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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
Transform your images from ordinary to extraordinary in Photoshop Elements Great for non-professional photographers and designers, Adobe's Photoshop Elements is packed with all the photo editing tools you need to turn your images into showstoppers. And with the help of Photoshop Elements 2023 For Dummies, you'll discover the ins and outs of this affordable, beginner-friendly photo editing software. Learn all the tricks for simple, one-click fixes, before leaping into more advanced editing features. Work with layers, brighten colors, add filters, and make your images pop! * Learn the basics of Photoshop Elements and quickly improve your photos * Enhance color, boost contrast, and sharpen your images * Get to know more advanced Photoshop tools like layers * Create eye-catching images and improve your designs This book is for you whether you're new to Photoshop Elements or an experienced user needing a refresh on the latest features. You're in good hands with Dummies.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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Photoshop® Elements 2023 For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022946598
ISBN: 978-1-119-91290-3 (pbk);
ISBN 978-1-119-91291-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-91292-7 (ebk)
Photoshop® Elements 2023 For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Photoshop Elements 2023 For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Photoshop Elements 2023
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Image Editing
Getting Familiar with the Home Screen
Launching the Photo Editor
Making Basic Edits in Quick Mode
Sharing a Photo
Retracing Your Steps
Getting a Helping Hand
Saving Files with Purpose
Chapter 2: Basic Image-Editing Concepts
Grappling with the Ubiquitous Pixels
The Art of Resampling
Choosing a Resolution for Print or Onscreen
Working with File Formats
Getting Familiar with Color
Getting Color Right
Chapter 3: Exploring the Photo Editor
Examining the Photo Editor
Using the Photo Bin
Using Some Creative Features
Controlling the Editing Environment
Part 2: Managing Media
Chapter 4: Navigating the Organizer
Organizing Photos and Media on a Hard Drive
Adding Images to the Organizer
Navigating the Media Browser
Using a Scanner
Phoning in Your Images
Setting Organizer Preferences
Chapter 5: Organizing Your Pictures
Touring the Organizer
Organizing Groups of Images with Tags
Auto Generating Tags
Rating Images with Stars
Adding Images to an Album
Adding People in the Media Browser
Placing Pictures on Maps
Working with Events
Chapter 6: Viewing and Finding Your Images
Cataloging Files
Switching to a Different View
Viewing Photos in Memories (Slideshow)
Searching for Photos
Grouping Files That Get in the Way
Part 3: Selecting and Correcting Photos
Chapter 7: Editing Camera Raw Images
Launching the Camera Raw Editor
Understanding Camera Raw
Getting Familiar with the Raw Editor
Getting Familiar with the Panels
Working with Filmstrips
Working with Profiles
Opening Non-Raw Images in the Camera Raw Editor
Changing Image Defaults
Working with XML Files and Preferences
Chapter 8: Making and Modifying Selections
Defining Selections
Creating Rectangular and Elliptical Selections
Making Freeform Selections with the Lasso Tools
Working Wizardry with the Magic Wand
Modifying Your Selections
Painting with the Selection Brush
Painting with the Quick Selection Tool
Selecting with the Auto Selection Tool
Selecting Your Subject
Fine-Tuning with the Refine Selection Brush
Working with the Cookie Cutter Tool
Eliminating with the Eraser Tools
Using the Select Menu
Chapter 9: Working with Layers
Getting to Know Layers
Working with Different Layer Types
Tackling Layer Basics
Moving a Layer’s Content
Transforming Layers
Adding Layer Masks
Flattening and Merging Layers
Chapter 10: Simple Image Makeovers
Cropping and Straightening Images
Recomposing Images
Employing One-Step Auto Fixes
Editing in Quick Mode
Fixing Small Imperfections with Tools
Chapter 11: Correcting Contrast, Color, and Clarity
Editing Your Photos Using a Logical Workflow
Adjusting Lighting
Adjusting Color
Adjusting Clarity
Working Intelligently with the Smart Brush Tools
Part 4: Exploring Your Inner Artist
Chapter 12: Playing with Filters, Effects, Styles, and More
Having Fun with Filters
Correcting Camera Distortion
Exploring Elements’ Unique Filters
Dressing Up with Photo and Text Effects
Adding Shadows, Glows, and More
Mixing It Up with Blend Modes
Using Photomerge
Chapter 13: Drawing and Painting
Choosing Color
Getting Artsy with the Pencil and Brush Tools
Filling and Outlining Selections
Splashing on Color with the Paint Bucket Tool
Working with Multicolored Gradients
Working with Patterns
Creating Shapes of All Sorts
Chapter 14: Working with Type
Understanding Type Basics
Creating Point Type
Creating Paragraph Type
Creating Path Type
Specifying Type Options
Editing Text
Simplifying Type
Masking with Type
Stylizing and Warping Type
Part 5: Printing, Creating, and Sharing
Chapter 15: Getting It on Paper
Getting Pictures Ready for Printing
Working with Color Printer Profiles
Getting Familiar with the Print Dialog Box
Outsourcing Printing
Chapter 16: Sharing Your Work
Getting Familiar with the Elements Sharing Options
Using the Share Panel
Chapter 17: Making Creations
Checking Out the Create Panel
Grasping Creation-Assembly Basics
Creating a Quote Graphic
Creating a Memories Video
Creating a PDF Slideshow
Making Additional Creations
Chapter 18: Creating and Sharing on Elements Web
Launching Elements Web
Sharing Photos
Sharing to Facebook
Sharing on Elements Web
Making Creations
Part 6: The Part of Tens
Chapter 19: The Ten Best Guided Edits
Correct Skin Tone
Sharpen
Object Removal
Perfect Portrait
Replace Background
Remove a Color Cast
Levels
Resize Your Photo
Recompose
Move & Scale Object
Chapter 20: Ten (or So) More Project Ideas
Screen Savers
Flyers, Ads, and Online Auctions
Clothes, Hats, and More
Posters
Household and Business Inventories
Project Documentation
School Reports and Projects
Blogs
Wait — There’s More
Index
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 How Image and Display Resolutions Affect What You See Onscreen
TABLE 2-2 Resolutions and Printing
Chapter 16
TABLE 16-1 Photo Sharing Providers
Chapter 18
TABLE 18-1 Video Formats Used With Elements Web
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: The Photoshop Elements Home screen.
