing lights. The
Lighting Effects filter requires at least one light
source.
To add a light:

Do one of the following in the Lighting Effects
dialog box:
• To create a new light, drag the light icon at the

bottom of the dialog box into the preview area.
Repeat as desired for a maximum of 16 lights.

• To copy an existing light, select a light in the

preview window, press Alt (Windows) or
Option (Mac OS), and drag to a new location.
To delete a light:

Do one of the following in the Lighting Effects
dialog box:
• Select a light in the preview window, and press

delete on the keyboard.
• Drag a light by its center circle to the Trash

button at the bottom right of the preview
window.
To save a lighting style:

1 In the Lighting Effects dialog box, click Save.
2 Name the style, and then click OK.

Saved styles include all of the settings for each light
and appear in the Style menu whenever you open
an image in Photoshop Elements.
To delete a style:

In the Lighting Effects dialog box, choose a style,
and then click Delete.
Note: Default styles cannot be deleted.

Sharpen filters
The Sharpen filters focus blurry images by
increasing the contrast of adjacent pixels.
Sharpen and Sharpen More Add focus to a

selection and improve its clarity. The Sharpen
More filter applies a stronger sharpening effect
than the Sharpen filter.

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Sharpen Edges and Unsharp Mask Find the areas

To use Unsharp Mask to sharpen an image:

in the image where significant color changes occur
and sharpen them. The Sharpen Edges filter
sharpens only edges while preserving the overall
smoothness of the image. Use this filter to sharpen
edges without specifying an amount. For professional color correction, use the Unsharp Mask
filter to adjust the contrast of edge detail and
produce a lighter and darker line on each side of
the edge. This process emphasizes the edge to
create the illusion of a sharper image. (See “Using
the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen photos” on
page 180.)

1 Choose Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask, and

Using the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen
photos
Unsharp masking, or USM, is a traditional film
technique used to sharpen edges in an image. The
Unsharp Mask filter corrects blurring introduced
during photographing, scanning, resampling, or
printing. It is useful for images intended for both
print and online viewing.
Unsharp Mask locates pixels that differ from
surrounding pixels by the threshold you specify
and increases the pixels’ contrast by the amount
you specify. In addition, you specify the radius of
the region to which each pixel is compared. The
effects of the Unsharp Mask filter are far more
pronounced on-screen than in high-resolution
printed output. If your final destination is printed
output, experiment to determine what settings
work best for your image.
For information on other filters for sharpening
images, see “Sharpen filters” on page 179.

select the Preview option.
Click the preview window in the Unsharp Mask
dialog box window to see how the image looks
without sharpening. Drag in the preview window to
see different parts of the image, and click + or – to
zoom in or out.
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the Amount slider or enter a value to

determine how much to increase the contrast of
pixels. For high-resolution printed images, an
amount between 150% and 200% is usually
recommended.
• Drag the Radius slider or enter a value to

determine the number of pixels to sharpen
around edges. For high-resolution images, a
radius between 1 and 2 is usually recommended. A lower value sharpens only the edge
pixels, whereas a higher value sharpens a wider
band of pixels. This effect is much less
noticeable in print than on-screen, because a 2pixel radius represents a smaller area in a highresolution printed image.
• Drag the Threshold slider or enter a value to

determine how different pixels must be from
the surrounding area before they are considered
edge pixels and sharpened. To avoid introducing noise (in images with flesh tones, for
example), experiment with Threshold values
between 2 and 20. The default Threshold value
(0) sharpens all pixels in the image.
3 Click OK.

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Sketch filters
Filters in the Sketch submenu add texture to
images, often for a 3D effect. These filters are also
useful for creating a fine-art or hand-drawn look.
Many of the Sketch filters use the foreground and
background color as they redraw the image.
Bas Relief Transforms an image to appear carved

in low relief and lit to accent the surface variations.
Dark areas of the image take on the foreground
color, light areas use the background color. You
can set relief detail and smoothness in the filter
options.

After applying the Chrome filter, use the Levels
dialog box to add more contrast to the image.
(For more information on adjusting levels, see
“Using the Levels dialog box” on page 62.)
Conté Crayon Replicates the texture of dense dark

and pure white Conté crayons on an image. The
Conté Crayon filter uses the foreground color for
dark areas and the background color for light
areas. In the filter options, you can set the level of
foreground and background emphasis, and
texture options. For more information on setting
the texture options, see “Using texture and glass
surface controls” on page 167.

Chalk & Charcoal Redraws an image’s highlights

and midtones with a solid midtone gray background drawn in coarse chalk. Shadow areas are
replaced with black diagonal charcoal lines. The
charcoal is drawn in the foreground color, the
chalk in the background color. You can set stroke
pressure, and the charcoal and chalk areas in the
filter options.

For a more realistic effect, change the
foreground color to one of the common Conté
Crayon colors (black, sepia, sanguine) before
applying this filter. For a muted effect, change the
background color to white with some foreground
color added to it.

effect. Major edges are boldly drawn, while
midtones are sketched using a diagonal stroke.
Charcoal is the foreground color, and the paper is
the background color. You can set the charcoal
thickness, level of image detail, and light/dark
balance in the filter options.

Graphic Pen 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. You can set the stroke length and
direction, and the light/dark balance in the filter
options.

Chrome Gives the image a polished chrome

Halftone Pattern Simulates the effect of a halftone

surface using highlights as high points and
shadows as low points in the reflecting surface. You
can set the level of chrome surface detail and
smoothness in the filter options.

screen while maintaining the continuous range
of tones. You can set the halftone size, contrast,
and pattern type in the filter options.

Charcoal Redraws an image to create a smudged

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Note Paper Simulates the texture of handmade

Water Paper Uses blotchy daubs that appear to be

paper by combining the effects of the Emboss and
Grain filters. Dark areas of the image appear as
holes in the top layer of paper, revealing the
background color. You can set the image balance,
graininess, and relief in the filter options.

painted onto fibrous, damp paper, causing the
colors to flow and blend. You can set the paper’s
fiber length, brightness, and contrast in the filter
options.

Photocopy Simulates the effect of photocopying

Stylize filters

an image. Large areas of darkness tend to copy
only around their edges, and midtones fall away to
either solid black or white. You can set the level of
detail and darkness in the filter options.

The Stylize filters produce a painted or impressionistic effect on a selection by displacing pixels
and heightening contrast in an image.

and then colorizes the result using the foreground
and background color. Dark areas are raised, light
areas are sunken. You can set the image balance,
smoothness, and light direction in the filter
options.

Diffuse 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; Lighten Only replaces
dark pixels with lighter pixels; and Anistropic
softens all pixels.

Reticulation Simulates the controlled shrinking

Emboss Makes a selection appear raised or

and distorting of film emulsion to create an image
that appears clumped in the shadow areas and
lightly grained in the highlights. You can set the
density, foreground, and background levels in the
filter options.

stamped by converting its fill color to gray and
tracing the edges with the original fill color. You
can set the embossing angle, height, and a
percentage for the amount of color within the
selection.

Stamp Is best used with black-and-white images.

Extrude Gives a 3D texture to a selection or layer.

Simplifies the image so it appears stamped with a
rubber or wood stamp. In the filter options, you
can set the smoothness, and the balance between
light and dark.

See “Extrude Filter” on page 183 for more information.

Plaster Molds the layer into a 3D plaster effect,

Torn Edges Is particularly useful for images

consisting of text or high-contrast objects. Reconstructs the image as ragged, torn pieces of paper,
and then colorizes the image using the foreground
and background color. You can set the image
balance, smoothness, and contrast in the filter
options.

Find Edges Identifies areas of the image with
significant transitions and emphasizes edges. Like
the Trace Counter filter, Find Edges outlines the
edges of an image with dark lines against a white
background and is useful for creating a border
around an image.

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After using filters like Find Edges and Trace
Contour that highlight edges, you can apply the
Invert command to outline the edges of a color image
with colored lines or a grayscale image with white
lines (see “Using the Invert command” on page 186.)
Glowing Edges Identifies the edges of color and

adds a neon-like glow to them. You can set the
edge width, brightness, and smoothness in the
filter options.
Solarize Blends a negative and a positive image—

similar to exposing a photographic print briefly to
light during development.
Tiles Breaks up an image into a series of tiles, off-

setting the selection from its original position. In
the filter options, you can set the number of tiles
and the offset percentage. You can also choose one
of the following to fill the empty area between the
tiles: Background Color, Foreground Color,
Inverse Image, or Unaltered Image, which puts the
tiled version on top of the original and reveals part
of the original image underneath the tiled edges.
Wind Creates tiny horizontal lines in the image to

simulate a wind effect. You can set the wind
strength and direction in the filter options.

Extrude Filter

2 Choose a 3D type:
• Blocks creates objects with a square front face

and four side faces.
• Pyramids creates objects with four triangular

sides that meet at a point.
3 Enter a value in the Size text box to determine
the length of the object’s base, from 2 to 255 pixels.
4 Enter a value in the Depth text box to indicate
how far the tallest object appears to protrude from
the screen, from 1 to 255.
5 Choose a depth option:
• Random to give each block or pyramid an

arbitrary depth.
• Level-based to make each object’s depth corre-

spond to its brightness—bright objects
protrude more than dark.
6 Select Solid Front Faces to fill the front face of
each block with an averaged color of the block.
Deselect Solid Front Faces to fill the front face of
each block with the image. This option is not
available for Pyramids.
7 Select Mask Incomplete Blocks to hide any
object extending beyond the selection.
8 Click OK.

The Extrude filter gives a three-dimensional
texture to a selection or layer.

Trace Contour

To use the Extrude filter:

Trace Contour finds the transitions of major
brightness areas and thinly outlines them for an
effect similar to the lines in a contour map.

1 Either choose Filter > Stylize > Extrude, or use
the Filters palette to apply the Extrude filter. (If
using the palette, select Filter Options before
applying the filter.)

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To use the Trace Contour filter:

Mosaic Tiles Draws the image as if it were made

1 Either choose Filter > Stylize > Trace Contour,

up of small chips or tiles and adds grout between
the tiles. (In contrast, the Pixelate > Mosaic filter
breaks up an image into blocks of differentcolored pixels.) You can set the tile size, grout
width, and grout highlights in the filter options.

or use the Filters palette to apply the Trace
Contour filter. (If using the palette, select Filter
Options before applying the filter.)
2 Select an Edge option to outline areas in the
selection: Lower outlines where the color values of
pixels fall below the specified level, and Upper
outlines where the color values fall above.
3 Drag the Level slider to specify the edge level for

evaluating color values. Experiment to see what
values bring out the best detail in the image.
Use the Info palette in Grayscale mode to
identify a color value that you want traced.
Then enter the value in the Level text box. (See
“Using the Info palette” on page 17.)
4 Click OK.

Texture filters
Use the Texture filters to give an image the
appearance of depth or substance, or to add an
organic look.
Craquelure Paints an image onto a high-relief

plaster surface, producing a fine network of cracks
that follow the contours of the image. Use this
filter to create an embossing effect with images
that contain a broad range of color or grayscale
values. You can set crack spacing, depth, and
brightness in the filter options.
Grain Adds texture to an image by simulating
different kinds of grain. The sprinkles and stippled
grain types use the background color. You can set
grain intensity, contrast, and type in the filter
options.

Patchwork 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
in the Patchwork filter options.
Stained Glass Repaints an image as single-colored
adjacent cells outlined in the foreground color.
You can set cell size, border thickness, and light
intensity in the filter options.
Texturizer Allows you to simulate different

texture types or select a file to use as a texture. (For
more information on setting texture options, see
“Using texture and glass surface controls” on
page 167.)

Video filters
The Video filters restrict the gamut of colors to
those acceptable for television reproduction, and
smooth moving images captured on video.
De-Interlace Smooths moving images captured

on video by removing either the odd or even interlaced lines in a video image. You can choose to
replace the discarded lines by duplication or interpolation.

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NTSC Colors Restricts the gamut of colors to those
acceptable for television reproduction to prevent
oversaturated colors from bleeding across
television scan lines.

For example, to multiply the brightness value of
the pixel to the immediate right of the current
pixel by 2, enter 2 in the text box to the immediate
right of the center text box.

Other filters

Note: To avoid turning the image completely white
or black, the sum of the values in the matrix should
equal 1.

Filters in the Other submenu let you create your
own filter effects, use filters to modify masks, offset
a selection within an image, and make quick color
adjustments.
Custom Lets you design your own filter effect.

With the Custom filter, you can change the
brightness values of each pixel in the image
according to a predefined mathematical operation
known as convolution. Each pixel is reassigned a
value based on the values of surrounding pixels.
You can save the custom filters you create and use
them with other Photoshop images.
To apply a Custom filter effect:

1 Either choose Filter > Other > Custom, or use

the Filters palette to apply the Custom filter. (If
using the palette, select Filter Options before
applying the filter.)
2 Select the center text box, which represents the
pixel being evaluated. Enter the value by which
you want to multiply that pixel’s brightness value,
from –999 to +999.
3 Select a text box representing an adjacent pixel.
Enter the value by which you want the pixel in this
position multiplied.

4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all pixels you want to

include in the operation. You don’t have to enter
values in all the text boxes.
5 For Scale, enter the value by which to divide the
sum of the brightness values of the pixels included
in the calculation.
6 For Offset, enter the value to be added to the
result of the scale calculation.
7 Click OK. The custom filter is applied to each
pixel in the image, one at a time.

Use the Save and Load buttons to save and reuse
custom filters.
High Pass Retains edge details in the specified
radius where sharp color transitions occur and
suppresses the rest of the image. (A radius of 0.1
pixel keeps only edge pixels.) The filter removes
low-frequency detail in an image and has an effect
opposite to that of the Gaussian Blur filter.

