Photoshop Elements Tips

[GreenEyedLadyDesigns]

Do you use PSE for scrapping and have a good tip for us? Put it here and be sure to tell us what version of Elements you use.

[athena]

I use to use PSE 7. Two easy ways to copy elements

Hold down ALT key and drag the element OR
Using the lasso tool...lasso an element then click CTRL + J.

Both of these duplicates the element into its own new layer.

I use the first one when I just want to duplicate an elment in a LO.
I use the second one when an alpha is all in one sheet and I just want to pull out only the letters I need.

[Karen]

I use PSE8 - ALWAYS park your cursor on "V", the least destructive tool.

Karen

PS I write tutorials for Elements.

[msbrad]

Oh Karen, I do park mine on 'V' as well. It is the best!!

[Traci]

Karen writes the best tuts on Elements I've read in just ages! :)

[Karen]

[blushing] aw, shucks thanks Traci - I do my best.

Karen

[Digidonna]

Karen does write the best tuts on PSE!

[landorasue]

Karen writes the best tuts on Elements I've read in just ages! :)

I will definitely second that! :p

[landorasue]

Tip: To create a Layer Mask:

1. Click on the layer below the layer on which you need a Layer Mask.

2. Create an Adjustment Layer (like Levels, Hue/Sat, Brightness/Contast, etc. Doesn't matter which one.), then close it. This places a Layer Mask below your working layer.

3. Press Ctrl and place your cursor between the Layer Mask and the layer above it (your working layer) and click. This clips the Mask to your working layer.

4. Click on the white layer mask icon to work on your image non-destructively!

[Karen]

I have written a tutorial for Phyllis and Sandy will post it to the Den 4Shared account. The tutorial explains how to adjust shadows that have been applied as a layer style in PSE7. I think most versions of PSE will be the same.

http://www.digitaldesignden.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=209&title=apple-blossom&cat=500 (http://www.digitaldesignden.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=209&title=apple-blossom&cat=500)
http://www.digitaldesignden.com/photopost/data/500/AppleBlossom_copy.jpg (http://www.digitaldesignden.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=209&title=apple-blossom&cat=500)


Karen

[Karen]

In PSE if you want to move layers up or down, try:

a. to move a layer from the top of the stack to the bottom of the stack > Shift+Ctrl+[ (left square bracket)

b. to move a layer from the bottom of the stack to the top of the stack > Shift+Ctrl+] (right square bracket)

c. to move a layer below one layer > Ctrl+[ (left square bracket)

d. to move a layer above the next layer > Ctrl+] (right square bracket)

For a Mac use "Command" insteal of Ctrl


Karen

[Karen]

Sandy has got the Adjusting layer style shadow (http://www.4shared.com/dir/artXqiHd/Karens_Shadow_Tutorial.html) tutorial on the Dent 4Shared sit - the password is shadow

If there are any queries, please don't hesitate to ask.

Karen

[MsKaty]

I just got it. I am trying to go CS5 all the way, but this might work there too. And, I still use PSE 7 quite a bit. I really didn't like 8 so stuck with 7, but I'm not sure I tried too hard. :)

Thanks Karen!!!

[Diane]

I just got it. I am trying to go CS5 all the way, but this might work there too. And, I still use PSE 7 quite a bit. I really didn't like 8 so stuck with 7, but I'm not sure I tried too hard. :)

Thanks Karen!!!


Hi Kay, just curious what you did not like about PSE8. I use PSE7 and have had 8 sitting here in the box for almost a year. One thing I did not like about PSE7 (when I upgraded from PSE5) was that I could not pull the element up from the bin without getting a smart object in the layers palette (still don't know how they work!), so was just wondering if there was something in 8 that I would have to "relearn" how to do differently! (And I'm STILL trying to switch over to CS3, which I have had for a couple of years!!!:eek:). Thanks!

[Andrea]

Hi Kay, just curious what you did not like about PSE8. I use PSE7 and have had 8 sitting here in the box for almost a year. One thing I did not like about PSE7 (when I upgraded from PSE5) was that I could not pull the element up from the bin without getting a smart object in the layers palette (still don't know how they work!), so was just wondering if there was something in 8 that I would have to "relearn" how to do differently! (And I'm STILL trying to switch over to CS3, which I have had for a couple of years!!!:eek:). Thanks!


Too many versions for all of this... If I kept up with all the upgrades.. I would forever be on a learning curve!!!!!:eek: ;)

[Miss Pepper]

I just got it. I am trying to go CS5 all the way, but this might work there too. And, I still use PSE 7 quite a bit. I really didn't like 8 so stuck with 7, but I'm not sure I tried too hard. :)

Thanks Karen!!!

Kay, I am so like you. I use pse7 with cs4. I promise myself, with each new project, that I will use cs4, but give in and use pse7. I am comfortable with it and so much faster. ;)

[Magnolia57]

Sandy has got the Adjusting layer style shadow (http://www.4shared.com/dir/artXqiHd/Karens_Shadow_Tutorial.html) tutorial on the Dent 4Shared sit - the password is shadow

If there are any queries, please don't hesitate to ask.