FIGURE 1-2: The default Photo Editor workspace with the Quick tab selected.
FIGURE 1-3: The before and after views in Quick mode.
FIGURE 1-4: The Crop tool sized on a photo.
FIGURE 1-5: An edited photo uploaded to Facebook.
FIGURE 1-6: The History panel.
FIGURE 1-7: The Save As dialog box that appears on using your first Save/Save A...
FIGURE 1-8: The Save for Web dialog box.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: The same image is viewed at different zoom levels.
FIGURE 2-2: The Image Size dialog box.
FIGURE 2-3: The drop-down list of file formats that Elements supports.
FIGURE 2-4: When saving in JPEG format, choose the amount of compression you wa...
FIGURE 2-5: The Levels dialog box.
FIGURE 2-6: The Color Settings dialog box.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: The Photo Editor workspace.
FIGURE 3-2: Tool Options provide more editing features for tools selected in th...
FIGURE 3-3: The image window displays an open file undocked within the Elements...
FIGURE 3-4: Click the readout on the status bar to see file information.
FIGURE 3-5: From the pop-up menu on the status bar, choose commands to show mor...
FIGURE 3-6: A contextual menu for a Rectangular Marquee selection.
FIGURE 3-7: Additional tools within a tool group are available in the Tool Opti...
FIGURE 3-8: The Tools panel with keystroke equivalents to access a tool from th...
FIGURE 3-9: The Layers panel with a Background and three layers.
FIGURE 3-10: The Layers panel pop-up menu.
FIGURE 3-11: Actions panel opened in a group of floating windows.
FIGURE 3-12: Open the Photo Bin Options pop-up menu to display various actions ...
FIGURE 3-13: Click the Guided tab to open the Guided Edit panel.
FIGURE 3-14: The General pane in the Preferences dialog box.
FIGURE 3-15: The Preset Manager dialog box provides a central area where you ca...
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Organize photos and media in folders and subfolders on your hard dr...
FIGURE 4-2: The Get Photos and Videos from Files and Folders dialog box.
FIGURE 4-3: The Elements Organizer – Photo Downloader opens.
FIGURE 4-4: Folder names appear in the Import panel.
FIGURE 4-5: Photos are displayed in a Tree view in the Import panel. The Hide P...
FIGURE 4-6: Make choices in the Get Photos from Scanner dialog box and click OK...
FIGURE 4-7: When you scan from within Elements, your scanner software window lo...
FIGURE 4-8: The scan is split.
FIGURE 4-9: Get media from your phone to your computer.
FIGURE 4-10: Open the Organizer’s Preferences and deselect all the Media-Analys...
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: The Organizer workspace.
FIGURE 5-2: The Tags panel in the Organizer.
FIGURE 5-3: The Create Keyword Tag dialog box.
FIGURE 5-4: The Tags panel after adding a tag in the Keywords category.
FIGURE 5-5: The Edit Keyword Tag Icon dialog box enables you to add or change a...
FIGURE 5-6: In the Edit Category dialog box, you can make some changes to the t...
FIGURE 5-7: Add a sub-category in the Keywords Tags panel.
FIGURE 5-8: The Media Browser displays photos that have been tagged with the it...
FIGURE 5-9: Select Generate Auto Creations in the Preferences dialog box.
FIGURE 5-10: Add a new Event in the side panel.
FIGURE 5-11: Rating photos with stars in the Information panel.
FIGURE 5-12: Click the plus (+) icon to open the drop-down list and then choose...
FIGURE 5-13: Drag photos to the items window in the Add New Album Content panel...
FIGURE 5-14: Click Add Name and type a name.
FIGURE 5-15: Photos tagged with names.
FIGURE 5-16: The Places tab.
FIGURE 5-17: Search for a location and click Unpinned at the top of the Media B...
FIGURE 5-18: Click the Events tab and then click Named to display the Events yo...
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: The Catalog Manager dialog box.
FIGURE 6-2: The wizard provides options for selecting the destination media for...
FIGURE 6-3: The Media Browser displaying a timeline.
FIGURE 6-4: The first photo in Full Screen view opens with a number of tool and...
FIGURE 6-5: Click Film Strip to see mini thumbnails of the photos in the slides...
FIGURE 6-6: Click Search to display the Search overlay window.
FIGURE 6-7: In the Find by Caption or Note dialog box, specify search criteria.
FIGURE 6-8: Choose Find?⇒?By Details (Metadata) in the Organizer to open the di...
FIGURE 6-9: Mark the object you want to search and then click the Search Object...
FIGURE 6-10: In the Media Browser, select a group of images you want to stack.
FIGURE 6-11: Set the View to Details, right-click a stack, and choose Stack?⇒?U...
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: The Camera Raw Editor user interface.
FIGURE 7-2: The Camera Raw Editor tools.
FIGURE 7-3: The Crop panel.
FIGURE 7-4: The Panel Bin showing a list of panels.