This filter is useful for extracting line art and large
black-and-white areas from scanned images.
When doing so, apply the High Pass filter before
using the Image > Adjustment > Threshold
command or converting the image to Bitmap
mode.

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Minimum and Maximum The Minimum filter has

the effect of applying a spread—spreading out
black areas and shrinking white areas. The
Maximum filter has the effect of applying a
choke—spreading out white areas and choking in
black areas. Like the Median filter, the Maximum
and Minimum filters look at individual pixels in a
selection. Within a specified radius, the Maximum
and Minimum filters replace the current pixel’s
brightness value with the greatest or least
brightness value of the surrounding pixels.
Offset Moves a selection a specified amount to the

right horizontally or down vertically, leaving an
empty space at the selection’s original location.
Depending on the size of the selection, you can fill
the empty area with a transparent background,
with the edge pixels, or with pixels from the right
or bottom edges of an image. (See “Defining
undistorted areas” on page 167.)

About plug-in filters
You can install plug-in filters developed by nonAdobe 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 Filters
palette, plug-in filters must be specially designed
for Photoshop Elements.
If you are interested in creating plug-in modules,
contact Adobe Systems Developer Support.
(See “Using plug-in modules” on page 35.)
Note: If you have problems or questions about a
third-party plug-in, contact the plug-in’s manufacturer for support.

Applying special color effects to
images
The Invert, Equalize, Threshold, and Posterize
commands change colors or brightness values in
an image but are typically used for enhancing
color and producing special effects, rather than for
correcting color.

Using the Invert command
The Invert command inverts the colors in an
image. You might use this command to make a
positive black-and-white image negative or to
make a positive from a scanned black-and-white
negative.
Note: Because color print film contains an orange
mask in its base, the Invert command cannot make
accurate positive images from scanned color
negatives. Be sure to use the proper settings for color
negatives when scanning film on slide scanners.
When you invert an image, the brightness value of
each pixel in the channels is converted to the
inverse value on the 256-step color-values scale.
For example, a pixel in a positive image with a
value of 255 is changed to 0, and a pixel with a
value of 5 is changed to 250.
To use the Invert command:

Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Adjustments > Invert.
• Create an Invert adjustment layer. (See “Using

adjustment and fill layers” on page 101.)

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Using the Equalize command
The Equalize command 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. Photoshop
Elements then attempts to equalize the
brightness—that is, to distribute the intermediate
pixel values evenly throughout the grayscale.
You might use the Equalize command when a
scanned image appears darker than the original
and you want to balance the values to produce a
lighter image. Using Equalize together with the
Histogram command lets you see before-and-after
brightness comparisons.
To use the Equalize command:

converted to white; and all pixels darker are
converted to black. The Threshold command is
useful for determining the lightest and darkest
areas of an image.
To use the Threshold command to convert images to
black and white:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Adjustments > Threshold.
• Create a new Threshold adjustment layer, or

open an existing Threshold adjustment layer. (See
“Using adjustment and fill layers” on page 101.)
The Threshold dialog box displays a histogram of
the luminance levels of the pixels in the current
selection.
2 Drag the slider below the histogram until the
threshold level you want appears at the top of the
dialog box, and click OK. As you drag, the image
changes to reflect the new threshold setting.

1 Choose Image > Adjustments > Equalize.
2 If you selected an area of the image, select what

to equalize in the dialog box, and click OK:
• Equalize Selected Area Only to evenly distribute

only the selection’s pixels.
• Equalize Entire Image Based on Selected Area to

evenly distribute all image pixels based on those in
the selection.

Using the Threshold command
The Threshold command converts grayscale or
color images to high-contrast, black-and-white
images. You can specify a certain level as a
threshold. All pixels lighter than the threshold are

To use the Threshold command to identify
representative highlights and shadows:

1 Open the Threshold dialog box.
2 Select Preview.
3 To identify a representative highlight, drag the

slider to the far right until the image becomes pure
black. Drag the slider slowly toward the center
until some solid white areas appear in the image.
4 To identify a representative shadow, drag the

slider to the far left until the image becomes pure
white. Drag the slider slowly toward the center
until some solid black areas appear in the image.
These represent the darkest pixels areas in the
image.

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Applying Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles

5 Reset the dialog box by pressing Alt (Windows)
or Option (Mac OS).
6 Click Cancel to close the Threshold dialog box
without applying changes to the image.

Using the Posterize command
The Posterize command lets you specify the
number of tonal levels (or brightness values) for
each channel in an image and then maps pixels to
the closest matching level. For example, choosing
two tonal levels in an RGB image gives six colors,
two for red, two for green, and two for blue.

Using the Gradient Map command
The Gradient Map command maps the equivalent
grayscale range of an image to the colors of a
specified gradient fill. If you specify a two-color
gradient fill, for example, shadows in the image
map to one of the endpoint colors of the gradient
fill, highlights map to the other endpoint color,
and midtones map to the gradations in between.
To use the Gradient Map command:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Adjustments > Gradient Map.

This command is useful for creating special effects,
such as large, flat areas in a photograph. Its effects
are most evident when you reduce the number of
gray levels in a grayscale image. But it also
produces interesting effects in color images.

• Create a new Gradient Map adjustment layer, or

If you want a specific number of colors in your
image, convert the image to grayscale and
specify the number of levels you want. Then convert
the image back to the previous color mode, and
replace the various gray tones with the colors
you want.

• To choose from a list of gradient fills, click the

To use the Posterize command:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Image > Adjustments > Posterize.
• Create a new Posterize adjustment layer, or open

an existing Posterize adjustment layer. (See “Using
adjustment and fill layers” on page 101.)
2 Enter the number of tonal levels you want, and
click OK.

open an existing Gradient Map adjustment layer.
(See “Using adjustment and fill layers” on
page 101.)
2 Specify the gradient fill you want to use:

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. (See “Working
with preset options” on page 27 for information
on customizing the gradient fill list.)
• To edit the gradient fill currently displayed in the

Gradient Map dialog box, click the gradient fill.
Then modify the existing gradient fill or create a
new gradient fill. (See “Creating or editing
gradient fills” on page 148.)
By default, the shadows, midtones, and highlights
of the image are mapped respectively to the
starting (left) color, midpoint, and ending (right)
color of the gradient fill.

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3 Select either, none, or both of the Gradient
Options:
• Dither adds random noise to smooth the
appearance of the gradient fill and reduce banding
effects.
• Reverse switches the direction of the gradient fill,
reversing the gradient map.
4 Click OK.

191

Chapter 11: Creating Shapes and Text

dobe Photoshop Elements lets you add
text and shapes to images with flexibility
and precision.

About vector graphics
In Photoshop Elements, shapes and text are vector
graphics, which means they are made up of
lines and curves defined by their geometric
characteristics. Vector graphics are resolutionindependent—that is, they can be scaled to any
size and printed at any resolution without losing
detail or clarity. You can move, resize, or change
them without losing the quality of the graphic.
Because computer monitors display images on a
pixel grid, vector data is displayed as pixels onscreen.

About shapes
You use the shape tools to draw lines, rectangles,
rounded rectangles, polygons, ellipses, and
custom shapes in an image. You can change the
color of a shape by editing its fill layer and applying
layer styles to it.
The shape tools provide an easy way to create
buttons, navigation bars, and other items used
on Web pages.
Shapes are created in shape layers. A shape layer
can contain a single shape or multiple shapes,
depending on the shape area option you select.
If you want a new shape to be in its own layer,
make sure Create new shape layer is selected in
the options bar. You can also choose to have more
than one shape in a layer (see “Creating multiple
shapes in one layer” on page 192).

Creating shapes
You create shapes by selecting one of the shape
tools, and then dragging in your image. The shape
tools are located in the options bar and in the
toolbox, where the active shape tool is visible and
the rest are hidden. To select a hidden shape tool,
position the pointer on the visible tool and hold
down the mouse button until the tools list appears.
Then click the tool you want.
Composition using vector objects, including text and shapes
found in Photoshop Elements

192 CHAPTER 11
Creating Shapes and Text

In the options bar, you can choose the following
options for the shape tools:

2 In the options bar, enter a pixel width for the
line in the Weight text box.

• Click the color swatch to choose the color with

3 Drag in your image to draw the line.

which you want to fill the shape. (See “Using the
Adobe Color Picker” on page 131.)
• Set tool-specific options. (See “Setting shape

tool options” on page 195.)
To create a rectangle:

1 Select the rectangle tool

Creating custom shapes
The custom shape tool
provides many
different shape options for you to use in your
images. When you select the custom shape tool,
you can access these shapes from the Shape popup palette in the options bar.

2 Drag in your image to draw the rectangle.
To create a rounded rectangle:

1 Select the rounded rectangle tool

2 Enter a value in the Radius text box in the
options bar to determine the radius of the curved
corners of the rounded rectangle.
3 Drag in your image to draw the rounded
rectangle.
To create an ellipse:

1 Select the ellipse tool

Custom shape tool pop-up menu

2 Drag in your image to draw the ellipse.

1 Select the custom shape tool

To create a polygon:

1 Select the polygon tool

2 In the options bar, enter the number of sides in
your polygon in the Sides text box.
3 Drag in your image to draw the polygon.
To create a line:

1 Select the line tool

To create a custom shape:

2 In the options bar, select a shape from the Shape
pop-up palette.
3 Drag in your image to draw the shape.

Creating multiple shapes in one layer
You can create multiple shapes in one layer by
changing a few settings in the options bar.

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To create multiple shapes in the same layer:

1 Select a shape layer in the Layers palette or
create a new shape layer.
2 If you want to create a different type of shape,
select a different shape tool.
3 Before you draw, select a shape area option to
determine how shapes should overlap:

to add an additional shape to the
existing shape. The combined shape will cover
the entire area of the shapes you drew using the
Add option.

2 Use the Color Picker to select a new color. (See
“Using the Adobe Color Picker” on page 131.)

If the color of a shape doesn’t change when you
pick a new color for it, check to see if the layer
has a layer style (represented by an “f ” icon in the
Layers palette). Some layer styles override the base
color of a shape. For information on clearing layer
styles, see “Editing layer styles” on page 170.

• Add

• Subtract

to remove the area where shapes
overlap. The rest of the shapes’ areas are be
preserved.

• Intersect

to show only the area where shapes
intersect. The other areas will be removed.
to remove the overlapping areas in
the consolidated new and existing shape areas.

Using the shape selection tool
The shape selection tool allows you to select shapes
with one click. After you select a shape, you can
move, resize, and rotate the shape.
Note: After you convert a shape to a bitmap image by
simplifying the layer, the shape selection tool will no
longer select the shape. You can still move the entire
simplified layer using the move tool.

• Exclude

4 Drag in the image to draw new shapes.

To use the shape selection tool:

Do one of the following:
• Select the shape selection tool

Editing shapes
You can select, move, and combine shapes, change
the color of shapes, and apply layer styles to shapes
with just a few clicks. You can also simplify a shape
layer to convert it to a bitmap layer.

Changing the color of shapes
You can change the color of a shape by doubleclicking its thumbnail in the Layers palette.
To change the color of all shapes on a layer:

1 In the Layers palette, double-click the shape

layer.

in the toolbox.

• If another shape tool is active, click the shape

selection tool in the options bar.

Moving shapes
If a layer contains multiple shapes, you can
reposition all the shapes together using the
move tool. However, if you want to reposition a
specific shape in a layer, you must use the shape
selection tool.
To move a shape:

1 Select the shape selection tool .
2 Drag the shape to a new position in the image.

194 CHAPTER 11
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Transforming shapes

Applying layer styles to shapes

You can alter a shape by applying transformations
to it. For example, you can scale, rotate, skew,
distort, and apply perspective to a shape.

You can apply effects—such as drop shadows
and bevels—to shapes quickly and easily using
layer styles. Keep in mind that a layer style is
applied to all shapes on a layer. For example, if you
apply a drop shadow style to a layer that contains
multiple shapes, all of the shapes will display a
drop shadow.

To transform a shape:

1 Select the shape selection tool .
2 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the shape you want to transform.
• Select the shape you want to transform, choose

Image > Transform Shape, and choose a transformation command.
3 Transform the shape as described in “Transforming objects in three dimensions” on page 157.

Simplifying shape layers

Original vector art (left) and the same art with a style applied
to the leaf layer (right)

Simplifying a shape layer converts it to a regular
bitmap layer. Simplifying a layer is necessary when
you want to paint on a shape or apply filters to it.

To apply a layer style to a shape:

To simplify a shape layer:

1 Select a shape layer in the Layers palette.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Layer > Simplify Layer.
• If a shape tool is selected, click Simplify in the

options bar.

1 Select the shape with the shape selection tool.
(See “Using the shape selection tool” on page 193.)
2 Click the Layer Styles thumbnail in the

options bar.
3 Scroll through the layer styles in the palette. To
view additional layer styles, choose a category
from the drop-down list.
4 Apply the style to the shape:
• Drag a style from the pop-up palette onto a

shape in the image.
• Click a style to apply it to the shape layer.

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Setting shape tool options
Each shape tool provides specific options; for
example, you can set options that allow you to
draw a rectangle with fixed dimensions or a line
with arrowheads.

