Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual

Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual

by Barbara Brundage
Released September 2009
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781449379520

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Book description

Ideal for scrapbookers, serious and casual photographers, and budding graphic artists alike, Photoshop Elements 8 is more powerful and easier to use than previous versions. But figuring out how and when to use the program's tools is still tricky. With this book, you'll learn not only what each tool does, but also when it makes the most sense to use it and why. You get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for everything from importing photos to organizing, editing, sharing, and storing your images. And if a feature isn't all that it's cracked up to be, we'll tell you.

How do you use the Photomerge Exposure? How do Quick Fix previews work? With a gentle introduction to get you started quickly, and advanced tips to help you produce really creative work, this Missing Manual provides the answers you need.

  • Get crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations of every feature
  • Learn to import, organize, back up, and fix photos quickly and easily
  • Repair and restore old and damaged photos, and retouch any image
  • Jazz up your pictures with dozens of filters, frames, and special effects
  • Remove unwanted objects from images with the new Recompose tool
  • Learn advanced techniques like working with layers and applying blend modes
  • Download practice images and try new tricks right away

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Table of contents

  1. Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual
    1. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
    2. A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
    3. The Missing Credits
      1. About the Author
      2. About the Creative Team
      3. Acknowledgments
      4. The Missing Manual Series
    4. Introduction
      1. Why Photoshop Elements?
      2. What You Can Do with Elements 8
      3. What's New in Elements 8
      4. If You Have a Mac
      5. Elements vs. Photoshop
      6. The Key to Learning Elements
      7. About This Book
        1. About the Outline
        2. For Newcomers to Elements
        3. The Very Basics
        4. About → These → Arrows
        5. About MissingManuals.com
        6. Safari® Books Online
    5. I. Introduction to Elements
      1. 1. Finding Your Way Around Elements
        1. The Welcome Screen
        2. Organizing Your Photos
          1. Photo Downloader
        3. Photoshop.com
        4. Editing Your Photos
          1. Panels, Bins, and Tabs
            1. The Panel bin
            2. The Project bin
            3. Image windows
          2. Elements' Tools
          3. Getting Help
            1. Guided Edit
            2. The Inspiration Browser
          4. Escape Routes
            1. Undo
            2. Undo History panel
            3. The one rule of Elements
        5. Getting Started in a Hurry
      2. 2. Importing, Managing, and Saving Your Photos
        1. Importing from Cameras
          1. The Photo Downloader
        2. Opening Stored Images
          1. Working with PDF Files
        3. Scanning Photos
        4. Capturing Video Frames
        5. Creating a New File
          1. Picking a File Size
          2. Choosing a Resolution
          3. Selecting a Color Mode
          4. Choosing Background Contents
        6. Using the Organizer
          1. The Media Browser
            1. Full Screen view
          2. Creating Categories and Tags
            1. Working with tags and categories
            2. People Recognition
          3. Albums and Smart Albums
        7. Searching for Photos
          1. Browsing Through Photos
          2. Using Tags and Categories to Find Photos
          3. Searching by Metadata
        8. Saving Your Work
          1. File Formats Elements Understands
            1. Not-so-common file formats
            2. About JPEGs
          2. Changing the File Format
        9. Backing Up Your Files
          1. Online Syncing and Backups
          2. Organizer Backups
          3. Making Quick CDs/DVDs
      3. 3. Rotating and Resizing Your Photos
        1. Straightening Scanned Photos
          1. Straightening Two or More Photos at a Time
          2. Straightening Individual Photos
        2. Rotating Images
          1. Rotating and Flipping Options
        3. Straightening the Contents of an Image
          1. Straighten Tool
          2. Free Rotate Layer
        4. Cropping Pictures
          1. The Crop Tool
            1. Cropping an image to an exact size