Karen

Wow, Karen, you are fast! Thank you so much. I just downloaded and will be going off to work in PSE shortly.

And, Sandy, thank you for making it so easy to download.

[Karen]

I don't know if all the PSE users read the CS tips, so I thought I would copy this over here.

While we are sharing and teaching here, I also have a ??? Is there a way in PSE (7) to save a blank page e.g. a 6 x 4 card in the presets so one does not have to do it over every time?

Yes, try this:

Ctrl+N (new dialogue box)
Name - give the document an appropriate name
Preset - Photo
Size - Landscape (or Portrait) 4 x 6
OK/Enter (accept)

You can choose any of the photo sizes this.

Hope this helps.

Karen

[Traci]

Too many versions for all of this... If I kept up with all the upgrades.. I would forever be on a learning curve!!!!!:eek: ;)

I KWYM, Andrea! I was doing pretty well keeping up with things till we got to PSE7 and PSCS4; that was (I think) when I lost it. Up until then, I was up on all the versions since Photoshop ver. 5.5 and PSE 2.0. I have PSE 8 in a box sitting on my desk....STILL uninstalled. :o And unlikely to be so for a while.

I just got CS5 installed, but haven't had much of a chance to play with all the spiffy new features as yet.....<sigh>

[Karen]

Do you "lose" the cursor when working on an image? Hold the space bar down to "find" the cursor - the cursor will become a hand when the space bar is held down.

Karen

[Grace]

Interesting read on Elements users. I have PSE5, 6 and 8 and CS3 and CS5. For Elements, I like PSE5 and use PSE5 often because it seems to me faster and easier than CS5. I like the photo bin in PSE5 and it's easy to install third party items in PSE5 compared to PSE6 and PSE8. The only thing I have installed in PSE6 and PSE8 is Grant's Tools.

[Traci]

Do you "lose" the cursor when working on an image? Hold the space bar down to "find" the cursor - the cursor will become a hand when the space bar is held down.

Karen

That falls under the "why didn't I think of that" category! Thanks, Karen!

[Traci]

The only thing I have installed in PSE6 and PSE8 is Grant's Tools.

Grace....I understand that Grant's Tools have been discontinued...do you know if that is true?

[Karen]

Not quite true Traci. I believe Grant is not doing any upgrades himself but the PSE8 upgrade was done by Wendy Williams.

Karen

[Traci]

Not quite true Traci. I believe Grant is not doing any upgrades himself but the PSE8 upgrade was done by Wendy Williams.

Karen

WTG, Wendy! I hadn't realized that! I'm so glad that it wasn't discontinued. Thank you for setting me straight, Karen! :p

[Grace]

Grace....I understand that Grant's Tools have been discontinued...do you know if that is true?

Not quite true Traci. I believe Grant is not doing any upgrades himself but the PSE8 upgrade was done by Wendy Williams.

Karen

WTG, Wendy! I hadn't realized that! I'm so glad that it wasn't discontinued. Thank you for setting me straight, Karen! :p

Yes, Wendy did the PSE8 upgrade for Grant's Tools.

[landorasue]

Yes, Wendy did the PSE8 upgrade for Grant's Tools.

Grace, I'm looking at a set of PSE tools from Andrei Doubrovski for only $12! Amazing amount of tools. Take a look: Elements+ (http://www.simplephotoshop.com/elementsplus/)

[Janice]

That all looks very good Lana, but I'm not sure I would know what to do with all that extra stuff! Would need extra tutorials from you 'experts' knowledge01

[landorasue]

That all looks very good Lana, but I'm not sure I would know what to do with all that extra stuff! Would need extra tutorials from you 'experts' knowledge01

Andrei provides all the tutorials for each tool. I used to use CS2, so I really miss all these tools in PSE 8. Now, I have them!! Especially, love Type and Stroke on a Path.

[Grace]

Grace, I'm looking at a set of PSE tools from Andrei Doubrovski for only $12! Amazing amount of tools. Take a look: Elements+ (http://www.simplephotoshop.com/elementsplus/)

That all looks very good Lana, but I'm not sure I would know what to do with all that extra stuff! Would need extra tutorials from you 'experts' knowledge01

Andrei provides all the tutorials for each tool. I used to use CS2, so I really miss all these tools in PSE 8. Now, I have them!! Especially, love Type and Stroke on a Path.

The Elements+ looks good for Elements users. The only time I use PSE8 is when I'm using the scanner because the scanner seems to work better with PSE8 than PSE5. I use PSE5 when I want to use the Photo Bin and then finish off in CS5.

[landorasue]

Well, I'm trying out the Elements+ tools. The first thing I tried (Create Group Folder), did not work. I've sent an email to Andrei!