Defined Proportions Renders a custom shape
based on the proportions with which it was
created.
Defined Size Renders a custom shape based on

the size at which it was created.
Fixed Size Renders a rectangle, rounded

rectangle, ellipse, or custom shape as a fixed shape
based on the values you enter in the Width and
Height text boxes.
From Center Renders a rectangle, rounded

rectangle, ellipse, or custom shape from the center.
Select a shape in the options bar, and click the inverted
arrow to display options for the selected shape.
To set tool-specific options:

1 Select a shape tool.
2 In the options bar, set the options that are
available for the active shape tool. Click the
inverted arrow next to the shape buttons to
view additional options for the active tool.
Arrowheads Start and End Renders a line with

arrowheads. Select Start, End, or both to specify
on which end of the line arrows are rendered. The
shape options appear in the pop-up dialog box.
Enter values for Width and Length to specify the
proportions of the arrowhead as a percentage of
the line width (10% to 1000% for Width, and 10%
to 5000% for Length). Enter a value for the
concavity of the arrowhead (from –50% to +50%).
The concavity value defines the amount of
curvature on the widest part of the arrowhead,
where the arrowhead meets the line.
Circle Constrains an ellipse to a circle.

Indent Sides By Turns a polygon into a star. Enter
a percentage in the text box to specify the depth of
the star’s indentations.
Proportional Renders a rectangle, rounded
rectangle, or ellipse as a proportional shape based
on the values you enter in the Width and Height
text boxes.
Radius For rounded rectangles, specifies the

corner radius. For polygons, specifies the distance
from the center of a polygon to the outer points.
Sides Specifies the number of sides in a polygon.
Smooth Corners or Smooth Indents Renders a
polygon with smooth corners or indents.
Snap to Pixels Snaps edges of a rectangle or

rounded rectangle to the pixel boundaries.
Square Constrains a rectangle or rounded

rectangle to a square.
Unconstrained Lets you set the width and height

of a rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, or
custom shape by dragging.
Weight Determines the width of a line in pixels.

196 CHAPTER 11
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Creating text
In Photoshop Elements, you use the horizontal
and vertical type tools to create and edit text. Text
appears directly on-screen so you can always see
how it looks in your composition.
You can also use type mask tools to create a
selection in the shape of text. You can then create
different effects and cut-outs with the text.
When you select a type tool, you can choose from
several settings in the options bar. You can set the
font, style, size, and color of the type in the options
bar.
Clicking in an image with a type tool puts the type
tool in edit mode so you can enter and edit text.
You must commit changes to the type before you
can perform other operations, like selecting menu
commands. To determine if the type tool is in edit
mode, look in the options bar—if you see the OK
button
and Cancel button , the type tool is
in edit mode.

2 Click in the image to set an insertion point for
the type. The small line through the I-beam marks
the position of the type baseline. For horizontal
type, the baseline marks the line on which the type
rests; for vertical type, the baseline marks the
center axis of the type characters.
3 Select additional type options in the options
bar. (See “Formatting text” on page 199.)
4 Enter the characters you want. To begin a new
line, press the Enter key (Windows) or Return key
(Mac OS) to begin a new line.
5 Commit the type layer by doing one of the
following:
• Click in the image, select a tool in the toolbox,

or click in a palette.
• Click the OK button

in the options bar.

• Press the Enter key on the numeric keypad.

The type you entered appears in a new type layer.
Note: To discard the type layer, click the Cancel
button .

Entering text
You can enter text horizontally or vertically,
depending on which type tool you select. Each line
of 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 (you have to press the Enter
or Return key to create a new line of text).
To enter type:

1 Select the horizontal type tool
type tool .

or the vertical

Working with type layers
Once you create a type layer, you can edit the type
and apply layer commands to it. You can change
the orientation of the type, apply anti-aliasing, and
warp the type into a variety of shapes. You can
move, restack, copy, and change the layer options
of a type layer as you do for a normal layer. You can
also make the following changes to a type layer and
still edit its text:
• Apply transformation commands, except for

Perspective and Distort.

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Note: To apply the Perspective or Distort commands,
or to transform part of the type layer, you must
simplify the type layer, making the type uneditable.
• Use layer styles.

To change the orientation of a type layer:

1 Select the type layer in the Layers palette.
2 Do one of the following:
• Select a type tool, and click the Flip Orientation

button

Editing text in type layers
You can insert new text, change existing text, and
delete text in type layers. If any styles are applied
to a type layer, all text inherits the attributes of
those styles.
To edit text in a type layer:

1 Select the horizontal type tool or the vertical
type tool . (When you click in an existing type
layer, the type tool changes at the insertion point
to match the orientation of the layer.)

in the options bar.

• Choose Layer > Type > Horizontal, or choose

Layer > Type > Vertical.

Specifying anti-aliasing
Anti-aliasing lets you produce smooth-edged type
by partially filling the edge pixels, so the edges of
the type blend into the background.

2 Select the type layer in the Layers palette,
or click in the text flow to automatically select a
type layer.
3 Position the insertion point in the text, and do

one of the following:

• Click to set the insertion point.
• Select one or more characters you want to edit.
4 Enter text as desired.
5 Commit the changes to the type layer. (See
“Entering text” on page 196.)

Changing type layer orientation
The orientation of a type layer determines the
direction of type lines in relation to the document
window. When a type layer is vertical, the type
lines flow up and down; when a type layer is
horizontal, the type lines flow from left to right.

Applying anti-aliasing
A. Anti-aliasing off B. Close up
C. Anti-aliasing on D. Close up

198 CHAPTER 11
Creating Shapes and Text

Because anti-aliasing greatly increases the number
of colors in an image, you may want to turn antialiasing off when designing for the Web. In Web
images, anti-aliasing can make file sizes larger and
cause stray colors to appear along the edges of
type. To avoid these issues, you may prefer to leave
text with jagged edges.
To turn anti-aliasing on:

Type layers with warp applied

Select the type layer in the Layers palette and do
one of the following:
• Choose Layer > Type > Anti-Alias On, or

choose Layer > Type > Anti-Alias Off.
• Select the Anti-aliased button

in the

options bar.

Note: You can’t warp to text that uses faux bold
formatting.
To warp type:

1 Select a type layer.
2 Do one of the following:

To turn anti-aliasing off:

• Select a type tool, and click the Warp button

in the options bar.

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

• Choose Layer > Type > Warp Text.

• Choose Layer > Type > Anti-Alias Off.

3 Choose a warp style from the Style pop-up

• Deselect the Anti-aliased button

menu.

in the

options bar.

Warping type layers
Warping allows you to distort type to conform to a
variety of shapes; for example, you can warp type
in the shape of an arc or a wave. Warping applies to
all characters on a type layer—you cannot warp
individual characters. The warp style you select
determines the basic shape of the warped layer,
while warping options let you control the orientation and perspective of the warp effect.

4 Select an orientation for the warp effect—
Horizontal or Vertical.
5 If desired, specify values for additional
warping options:
• Bend to specify the amount of warp.
• Horizontal Distortion and Vertical Distortion

to apply perspective to the warp.
6 Click OK.

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To unwarp type:

1 Select a type layer that has warping applied to it.
2 Select a type tool, and click the Warp button

in the options bar; or choose Layer > Type > Warp
Text.
3 Choose None from the Style pop-up menu,

and click OK.

Simplifying type layers
Simplifying a type layer converts it to a regular,
bitmap layer. Simplifying a type layer is necessary
when you want to paint on type or apply filters to
it. Once you simplify a type layer, you can no
longer edit its text.
To simplify a type layer:

1 Select a type layer in the Layers palette.
2 Choose Layer > Simplify Layer.

In the Layers palette, the layer thumbnail changes
from the type icon to a thumbnail of the
simplified text.

Note: Selecting and formatting characters in a type
layer puts the type tool into edit mode. You must
commit the changes before you can perform other
operations. (See “Entering text” on page 196.)

Selecting characters for formatting
Before you can format individual characters,
you must select them. You can select one character,
a range of characters, or all characters in a
type layer.
To select all the characters in a layer without
positioning the insertion point in the text flow,
select the type layer in the Layers palette, and then
double-click the layer’s type icon .
To select characters:

1 Select a type tool.
2 Select the type layer in the Layers palette,
or click in the text flow to automatically select a
type layer.
3 Position the insertion point in the text, and do

one of the following:
• Drag to select one or more characters.

Formatting text
Photoshop Elements gives you precise control over
individual characters in type layers, including
font, size, and color. You can set type attributes
before you enter characters, or reset them to
change the appearance of selected characters in a
type layer.

• Double-click to select a single word.
• Triple-click to select an entire line of text.
• Click in the text and then Shift-click to select a

range of characters.
• Choose Select > All to select all the characters in

the layer.
• To use the arrow keys to select characters,

hold down Shift and press the Right Arrow or
Left Arrow key.

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Choosing a font
A font is a set of characters— letters, numbers, or
symbols—that share a common weight, width,
and style. When you select a font, you can select
the font family and its type style independently. A
type style is a variant version of an individual font
in the font family (for example, Regular, Bold, or
Italic). The range of available type styles varies
with each font.
If a font doesn’t include the style you want, you
can apply faux (fake) versions of bold and italic. A
faux font is a computer-generated version of a font
that approximates an alternative typeface design,
used only if there is no corresponding font for a
given style.
To choose a font family and style:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
one or more characters whose font you want to
change. To change the font of all characters in a
layer, select the type layer in the Layers palette, and
then select a type tool.
2 In the options bar, choose a font family from
the Font Family pop-up menu.

You can choose a font family and style by typing
the desired name in the text box. As you type,
the name of the first font or style beginning with that
letter appears. Continue typing until the correct font
or style name appears. (Be sure to deselect the font
name before entering new type in the image.)
3 Do one of the following:
• Choose a font style from the Font Style pop-up

menu in the options bar.

• If the font family you chose does not include a

bold or italic style, click the Faux Bold button
, Faux Italic button , or both; then click OK.

Changing the type color
The type you enter gets its color from the current
foreground color; however, you can change the
type color before or after you enter type. When
editing existing type layers, you can change the
color of individual characters or all type in a layer.
You can also apply a gradient to text in a type layer.
(See “Applying gradient fill to text” on page 149.)
To change the type color:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
one or more characters whose color you want to
change. To change the color of all characters in a
layer, select the type layer in the Layers palette, and
then select a type tool.
2 In the options bar, click the color selection box,
and select a color using the Color Picker.

Applying underline and strikethrough
You can apply a line under horizontal type or to
the right side of vertical type. You can also apply a
line through horizontal or vertical type. The line is
always the same color as the type color.
To apply an underline or strikethrough:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
one or more characters whose font you want
to change.

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2 Do one or both of the following in the
options bar:

to apply a line
below horizontal type or on the left side of
vertical type.

Aligns the bottom edge of each type line in the
layer to the initial cursor position.

• Click the Underline button

• Click the Strikethrough button

to apply a line

through the middle of the type.

Aligning type
You can align type to change its relationship to the
initial cursor position (where you clicked when
you first entered the type). Alignment affects all
type on a layer.
To specify alignment:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select

the type layer in the Layers palette and then select
a type tool.
2 In the options bar, click an alignment option.

The options for horizontal type are:
Aligns the left edge of each type line in the layer
to the initial cursor position.
Aligns the center of each type line in the layer
to the initial cursor position.
Aligns the right edge of each type line in the
layer to the initial cursor position.
The options for vertical type are:

Choosing a type size
The type size determines how large the type
appears in the image. The default unit of
measurement for type is points. However, you can
change the unit of measurement in the Units &
Rulers section of the Preferences dialog box.
The physical size of the font depends on the
resolution of the image. 72-point text is approximately 1-inch high in an image that is 72 dpi.
Higher resolutions reduce the effective size of a
given text point size because the pixels are packed
more tightly in higher resolution images.
To choose a type size:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
one or more characters whose size you want to
change. To change the size of all characters in a
layer, select the type layer in the Layers palette, and
then select a type tool.
2 In the options bar, enter or select a new value
for Size. To use an alternate unit of measurement,
enter the unit (in, cm, pt, px, or pica) after the
value in the Size text box.

The value you enter is converted to the default
unit of measurement. You can enter a size
larger than 72 points.

Aligns the top edge of each type line in the layer
to the initial cursor position.

To specify the default unit of measurement for type:

Aligns the center of each type line in the layer
to the initial cursor position.

2 In Windows or Mac OS 9.x, choose Edit >

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers.

Preferences > Units & Rulers.

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3 In Mac OS X, choose Photoshop >
Preferences > Units & Rulers.
4 Select a unit of measurement for Type.

Creating a text selection border
When you use the horizontal type mask tool or
vertical type mask tool , you create a selection
in the shape of the type. Type selections appear on
the active layer, and can be moved, copied, filled,
or stroked just like any other selection. You can
also warp the text created with the type mask tools.
To create a type selection border:

1 Select the layer on which you want the selection
to appear. For best results, don’t create the type
selection border on a type layer.
2 Select the horizontal type mask tool

vertical type mask tool

or the

3 Select additional type options, and enter your
text.

The type selection border appears in the image on
the active layer.
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. Experiment with different options to personalize your images and compositions.

Horizontal type mask with type warp applied to create
filled selection

Setting options for Asian type
Photoshop Elements provides several options for
working with Asian type. Asian fonts are often
referred to as double-byte fonts or CJK fonts,
meaning Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts.

Displaying Asian text options
In order to view and set options for working with
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean type, you must
select Show Asian Text Options in the Preferences
dialog box. You can also control whether font
names are displayed in English or in the Asian
languages.
To display Asian type options:

Choose Edit > Preferences > General, and select
Show Asian Text Options.
To display Asian font names in English:

Choose Edit > Preferences > General, and select
Show Font Names in English.

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Adjusting tsume
Tsume reduces the space around a character by a
specified percentage value. The character itself is
not stretched or squeezed as a result. Instead, the
space around the character is compressed. When
tsume is added to a character, spacing around both
sides of the character is reduced by an equal
percentage.
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.

Before and after tate-chuu-yoko is applied
To turn on or turn off tate-chuu-yoko:

To reduce spacing between characters:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select

the type layer in the Layers palette and then select
a type tool.
2 Select the characters you want to adjust.
3 Click the Show Asian Text Options button
the options bar.