FIGURE 7-5: The Basic panel with the sliders at defaults.
FIGURE 7-6: The red overlay shows clipping.
FIGURE 7-7: Click the Detail text in the Panel Bin to open the Detail panel.
FIGURE 7-8: Press Alt/Option when adjusting Masking.
FIGURE 7-9: To make a noncontiguous selection, press Ctrl/⌘???? and click each ...
FIGURE 7-10: Right-click a thumbnail to open a context menu.
FIGURE 7-11: Profile thumbnails displayed after clicking the Browse icon.
FIGURE 7-12: Open a context menu on a profile thumbnail.
FIGURE 7-13: A number of profiles added to the Favorites list.
FIGURE 7-14: Press Ctrl/⌘ +K to open the Preferences dialog box.
FIGURE 7-15: Click the first icon in the top-right corner to open the Save Opti...
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Use the Rectangular Marquee tool to create rectangular selections.
FIGURE 8-2: The Elliptical Marquee tool is perfect for selecting round objects....
FIGURE 8-3: Apply Marquee settings in the Tool Options.
FIGURE 8-4: Feathering creates soft-edged selections.
FIGURE 8-5: The Lasso tool makes freeform selections.
FIGURE 8-6: After you close the polygonal lasso line, Elements creates a select...
FIGURE 8-7: The Magnetic Lasso tool snaps to the edge of your element and place...
FIGURE 8-8: The Magic Wand selects pixels based on a specified Tolerance settin...
FIGURE 8-9: The Selection Brush allows you to make a selection (right) by creat...
FIGURE 8-10: Paint a selection with the Quick Selection tool.
FIGURE 8-11: The Auto Selection tool easily and quickly selects your object.
FIGURE 8-12: The Select Subject command analyzes and selects people, animals, c...
FIGURE 8-13: Use the Refine Selection Brush to fine-tune your selection.
FIGURE 8-14: Crop your photo into interesting shapes with the Cookie Cutter.
FIGURE 8-15: Erase either to your background color (left) or to transparency (r...
FIGURE 8-16: The Background Eraser erases similarly colored pixels sampled by t...
FIGURE 8-17: Fine-tune your selection with Refine Edge.
FIGURE 8-18: Save your selection for later use to save time and effort.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Layers enable you to easily create composite images.
FIGURE 9-2: The Layers panel controls layers in your image.
FIGURE 9-3: We created this effect by using blend modes and opacity options.
FIGURE 9-4: Adjustment layers correct color and contrast in your image.
FIGURE 9-5: Layer masks control the amount of adjustment applied to your layers...
FIGURE 9-6: Add a frame or border with a fill layer.
FIGURE 9-7: When you cut a selection from a layer, take note of the resulting h...
FIGURE 9-8: Use the Paste into Selection command to make one element appear as ...
FIGURE 9-9: Add a layer mask to blend one layer into another.
FIGURE 9-10: Flattening combines all your layers into a single background.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: The shield and Rule of Thirds overlay allow for easy framing of yo...
FIGURE 10-2: The Perspective Crop tool crops while correcting keystone distorti...
FIGURE 10-3: Brush over areas you want to protect and remove in your image.
FIGURE 10-4: Recompose your image to your desired size and aspect ratio without...
FIGURE 10-5: In a hurry? Apply the Auto Smart Fix command to quickly improve an...
FIGURE 10-6: Apply Auto Smart Tone to quickly adjust the tonal values in an ima...
FIGURE 10-7: Auto Levels adjusts the overall contrast of an image.
FIGURE 10-8: The Auto Contrast command adjusts contrast without messing up colo...
FIGURE 10-9: The Auto Haze Removal command works wonders on hazy images.
FIGURE 10-10: Use Auto Color Correction to remove a colorcast.
FIGURE 10-11: The Auto Shake Reduction command reduces blur caused by moving yo...
FIGURE 10-12: Use Auto Sharpen to improve focus.
FIGURE 10-13: The Auto Red Eye Fix and the Red Eye tools detect and destroy dre...
FIGURE 10-14: Quick mode enables you to view before-and-after previews of your ...
FIGURE 10-15: The Clone Stamp tool enables you to realistically duplicate soft-...
FIGURE 10-16: Wipe out ten years in two minutes with the Healing Brush tool.
FIGURE 10-17: Eliminate kids on swings and other objects with the Content-Aware...
FIGURE 10-18: Recompose your image by using the Content-Aware Move tool.
FIGURE 10-19: Use the Dodge and Burn tools to lighten and darken small areas.
FIGURE 10-20: The Smudge tool can make your images appear to be painted.
FIGURE 10-21: The Blur tool can be used to emphasize a focal point.
FIGURE 10-22: Reserve the Sharpen tool for small areas, such as eyes.
FIGURE 10-23: The Sponge tool increases or decreases the intensity of the color...
FIGURE 10-24: The Color Replacement tool replaces the color in your image with ...
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: Correct the lighting in your images with the Shadows/Highlights ad...
FIGURE 11-2: The Brightness/Contrast adjustment is best reserved for correcting...
FIGURE 11-3: The Levels histogram displays the distribution of brightness level...
FIGURE 11-4: Improve the contrast of an image with the intelligent Levels comma...
FIGURE 11-5: Get rid of nasty color shifts with the Remove Color Cast command.
FIGURE 11-6: Adjust the color, intensity, or brightness of your image with the ...
FIGURE 11-7: Wash away color with the Convert to Black and White command.
FIGURE 11-8: The Replace Color command enables you to replace one color with an...
FIGURE 11-9: The Color Curves adjustment provides both basic and advanced adjus...
