Adobe Photoshop Elements Reviewer's Comments

Photoshop Elements is the “Top Ten Reviews Gold” award winner. Adobe has made a great product easier to use with Version 6. The organizing, editing, creating, and sharing features provide the most comprehensive photo editing package available. A sophisticated product, Photoshop Elements has integrated, relevant help at every step of the process. You will be able to edit with skill and creativity and without frustration. The combination of advanced tools with a conversational interface squarely places Photoshop Elements in the top position. 

Adobe Photoshop Elements Screenshots. Click for more
       


Ease of Use:  

This program is as easy to use as possible given its many functions and flexibility. Menus are organized intuitively, conversational prompts are used, drag and drop makes tagging and moving photos simple, and a guided edit is available for users who require more assistance with the editing process.

Layout

Photoshop Elements 6 is organized into four task categories:

1. Organize: import, tag, sort
2. Edit/Fix: three levels of editing, which include Quick Fix, Full Edit and Guided Edit
3. Create: Find printing and digital projects here including slide shows, photo collage, greeting card
4. Share: Ready to share your photos or project with friends? Click here to email, send to a mobile phone, post to the Web, or send out for printing.

Importing:  

Importing happens in the Organizing window. PhotoshopElements starts with the My Pictures file on your computer, and you can designate the program to correct red eyes and organize the photos into stacks of similar photos during the import process. You’ll have an opportunity to confirm the stacks later. PDF files and frames from videos can be imported from your computer too. Easily get photos from cameras, scanners, CDs, DVDs, and mobile phone cameras. 

Editing:  

Once you’ve selected a photo for editing, you have three modes to choose from: Quick, Full and Guided. Before you start, be sure to choose your view: After Only, Before Only or Before & After. With Quick, you are adjusting lighting, color and sharpness and have four tools at your disposal. Don’t like the result? Hit reset and try again. Guided edit will take you step by step through the common edits. And, you'll learn how to do complex touch-ups and how to use Photomerge where you can take components of similar pictures and blend them for the ideal shot. Full mode gives you 22 tools to work with.  You’ll be creating effects and using multiple layers. Use the drop down Effects menu to select an effect: you’ll see thumbnails illustrating each one. This is the mode where you can exercise your creativity and make use of PhotoElements full editing capabilities.

Bonus Features

Photomerge™: Create the best group shot possible. A photo is almost perfect but one person’s eyes are closed. If you have several photos of the group, easily merge photos so everyone looks good.

Guided Edit: Conversational prompts take you easily through the basic editing process. Learning is effortless and frustration free.

Find Faces for Tagging: Photoshop Elements will automatically present thumbnails of every face in each of your photos. Tag each with a specific label for later sorting. It’s easy, just drag and drop. 

Sharing:  

Create a variety of projects with Photoshop Elements. Click on Create, select a project, and you will be guided through the process. Once you have finished editing your photos or completed a photo project, it’s time to share your results with friends and family.

Click Share to see your choices. Every option includes step by step instructions, start to finish. Email and phone mail come with the editable message, “Here are the photos that I want to share with you.” What could be easier?

You can extend your sharing options through these Adobe Partners:

• Kodak Gallery where you can turn your photos into prints, photo cards, invitations and gift items. Don’t miss the Martha Stewart line of cards, the nicest on the Internet.
• PhotoStamps to turn your photos in U.S. postage
• Adobe Photoshop Showcase to share your photos, videos and Flash-based galleries
• Ceiva to display and share photos in connected digital photos frames
• Smug Mug for another option in online galleries

Check Adobe.com for Adobe Partner offers before you buy, you may save quite a bit. 

Output Capabilities:  

Elements supports eleven of the most common image formats—including PDF—a format few products offer. 

Organizing:  

Organizing is quick and flexible. Most of the work is done when you import photos. Drag and drop to add keyword icons and assign a rating from one to five stars. Photoshop Elements will also suggest stacks as you import. These are photos taken in a short time frame of the same subject. From here, photos can be organized into albums for use in future projects. Again, it’s a drag and drop process.

Retrieving photos is just as simple. Click the box on one or more keyword icons and your screen will be filled with the corresponding photos. Alternately, you can click on an album you have created and see all of the enclosed photos. 

Help/Support:  

Adobe Photoshop Elements offers unprecedented help and support. Tips are unobtrusively marked with a light bulb icon so you can get more information where and when you need it. The Edit function includes Guided Edit where you are asked questions and given a list of options to get the result you want. Need more information? With a click, a new window opens showing the corresponding text from the built-in tutorial. Online tutorials, telephone for customer service and complimentary tech support, user forum, and a knowledge base with a searchable document archive are also available. 

Summary:  

If you want professional results without frustration, Adobe Photoshop Elements is the right program for you. From basic edits for photo archiving to creative edits for photographic art, Elements delivers the tools you need. Sharing is simple with many alternatives. Yes, it is more expensive than some of the other products, but you will find the best value in Photoshop Elements as you master its features and applications.