Photoshop Elements Blog

How to Avoid the WELCOME Screen

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:02:38 GMT

Q: Each time I run Photoshop Elements 8 the Welcome Screen always pops up first and I have to do a lot of things before I can get to the editor. How can

Keeping Skin Natural

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:25:28 GMT

Q: How do you add color, contrast, or any effect to a portrait without making their face and skin look over processed? A: I think the easiest way to

Remove a Section from Your Photo - Photoshop Elements Video Tutorial

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:55:20 GMT

You can remove a section right from the middle of your photo with Photoshop Elements and then seamlessly stitch it back together.

Change Colour from White in Photoshop Elements

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:49:59 GMT

Q: I am new to Photoshop and have just found your site. It is great and put in a simple way that is easy to understand. I had a go at changing the colour

Converting Raw Files to JPEG

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:38:19 GMT

Q: After making corrections in a raw format how do I transfer it to JPEG and save my corrections? I'm using Elements 6 and I have a MAC. I try to move

How to End a Layers Session

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:58:06 GMT

Q: What is the best way to end a session in which I've been using a layer (or layers)? Do I just click flatten layers and then save? Thanks! Dave A:

How to Remove the Reflections from the Watch Crystal?

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:35:20 GMT

Q: Need your expert advice on how to remove the white crystal reflections to black? Thank you. A: This is a challenging situation. I struggled to come

Change a Colored Shirt to Black

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:12:23 GMT

We saw how to Change from One Color to Another in a previous tutorial.

Well when you go from color to a neutral color like black, that method doesn't work so well.

The secret to making it believable is to retain the folds and wrinkles. That's what we refer to as shape in the graphics industry.

Here's a short video to show this process.

See How Easy It Is To Make Gradient Type

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:51:36 GMT

Use Photoshop Elements to fill any text with a gradient. This technique is very quick and easy to do and allows for lots of creative options.

Check out the video by clicking on the link below.

How Do I Categorize My Photos?

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:55:06 GMT

Q: How do I categorize my photos? A: It depends on which version of Photoshop Elements you own.If you have a Windows version for a PC then you could

Do You Know a Kid Who Wants to be a Race Car Driver?

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:06:09 GMT

Or a dancer or maybe a firefighter.

This is a classic Photoshop technique. Take the face of someone you know and put it on the body of somebody else. With adults it's often the body of a model in a swimsuit.

It's just for fun and this video shows how easy it is to do with Photoshop Elements.

Preset Manager In Photoshop Elements

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:59:00 GMT

Q: I am trying to load new free patterns from online and I cannot find out where to save the .pat files so that i can load them in elements 6.0. I know

ANIMATION in
Photoshop Elements 6

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:59:19 GMT

Q: What can I do with this animation? A: Too funny. Nice job JAW!And I might add one of the most creative uses of an animated GIF I've ever seen!Personally

Animated GIF Bug In Some Versions Of Photoshop Elements

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:37:50 GMT

Q: I use PSE 6, but according to Adobe, there is a glitch or problem with the time delay (can't be change). If so, what's your workaround for this. I was

How To Change a Background With Photoshop Elements?

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:48:54 GMT

Q: How can I change the background in a picture and insert a new backgroud? A: That is a very interesting picture Angela.To accomplish what you want

Photoshop Elements 8 Frustrations

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:26:53 GMT

Q: I am new to Photoshop Elements. Previously I used Paintshop which was easy by comparison. I bought Photoshop Elements All-In-One for Dummies, I also

Partial Color on Black and White Background

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:30:41 GMT

Q: I have a colored image that I would like to have the background in black and white. However, I would like to maintain the color of the my focal objects

How do I change workspace colour in Elements 7?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:02:50 GMT

Q: I have just got Photoshop Elements 7. The workspace is a dark grey with white lettering which I can barely read. How can I change the workspace and

Create a Sepia Tone with Photoshop Elements

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:49:23 GMT

A Sepia Tone is a very old photographic process that gives a slight color tint to a photo.