FIGURE 11-10: Color Curves improves tonal range in color images.
FIGURE 11-11: Give your friends and family a complexion makeover with the Adjus...
FIGURE 11-12: Remove the colored halo around your selections with the Defringe ...
FIGURE 11-13: Get rid of haze with the Haze Removal command.
FIGURE 11-14: Change the colors in your image by remapping them to other values...
FIGURE 11-15: Use the Lens Blur filter to create a shallow depth-of-field effec...
FIGURE 11-16: Sharpening mimics an increase in focus by increasing contrast bet...
FIGURE 11-17: The Adjust Sharpness dialog box.
FIGURE 11-18: Fix images with the Open Closed Eyes feature.
FIGURE 11-19: Use the Colorize Photo feature to bring life to black-and-white i...
FIGURE 11-20: The Smooth Skin feature quickly softens wrinkles and blemishes.
FIGURE 11-21: The Adjust Facial Features command easily modifies facial charact...
FIGURE 11-22: Fix blur caused by camera movement with Shake Reduction.
FIGURE 11-23: Add animated content to your static images with the Moving Overla...
FIGURE 11-24: Create animated GIFs or MP4 files easily with the Moving Photos e...
FIGURE 11-25: Give selected areas of your image movement with the Moving Elemen...
FIGURE 11-26: The Smart Brush enables you to paint on adjustments.
FIGURE 11-27: The Detail Smart Brush lets you paint on a variety of special eff...
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Use filters to correct image imperfections or to completely transf...
FIGURE 12-2: Selectively applying a filter can prevent an image from looking ov...
FIGURE 12-3: Apply and edit multiple filters in the Filter Gallery.
FIGURE 12-4: The Liquify filter enables you to interactively distort your image...
FIGURE 12-5: The Correct Camera Distortion filter fixes distortions caused by c...
FIGURE 12-6: The Comic filter turns a photo into an illustration.
FIGURE 12-7: Create an image worthy of a graphic novel.
FIGURE 12-8: Create a cartoon-like image with the Pen and Ink filter.
FIGURE 12-9: Enhance your images by adding effects.
FIGURE 12-10: The Double Exposure edit enables you to creatively merge two phot...
FIGURE 12-11: Add dimension by applying shadows and bevels to your object or ty...
FIGURE 12-12: The Graphics panel provides an abundance of backgrounds and frame...
FIGURE 12-13: The Dissolve blend mode allows pixels from one layer to peek rand...
FIGURE 12-14: These blend modes darken your image layers.
FIGURE 12-15: These blend modes lighten your image layers.
FIGURE 12-16: Some blend modes adjust the lighting between your image layers.
FIGURE 12-17: Difference and Exclusion blend modes invert colors.
FIGURE 12-18: Some blend modes mix colors based on the actual hue, richness, an...
FIGURE 12-19: Combine multiple images into a single panorama with Photomerge Pa...
FIGURE 12-20: Get the perfect group shot from several images.
FIGURE 12-21: Eliminate annoying distractions with Photomerge Scene Cleaner to ...
FIGURE 12-22: Combine images shot with two different exposures into a hero shot...
FIGURE 12-23: Select the two images that you want to composite.
FIGURE 12-24: Composite two images seamlessly with Photomerge Compose.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: Choose your desired color from the Color Picker.
FIGURE 13-2: Choose and store colors in the Color Swatches panel.
FIGURE 13-3: The Eyedropper tool enables you to sample color from your image to...
FIGURE 13-4: You can use the Pencil tool for digital drawings.
FIGURE 13-5: Choose from other brush libraries.
FIGURE 13-6: Change brush options to create a custom brush.
FIGURE 13-7: The Impressionist Brush turns your photo into a painting.
FIGURE 13-8: Create a custom brush from a portion of your image.
FIGURE 13-9: The Pattern Brush enables you to brush graphics onto your image wh...
FIGURE 13-10: Fill your selection or layer with color or a pattern.
FIGURE 13-11: Stroke a selection to create a colored border.
FIGURE 13-12: The Paint Bucket tool makes a selection and fills it at the same ...
FIGURE 13-13: Choose one of five gradient types.
FIGURE 13-14: We filled our sun selection with a radial Orange, Yellow gradient...
FIGURE 13-15: Use the Gradient Editor to edit and customize gradients.
FIGURE 13-16: Fill your selection with one of the many Elements preset patterns...
FIGURE 13-17: Elements images can be vector-based (top) or pixel-based (bottom)...
FIGURE 13-18: Custom shapes run the gamut from the ordinary to the exotic, such...
FIGURE 13-19: Add to your shape layer.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Point type doesn’t wrap automatically, but instead can run off you...
FIGURE 14-2: Paragraph type automatically wraps to fit within your bounding box...
FIGURE 14-3: Text can adhere to any path that you create.
FIGURE 14-4: Specify your type options, such as font family and size, before yo...
FIGURE 14-5: The Anti-aliasing option softens the edges of your type.
FIGURE 14-6: Simplifying your type layer converts vector type into pixels.
FIGURE 14-7: The Type Mask tool enables you to cut type out of solid color or i...
FIGURE 14-8: Fill type with imagery by using the Type Mask tool.
FIGURE 14-9: The Photo Text Guided Edit creates masked type in a few steps.
FIGURE 14-10: You can vary the opacity of type layers to allow the underlying l...
FIGURE 14-11: Applying a motion blur to type can make it appear as fast as the ...
FIGURE 14-12: Bring your type to life with color (top) or a gradient (bottom).
FIGURE 14-13: Text remains fully editable after you apply distortions with the ...