          2. Cropping with the Marquee Tool
        5. Zooming and Repositioning Your View
          1. Image Views
          2. The Zoom Tool
          3. The Hand Tool
        6. Changing the Size of an Image
        7. Resizing Images for Email and the Web
          1. Resizing for Printing
            1. Resampling
          2. Adding Canvas
    6. II. Elemental Elements
      1. 4. The Quick Fix
        1. The Quick Fix Window
          1. The Quick Fix Toolbox
          2. The Quick Fix Panel Bin
            1. Using presets
          3. Different Views: After vs. "Before and After"
        2. Editing Your Photos
          1. Fixing Red Eye
          2. Smart Fix
          3. Adjusting Lighting and Contrast
            1. Levels
            2. Contrast
            3. Shadows and Highlights
          4. Color
            1. Auto Color
            2. Using the Color sliders
            3. Balancing color
          5. Sharpening
          6. Touch-Ups
          7. Quick Fix Suggested Workflow
        3. Adjusting Skin Tones
      2. 5. Making Selections
        1. Selecting Everything
        2. Selecting Rectangular and Elliptical Areas
        3. Selecting Irregularly Sized Areas
          1. Controlling the Selection Tools
        4. Selecting with a Brush
          1. Refine Edge
          2. The Selection Brush
          3. The Magic Wand
          4. The Lasso Tools
            1. The basic Lasso tool
            2. The Magnetic Lasso
            3. The Polygonal Lasso
        5. Removing Objects from an Image's Background
        6. Changing and Moving Selections
          1. Inverting a Selection
          2. Making a Selection Larger or Smaller
          3. Moving Selected Areas
            1. The Move tool
          4. Saving Selections
            1. Making changes to a saved selection
      3. 6. Layers: The Heart of Elements
        1. Understanding Layers
          1. The Layers Panel
          2. The Background
        2. Creating Layers
          1. Adding a Layer
          2. Deleting Layers
          3. Duplicating a Layer
          4. Copying and Cutting from Layers
        3. Managing Layers
          1. Making Layers Invisible
          2. Adjusting Opacity
          3. Locking Layers
          4. Blend Mode
          5. Rearranging Layers
            1. Arranging layers with the Move tool
          6. Aligning and Distributing Layers
          7. Grouping and Linking Layers
            1. Linking layers
            2. Grouping layers by clipping
          8. Merging and Flattening Layers
            1. Merging layers
            2. Flattening an image
        4. Adjustment and Fill Layers
          1. Adding Fill and Adjustment Layers
            1. Fill layers
            2. Adjustment layers
          2. Layer Masks
        5. Moving Objects Between Images
    7. III. Retouching
      1. 7. Basic Image Retouching
        1. Fixing Exposure Problems
          1. Deciding Which Exposure Fix to Use
          2. Fixing Major Exposure Problems
          3. The Shadows/Highlights Command
          4. Correcting Part of an Image
            1. Correcting color with a brush
        2. Controlling the Colors You See
          1. Calibrating Your Monitor
            1. Getting started with calibrating
          2. Choosing a Color Space
        3. Using Levels
          1. Understanding the Histogram
          2. Adjusting Levels: The Eyedropper Method
          3. Adjusting Levels: The Slider Controls
        4. Removing Unwanted Color
          1. The Remove Color Cast Command
          2. Using Color Variations
        5. Choosing Colors
          1. The Color Picker
          2. The Eyedropper Tool
          3. The Color Swatches Panel
            1. Saving colors in the Swatches panel
        6. Sharpening Images
          1. Unsharp Mask
          2. Adjust Sharpness
          3. The High-Pass Filter
          4. The Sharpen Tool
      2. 8. Elements for Digital Photographers
        1. The Raw Converter
          1. Using the Raw Converter
            1. Adjusting the view
            2. Rotating, straightening, and cropping
          2. Adjusting White Balance
          3. Adjusting Tone
            1. Saving your settings
          4. Adjusting Vibrance and Saturation
          5. Adjusting Sharpness and Reducing Noise
            1. Choosing bit depth: 8 or 16 bits?
          6. Finishing Up
          7. Converting to DNG
        2. Blending Exposures
          1. Automatic Merges
          2. Manual Merges
        3. Photo Filter
        4. Processing Multiple Files
          1. Choosing Your Files
          2. Renaming Your Files
          3. Changing Image Size and File Type
          4. Applying Quick Fix Commands