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
the type layer in the Layers palette and then select
a type tool.
2 Select the characters that you want to rotate.
3 Click the Asian Text Options button

4 Select a percentage for Tsume
from the popup menu, and press the Enter or Return key.

in the

options bar.
4 Select Tate-Chuu-Yoko, and press the Enter or
Return key.

Note: An em box is a space whose height and width
roughly correspond to the width of the letter “M,”
also called a mutton.

Note: Using tate-chuu-yoko does not prevent you
from editing and formatting type; you can edit and
apply formatting options to rotated characters as you
do with other characters.

Using tate-chuu-yoko

Using mojikumi

Tate-chuu-yoko (also called kumimoji and renmoji)
is a block of horizontal type laid out within a
vertical type line.

Mojikumi determines spacing between punctuation, symbols, numbers, and other character
classes in Japanese type. When mojikumi is turned
off, full-width spacing is applied to these
characters. When mojikumi is on, half-width
spacing is applied to these characters.

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Creating Shapes and Text

To turn on or turn off mojikumi:

1 If you’re working with an existing layer, select
the type layer in the Layers palette and then select
a type tool.
2 Click the Asian Text Options button
options bar.
3 Select Mojikumi, and press the Enter or
Return key.

Mojikumi on, and Mojikumi off

in the

205

Chapter 12: Optimizing Images for
the Web and E-mail
dobe Photoshop Elements lets you
optimize the display and file size of your
images for effective Web publishing and
for sharing through e-mail.

About creating images for the
Web and e-mail
Optimization is the process of compressing an
image and setting display options for use on the
World Wide Web or in e-mail. When you
distribute images via these mediums, creating
graphics with small file sizes is very important. In
general, the file size of an image should be small
enough to allow reasonable download times from
a Web server but large enough to represent desired
colors and details in the image.
There are three major graphic file formats used on
the Web: GIF, JPEG, and PNG. You can optimize
images in these formats using one of the following
methods:
• To create a Web site for your portfolio of images,

you can use the Web Photo Gallery command,
which automates the entire process for you.
Photoshop Elements produces thumbnail-sized
versions of your portfolio for viewers to
preview, Web pages for every image, and links
between the pages. For more information, see
“Creating Web photo galleries” on page 220.

• To precisely optimize an image for use in a Web

page authoring application, such as Adobe
GoLive®, you can use the Save for Web
command. The Save for Web dialog box lets you
preview your image in different file formats and
with different optimization settings. You can
also set transparency and animation settings.
For more information, see “Using the Save For
Web dialog box” on page 205.
• For basic optimization, you can use the Save As

command. Depending on the file format, you
can specify image quality, background transparency or matting, color display, and
downloading method. For more information,
see “Saving images in different file formats” on
page 226.

Using the Save For Web dialog
box
You use the Save For Web dialog box to choose
Web file formats, select compression and color
options, and preview your optimized image. In
addition, you can preserve background transparency or set background matting, and change
the image size.
To display the Save For Web dialog box:

Choose File > Save for Web, or click the Save for
Web button
in the shortcuts bar.

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Optimizing Images for the Web and E-mail

Viewing images during optimization

2 Drag in the view area to pan over the image.

You use a dual-image window to see both your
original and optimized images in the Save For Web
dialog box. This view lets you compare the two
images and determine which optimization settings
work best. If some areas of an image aren’t visible,
you can use the hand tool to bring those areas into
view. You can also use the zoom tool to magnify or
reduce the view.

To zoom in or zoom out:

Do one of the following:
• Select the zoom tool

in the Save For Web
dialog box, and click in a view to zoom in.

• Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS)

and click in a view to zoom out.
• Choose a magnification level from the Zoom

To navigate in a view:

pop-up menu, or enter a value in the Zoom text
box, and then press Tab on your keyboard.

1 Select the hand tool
in the Save For Web
dialog box, or hold down the spacebar.

A
B

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

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Viewing optimization information

2 Choose a display option:

Underneath your image in the Save For Web dialog
box, the annotation area provides valuable optimization information. The annotation for the
original image shows the file name and file size.
The annotation for the optimized image shows the
current optimization settings, the size of the
optimized file, and the estimated download time
based upon the selected internet access speed.

• Uncompensated Color (the default option) to

To view your image’s estimated download time:

• Document Color Profile to view the image with

1 Click the triangle

located to the right of the
optimized image to view the Preview pop-up
menu.
2 Choose an Internet access speed, including

modem, ISDN, cable, or DSL internet access.
When you change the internet access speed, the
estimated download time in the annotation area 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.

Previewing variations in color display
When optimizing an image for the Web, consider
how the image will appear on different monitors.
In general, an image appears darker on Windows
system than on Mac OS computers You can
simulate cross-platform display differences in the
Save For Web dialog box.
To preview variations in color display:

1 Click the triangle to the right of the
optimized image to view the Preview pop-up
menu.

view the image with no color adjustment.
• Standard Windows Color to view the image

with color adjusted to simulate a standard
Windows monitor.
• Standard Macintosh Color to view the image

with color adjusted to simulate a standard
Macintosh monitor.
its color profile if one exists for it. For more
information on color profiles, see “Setting up
color management” on page 31.
Note: These preview options adjust color display
only in the Save For Web dialog box; they don’t
change colors in the original or optimized image.

Choosing a file format
for the Web
The file format you choose for a Web image is
determined by the color, tonal, and graphic
characteristics of the original image. In general,
continuous-tone images, such as photographs,
should be compressed as JPEG files. Illustrations
with large areas of solid colors and crisp details,
such as type, should be compressed as GIF or
PNG-8 files. In addition, to animate an image, you
must save it as a GIF file.
PNG-24 file format is suitable for continuous-tone
images. However, PNG-24 files are often much
larger than JPEG files of the same image. PNG-24
format is recommended only when you are
working with a continuous-tone image that

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Optimizing Images for the Web and E-mail

includes multilevel transparency. (Unlike the
PNG-24 format, the JPEG format doesn’t support
transparency. See “Making transparent and
matted images” on page 214.)

A photograph suitable for compression as a JPEG or PNG-24
image, and artwork suitable for compression as a GIF or
PNG-8 image

Choose a format that contains sufficient bit depth
to display the colors in the image. PNG-8 and GIF
files support 8-bit color, so they can display up to
256 colors. JPEG and PNG-24 files support 24-bit
color, so they can display up to 16 million colors.
Depending on the format, you can specify image
quality, background transparency or matting,
color display, and how browsers display the image
while it downloads.

About JPEG format
The JPEG format supports 24-bit color, so it
preserves the broad range and subtle variations in
brightness and hue found in photographs and
other continuous-toned images. A progressive
JPEG file displays a low-resolution version of the
image in the Web browser while the full image is
downloading. JPEG is supported by most
browsers.
JPEG format compresses file size by selectively
discarding data. Because it discards data, JPEG
compression is referred to as lossy. A higher quality
setting results in less data being discarded, but the
JPEG compression method may still degrade
sharp detail in an image, particularly in images
containing type or vector art.
Note: Artifacts, such as wave-like patterns or blocky
areas of banding, are created each time you save an
image in JPEG format. Therefore, you should always
save JPEG files from the original image, not from a
previously saved JPEG.

The appearance of an image on the Web also
depends on the colors displayed by the computer
platform, operating system, monitor, and browser.
Preview images in different browsers on different
platforms to see how they will appear on the Web.
Original image, and optimized JPEG with Low quality setting

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The JPEG format does not support animation or
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. If your image contains transparency and you do not know the Web page
background color, or if the background is a
pattern, you should use a format that supports
transparency (GIF, PNG-8, or PNG-24).

About GIF format
The GIF format uses 8-bit color and efficiently
compresses solid areas of color while preserving
sharp details like those in line art, logos, or type.
You also use the GIF format to create an animated
image and preserve transparency in an image. GIF
is supported by most browsers.
The GIF format uses LZW compression, which is a
lossless compression method. However, because
GIF files are limited to 256 colors, optimizing an
original 24-bit image as an 8-bit GIF can subtract
colors from an image.

You can choose the number of colors in a GIF
image and select options to control how colors
dither in a browser. GIF supports background
transparency or background matting, in which
you blend the edges of the image with a Web page
background color. (See “Previewing and
controlling dithering” on page 216.)

About PNG-8 format
The PNG-8 format uses 8-bit color. Like the GIF
format, PNG-8 efficiently compresses areas of
solid color while preserving sharp detail like those
in line art, logos, or type.
Because PNG-8 is not supported by all browsers,
you may want to avoid this format when your
image must be accessible to a wide audience. For
more information on browser support for PNG,
see your browser’s documentation.
The PNG-8 format uses a more advanced
compression schemes than GIF, so 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.
Note: With certain images, especially those with
simple patterns and few colors, GIF compression can
create a smaller file than PNG-8 compression. View
optimized images in GIF and PNG-8 format to
compare file size.

GIF image with Selective color, and GIF image with Web color

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Optimizing Images for the Web and E-mail

As with the GIF format, you can choose the
number of colors in an image and select options to
control how colors dither in a browser. The PNG8 format supports background transparency and
background matting, in which you blend the edges
of the image with a Web page background color.
(See “Previewing and controlling dithering” on
page 216.)

In addition to supporting background transparency and background matting, the PNG-24
format supports multilevel transparency. Multilevel transparency allows you to preserve up to
256 levels of transparency, so you can blend the
edges of an image smoothly with any background
color. However, multilevel transparency is not
supported by all browsers.

Optimizing Web images
Optimization settings appear on the right side of
the Save For Web dialog box. You can quickly
choose predefined settings, or select formatspecific options to fine-tune the results of optimization.
PNG-8 with 256 colors and no dither, and PNG-8 with
16 colors and dithering

About PNG-24 format
The PNG-24 format supports 24-bit color. Like
the JPEG format, PNG-24 preserves the broad
range of colors and subtle variations in brightness
and hue found in photographs. Like the GIF and
PNG-8 formats, PNG-24 preserves sharp details
like those in line art, logos, or type.
The PNG-24 format uses the same lossless
compression method as the PNG-8 format.
For that reason, PNG-24 files are usually larger
than JPEG files of the same image. PNG-24
browser support is similar to that for PNG-8, so
you may want to avoid this format when your
image must be accessible to a wide audience.

Using predefined optimization settings
You can quickly and easily optimize an image for
the Web by choosing a predefined optimization
setting. Predefined settings are tailored to meet the
optimization needs of different types of images.
(See “Choosing a file format for the Web” on
page 207.)
The name of each predefined setting reflects its file
format and quality level. For example, choose
JPEG High to optimize an image in JPEG format
with High image quality and low compression.
Choose GIF 32 Dithered to optimize an image in
GIF format, reduce the number of colors to 32,
and apply dithering.

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User Guide

When you change the options in a predefined
setting, the Settings menu displays the term
“Custom.” You cannot save a custom setting;
however, the current settings appear in the Save for
Web dialog box the next time you display it.

A
B
C

Optimization options for JPEG format
A. Optimization format B. Compression Quality
pop-up menu C. Compression Quality slider
To optimize an image in JPEG format:

1 Choose JPEG for the optimization format.
2 To create an enhanced JPEG with a slightly

smaller file size, select Optimized. The Optimized
JPEG format is recommended for maximum file
compression; however, some older browsers do
not support this feature.
3 Do one of the following to specify the
compression level:
Predefined Web optimization settings
To apply a predefined optimization setting to
an image:

1 Choose a setting name from the Settings pop-

up menu, and click OK.
2 In the Save Optimized As dialog box, type a

filename, and click Save.

Setting optimization options for JPEG
format
JPEG is the standard format for compressing
continuous-tone images such as photographs.
(See “About JPEG format” on page 208.)

• Choose an option from the Quality

pop-up menu.
• Drag the Quality pop-up slider. (See “Using

pop-up sliders” on page 16.)
• Enter a value between 0 and 100 in the Quality

text box.
The higher the Quality setting, the more detail is
preserved in the optimized image. However, a high
Quality setting results in a larger file size than a low
Quality setting. View the optimized image at
several quality settings to determine the best
balance of quality and file size.

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4 Select Progressive to create an image that
displays progressively in a Web browser.
Progressive images display first at a low resolution,
and then at progressively higher resolutions as the
image downloads. If you chose Optimized to
create a smaller file, the Progressive option won’t
be available.

areas of solid color while preserving sharp detail;
however, not all Web browsers can display PNG-8
files. (See “About PNG-8 format” on page 209.)

A
B
C

Note: Progressive JPEGs are not supported by some
browsers.
5 To preserve the ICC profile of the original image

with the optimized file, select ICC Profile.
ICC profiles are used by some browsers for color
correction. The ICC profile of the image depends
on your current color setting. (See “About color
management” on page 31.)
6 If the original image contains transparency,

select a Matte color that matches the background
of your Web page. Transparent areas in your
original image are filled with the Matte color. (See
“Making transparent and matted images” on
page 214.)
7 To save your optimized image, click OK. In the

Save Optimized As dialog box, type a filename,
and click Save.

Setting optimization options for GIF and
PNG-8 formats
GIF is the standard format for compressing images
with large areas of solid colors and crisp details like
those in line art, logos, or type. (See “About GIF
format” on page 209.) Like the GIF format, PNG-8
supports transparency, and efficiently compresses

Optimization options for GIF format:
A. Optimization format B. Color reduction
algorithm C. Dither algorithm

GIF format and PNG-8 format can use up to 256
colors to describe an image. The process of determining which colors to use is called indexing, so
images in GIF and PNG-8 formats are sometimes
called indexed color images. To convert an image to
indexed color, Photoshop Elements builds a color
lookup table, which stores and indexes the colors
in the image. If a color in the original image does
not appear in the color lookup table, the application either chooses the closest color in the table
or simulates the color using a combination of
available colors.
To optimize an image in GIF or PNG-8 format:

1 Choose GIF or PNG-8 for the optimization

format.
2 Select Interlaced to create an image that displays

at low-resolution in a browser while the fullresolution image is downloading. Interlacing can
make downloading time seem shorter and assures
viewers that downloading is in progress.