FIGURE 14-14: Easily add text and graphics with Text Overlay Templates.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: The Page Setup dialog box (Windows).
FIGURE 15-2: The Print dialog box (Mac).
FIGURE 15-3: The More Options dialog box (Windows and Mac).
FIGURE 15-4: The Prints dialog box gives you plenty of options.
FIGURE 15-5: Click More Options in the Print dialog box to access the Printing ...
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Video on Facebook is shown on an Apple iPad.
FIGURE 16-2: The Share panel as it appears in the Organizer (left) and Photo Ed...
FIGURE 16-3: Set the Quality slider to a medium setting for faster uploads to y...
FIGURE 16-4: Add recipients from your Address Book.
FIGURE 16-5: Type a message and click Tweet to add to your Twitter account.
FIGURE 16-6: A photo uploaded to a Facebook account.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: The Create panel from the Organizer (left) and from the Photo Edit...
FIGURE 17-2: The Fujifilm Home page.
FIGURE 17-3: Subgroups offer you several style choices and pricing information.
FIGURE 17-4: Select a theme for your creation.
FIGURE 17-5: The Pages panel.
FIGURE 17-6: The Layouts panel offers choices for many layouts.
FIGURE 17-7: Advanced mode provides you with the Photo Editor tools to edit pho...
FIGURE 17-8: The first panel for the Quote Graphic creation.
FIGURE 17-9: Choose from a variety of social media and common photo and documen...
FIGURE 17-10: The Background/Effects panel.
FIGURE 17-11: Final edited photo using the Quote Graphic creation.
FIGURE 17-12: Click a Theme to apply to the video.
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: Photos selected for uploading to the cloud.
FIGURE 18-2: Thumbnail images of the photos uploaded to the Elements Web websit...
FIGURE 18-3: Select the check box for Include in the Elements Organizer.
FIGURE 18-4: Select a check box on one or more thumbnails to display the bar at...
FIGURE 18-5: Clicking the Share button opens a menu with three sharing options.
FIGURE 18-6: Share on Facebook page.
FIGURE 18-7: Author’s Facebook page with new post.
FIGURE 18-8: The Creations panel.
FIGURE 18-9: Photo opens on a separate Web page.
FIGURE 18-10: The Sharing options pop-up menu.
FIGURE 18-11: Recipient email from a Share via Email message.
FIGURE 18-12: The Share via Link window.
FIGURE 18-13: A slideshow created in Elements Web.
FIGURE 18-14: Video file opened in Windows 11.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: The Correct Skin Tone edit removes color casts from your people’s ...
FIGURE 19-2: Sharpening your image can help your image look less soft and blurr...
FIGURE 19-3: Remove objects for your desired composition.
FIGURE 19-4: Give your image a radiant glow with the Perfect Portrait Guided Ed...
FIGURE 19-5: Swap out your original background with a new one.
FIGURE 19-6: Eliminate color casts from your images.
FIGURE 19-7: Adjust the contrast in your images with the Levels Guided Edit.
FIGURE 19-8: Size your images properly for web or print.
FIGURE 19-9: Resize your image without losing important content.
FIGURE 19-10: Move and scale your subject seamlessly.
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20-1: Quickly put together ads and flyers.
FIGURE 20-2: Jazz up a plain T-shirt with art.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Index
About the Authors
Pages
i
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Introduction
It’s almost 2023, and it’s time to look at a new release of Photoshop Elements. This version of Elements has some exciting new features with some marvelous new Guided Edits, a terrific new way to share your photos and video slide presentations, and the capability to make elements in your photos move — like animating a waterfall in the background while your subjects remain static in the foreground. You also find more improvements in performance and some faster ways to move around the Organizer.
About This Book
This book is an effort to provide the most comprehensive view of a wildly feature-rich program as we can. Additionally, this book is written for a cross-platform audience. If you’re a Mac user, you’ll find all you need to work in Elements 2023 for the Mac, exactly the same as when we refer to using Elements on Windows.
In Photoshop Elements 2023, you find four new Guided Edits: the Peek Through Overlay; Perfect Portrait; Content Refresh in Replace Background; and Content Refresh in Pattern Brush. To discover how to use Guided Edits, take a look at Chapter 19. In addition to the new Guided Edits, you’ll also find a Guided Edit Search option. So many Guided Edits have been added in Elements that it can be downright confusing to pick the one you want to use. Now you can simply type in a keyword and the search results show you Guided Edits containing your search criteria. We explain how to use this new search feature in Chapter 3.
The sharing of photos and slideshows has arrived at a new level. In previous versions of Elements, you could link to Facebook and post photos on your Facebook Timelines. You needed to do all the prep work in the Elements Photo Editor before you could upload files. In Elements 2023, you can not only link to Facebook but also edit and create slideshows on the web using Elements Web — a totally new feature that you’ll certainly enjoy. We added a brand-new chapter that thoroughly covers all the sharing and creation opportunities available using Elements Web. Look to Chapter 18 for more on this exciting new feature.
Another exciting edit you can make to your photos is called Moving Elements. This version introduces a way to animate just a portion of your photos while the rest of the photo remains static. If you want running water, a plane flying in the sky, or a horse running in the background, take a look at Moving Elements, which we discuss in Chapter 9.
The Organizer has been improved in Elements 2023. You’ll find thumbnail generation in the Media browser to be as much as 60 percent faster, and preview generation of slideshows is quicker as well.
Throughout this book, especially in step lists, we point you to menus for keyboard commands. For accessing a menu command, you may see something like this:
Choose File ⇒ Get Photos ⇒ From Files and Folders
In this case, this means to click the File menu to open its drop-down menu, click the menu command labeled Get Photos, and then choose the command From Files and Folders from the submenu that appears. It’s that simple.