          5. Attaching Labels
            1. Watermarks
            2. Adding captions
      3. 9. Retouching: Fine-Tuning Your Images
        1. Fixing Blemishes
          1. The Spot Healing Brush: Fixing Small Areas
          2. The Healing Brush: Fixing Larger Areas
          3. The Clone Stamp
        2. Applying Patterns
          1. The Healing Brush
          2. The Pattern Stamp
        3. Recomposing Photos
        4. Color Curves: Enhancing Tone and Contrast
        5. Making Colors More Vibrant
          1. The Hue/Saturation Dialog Box
          2. Adjusting Saturation with the Sponge Tool
        6. Changing an Object's Color
          1. Using an Adjustment Layer
          2. Replacing Specific Colors
          3. The Color Replacement Tool
        7. Special Effects
      4. 10. Removing and Adding Color
        1. Method One: Making Color Photos Black and White
        2. Method Two: Removing Color from Photos
        3. Creating Spot Color
          1. Brushing Away Color
          2. Erasing Colors from a Duplicate Layer
          3. Removing Color from Selections
          4. Using an Adjustment Layer and the Saturation Slider
            1. Editing a layer mask
        4. Colorizing Black-and-White Photos
          1. Tinting a Whole Photo
            1. Using a Layer style
            2. The Content panel's tint effects
            3. Using Colorize
      5. 11. Photomerge: Creating Panoramas, Group Shots, and More
        1. Creating Panoramas
          1. Manual Positioning with Interactive Layout
        2. Merging Different Faces
        3. Arranging a Group Shot
        4. Tidying Up with Scene Cleaner
        5. Correcting Lens Distortion
        6. Transforming Images
          1. Skew, Distort, and Perspective
          2. Free Transform
    8. IV. Artistic Elements
      1. 12. Drawing with Brushes, Shapes, and Other Tools
        1. Picking and Using a Basic Brush
          1. Modifying Your Brush
          2. Saving Modified Brush Settings
        2. The Specialty Brushes
          1. Making a Custom Brush
        3. The Impressionist Brush
        4. The Pencil Tool
        5. The Paint Bucket
        6. Dodging and Burning
          1. Dodging
          2. Burning
        7. Blending and Smudging
          1. Blend Modes
          2. The Smudge Tool
        8. The Eraser Tool
          1. Using the Eraser
          2. The Magic Eraser
          3. The Background Eraser
        9. Drawing with Shapes
          1. Rectangle and Rounded Rectangle
          2. Ellipse
          3. Polygon
          4. Line Tool
          5. The Custom Shape Tool
          6. The Shape Selection Tool
        10. The Cookie Cutter Tool
      2. 13. Filters, Effects, Layer Styles, and Gradients
        1. Using Filters
          1. Applying Filters
            1. Filter menu
            2. Effects panel
            3. Filter Gallery
          2. Filter Categories
          3. Useful Filter Solutions
            1. Removing noise: Getting rid of graininess
            2. Adding noise: Smoothing out repair jobs
            3. Gaussian Blur: Drawing attention to an object
            4. Radial Blur: Producing a sense of motion
            5. Color correcting with the Average Blur filter
            6. Improving skin texture with the Surface Blur filter
        2. Adding Effects
          1. Using Actions
        3. Adding Layer Styles
        4. Applying Gradients
          1. The Gradient Tool
          2. Gradient Fill Layers
          3. Editing Gradients
            1. Transparency in gradients
            2. Creating noise gradients
          4. Saving Gradients
        5. Gradient Maps
      3. 14. Text in Elements
        1. Adding Text to an Image
          1. Text Options
          2. Creating Text
          3. Editing Text
            1. Smoothing text: anti-aliasing
        2. Warping Text
        3. Adding Special Effects
          1. Text Effects
          2. Text Gradients
          3. Applying the Liquify Filter to Text
        4. Type Masks: Setting an Image in Text
          1. Using the Type Mask Tools
          2. Creating Outlined Text
            1. Using the Stroke Layer style
            2. Using the Type Mask tool
    9. V. Sharing Your Images
      1. 15. Creating Projects
        1. Photo Collages
          1. Creating Multipage Documents
        2. Working with the Content and Favorites Panels
          1. The Content Panel
          2. The Favorites Panel
        3. Photo Books
        4. Greeting Cards
        5. CD/DVD Jackets
        6. CD/DVD Labels
        7. Online Creations
      2. 16. Printing Your Photos
        1. Getting Ready to Print
        2. Ordering Prints
        3. Printing at Home