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3 Choose a color reduction algorithm for gener-

ating the color lookup table:
• Perceptual to create a custom color table by

giving priority to colors for which the human
eye has greater sensitivity.
• Selective to create a color table similar to the

Perceptual color table, but favoring broad areas
of color and the preservation of Web colors.
This color table usually produces images with
the greatest color integrity. (Selective is the
default choice.)
• Adaptive to create a custom color table by

sampling colors from the spectrum appearing
most commonly in the image. For example, an
image with only shades of green and blue
produces a color table made primarily of greens
and blues. Most images concentrate colors in
particular areas of the spectrum.
• Web to use the standard, Web-safe 216-color

color table common to the 8-bit (256-color)
palettes of Windows and Mac OS. This option
ensures that no browser dither is applied to
colors when the image is displayed using 8-bit
color. If your image has fewer than 216 colors,
unused colors are removed from the table. (See
“Previewing and controlling dithering” on
page 216.)
• Custom to preserve the current color table as a

fixed palette that does not update when you
change the image.
4 To specify the maximum number of colors in

the color palette, select a number from the Colors
pop-up menu, enter a value in the text box, or click
the arrows to change the number of colors. If the

image contains fewer colors than the palette, the
color table reflects the smaller number of colors
that are in the image.
If you chose either Web or Custom for the color
reduction algorithm, you can choose Auto in the
Colors menu. Choose Auto if you want Photoshop
Elements to determine the optimal number of
colors in the color table based on the frequency of
colors in the image.
5 Choose a dithering algorithm option from the

pop-up menu. If you choose Diffusion, specify a
percentage for Dither. (See “Previewing and
controlling dithering” on page 216.)
6 If the image contains transparency, select
Transparency to preserve transparent pixels;
deselect Transparency to fill fully and partially
transparent pixels with the matte color. (See
“Making transparent and matted images” on
page 214.)
7 To create an animated GIF, select Animate. See

“Setting up animated GIFs” on page 219.
8 To save your optimized image, click OK. In the

Save Optimized As dialog box, type a filename,
and click Save.

Setting optimization options for PNG-24
format
PNG-24 format is suitable for compressing
continuous-tone images. However, PNG-24 files
are often much larger than JPEG files of the same
image. PNG-24 format is recommended only
when working with a continuous-tone image that
includes multilevel transparency. (See “About
PNG-24 format” on page 210.)

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To optimize an image in PNG-24 format:

1 Choose PNG-24 for the optimization format.
2 Select Interlaced to create an image that displays

at low-resolution in a browser while the fullresolution image is downloading. Interlacing can
make downloading time seem shorter, and assures
viewers that downloading is in progress.
3 If the image contains transparency, select Trans-

parency to preserve transparent pixels; deselect
Transparency to fill fully and partially transparent
pixels with the Matte color. (See “Making transparent and matted images” on page 214.)

Background matting, supported by the GIF, PNG,
and JPEG formats, simulates transparency by
filling or blending transparent pixels with a matte
color that can match 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.
To create background transparency or background
matting in the optimized image, the original
image must contain transparency. You can create
transparency when you create a new layer or use
the eraser tools. (See “Adding layers” on page 95
and “Erasing” on page 142.)

4 To save your optimized image, click OK. In the

Save Optimized As dialog box, type a filename,
and click Save.

Making transparent and matted
images
Transparency makes it possible to create non
rectangular images for the Web. Background
transparency, supported by the GIF and PNG
formats, preserves transparent pixels in the image.
These pixels allow a Web page background color
or background image to show through the transparent areas of your image.

Preserving transparency in GIF and PNG
images
GIF and PNG-8 formats support one level of
transparency—pixels can be fully transparent or
fully opaque, but not partially transparent.
PNG-24 format, however, supports multilevel
transparency, letting you preserve up to 256 levels
of transparency in an image.
To preserve background transparency in a GIF or
PNG image:

1 Open or create an image that contains transparency, and choose File > Save for Web.
2 In the Save For Web dialog box, select GIF,
PNG-8, or PNG-24 as the optimization format.
3 Select Transparency.

Web button without transparency and with transparency

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4 For GIF and PNG-8 format, specify how to treat
partially transparent pixels in the original image.
You can blend these pixels with a matte color, or
you can create hard-edged transparency. (See
“Creating background matting in GIF and PNG
images” on page 215, and “Creating hard-edged
transparency in GIF and PNG-8 images” on
page 215.)

To create a matted GIF or PNG image:

1 Open or create an image that contains transparency, and choose File > Save for Web.
2 In the Save For Web dialog box, select GIF,
PNG-8, or PNG-24 as the optimization format.
3 For GIF and PNG-8 format, do one of the
following:
• To keep fully transparent pixels transparent,

Creating background matting in GIF and
PNG images
When you know the background color of the Web
page on which an image will be displayed, you can
use the matting feature to fill or blend transparent
pixels with a matte color that matches the Web
page background.
The results of matting GIF and PNG-8 images
depend on the Transparency option:
• If you select Transparency, partially transparent

pixels are filled with the matte color, and fully
transparent pixels remain transparent. When
you place the image on a Web page, the edges of
the image blend with the background, which
shows through the fully transparent pixels. This
option prevents the halo effect that results when
you place an anti-aliased image on a Web page
background that differs from the image
background. This option also prevents the
jagged edges of hard-edged transparency.
• If you deselect Transparency, fully transparent

pixels are filled with the matte color, and
partially transparent pixels are blended with the
matte color.

and blend partially transparent pixels with the
matte color, select Transparency.
• To fill transparent pixels with the matte color

and blend partially transparent pixels with the
matte color, deselect Transparency.
4 Select a color from the Matte pop-up menu:
Eyedropper (to use the color in the eyedropper
sample box), White, Black, or Other (to select a
color using the Color Picker).

Creating hard-edged transparency in GIF
and PNG-8 images
When working with GIF or PNG-8 files, you can
create hard-edged transparency. With hard-edge
transparency, all pixels that are more than 50%
transparent in the original image are fully transparent in the optimized image, and all pixels that
are more than 50% opaque in the original image
are fully opaque in the optimized image. Use hardedged transparency when you don’t know the
background color of a Web page, or when the Web
page background contains a texture or pattern.
However, keep in mind that hard-edged transparency can cause jagged edges in the image.

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2 In the Save For Web dialog box, select JPEG as
the optimization format.
3 Select a color from the Matte pop-up menu:
None, Eyedropper (to use the color in the
eyedropper sample box), White, Black, or Other
(to select a color using the color picker).

GIF without hard-edged transparency, and with hard-edged
transparency
To create hard-edged transparency in a GIF or
PNG-8 file:

1 Open or create an image that contains transparency, and choose File > Save for Web.
2 In the Save For Web dialog box, select GIF or
PNG-8 as the optimization format.
3 Select Transparency.
4 Select None from the Matte pop-up menu.

Creating background matting in JPEG
images
Though the JPEG format does not support transparency, you can specify a matte color to simulate
the appearance of transparency in the original
image. The matte color fills fully transparent pixels
and blends with partially transparent pixels. When
you place the JPEG on a Web page with a
background that matches the matte color, the
image appears to blend with the background.
To create a matted JPEG image:

1 Open or create an image that contains trans-

parency, and choose File > Save for Web.

Note: When you select None, white is used as the
matte color.

Previewing and controlling
dithering
Most Web images are created by designers using
using 24-bit color displays (which display over 16
million colors), but some users view Web pages on
computers with 8-bit color displays (which display
only 256 colors). As a result, Web images often
contain colors not available on some computers.
Computers use a technique called dithering to
simulate colors they can’t display. Dithering uses
adjacent pixels of different colors to give the
appearance of a third color. For example, a red
color and a yellow color may dither in a mosaic
pattern to produce the illusion of an orange color
that the 8-bit color palette doesn’t contain.
When optimizing images, keep in mind that two
kinds of dithering can occur:
• Application dither occurs in GIF and PNG-8

images when Photoshop Elements attempts to
simulate colors that aren’t in the current color
table. You can control application dither by
choosing a dithering pattern, or you can try to
avoid application dither by adding more colors
to the table.

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• Browser dither occurs when a Web browser

using an 8-bit color display (256-color mode)
attempts to simulate colors that aren’t in the 8bit color palette. Browser dither can occur with
GIF, PNG, or JPEG images. In Photoshop
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.

To control application dither:

1 Choose an option from the Dither Algorithm

pop-up menu:
• No Dither to apply no application dither to

the image.
• Diffusion to apply a random pattern that is

usually less noticeable than Pattern dither. The
dither effects are diffused across adjacent pixels.
• Pattern to apply a halftone-like square pattern

to simulate any colors not in the color table.

Previewing and controlling application
dither
You can preview application dither in GIF and
PNG-8 images. The Dither Algorithm pop-up
menu lets you choose a dithering method for the
image. Images with primarily solid colors may
work well without dithering. Conversely, images
with continuous-tone color (especially color
gradients) may require dithering to prevent color
banding.

GIF image without dithering produces banding, GIF image
with Diffusion dither set to 100% dither simulates continuous
tones

• Noise to apply a random pattern similar to the

Diffusion dither method, but without diffusing
the pattern across adjacent pixels. Unlike the
Diffusion method, no seams appear with the
Noise dither method.
If you chose Diffusion as the dithering algorithm,
drag the Dither slider, or enter a value to select a
dithering percentage.
The Dither percentage controls the amount of
dithering that is applied to the image. A higher
dithering percentage creates the appearance of
more colors and more detail in an image, but can
also increase the file size. For optimal compression
and display quality, use the lowest percentage of
application dither that provides the color detail
you require.

Previewing browser dither
You can preview browser dither directly in
Photoshop Elements or in a browser that uses an
8-bit color display (256-color mode).

218 CHAPTER 12
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To preview browser dither:

To add a browser to the Preview pop-up menu:

Choose Browser Dither from the document panel
menu in the Save For Web dialog box. (To view the
menu, click the triangle near the upper right
corner of the document panel.)

1 Create a shortcut (Windows) or alias (Mac OS)

To preview browser dither in a browser:

1 Set your computer’s color display to 8-bit color
(256 colors). See your computer operating
system’s documentation for information on
changing the color display.
2 Select a browser from the Preview pop-up

menu in the Save For Web dialog box.

for the browser you want to add to the menu. (For
more information on creating shortcuts or aliases,
see your operating system documentation.)
2 Drag the icon for the shortcut or alias into the
Preview In folder, located in the Helpers folder in
the Photoshop Elements program folder.
3 Restart Photoshop Elements.

Saving optimized images
You must save an optimized image before you can
use it on the Web.

Minimizing browser dither
Using colors in the Web palette ensures that colors
won’t dither when displayed on Windows or
Macintosh systems capable of displaying 256
colors. When creating an original image, you can
use the Color Picker to choose Web-safe colors.
(See “Using Web-safe colors” on page 132.)

To save an optimized image:

1 Apply optimization settings in the Save For Web
dialog box, and click OK. (See “Optimizing Web
images” on page 210.)
2 Type a filename, and choose a location for the
optimized file.
3 Click Save.

Previewing an image in a
browser
You can preview an optimized image in any Web
browser installed on your system. The browser
preview displays the image with a caption listing
the image’s file type, pixel dimensions, file size,
compression specifications, and other HTML
information.
To preview an optimized image in a Web browser:

In the Save For Web dialog box, choose a browser
from the Preview In pop-up menu, or click the
browser icon to launch your default Web browser.

Creating animated GIFs
Some animations that you view in a Web browser
are called 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.

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Setting up animated GIFs

2 Choose File > Save for Web, or click the Save for

To create an animated GIF file, you work with
layers. Each layer becomes a frame when
Photoshop Elements generates an optimized
animation. For more information about working
with layers, see “About layers” on page 91.

Web button

in the shortcuts bar.

Note: If your image has multiple layers, you can also
open the Save for Web dialog box from the Save As
dialog box by choosing CompuServe GIF format and
selecting Layers As Frames.
3 Optimize the image in GIF format. (See “Using
predefined optimization settings” on page 210 or,
“Setting optimization options for GIF and PNG-8
formats” on page 212.)
4 Select Animate.
5 Set additional options in the Animation section
of the dialog box:
• Loop to continuously repeat the animation in a

Web browser.
• Frame Delay to specify the number of seconds

that each frame is displayed in a Web browser.
Use a decimal value to specify fractions of a
second. For example, use .25 to specify onequarter of a second.
Images in separate layers can be sequenced together to create
an animation
To set up an animated GIF:

1 Place the images you want to appear in each
frame of the animation on separate layers. For
example, to create an animation of an eye
blinking, you would place an image of the open
eye on one layer, and an image of the eye closed on
another layer.

Previewing animated GIFs
You can preview an animation in the Save For Web
dialog box or in a Web browser. The Save For Web
dialog box shows the animation as still frames. You
must preview the animation in a browser to view
the frames in timed sequence.

220 CHAPTER 12
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To preview an animation in the Save For Web
dialog box:

Do one of the following:
• Click the Next Frame button

to view the next

Sizes pop-up menu.
3 To modify the banner size, enter new dimen-

• Click the Previous Frame button

to view the

previous frame in the animation.
to view the last

frame in the animation.
• Click the First Frame button

1 Choose File > New.
2 Choose 468 x 60 Web Banner from the Preset

frame in the animation.