We also refer to context menus, which jump up at your cursor position and show you a menu of options related to whatever you’re doing at the time. To open a context menu, just right-click the mouse, or Control-click on a Mac if you don’t have a two-button mouse.
When we mention that keys need to be pressed on your keyboard, the text looks like this:
Press Alt+Shift+Ctrl+S (Option+Shift+⌘ +S on the Mac)
In this case, you hold down the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on the Mac, then the Shift key, then the Control key on Windows or the ⌘ key on the Mac, and then press the S key. Then, release all the keys at the same time.
Icons Used in This Book
In the margins throughout this book, you see icons indicating that something is important.
This icon informs you that this item is a new feature in Photoshop Elements 2023.
Pay particular attention when you see the Warning icon. This icon indicates possible side-effects or damage to your image that you might encounter when performing certain operations in Elements.
This icon is a heads-up for something you may want to commit to memory. Usually, it tells you about a shortcut for a repetitive task that can save you time.
A Tip tells you about an alternative method for a procedure, giving you a shortcut, a work-around, or some other type of helpful information.
Elements is a computer program, after all. No matter how hard we try to simplify our explanation of features, we can’t entirely avoid some technical information. If a topic is a little on the technical side, we use this icon to alert you that we’re moving into a complex subject. You won’t see many of these icons in the book because we try our best to give you the details in nontechnical terms.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product also comes with a free, online Cheat Sheet that includes a detailed look at the Elements photo-editing workspace, Tool Panel shortcuts, tricks for selecting objects, and more. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type Photoshop Elements 2023 For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
Try to spend a little time reading through the chapters in Part 1. After you know how to edit and save photos, feel free to jump around and pay special attention to the cross-referenced chapters, in case you get stuck on a concept. After exploring the Elements Photo Editor, look over Part 2, where we talk about organizing and searching photos. When it comes to editing photos, look over Chapter 7 carefully. Everything begins with adjusting photos for brightness, contrast, and color. In Chapter 7, you learn that using the Camera Raw Editor is your first stop when editing a photo for any kind of output. If you’re ready to jump into more advanced tasks, check out Parts 3 and 4, where you find out how to make selections; layer images and effects together; add filters and type; and much, much more.
We hope you have much success and enjoyment in using Adobe Photoshop Elements 2023, and it’s our sincere wish that the pages ahead provide you with an informative and helpful view of the program.
Part 1
Getting Started with Photoshop Elements 2023
IN THIS PART …
Open the Photo Editor and make quick and easy edits to one of your photos in Quick mode.
Select the best file format when you save your image.
Tour the Photo Editor interface so that you know how to switch among images and navigate the many panels and options.
Chapter 1
Getting Started with Image Editing
IN THIS CHAPTER
Opening the Home screen
Starting the Photo Editor
Opening, editing, sharing, and saving a photo
Using Undo History
Finding help
Saving your files
Image editing is incredibly fun, especially with a tool like Photoshop Elements, which enables you to modify, combine, and even draw your own images to your imagination’s content. To get the most out of Elements, you need to understand some basic technical concepts, but like most people, you probably want to jump in, play around, and basically just get started right away.
You’re in luck: In Quick mode, Elements helps you make basic edits to your photos, like revealing your child’s face darkened by a baseball cap’s shadow or cropping out the gigantic trash can on the left edge of your otherwise perfect landscape shot. In this chapter, we help you jump-start your image-editing skills by guiding you through Quick mode and how to share photos online, retrace your steps, save your edits, and more.
Getting Familiar with the Home Screen
After installing Elements, launch the Elements application, and you arrive at the Home screen (or Hub, as Adobe calls it), shown in Figure 1-1.
FIGURE 1-1: The Photoshop Elements Home screen.
From the Home screen, you have the following options:
Search (What would you like to do today?):
At the top of the window, you can search for a task and have help returned to you (see the text at the top of the window where it reads: “What would you like to do today?”).
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Help:
At the top right, click one of the three respective buttons to open the Photoshop Elements pages on the social media sites of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. There are Photoshop Elements pages on these social media sites that enable you to see various posts made by Adobe related to using Photoshop Elements. Click the fourth icon to arrive at the Adobe Customer Care web site where you can install elements, use a trial version, mange your account, and log on to Adobe’s Help Center where you can get some help using Elements. Clicking Help takes you to a web link.
Try This/What’s New/Guided Edits/Make Creations:
The individual cards appearing at the top of the Home screen offer options for trying different tasks, exploring features, performing a Guided Edit (Guided Edit is a step-by-step set of instructions to perform an edit), and a quick launch to make a new creation. When you mouse over a card, a link is shown where you perform the task in question.
Application Launcher:
Click one of the three icons to launch the Elements Photo Editor, the Organizer, or Video Editor (Adobe Premier Elements must be installed to launch this item).
Recent Files:
Click an image in the Recent Files list, and the file opens in the Photo Editor.
Launching the Photo Editor
Photoshop Elements has two separate components. There is the Organizer, which is where you manage photos. It’s full of tools for tagging, rating, sorting, and finding your images. (Part 2 of this book helps you start using the Organizer.) The second component is the Photo Editor, which is where you correct photos for brightness and color, add effects, repair images, and so on. is where you correct photos for brightness and color, add effects, repair images, and so on.
In this chapter, you work in the Photo Editor to make basic edits to a photo. Here’s how to start Elements and open the Photo Editor:
Double-click the Photoshop Elements shortcut on your desktop or in your Applications folder (Mac) to launch the Home screen.