          1. Making Individual Prints
          2. Positioning Your Image
            1. Print window settings
            2. Windows' Page Setup dialog box
          3. Additional Print Options
          4. Color Management
        4. Printing Multiple Photos
          1. Contact Sheets
          2. Picture Package
      3. 17. Email and the Web
        1. Image Formats and the Web
        2. Saving Images for the Web or Email
          1. Using Save For Web
            1. Save For Web file format options
          2. Previewing Images and Adjusting Color
        3. Creating Animated GIFs
        4. Emailing Photos
          1. Individual Attachments
          2. Photo Mail
          3. PDF Slideshows
      4. 18. Online Albums and Slideshows
        1. Online Albums
          1. Sharing a New Album
          2. Other Ways to Share
        2. Slideshows
          1. Full Screen View
          2. PDF Slideshows
            1. Simple PDF slideshow
            2. Making a PDF in the Slide Show Editor
          3. Using the Slide Show Editor
            1. Slide Show Preferences
            2. Creating slideshows with the Slide Show Editor
            3. Adding special effects
            4. Saving and sharing your slideshow
        3. Flipbooks
        4. Sharing Photos with Yahoo Maps
    10. VI. Additional Elements
      1. 19. Beyond the Basics
        1. Graphics Tablets
        2. Free Stuff from the Internet
        3. When You Really Need Photoshop
        4. Beyond This Book
    11. VII. Appendixes
      1. A. The Organizer, Menu by Menu
        1. File Menu
          1. Get Photos and Videos
          2. New
          3. Open Recently Edited File in Editor
          4. Catalog
          5. Burn Data CD/DVD
          6. Copy/Move to Removable Disk
          7. Backup Catalog to CD, DVD, or Hard Drive
          8. Restore Catalog from CD, DVD, or Hard Drive
          9. Duplicate
          10. Reconnect
          11. Watch Folders
          12. Rename
          13. Write Keyword Tag and Properties Info to Photos
          14. Move
          15. Export As New File(s)
          16. Print
          17. Order Prints
          18. Exit
        2. Edit Menu
          1. Undo
          2. Redo
          3. Copy
          4. Select All
          5. Deselect
          6. Delete from Catalog
          7. Rotate 90° Left
          8. Rotate 90° Right
          9. Auto Smart Fix
          10. Auto Red Eye Fix
          11. Edit with Photoshop Elements
          12. Adjust Date and Time
          13. Add Caption
          14. Update Thumbnail
          15. Set as Desktop Wallpaper
          16. Ratings
          17. Visibility
          18. Place on Map
          19. Remove from Map
          20. Show on Map
          21. Stack
          22. Version Set
          23. Run Auto-Analyzer
          24. Color Settings
          25. Contact Book
          26. Preferences
        3. Find Menu
          1. Set Date Range
          2. Clear Date Range
          3. By Caption or Note
          4. By Filename
          5. All Version Sets
          6. All Stacks
          7. By History
          8. By Media Type
          9. By Details (Metadata)
          10. Items with Unknown Date or Time
          11. By Visual Similarity with Selected Photo(s) and Video(s)
          12. Untagged Items
          13. Unanalyzed Content
          14. Items Not in Any Album
          15. Find People for Tagging
        4. View Menu
          1. Refresh
          2. Media Types
          3. Hidden Files
          4. Details
          5. Show File Names
          6. Show Grid Lines
          7. Show Borders Around Thumbnails
          8. Expand All Stacks
          9. Collapse All Stacks
        5. Window Menu
          1. Hide Task Pane
          2. Show Map
          3. Timeline
          4. Properties
        6. Help Menu
          1. Elements Organizer Help
          2. Key Concepts
          3. Support
          4. Video Tutorials
          5. Forum
          6. About Elements Organizer
          7. Patent and Legal Notices
          8. System Info
          9. Updates
          10. Elements Inspiration Browser
        7. Welcome Button
        8. Create New Adobe ID
        9. Undo
        10. Redo
        11. Display Menu
          1. Thumbnail View
          2. Import Batch
          3. Folder Location
          4. Date View
          5. View, Edit, Organize in Full Screen
          6. Compare Photos Side by Side
        12. Welcome Menu
      2. B. The Editor, Menu by Menu
        1. System Menu
        2. File Menu
          1. New
          2. Open
          3. Open As
          4. Open Recently Edited File
          5. Duplicate
          6. Close
          7. Close All
          8. Save