This Sepia Tone Video. shows how you can achieve the same effect with Photoshop Elements.

Create A Ghost Trail

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:55:11 GMT

Q: I want to create a ghost like trail. For example a dog running towards me coming out of nowhere but with a ghostly trail behind. If that makes sense.

Create a Ghost Trail in Your Photos

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:36:42 GMT

This tutorial explains how to create a Ghost Trail (a subject that gradually fades off in the background).

It can be a creepy effect or as in this tutorial have a more uplifting effect.

Video Added To Tutorial

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:43:45 GMT

I have added a video to accompany the Tutorial on How to Change the Color of an Object with Photoshop Elements.

Just look for the Play button on the video icon and press it.

How can I upload artwork without it looking grainy?

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:41:26 GMT

Q: I would like to upload my artwork but when I scan it and upload it to a site it looks terrible compared to the original. Should I take a photo and

Photoshop Elements has an Easy Way to Remove Items from Photos

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:17:25 GMT

When you want to remove people or objects from a photo most people go for the Clone Stamp tool or the Healing Brush tool.

For some photos there is an easier way to make the change and it produces seamless results!

Check out this video to see how it works.

Draw a Circle Around a Face

Thu, 20 May 2010 13:06:16 GMT

Q: I have an old class photo and I want to draw a colored circle around one face. This is a very simple and common need and yet there does not seem to

How To Get Layers Back

Tue, 18 May 2010 02:25:41 GMT

Q: Somehow I have managed to click off the Layers, Navigation, etc screen off. How do I get them back. Thanks A: I will give you the most likely answer

How To Insert Photo Into Template

Thu, 13 May 2010 13:30:49 GMT

Q: How do I easily insert a photo into a template and get it to fit without being distorted? (pse equivalent of clipping mask) thanks. A: I'm going

Updating from
Photoshop Elements 6 to 8

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:57:35 GMT

Q: Any problems with updating from Elements 6 to 8? A: No, you should find it fairly straight forward.With Photoshop Elements you don't actually upgrade

Delete Images with
Photoshop Elements

Sat, 08 May 2010 14:22:31 GMT

Q: I'm trying to learn Adobe Photoshop Elements 8. Some techniques I've tried and don't like or for some reason don't want to keep. How do I say to get

Grayscale To Color

Fri, 07 May 2010 12:29:24 GMT

Q: I am looking to scan some ribbons to use as embellishments on digiscrap pages. How do I get them in greyscale so that I can make them any color I want

Step and Repeat in Photoshop.

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:40:12 GMT

Q: Step and repeat in Photoshop. Is it possible? A: Step and Repeat is a great feature found in some page layout programs.The way it works is you select

Print Quality

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:20:23 GMT

Q: I've finally (yeah) figured out how to add a digital background to my picture enhancing my portrait subject - NOW I need to figure out how to PRINT

Color Corrections

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:26:58 GMT

Q: How can I color correct a photo of my painting? There is glare on the upper right, the green should be more saturated lime green, the lower leaf inside

Add Snap To A Dull Image

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:30:24 GMT

Q: How to make dull image to sharper image? A: There are four characteristics to a quality color image.Good Contrast.Gray Balance.Sharpness and Detail.Believable

Moving Portrait to Digital Background

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:24:13 GMT

Q: I can pretty much figure out how to erase the background and how to overlay the portrait onto the digital background, but I haven't been able to figure

Remove Texture From Some of the Photo

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:12:58 GMT

Q: I have been trying out textures on some photos, but don't know how to remove the texture from a person's face and just have the texture in the background.