Click the Photo Editor button shown in the Home screen (refer to Figure1-1).
The Photo Editor workspace loads and appears, as shown in Figure 1-2. By default, you see the Quick tab selected at the top of the Photo Editor workspace, which means you’re in Quick mode (or right where you want to be for the purposes of this chapter). Quick mode offers a limited number of tools for adjusting brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness.
FIGURE 1-2: The default Photo Editor workspace with the Quick tab selected.
On the right side of the workspace, you see the Adjustments panel docked in an area dubbed the Panel Bin. When in any one of the three editing modes (Quick, Guided, Expert), you find different panels, always on the right side of the window. On the left side of the workspace, you see a Tools panel. Interacting with the items in the Panel Bin and using tools in the Tools panel provide you with an enormous number of options for editing, improving, and stylizing your pictures.
Making Basic Edits in Quick Mode
For beginning users, the Quick mode in the Photo Editor is both powerful and easy to use. Follow these steps to make some simple changes to an image:
Open the Photo Editor and make sure the Quick tab is selected at the top.
Choose File ⇒ Open or click the Open button at the top left of the Photo Editor.
If Elements is your default editing application, you can also double-click your photo file in Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder, and the file opens in Elements.
In the Open dialog box that appears, navigate your hard drive to locate the file you want to open, select the file, and click Open.
From the View drop-down list (in the upper left of the image window), choose Before & After – Horizontal, as shown in
Figure
1-3
.
Make edits to your photo.
Here’s an introduction to two simple edits you can make in Quick mode:
Apply a Smart Fix: Click Smart Fix in the Panel Bin to see the options. To begin with, click Auto at the bottom of the Smart Fix panel. At the top left of the window, you find options for viewing by opening the drop-down menu. Choose After Only or choose Before & After (Horizontal or Vertical) to see before and after views.
Several items are listed in the Panel Bin below the Smart Fix option. Click an item to expand it, and move the sliders or click the thumbnail images to tweak the overall brightness, contrast, and color. In many cases, there isn’t a right or wrong adjustment. Play with the options to bring it close to your overall vision for the picture. For a more in-depth look at correcting photos in Quick mode, flip to Chapter 10.
Each of the Quick Fix options provides you with thumbnail previews showing you the result of a given edit. For a quick preview of an editing task, mouse over a Smart Fix thumbnail to see what the edit will look like when it is applied.
Crop the photo:
In the Tools panel on the left side of the window, click the Crop tool. You immediately see a rectangle on top of the photo. Drag the sides to crop the image to your liking. When finished, click the green check mark, as shown in
Figure 1-4
, to accept your edit.
When making any one of a huge number of edits to your pictures, you often see icons on top of the image, similar to what’s shown in Figure 1-4. The green check mark accepts the edit you’re making at the time the icons appear. The circle with a diagonal line is the Cancel button. Click this button when you don’t want to apply the recent edit.
At the bottom of the Editor window, you see some hints that Elements gives you for crop suggestions. Click one of the options to employ the respective crop.
Choose File ⇒ Save As and, in the Save As dialog box that opens, provide a new name for the photo. Click Save.
Note: When you use Save As and give your image a new name, you don’t destroy your original image. You save a copy of the original with the new edits applied. For more on saving files, see the section “Saving Files with Purpose,” later in this chapter.
FIGURE 1-3: The before and after views in Quick mode.
FIGURE 1-4: The Crop tool sized on a photo.
Sharing a Photo
After you edit your photo, you can print the photo to share with family and friends or post the photo on a social network site.
In earlier versions of Elements, you could upload directly from within Facebook. Then Adobe removed the link to Facebook in the last few releases. In Photoshop Elements 2023, Elements returns to a marriage with Facebook. In this release, Adobe introduces a new feature called Elements Web. If you take a look at the Share menu, you see Facebook listed there. Rather than go through all the features you see added to Elements Web here in this chapter, we devoted a brand new chapter to covering the new Elements Web features. Take a look at Chapter 18 to learn about all those new features.
For now, take a look at how you might edit a photo and upload it to your Facebook account without using any links from within Elements. Here’s how to do it:
Prepare the photo you want to upload to Facebook.
Typically, digital cameras take photos sized very large — too large for an image that your friends and family will want to download quickly and view via Facebook on a computer screen or mobile device. To adjust your image so that it’s the right size and resolution for viewing online, follow these steps:
Choose Image ⇒ Resize ⇒ Image Size.
In the Image Size dialog box that appears, enter your desired width (or height).
Either Width or Height is fine because the image will maintain correct proportions by choosing either. A width of 720 pixels, 960 pixels, or 2,048 pixels works well.
Facebook recommends that supported sizes for regular photos are widths of 720 pixels, 960 pixels, and 2,048 pixels, with file sizes no more than 100KB — especially if you have text in the cover photo. When you save as JPEG, the files are compressed, and you’ll find the larger size to be within Facebook recommendations. However, you don’t have to be too concerned about staying within Facebook recommendations. You can upload images much larger than 100KB, but the uploads and screen refreshes will take longer. Just be certain to stay within 100 KB if you have text on a cover photo.
Select the Resample Image check box if for some reason the box is not selected.
Type either 72 or 144 in the Resolution box.
For screen viewing only, 72 ppi is fine. However, if you want your friends to print the image, 144 is a better choice. You can use either resolution. Be sure the file size is no larger than 100KB.
The image is sized to a workable size for Facebook. Click OK when finished editing in the Image Size dialog box.
Choose File ⇒ Save As ⇒ JPEG to save the file as a JPEG.