          9. Save As
          10. Save For Web
          11. File Info
          12. Place
          13. Organize Open Files
          14. Process Multiple Files
          15. Import
          16. Export
          17. Automation Tools
          18. Print
          19. Order Prints
          20. Exit
        3. Edit Menu
          1. Undo
          2. Redo
          3. Revert
          4. Cut
          5. Copy
          6. Copy Merged
          7. Paste
          8. Paste Into Selection
          9. Delete
          10. Fill Layer, Fill Selection
          11. Stroke (Outline) Selection
          12. Define Brush, Define Brush from Selection
          13. Define Pattern, Define Pattern from Selection
          14. Clear
          15. Add Blank Page
          16. Add Page Using Current Layout
          17. Delete Current Page
          18. Color Settings
          19. Preset Manager
          20. Preferences
        4. Image Menu
          1. Rotate
          2. Transform
          3. Crop
          4. Recompose
          5. Divide Scanned Photos
          6. Resize
          7. Mode
          8. Convert Color Profile
          9. Magic Extractor
        5. Enhance Menu
          1. Auto Smart Fix
          2. Auto Levels
          3. Auto Contrast
          4. Auto Color Correction
          5. Auto Sharpen
          6. Auto Red Eye Fix
          7. Adjust Smart Fix
          8. Adjust Lighting
          9. Adjust Color
          10. Convert to Black and White
          11. Unsharp Mask
          12. Adjust Sharpness
        6. Layer Menu
          1. New
          2. Duplicate Layer
          3. Delete Layer
          4. Rename Layer
          5. Layer Style
          6. New Fill Layer
          7. New Adjustment Layer
          8. Layer Content Options
          9. Type
          10. Simplify Layer
          11. Create Clipping Mask, Release Clipping Mask
          12. Arrange
          13. Merge Layers
          14. Merge Visible
          15. Flatten Image
        7. Select Menu
          1. All
          2. Deselect
          3. Reselect
          4. Inverse
          5. All Layers
          6. Deselect Layers
          7. Similar Layers
          8. Feather
          9. Refine Edge
          10. Modify
          11. Grow
          12. Similar
          13. Transform Selection
          14. Load Selection
          15. Save Selection
          16. Delete Selection
        8. Filter Menu
          1. Last Filter
          2. Filter Gallery
          3. Correct Camera Distortion
          4. Adjustments
          5. Artistic
          6. Blur
          7. Brush Strokes
          8. Distort
          9. Noise
          10. Pixelate
          11. Render
          12. Sketch
          13. Stylize
          14. Texture
          15. Video
          16. Other
          17. Digimarc
        9. View Menu
          1. New Window for…
          2. Zoom In
          3. Zoom Out
          4. Fit on Screen
          5. Actual Pixels
          6. Print Size
          7. Selection
          8. Rulers
          9. Grid
          10. Guides
          11. Notes
          12. Snap to
          13. Lock Guides
          14. Clear Guides
          15. New Guide
        10. Window Menu
          1. Images
          2. Tools
          3. Adjustments
          4. Color Swatches
          5. Content
          6. Effects
          7. Favorites
          8. Histogram
          9. Info
          10. Layers
          11. Navigator
          12. Undo History
          13. Panel Bin
          14. Reset Panels
          15. Welcome
          16. Project Bin
          17. Image Windows/Tabs
        11. Help Menu
          1. Photoshop Elements Help
          2. Getting Started
          3. Key Concepts
          4. Support
          5. Video Tutorials
          6. Forum
          7. About Photoshop Elements
          8. About Plug-In
          9. Patent and Legal Notices
          10. System Info
          11. Registration
          12. Deactivate
          13. Updates
          14. Elements Inspiration Browser
        12. Arrange Menu
        13. Welcome Button
        14. Create New Adobe ID
        15. Reset Panels
        16. Undo
        17. Redo
        18. Organizer
        19. Welcome Screen
      3. C. Installation and Troubleshooting
        1. Installing Elements
        2. Activation
        3. Scratch Disks
        4. Troubleshooting
    12. Index
    13. About the Author
    14. Colophon
    15. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly

Product information

  • Title: Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual
  • Author(s): Barbara Brundage
  • Release date: September 2009
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781449379520