Photoshop Elements has always boasted an impressive feature set – discover how the latest incarnation packs in even more
The past few versions of Photoshop Elements have introduced some innovative new features and version 9 carries on this tradition. With this latest incarnation, users can wield even greater control over their images than ever before, and be able to do it without emptying the coffers. It works seamlessly with its sister product, Premiere Elements, so if you have video to work with as well as photos, then consider the bundled offers.
In addition to the existing range of tools and commands, Elements 9 has some enticing new tricks up its sleeve. Layer masks make their debut appearance as does the ability to quickly apply photo styles and effects. You can produce creative projects within the program and also send your latest works straight to Facebook.
The content-Aware ability of the Spot Healing brush first seen in Photoshop CS5 is now available in Elements, making photo editing even easier. And as with previous versions, you can see the interace to work with your ability.
Want a simple approach? Pick the Quick flavour. Go to full if you want complete control or pick Guided to be shown exactly what to do. In short you have all you need to do whatever you need to your photos. This article will take a look at the new and enhanced features, giving you a taste of what version 9 has to offer, as well as summarizing the key features of other versions of the Elements package.
“Go for Full if you want complete control or pick Guide to be shown exactly what to do”
Elements 9
The interface
The elements 9 interface carries on the smart grey appearance of recent versions, with easy to read icons and various workspaces to make editing as straightforward as possible.
Guiding light
The Guided work area walks you through a series of creative processes. Elements 9 introduces new effects, which are detailed on page 52. It’s just a case of following the steps and really couldn’t be easier.
New Spot Healing function
One of the most exciting new features of Elements is the Content-Aware option in the Spot Healing brush. This allows you to remove unwanted objects with just a few strokes of the brush.
01 Photomerge
The Photomerge Style Match feature is a new way to quickly edit your images. The basic idea is that you apply the syle of one image to aother.
02 Style Match
Go to File>New>Photomerge Style Match, drag the image whose style you want to copy next to the image you want to edit. Use the sliders to perfect.
03 Better cloning
Elements users can now enjoy Content-Aware capability with the Spot Healing brush. Pick the tool and click Content-Aware in the top bar.
04 Clone away
Zoom into you image so you can see what’s going on, adjust the brush size and then simply paint over the area you want to remove.
05 Panoramas
Panoramas area a fantastic way of capturing an entire scene but they don’t seem to have achieved the popularity they should have done.
06 Stitch in time
You get to stitch together images as normal and once Elements has done its thing, you will be given an option for those outside spaces to be filled.