Update Catalog

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:05:58 GMT

Q: I deleted some pictures from my hard drive after it was imported to the organizer. How do I update the catalog so the deleted pictures aren't in the

Blend Layers in
Photoshop Elements 8

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:35:32 GMT

Q: I want to blend several different photos together to create a poster look but in Elements 8 I do not see a blend tool. How is this accomplished? A:

Learning Photoshop Elements Can Be Frustrating

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:20:07 GMT

Pavel sounded very frustrated when he submitted his question. On top of the normal challenges of learning a new application, things just weren't working the way he knew they should.

Smart Brush Wont Go Away

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:13:12 GMT

Q: After using the Smart Brush how do I make the brush go away? It stays on my picture. Its always there; is it suppose to be? How do I work around that

Missing Blur Tool

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:41:35 GMT

All of a sudden I no longer have the blur teardrop tool. I have no idea where it went. Has anyone else had this happen

How To Draw Lines Added To Photoshop Elements Tutorials

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:22:59 GMT

This tutorial shows how to draw lines with Photoshop Elements. Yes you can draw nice, sharp, straight lines in Elements. There is actually a Line tool. But where?

Photoshop Elements Tutorials - New Post

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:31:55 GMT

Finished the Burnt Edge tutorial. Even if your not interested in that effect there is still a pretty good Layer Mask explanation. And it's short and sweet. See it near the end of step 2 of the tutorial.

New Photoshop Elements Tutorial in Progress

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:55:33 GMT

I'm working on a new tutorial on how to create a burnt edge effect by using a Layer Mask.

Here's what I have so far. Hope to finish it tomorrow.

Win a Free Copy of Photoshop Elements

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:50:50 GMT

Adobe Elements (which is not only Photoshop Elements but also their video editing program Premiere Elements) is celebrating getting 1000 followers on Twitter by having a contest. The prize is a copy of the software.

I'm not sure if you win both Photoshop and Premiere Elements, but it sounds like you do.

To enter you need to write a tweet about why you love Elements and include the Hashmark: #ILuvElements.

Go for it and good luck!

New Photoshop Elements Tutorial-Background Eraser

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:30:38 GMT

I received a question recently on the Ask a Question page. The visitor wanted to know if he could replace the white background in his photos with a different color.

As happens quite often, the answer required more explaining than I could give in that post. So I created a tutorial explaining one way to do it using the Background Eraser tool. An often overlooked but useful tool. Check it out and add another tool to your arsenal.

Burnt Edges with Photoshop Elements

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:34:56 GMT

I got a question via Twitter on how to create a burnt edge effect with Elements.

As with many effects in Elements there's more than one way to go about it.

I think the answer I gave is the quickest and easiest but is more limited in the results you can achieve.

I did promise the visitor more options so stay tuned, but here is a really fast way to get the burnt edge look: burnt edges

Up And Running

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:40:01 GMT

Even though Photoshop Elements 8 for the Mac has been out for several months I was unable to install it on my computer.

It required a newer processor than what I had. So I had to figure out how to spring for a new computer. As you probably know Macs are expensive.

One day the Color Manager at my job told me that our company had tested the Mac Mini and it had all the power we needed to handle the high-end graphics work that we do.

The light bulb in my head went on. Mac Minis are really cool. They're only 6.5 inches square and a couple inches high. They are the most energy efficient computers on the planet. And they're packed with horsepower.

The other great thing (for my situation) is that they don't come with a monitor, keyboard or mouse, so they are the least expensive Macs that Apple sells.

My monitor, keyboard and mouse were fine, so I knew this was going to be my next computer.

Then I just waited for a refurbished one to show up on Apples website and I hit the Buy button!

Now I have a great new computer running the latest version of Photoshop Elements. Woohoo!

How do I make eyes pop?

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:59:40 GMT

Q: I have worked on making eyes in portraits really pop. I can't figure it out. I know the look I am going for but I can't seem to accomplish it. Can you

Transparent Backgrounds in Photoshop Elements

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:50:32 GMT

Q: How can I keep backgrounds transparent for importing? A: That's a good question although it's a bit vague. Without knowing the specifics such as what