• Click the Last Frame button

To create a Web banner:

sions in the Width and Height text boxes.
4 Click OK.
5 To create an animated Web banner, see

“Creating animated GIFs” on page 218.
to view the first

frame in the animation.

6 When you’re done designing your Web banner,
optimize the image using the Save For Web dialog
box. (See “Optimizing Web images” on page 210.)

To preview an animation in a Web browser:

1 Choose a browser from the Preview pop-up

menu, or click the browser icon to launch your
default Web browser.
2 Use the browser’s Stop and Refresh or Reload

commands to stop or replay the animation.

Opening animated GIFs
You can open an existing animated GIF file using
the Open command. For each frame in the file,
Photoshop Elements creates a layer. To view a
specific frame in the document window, make the
layer for that frame visible in the Layers palette,
and hide other layers. (See “Using the Layers
palette” on page 94.)

Creating Web banners
You use the Web Banner preset size to design an
image banner with dimensions that are suitable for
Web viewing.

Creating Web photo galleries
You use the Create Web Photo Gallery command
to automatically generate a Web photo gallery
from a set of images. A Web photo gallery is a Web
site that features a home page with thumbnail
images and gallery pages with full-size images.
Each page contains links that allow visitors to
navigate the site. For example, when a visitor clicks
a thumbnail image on the home page, a gallery
page with the associated full-size image loads.
Photoshop Elements provides a variety of gallery
styles, which you can select using the Create Web
Photo Gallery command. After creating a photo
gallery in Photoshop Elements, you can customize
the Web pages in any Web page authoring program
such as Adobe GoLive.
To create a Web photo gallery:

1 Choose File > Create Web Photo Gallery.

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2 Choose a gallery style from the Styles pop-up

menu. A preview of the home page for the chosen
style appears on the right side of the dialog box.
3 To display your e-mail address in the gallery,

enter your e-mail address in the textbox.
Note: Some gallery styles don’t display e-mail
addresses.
4 In the Folders section, click Browse (Windows)
or Choose (Mac OS). Then select the folder
containing the images that you want to appear in
the gallery, and click OK. Select Include All
Subfolders to include images inside any subfolders
of the selected folder.
5 Click Destination. Then select a folder to
contain optimized images and HTML pages for
the gallery, and click OK.
6 If you chose Table from the Styles pop-up
menu, you can click Background to select a JPEG
image for the table’s background.
7 If the Options section is unavailable, skip to step

12. (Some gallery styles don’t have options.)
8 To set options for the text banner that appears

on each page in the gallery, choose Banner from
the Options pop-up menu. Then do the following:
• For Site Name, enter the title of the gallery. The

title also appears in the browsers title bar.
• For Photographer, enter the name of the person

or organization that deserves credit for the
photos in the gallery.
• For Contact Info, enter the photographer or

organization’s contact information, such as an
address, phone number, and e-mail address.

• For Date, enter the date that you want to appear

on each page of the gallery. By default,
Photoshop Elements uses the current date.
• For Font and Font Size, choose options for the

banner text.
9 To set options for the gallery pages that display

full-sized images, choose Large Images from the
Options pop-up menu. Then do the following:
• To resize the source images on the gallery pages,

select Resize Images, and then choose a preset
image size from the pop-up menu, or enter a
specific size in pixels. To keep the width and
height proportional, choose Both from the
Constrain menu; to resize only one dimension
choose Width or Height. To set JPEG Quality,
choose an option from the pop-up menu, enter
a value between 0 and 12, or drag the File Size
slider (higher values produce better image
quality but increase file size).
• To create a border around each image, enter the

width in pixels in the Border Size text box.
• To label gallery pages, select from the Titles Use

options: Filename, Title, Caption, and
Copyright Notice. (You specify an image’s title,
caption, and copyright notice in the File Info
dialog box. See “Adding file information” on
page 234.)
• From the Font and Font Size pop-up menus,

choose options for the label text.
10 To set options for the home page, choose

Thumbnails from the Options pop-up menu.
Then do the following:
• For Size, choose a preset option from the pop-

up menu or enter a specific width in pixels.

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• If you chose the Simple, Table, or Wet gallery

style in step 2, you can enter the number of
columns and rows for the thumbnails in the
Columns and Rows text boxes.
• To create a border around each thumbnail, enter

the width in pixels in the Border Size text box.
• To label thumbnails, select options from the

Titles Use options: Filename, Title, Caption,
and Copyright Notice. (You specify an image’s
title, caption, and copyright notice in the File
Info dialog box. See “Adding file information”
on page 234.)

13 Click OK to create the gallery.

Photoshop Elements places the following HTML
and JPEG files in your destination folder:
• A home page for your gallery named index.htm.

Open this file in any Web browser to preview
your gallery.
• JPEG images inside an images subfolder.
• HTML pages inside a pages subfolder.
• JPEG thumbnail images inside a thumbnails

subfolder.
• Additional Web files for some gallery styles.

• From the Font and Font Size pop-up menus,

choose options for the label text.
11 To color elements in the gallery, choose

Custom Colors from the Options pop-up menu.
To change the color of a particular element, click
its color swatch, and then select a new color using
the Color Picker. For example, to change the
background color of each page, click the
Background swatch; to change the background
color of the text banner, click the banner swatch.
12 To superimpose copyright information over

the full-sized images, choose Security from the
Options pop-up menu. From the Content pop-up
menu, choose either Custom Text to enter text or
another option to include text from the File Info
dialog box. (To learn how to use the File Info
dialog box, see “Adding file information” on
page 234.) To set how the security text appears, use
the Font, Font Size, Color, Opacity, Position, and
Rotate pop-up menus. To choose a custom color,
click the color swatch or choose Custom from the
Color menu to select a color in the color picker.

Sending images with an e-mail
message
When you want to share your photos and images
with friends and family, you can quickly attach
images to an e-mail message with the click of a
button.
Note: This feature works with your existing internet
account and e-mail application. If you haven’t setup
your internet access and an e-mail account, your
system may prompt you to do so. See you operating
system, internet access, or e-mail application
documentation.
To attach an image to an e-mail message:

1 In Photoshop Elements, open the image you
want to e-mail.
2 Click the Attach To E-mail button
in the
shortcuts bar, or choose File > Attach to E-mail.

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Note: If you’ve made any changes to your image,
Photoshop Elements prompts you to save your image
before you e-mail it.
3 If your image is not in JPEG format, is larger
than 1200 pixels in either dimension, or includes
properties that aren’t supported by the JPEG
format, the Attach To E-mail dialog box appears.
Click one of the following:
• Auto Convert to save a copy of your original

image as a JPEG file with medium compression.
• Send As Is to e-mail your image in its current

format, size, and color mode.
4 In your default e-mail application, a new e-mail
message appears with your image attached to it.
Enter an e-mail address in the To text box, and
send the message.

225

Chapter 13: Saving Images
dobe Photoshop Elements supports a
variety of file formats to suit a wide range
of output needs. You can save or export
your image to any of these formats.

To save changes to the current file:

Choose File > Save, or click the Save button
the shortcuts bar.

To save an image with a different name and location:

Saving images
Photoshop Elements can save images to various
file formats. (See “Saving images in different file
formats” on page 226.) While you’re developing an
image, you should always save your work in
Photoshop (PSD) format. This practice ensures
that all of the image data is saved.
When you’re finished developing an image, you
can save it in an alternate file format. The file
format you choose depends on how you plan to
use the image.
You can use the following commands to
save images:
Save to save changes you’ve made to the current

file in the current format. (If the file has never been
saved before, you get the Save As dialog.)

1 Choose File > Save As.
2 Type a filename, and choose a location for
the file.
3 Apply any appropriate file saving options. See
“Setting file saving options” on page 225 for
available options.
4 Click Save.

Setting file saving options
In the Save As dialog box, select one or more of the
following options:
As a Copy Saves a copy of the file while keeping the

current file open in Photoshop Elements. The
copy is saved to the same directory as the current
open file.
Layers Preserves all layers in the image. If this

Save As to save an image to a different location,
filename, and/or format. The available options
vary depending on the format you choose. See
“Setting file saving options” on page 225 for more
information.

option is disabled or unavailable, there are no
layers in the image. If you see the warning icon
at the Layers check box the layers in your image are
automatically flattened or merged for the selected
format. To preserve layers, select another format.

Save for Web to save an image optimized for the
Web. (See “Saving optimized images” on
page 218.)

ICC Profile (Windows), or Embed Color Profile
(Mac OS) Embeds a color profile in the image for

certain formats.

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Thumbnail (Windows) Saves thumbnail data for
the file. In order to select or deselect this option,
you must choose Ask When Saving for the Image
Previews option in the Preferences dialog box.
(See “Setting preferences for saving files” on
page 233.)
Image Previews options (Mac OS) Saves

thumbnail data for the file. Thumbnails display in
the Open dialog box. You can set these image
preview options:
• Icon to use the preview as a file icon on the

desktop.
• Full Size to save a 72-ppi version for use in

applications that can only open low-resolution
Photoshop Elements images.
• Macintosh Thumbnail to display the preview in

the Open dialog box.
• Windows Thumbnail to save a preview that can

display on Windows systems. Keep in mind that
Windows thumbnails increase the size of files as
delivered by Web servers.
Use Lower Case Extensions (Windows) makes the

file extension lowercase.
File Extension options (Mac OS) specifies the file

extension for the selected file format. Select
Append to add the format’s extension to the
filename and Use Lower Case to make the
extension lowercase.

Saving images in different file
formats
Different file formats cater to the needs of different
applications. The file format you choose depends
on the content of your image and how you plan to
use it. For example, you’re saving an image for use
on the Web, you should choose JPEG, GIF, or PNG
format.
You can save individual images in different
formats using File > Save As. You can convert
several images to the same file format, or the same
size and resolution, using the Batch command. See
“Using the Batch command” on page 234.
Until you’ve finished creating an image and have
decided how you want to use it, you should save
the image in Photoshop format (PSD) which is the
default file format. Saving your image in the
Photoshop format guarantees that you will be able
to access all of the image data when you reopen the
image.
If you choose a format that does not support all of
the data in an image, a warning appears at the
bottom of the Save As dialog box. If you see this
warning, save a copy of the file in Photoshop
format in order to support all of the image data.
To save an image in a different file format:

1 Choose File > Save As.

About File Extensions Unix file servers are often

2 Specify a filename and location.

used to help send information over networks and
the Internet. Some of these Unix servers do not
recognize uppercase extension. To make sure your
images arrive at their destinations, use lower case
extensions.

3 Choose a format from the following “Saving

in...” topics. With some image formats, a formatspecific dialog box appears after you click save.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 227
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Saving in BMP format

To save a file in GIF format:

BMP is a standard Windows image format on
Windows-compatible computers. You can specify
either Microsoft® Windows or OS/2® format and a
bit depth for the image. For 4-bit and 8-bit images
using Windows format, you can also specify RLE
compression (see “About file compression” on
page 232).

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose

Saving in Filmstrip format
Filmstrip format lets you open, edit, and save
movie files created in Adobe Premiere®. (To use
this feature, Adobe Premiere must be installed on
your system.) If you resize, resample, change the
color mode, or change the file format of a
Filmstrip file, or save a selection, in Photoshop
Elements, you won’t be able to save it back to
Filmstrip format. For further guidelines, see the
Adobe Premiere User Guide.

Saving in GIF format
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is the file
format commonly used to display graphics and
images, and to create and display small animations, in Web pages. GIF is an LZW-compressed
format designed to minimize file size and
electronic transfer time. For information on when
to use GIF format to optimize images, see
“Choosing a file format for the Web” on page 207.
You can save an image as one or more GIF files
using the Save for Web command. (See
“Optimizing Web images” on page 210.)

CompuServe GIF Format from the format list.
2 Specify a location, select saving options (as
described in “Saving images” on page 225), and
click Save.
3 Your image as automatically saved as a copy
(unless it's already in Indexed Color mode), in the
specified directory.
4 If necessary, deselect the Layers as Frames
option.
5 Specify a filename and location, and click Save.
6 For RGB images, the Indexed Color dialog box
appears. Specify conversion options as described
in “Choosing an image mode” on page 54, and
click OK.
7 In the GIF Options dialog box, select a row
order for the GIF file and click OK:
• Normal to create an image that displays in a

browser only when it is fully downloaded.
• Interlaced to create an image that displays as

low-resolution versions in a browser while the
full image file is downloading. Interlacing can
make downloading time seem shorter and
assures viewers that downloading is in progress.
However, interlacing also increases file size.
To save an animated GIF file:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose

CompuServe GIF from the format list.

228 CHAPTER 13
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2 Select the Layers as Frames option, specify a
filename and location, and click Save.

4 Do one of the following to specify the
image quality:

When the Save for Web dialog box appears, set
optimization options as described in “Optimizing
Web images” on page 210.

• Choose an option from the Quality menu.

Saving in JPEG format
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format
is commonly used to save photographs and other
continuous-tone images. JPEG format retains all
color information in an image but compresses file
size by selectively discarding data. You can choose
what level of compression you want. A higher level
of compression results in lower image quality and
a smaller file size; a lower level of compression
results in better image quality and a larger file size.
JPEG is one of the standard formats for displaying
images over the World Wide Web and other online
services. For information on when to use JPEG
format to optimize images, see “Choosing a file
format for the Web” on page 207.
To save a file in JPEG format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose JPEG from

the format list.
Note: You cannot save Indexed Color and Bitmap
mode images in JPEG format.
2 Specify a filename and location, select saving
options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save, which opens the JPEG
Options dialog box.
3 If the image contains transparency, select a
Matte color to simulate the appearance of
background transparency. (See “Making transparent and matted images” on page 214.)