Note the location where you save the file on your hard drive. (JPEG is one of many file formats that Elements supports.)
Log in to your Facebook account.
Click Photo/Video.
Locate the saved file and upload it to Facebook.
Your photo is added to your Facebook account, as shown in Figure 1-5.
FIGURE 1-5: An edited photo uploaded to Facebook.
Retracing Your Steps
In Elements, Undo is a favorite command for both beginners and experienced users alike. If you don’t like a change to your image, you simply choose Edit ⇒ Undo or press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z (⌘ +Z on the Mac).
Because the process of trial and error (and thus the ability to undo your work) is so important to making your image look just right, Elements also offers ways to undo that are much more sophisticated than simply reverting to the last view. In the following sections, we introduce you to these more sophisticated tools.
Using the History panel
On the History panel, you see a record of your changes in an editing session. And from this record, you can undo your changes from any step in an editing sequence. To work with the History panel, you must be in Expert mode. After you click Expert at the top of the Photo Editor, here’s how undoing with the History panel works:
Click Expert in the Photo Editor and choose Window ⇒ History.
The History panel displays a record of each step you made in the current editing session, as shown in Figure 1-6.
FIGURE 1-6: The History panel.
To undo one or more edits, click any item on the History panel.
Elements reverts your image to the selected edit. All edits that follow the selected item are grayed out.
If you want to bring back the edits, click any step that’s dimmed on the panel.
Elements reinstates your edits up to that level. If you make a new edit after going back a few steps, the dimmed steps disappear.
All your steps are listed on the History panel if you remain in Elements and don’t close the file. When the file is closed, all history information is lost.
Storing all this editing history can affect Elements’ performance. If your computer slows to a snail’s pace when you’re using Elements, check out the following options:
Choose Edit ⇒ Clear ⇒ Clear History.
Elements flushes all the recorded history and frees some precious memory, which often enables you to work faster. Just be sure you’re okay with losing all the history in the History panel thus far.
Eliminate Clipboard data from memory.
To do so, choose Edit ⇒ Clear ⇒ Clipboard Contents or Edit ⇒ Clear ⇒ All.
Restore the number of history states stored to the default of 50.
In Elements Performance Preferences, you can change the number of history states. You can ratchet this number up to 1,000 if you like, but realize that the more history states you record, the more memory Elements requires.
Reverting to the last save
While you edit photos in Elements, plan on saving your work regularly. Each time you save in an editing session, the History panel preserves the list of edits you make until you hit the maximum number or close the file.
If you save, perform more edits, and then want to return to the last saved version of your document, Elements provides you with a quick, efficient way to do so. If you choose Edit ⇒ Revert, Elements eliminates your new edits and takes you back to the last time you saved your file.
When you choose Revert, Revert appears in the History panel. You can eliminate the Revert command from the History panel by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (on a Mac with a one-button mouse) the Revert item and choosing Delete from the contextual menu that appears.
Getting a Helping Hand
You probably bought this book because you’re not a fan of sifting through Help files and want an expert guide to image editing. We share everything a beginner needs to get started in Elements, but Elements is too sophisticated a program to cover completely in the pages we have here. You may also need some quick help if you don’t have this book nearby.
Whenever you need a hand, know that you can find valuable help information quickly and easily within Elements itself. If you’re stuck on understanding a feature, ample help documents are only a mouse click away and can help you overcome some frustrating moments.
Your first stop is the Help menu, where you can find several commands that offer information:
Photoshop Elements Help:
Choose Help ⇒ Photoshop Elements Help or press the F1 key (Windows) or the Help key (on a Mac with an extended keyboard) to open the Elements Help file. You can type a search topic and press Enter to display a list of search results.
Getting Started:
From the Help menu, choose this item for tips and information on getting started in Elements.
Key Concepts:
While you read this book, if we use a term that you don’t completely understand, choose Help ⇒ Key Concepts. A web page opens in your default web browser and provides many web pages with definitions of terms and concepts.
Support:
From the Help menu, this command launches your default web browser and takes you to the Adobe website (
www.adobe.com
), where you can find information about Elements, problems reported by users, and some work-around methods for getting a job done. You can find additional web-based help information by clicking Photoshop Elements Online and Online Learning Resources. The vast collection of web pages on Adobe’s website offers assistance, tips and techniques, and solutions to many problems that come with editing images. Be sure to spend some time browsing these web pages.
Video Tutorials:
Choose Help ⇒ Video Tutorials to open a web page where videos for common tasks are hosted on Adobe’s website.
Forum:
Choose Help ⇒ Forum to explore user comments and questions with answers to many common problems.
Tooltips can be another helpful resource. While you move your cursor around tools and panels, pause a moment before clicking the mouse. A slight delay in your actions produces a tooltip, which is a small box that describes the item your mouse is pointing to. Elements provides this sort of dynamic help when you pause the cursor before moving to another location.
You can also find help by searching in the Home screen, as mentioned in the “Getting Familiar with the Home Screen” section, earlier in this chapter.
Saving Files with Purpose
When you save a file after editing it, you might save the file in the same file format, or change the format to suit your photo service center’s specifications or to ensure that your image downloads quickly on a website.
When you save, Elements also enables you to take advantage of special features, such as saving different versions of a file or including your edited file in the Organizer as well as saving it to your hard drive.
This section is your guided tour of the Save/Save As dialog box (or Save As dialog box, if you’re saving a file for the first time) and the Save for Web dialog box.
Using the Save/Save As dialog box
Before you save a file, Elements offers you an option for where you want to save your file. Choose File ⇒ Save or File ⇒ Save As and the Save As dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 1-7.
FIGURE 1-7:
