much easier to use.
❯❯ Guided Edits: If you’re a long-time user of Photoshop Elements, you’re aware that with each new version, we find new Guided Edits. A Guided Edit walks you through a series of steps to produce an effect – like having a Photoshop Elements guru over your shoulder telling you step-by-step how to make an edit.
In Elements 15, we have some new Guided Edits:
● Photo Text: Helps you use text as a mask and embellish the text with embossing, drop shadows, strokes, and so on.
● Speed Pan: Enables you to add motion to images.
● Painterly: Enables you to turn a photo into an image appearing as an art painting.
● Frame Creator: Enables you to make custom photo frames that you can use in other creations. You can add the custom frame to a library and reuse it many times with other creations.
❯❯ Optional Smart Layers: Smart Layers have been around in Photoshop and Elements for some time. The idea behind a Smart Layer is that whatever you do to the layer can later be rejected and you can return to the original content unedited. This is known as nondestructive editing. When you drag a photo from the Photo Bin in Elements to an open image, the new photo appears as a Smart Layer. Some users don’t want the new layers in a document added as Smart Layers. Now in Elements 15 you have a Preference option to turn off Smart Layers when you drag a photo from the Photo Bin to an open image.
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.
You 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/the Option key on the Mac, then the Shift key, then the Control key on Windows/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.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product also comes with a free access-anywhere 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 15 For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
Try to spend a little time reading through the three 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. If you’re ready to jump into more advanced tasks, check out Parts 3 and 4, where you learn 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 15, 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 15
IN THIS PART …
Open the Photo Editor and make quick and easy edits to one of your photos in Quick mode.
Choose the right resolution for your image.
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
Starting the Photo Editor
Opening, editing, sharing, and saving a photo
Creating a new document
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