• Drag the Quality pop-up slider.
• Enter a value between 1 and 12 in the Quality

text box.
5 Select a format option:
• Baseline (“Standard”) to use a format that is

recognizable to most Web browsers.
• Baseline Optimized to optimize the color

quality of the image and produce a slightly
smaller file size. This option is not supported by
all Web browsers.
• Progressive to create an image that displays

gradually as it is downloaded to a Web
browser—in a series of scans (you specify how
many) showing increasingly detailed versions of
the entire image. Progressive JPEG images files
are slightly larger in size, require more RAM for
viewing, and are not supported by all applications and Web browsers.
6 To view the estimated download time of the

image, select a modem speed from the Size pop-up
menu. (The Size preview is only available when
Preview is selected.)
Note: If you find that a Java application cannot read
your JPEG file (in any color mode), try saving the file
without a thumbnail preview.
7 Click OK.

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Saving in Photoshop EPS format

Saving to PCX format

You can use Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format
to share Photoshop files effectively with many
graphic, illustration, and page-layout programs.
For best results, print documents with EPS images
to PostScript-enabled printers.

PCX is a bitmap format widely supported on a
variety of platforms.
To save a file in PCX format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose PCX from

the format list.
To save a file in Photoshop EPS format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose Photoshop

EPS from the format list.
2 Specify a filename and location, select saving
options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save.
3 For Preview (Windows and Mac OS), choose

TIFF (8 bits/pixel) or (Mac OS-only) Macintosh 8bits/pixel) for better display quality. For a smaller
file size, choose (Windows and Mac OS) TIFF 1bit/pixel or Macintosh 1-bit/pixel (Mac OS-only).
To add a 24-bit preview (Mac OS-only), choose
Macintosh (JPEG).
4 For Encoding, choose an encoding method:
ASCII, Binary, or a JPEG option. (See “Choosing a
print encoding method” on page 239.)
5 To display white areas in the image as trans-

2 Specify a filename and location, select saving
options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save.

The new image is saved in the specified folder.

Saving in Photoshop PDF format
Portable Document Format (PDF and PDP) is a
flexible, cross-platform, cross-application file
format. PDF files accurately display and preserve
fonts, page layouts, and both vector and bitmap
graphics.
Note: PDF and PDP are the same except that PDPs
are opened in Photoshop and PDFs are opened in
Acrobat.
To save a file in Photoshop PDF format:

parent, select Transparent Whites. This option is
available only for images in Bitmap mode.

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose Photoshop

6 Select Image Interpolation if you want to

2 Specify a filename and location, select saving
options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save.

anti-alias the printed appearance of a lowresolution image.
7 Click OK.

PDF from the format list.

3 Select an encoding method. (See “Choosing a
print encoding method” on page 239.)

Note: Bitmap-mode images are automatically
encoded using CCITT compression—the PDF
Options dialog box does not appear.

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4 Select Save Transparency if you want to preserve
transparency when the file is opened in another
application that supports PDF transparency.
5 Select Image Interpolation if you want to
anti-alias the printed appearance of a lowresolution image.
6 Click OK.

Saving in PICT File format
PICT File format is widely used among Mac OS
graphics and page-layout applications to transfer
images between applications. PICT File format is
especially effective at compressing images with
large areas of solid color.
When saving an RGB image in PICT File format,
you can choose either 16-bit or 32-bit pixel
resolution. For a grayscale image, you can choose
from 2, 4, or 8 bits per pixel. On Mac OS, you can
save 32-bit PICT or PICT Resource files with four
levels of JPEG compression. To retain a saved
selection with the file, choose the 32-bit option.

Saving in PNG format
Developed as a patent-free alternative to GIF,
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format is used
for lossless compression and for display of images
on the World Wide Web. Unlike GIF, PNG
supports 24-bit images and produces background
transparency without jagged edges; however, some
Web browsers do not support PNG images. PNG
preserves transparency in grayscale and RGB
images. For information on when to use PNG
format to optimize images, see “Choosing a file
format for the Web” on page 207.
To save a file in PNG format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose PNG from

the format list.
2 Specify a filename and location, select saving
options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save.
3 Select an Interlace option:
• None to create an image that displays in a Web

browser only after downloading is complete.

Saving in PIXAR format
PIXAR format is designed specifically for
exchanging files with PIXAR image computers.
PIXAR workstations are designed for high-end
graphics applications, such as those used for threedimensional images and animation. PIXAR
format supports RGB and grayscale images.

• Interlaced to create an image that displays

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Saving in Raw format
Raw format is a flexible file format for transferring
images between applications and computer
platforms. Raw format consists of a stream of bytes
describing the color information in the image. You
can specify the file extension (Windows), file type
(Mac OS), file creator (Mac OS), and header information.
You can save the image in an interleaved or noninterleaved order. If you choose interleaved, the
color values (red, green, and blue, for example) are
stored sequentially. Your choice depends on
requirements of the application that will open
the file.
The header parameter specifies how many bytes of
information appear in the file before actual image
information begins. This value determines the
number of zeros inserted at the beginning of the
file as placeholders. By default, there is no header
(header size = 0). You can save the file without a
header and then use a file-editing program, such as
HEdit (Windows) or Norton Utilities® (Mac OS),
to replace the zeros with header information.

The new image is saved as a copy to the specified
directory.

Saving in Targa format
TGA (Targa®) format is designed for systems using
the Truevision® video board and is commonly
supported by MS-DOS color applications. When
saving an RGB image in this format, you can
choose a pixel depth of 16, 24, or 32 bits per pixel.
You can also choose Compress RLE.

Saving in TIFF format
Tagged-Image File Format (TIFF) is used to
exchange files between applications and computer
platforms. TIFF is a flexible bitmap image format
supported by most paint, image-editing, and
page-layout applications. Also, virtually all
desktop scanners can produce TIFF images.
Photoshop Elements provides advanced TIFF
options for image and layer compression. To make
these options available, choose Enable advanced
TIFF save options in the Saving Files preferences.
(See “Setting preferences for saving files” on
page 233.)

Saving in Scitex CT format
The Scitex CT file format is a common file format
used in the prepress industry.

To save a file in TIFF format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose TIFF from

the format list.
To save a file in Scitex format:

1 Choose File > Save As, and choose Scitex CT

from the format list.
2 Specify a filename and location, select saving

options (as described in “Saving images” on
page 225), and click Save.

2 Specify a filename and location, select saving

options, and click Save.
3 In the TIFF Options box, select the options you
want, and click OK.

232 CHAPTER 13
Saving Images

Image Compression Specifies a method for

compressing the composite image data. (See
“About file compression” on page 232.) ZIP and
JPEG compression are only available when Enable
Advanced TIFF Save Options is selected in the
Saving Files preferences. (See “Setting preferences
for saving files” on page 233.)
Byte Order Photoshop and most recent applica-

tions can read files using either byte order.
However, if you don’t know what kind of program
the file may be opened in, select the platform on
which the file will be read.
Save Image Pyramid Preserves multiresolution

information. Photoshop Elements does not
provide options for opening multiresolution files;
the image opens at the highest resolution within
the file. However, Adobe InDesign® and some
image servers provide support for opening multiresolution formats.
Save Transparency Preserves transparency as an

additional alpha channel when the file is opened in
another application. (Transparency is always
preserved when the file is reopened in Photoshop
Elements or ImageReady.)
Layer Compression Specifies a method for
compressing data for pixels in layers (as opposed
to composite data). Layer compression options are
only available when Enable Advanced TIFF Save
Options is selected in the Saving Files preferences.
(See “Setting preferences for saving files” on
page 233.)

Many applications cannot read layer data and will
skip over it when opening a TIFF file. Photoshop,
however, can read layer data in TIFF files.
Although files that include layer data are larger
than those that don’t, saving layer data alleviates
the need to save and manage a separate PSD file to
hold the layer data. For more information on RLE
and ZIP compression, (see “About file
compression” on page 232). Choose Discard
Layers and Save a Copy to flatten the image.

About file compression
Many image file formats use compression
techniques that reduce the size of files.
Compression techniques differ in the way detail
and color are removed from the images.
Lossless techniques compress image data without
removing detail; lossy techniques compress images
by removing detail.
The following are commonly used compression
techniques:
RLE (Run Length Encoding) is a lossless
compression technique that will compress the
transparent portions of each layer in images with
multiple layers containing transparency.
LZW (Lemple-Zif-Welch) is a lossless compression
technique that provides the best results in
compressing images that contain large areas of
single color, such as screenshots or simple
paint images.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a

lossy compression technique that provides the best
results with continuous-tone images, such as
photographs.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 233
User Guide

CCITT is a family of lossless compression
techniques for black-and-white images. CCITT is
an abbreviation for the French spelling of International Telegraph and Telekeyed Consultive
Committee.
ZIP encoding is a lossless compression technique.

Like LZW, ZIP compression is most effective for
images that contain large areas of a single color.

Setting preferences for saving
files
In Photoshop Elements, you can set preferences
for saving image previews, using file extensions,
and maximizing file compatibility.
To set file saving preferences:

Choose Edit > Preferences > Saving Files, and set
the following options:
Image Previews Choose an option for saving

image previews: Never Save to save files without
previews, Always Save to save files with specified
previews, or Ask When Saving to assign previews
on a file-by-file basis.

• Windows Thumbnail to save a preview that can

display on Windows systems.
• Full Size to save a 72-ppi version of the file for

use in applications that can only open lowresolution Photoshop Elements images. For
non-EPS files, this is a PICT preview.
File Extension (Windows) Choose an option for

the three-character file extensions that indicate a
file’s format: Use Upper Case to append file extensions using uppercase characters or Use Lower
Case to append file extensions using lowercase
characters.
Append File Extension (Mac OS) File extensions
are necessary for files that you want to use on or
transfer to a Windows system. Choose an option
for appending extensions to filenames: Never to
save files without file extensions, Always to append
file extensions to filenames, or Ask When Saving to
append file extensions on a file-by-file basis. Select
Use Lower Case to append file extensions using
lowercase characters.

In Mac OS, to append a file extension to the
current file, hold down Option as you choose a
file format from the Save As dialog box.

In Mac OS, you can also select one or more of the
following preview types (to speed the saving of
files and minimize file size, select only the previews
you need):

Enable advanced TIFF save options Select this

• Icon to use the preview as a file icon on

Recent File List Contains: _ Files Enter a value

the desktop.
• Macintosh Thumbnail to display the preview in

the Open dialog box.

option to enable layer compression options and
additional image compression options when
saving a TIFF file.
from 0 to 30 to specify how many files are available
in the File > Open Recent submenu. (See
“Opening files” on page 47.)

234 CHAPTER 13
Saving Images

To display a preview file icon (Windows only):

• Caption to enter text that can be printed under

1 Save the file in Photoshop format with a

an image or displayed in a Web browser’s title
bar. To print the caption, choose File > Print
Preview, and select Caption. Then print as
usual. (See “Setting print options” on page 237
for more information.)

thumbnail preview.
2 Right-click the file on the desktop (or in any
Windows or Photoshop Elements dialog box that
displays a file list), and choose Properties from the
context menu that appears.
3 Click the Photoshop Image tab.
4 Select an option for generating thumbnails,

and click OK.
Preview icons appear on the desktop and in file
lists (when the view is set to Large Icons).

Adding file information
In Windows, you can add file information to files
saved in Photoshop, TIFF, JPEG, EPS, and PDF
formats. In Mac OS, you can add file information
to files in any format. You can add information
such as the image title and a caption, and
copyright information.
Note: File information cannot be saved in GIF
format when converting a file from a different
format.

• Choose Copyrighted Work from Copyright

Status to display a copyright symbol in the
image window’s title bar. Enter the desired text
in the Copyright Notice text box. Specify a URL
in the Owner URL text box if information about
an image can be found on a web site. Click Go
To URL to test the link.
Note: If Photoshop Elements detects a Digimarc
watermark in the image, the Copyright & URL
section is automatically updated.
• EXIF to view information imported from your

digital camera, such as the date and time the
picture was taken, resolution in ppi, the ISO
speed rating, f/stop, compression, and exposure
time. For more information about EXIF
annotations, see your digital camera documentation.
3 When you’ve finished entering file information,
click OK.

To enter information about a file:

1 Choose File > File Info.
2 Enter the desired information in the File Info

dialog box:

Using the Batch command
You can automatically convert multiple images to
the same file format, or to the same size and
resolution, using the Batch command. This is
especially useful when importing images from a
digital camera or scanner, or when processing
images for use on the Web.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 235
User Guide

Note: If the plug-in module for your camera or
scanner does not support importing multiple images,
it may not work optimally during batch-processing.
Contact the plug-in’s manufacturer for further
information.
To batch-process files using the Batch command:

1 Choose File > Batch Processing.
2 For Files to Convert, specify which files you

want to process:
• Folder to process files already stored on your

computer. Click Source to locate and select the
folder. Select Include All Subfolders to process
files in subfolders.
• Import to import and process images from a

PDF file, a digital camera, or a scanner. Select an
import option from the From pop-up menu.
The available options depend on which plug-in
modules are installed on your computer.
• Opened Files to process all the open files.
3 For Conversion Options, choose the format to
which you want to convert files. For more information about file formats, see “Saving images in
different file formats” on page 226.
4 To change the size and/or resolution of

processed images, select Convert Image Size. Then
do one or both of the following:

• Specify the width and height of the processed

images. To keep the aspect ratio (the ration of
width to height) of the images the same, select
Constrain Aspect Ratio. Then enter a value in
either the Width text box or the Height text box.
To change the aspect ratio of the images,
deselect Constrain Aspect Ratio and enter
values in both the Width and Height text boxes.
• Choose the resolution to which you want to

convert the images from the Resolution pop-up
menu.
5 To save modified versions of the files with new

names (leaving the originals unchanged), select
Rename Files and set naming options:
• Select items from the pop-up menus or enter

text into the fields to be combined into the
default names for all files. Elements include
document name, serial number or letter, file
creation date, and file extension. The fields let
you change the order and formatting of the
filename parts. You must include at least one
field that is unique for every file (for example,
filename, serial number, or serial letter) to
prevent files from overwriting each other.
• For File Name Compatibility, choose Windows,

Mac OS, and UNIX to make filenames
compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX
operating systems.
6 Click Destination to locate and select a desti-

nation folder for the processed files.
7 Click OK.

237

Chapter 14: Printing
etting up your image files for printing is
easy with Adobe Photoshop Elements. You
can adjust the positioning, scaling, and
output options for your image. You can also use
color management to help ensure a close match
between on-screen and printed colors.

Note: By default, Photoshop Elements prints a
composite of all visible layers. To print an individual
layer, make it the only visible layer in the Layers
palette before choosing the Print command. (See
“Selecting layers” on page 95.)

Setting print options
Printing images
You can use the Print dialog box to print your
images in just a few steps.

You can use the Print Preview dialog box to
preview how your image is going to look when it’s
printed. You can change settings for the file as well.

Before printing, make sure the file is sized for your
printer. Some printers can print very large files,
while others cannot, and some may take a long
time to print. Check your printer documentation
for size limitations. To make files smaller, consider:

To access all of the settings in the Print Preview
dialog box, check the Show More Options box.

• Choosing Layers > Flatten Image to flatten

2 When the Print Preview dialog box appears,
click the Page Setup button.

the file.
• Choosing Image > Resize> Resize Image to

reduce resolution or Height and Width.

To set print options:

1 Choose File > Print Preview.

3 In the Page Setup dialog box, select the paper
size, source, and orientation.

1 Choose File > Print, or click the Print button

4 If you are printing to a printer other than your
default printer, click Printer to choose the correct
printer and to set printer properties if needed.
Click OK.

in the shortcuts bar.

5 Click OK to close the Page Setup dialog box.

2 When the Print dialog box appears, select the
name of the printer you want to use from the popup menu at the top of the dialog box.

6 Adjust the position and scale of the image in

To print an image:

Do one of the following:

3 If you are printing more than one copy, enter
the number of copies.
4 Click OK to print your file.

relation to the selected paper size and orientation.
(See “Positioning and scaling images” on
page 238.)
7 Select any output options you may need (see
“Setting output options” on page 238).

238 CHAPTER 14
Printing

8 Select an Encoding method, if desired (see
“Choosing a print encoding method” on
page 239.)
9 Do one of the following:
• Click Print.
• Click OK to save the print options for the image.

Positioning and scaling images
You can adjust the position and scale of an image
in the Print Preview dialog box to preview how the
image will look when it’s printed. Scaling an image
in the Print Preview dialog box changes the size
and resolution of the printed image only. The file
size of an image won’t change.
The shaded border at the edge of the white
printable area represents the margins of the
selected paper. Photoshop Elements cannot
override the borders settings for your printer’s
unprintable areas. Inkjet printers commonly have
a 1/8- to 1/4-inch border around the perimeter of
all printed pages onto which the printers cannot
print.
To reposition an image:

1 Choose File > Print Preview.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click Center Image to center the image in the

printable area. If the Center Image check box is
dimmed, uncheck Scale to Fit Media.
• Click Show Bounding Box, and drag the image

to a new location in the preview area.
• Enter values for Top and Left to position the

image numerically. If these boxes are dimmed,
uncheck Center Image.

To scale the print size of an image:

1 Choose File > Print Preview.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click Scale to Fit Media to fit the image within

the printable area of the selected paper.
• Select Show Bounding Box, and drag a

bounding box handle in the preview area to
achieve the desired scale.
• Enter values for Height and Width to rescale the

image numerically. If the Scale, Height, and
Width boxes are dimmed, uncheck Scale to Fit
Media.

Setting output options
Output options let you select items that print in
addition to the image, like a border around the
image. Show More Options (located below the
image preview area) must be checked before you
can see the output options. Options that aren’t
supported by your selected printer are dimmed.
To set output options:

1 Choose File > Print Preview.
2 Click Show More Options and choose Output
from the pop-up menu.
3 Select one or more of the following options:
Background adds a background color printed on
the page around the image. To use this option,
click Background, and then select a color when the
Color Picker appears. The background will only
appear in the printed image. It won’t affect the
image file on your computer.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 239
User Guide

Border prints a black border around an image.

Binary encoding gives a one-byte value to each

Type in a number and choose inches, millimeters
(mm) or points to specify the width of the border.

pixel of your image. Binary encoded files are
smaller than ASCII files and print more quickly.
However, binary data can be misinterpreted by
some network printing protocols, which may
cause a printer to respond slowly.

Caption prints any caption text entered in the File
Info dialog box. (See “Adding file information” on
page 234.) Caption text always prints as 9-point
Helvetica plain type.
Corner Crop Marks prints crop marks where the

page is to be trimmed.

Choosing a print encoding
method
Encoding methods determine how image data is
sent to a printer. By default, the printer driver
transfers binary information to printers, but you
can choose to transfer image data using JPEG or
ASCII encoding.
Note that some printers only accept binary and
JPEG-encoded image data through their
AppleTalk or Ethernet ports, not their parallel or
serial ports. Check the documentation that came
with your printer if you need more information.
To choose an encoding method:

1 Choose File > Print Preview.
2 Click Show More Options if it’s not checked.
3 Select an option from the Encoding menu”
ASCII encoding gives a two-byte value to each

pixel of your image, which means that ASCII files
are twice as large and require about twice as much
time to print as binary files. ASCII files can be sent
over a wide variety of network printing protocols,
so select ASCII if binary or JPEG encoding is not
supported your printer.

JPEG encoded files are smaller than binary files, so

they require less time to print, but using JPEG
encoding decreases the image quality. Only
PostScript Level 2 (or higher) printers support
JPEG encoding, so sending a JPEG-encoded file to
a PostScript Level 1printer may result in PostScript
language errors.

Using color management when
printing
Photoshop Elements uses pixels to represent
images. When you view an image on your monitor,
pixels are displayed using red, green, and blue
light. When you print an image on a printer, pixels
are reproduced using colored inks. Because your
monitor operates in a different color space than
your printer, the colors you see on your monitor
can vary drastically from those in the printed
image. Color management provides a solution to
this dilemma by using color profiles to ensure that
the colors remain consistent. (See “About color
management” on page 31.)
Converting colors to a different color space
involves translating the source or image colors to
accommodate the color space of the destination
printer. These translation methods are known as
rendering intents because each technique is
optimized for a different intended use of color
graphics.

240 CHAPTER 14
Printing

To color-manage an image while printing:

Saturation is suitable for business graphics, where

1 Choose File > Print Preview.

the exact relationship between colors is not as
important as having bright saturated colors.
Saturation creates vivid color at the expense of
accurate color.

2 Make sure Show More Options (located below

the image preview area) is checked.
3 Choose Color Management from the pop-up
menu. The Source Space section of the dialog box
displays the image’s color profile.
4 In the Print Space section of the dialog box,
choose an option for Profile:
• Choose Same As Source if you want the printer

to print the color of the image’s color profile
without converting it. This option will not take
any printer profiles into account.
• Choose Printer Color Management or

PostScript Color Management if you want to
manage color conversions using the print
driver. PostScript Color Management is only
available when printing to a PostScript device.

Absolute Colorimetric is useful when you want to
match the color of one kind of paper on another
kind of paper, and have the most accurate match of
all the colors. For example, you’d use Absolute
Colorimetric to reproduce the appearance of a
sheet of newsprint onto a sheet of bright white
paper. The bright white paper would be printed
over with a dingy gray to simulate the actual
newsprint appearance.
Relative Colorimetric is useful when you want to

match inks printed on various paper types. For
example, you can use this option to match inks
printed on newsprint, but not the color of
newsprint itself.

• If available, choose a predefined color profile for

your printer. These profiles are installed with
graphics applications and print drivers.
Choosing a predefined profile will result in an
automatic color conversion when printing.
5 Under Print Space, for Intent, choose a
rendering intent:
Perceptual is most suitable for photographic

images. Perceptual preserves the visual
relationship between colors that is perceived as
natural to the human eye, although the color
values themselves may change.

Using online services
The Online Services feature allows you to send
images from Photoshop Elements to remote
service providers, such as Photo Printing partners
and Online Sharing companies. The service list
may be updated each time you select the Online
Services command, so check it occasionally for
new services.
To select an online service:

1 Choose File > Online Services.
2 Choose a service from the list.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 241
User Guide

Index
A
Absolute Colorimetric rendering
intent 240
Accented Edges filter 174

All command 114

Auto Contrast command 59

angle gradient tool 147

Auto Erase option 133

Angle option
brush tool 140

active layer 93, 95

Angled Strokes filter 174

add anchor point tool 158

animated GIFs

Add Noise filter 175

creating 218

additive colors 65

opening 220

Adjust Backlighting command 59

previewing 219

adjustment layers 101

setting up 218

about 101

Anti-aliased option 115, 118

creating 102

anti-aliasing

pencil tool 144
Auto Levels command 58
automating
batch-processing 234
multiple image layouts 89
average-key images 66
B
background color
about 127

editing 104

3D rendering 159

choosing 128, 129

editing layer mask 104

about 121

painting with 144

merging 106

Adobe Illustrator files 50

printing 238

Adobe Acrobat Reader 1

EPS files 50

Adobe Color Picker 131

PDF files 49

selecting with eyedropper
tool 128

Adobe Dimensions

placed artwork 53

pasting PostScript artwork 125
Adobe Illustrator

setting in new images 44

selections 121

background eraser tool 143

type 50, 197

Background layer

files, opening 48, 50

Apple Color Picker 132

files, placing 52

application dither 216

pasting PostScript artwork 125

about 92
background matting

Arrange command 97

for Web 214

Adobe Online 3

Arrange Icons command 23

in GIF or PNG format 215

Adobe Photoshop

arrowhead options 195

pasting PostScript artwork 125

ASCII encoding 239

in JPEG format 216
backgrounds

Adobe Photoshop Elements CD 1

Asian type. See CJK type

converting to layer 96

Adobe Premiere 227

aspect ratio, constraining

creating from a layer 97

Adobe Streamline
pasting PostScript artwork 125
Advanced Blending for
Photomerge command 86
aligning type 201

when placing files 52
Attach To E-mail button 222
attaching images to e-mail 222
Auto Color Correction
command 59

from filter effects 168
moving 98
transparency 214
banners
creating Web banners 220

242 INDEX

Bas Relief filter 181
base layer 106
Batch command 234

browser dither
about 217

Chalk & Charcoal filter 181

Batch Rename command 46

about 133

Change Layer Content
command 104

Behind blending mode 136

More Options 138

Charcoal filter 181

Bicubic interpolation 78

Pen Pressure 140

chroma 64

Bilinear interpolation 78

brush tool

Cascade command 23

brushes

Chrome filter 181
CJK type

binary encoding 239

creating and deleting 140

Bitmap 39

Define Brush command 141

composition options 203

bitmap images 39

deleting 141

showing options for 202

bitmap images, about 39

impressionist brush tool 147

tate-chuu-yoko 203

Bitmap mode

libraries 142

tsume 203

pointer options 34

Clear blending mode 136

black-and-white images,
creating 187

presets 29

Clear command 126

selecting 133, 134

Clipboard

blending modes 135

simulating dynamic strokes 138

clearing 25

stylus pressure 140

copying between
applications 124

about 54

layers 100
bloat tool 161

bump maps 178

Blur and Blur More filters 173

burn tool

Blur filters 173
See also individual names of
filters
blur photos
automatically 60
Quick Fix command 60
blur tool 73
borders, printing 239
brightness
adjusting 59, 60, 62, 63
adjustment layer 101
defined 64
equalizing 187
Quick Fix command 60
Brightness/Contrast
adjustment layer 101
Brightness/Contrast command 63
Bring Forward command 97
Bring to Front command 97
Browse command 45

about 72
adjusting highlights 73
adjusting midtones 73
adjusting shadows 73
C
canceling operations 19
canvas
filling the surrounding area 145
resizing 80, 81
transparency 80
Canvas 180° command 81
Canvas 90° Left command 81
Canvas 90° Right command 81
Canvas Custom command 81
Canvas Size command 80, 81
captions
creating 234
printing 239

Export Clipboard option 125
preferences 125
rasterizing images from 125
clipboard
creating an image from 44
clone stamp tool 70
Close All command 23, 53
Close command 23, 53
closing files 53
Clouds filter 176
color
additive 65
adjustment layers 101
adjustments 57, 60, 67
background color 128
Bitmap mode 54
color cast 58
color tables 54
converting 187
filling areas of similar color 147
for type 200

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2.0 243
User Guide

foreground color 128

Color Settings command 31

Grayscale mode 54

color slider 131

HSB model 64

color values

PostScript artwork from
Clipboard 125
See also duplicating
copyright information 23

inverting in images 186

specifying 131

Quick Fix command 60

color variations 66

Craquelure filter 184

Remove Color command 69

color wheel 64

Create Web Photo Gallery
command 220

RGB mode 54

color adjustments and 65

RGB model 65

Colored Pencil filter 172

selecting 131

compression

selecting Web-safe 132

about 232

specifying numerically 131

choosing a file format 207

stroking selections and
layers 144

GIF format 209

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 User Guide 2

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