The Organizer in Photoshop Elements makes it easy to view, find, edit, and manage your photos and other media files. When you open the Organizer, the Photo Browser view appears by default. The Photo Browser is the main display view in the Organizer. It shows thumbnails—a mini-preview—of all the photos in a catalog. You can display several different types of media files, including photos, videos, audios, projects, and PDFs. For videos, the first frame appears in the Photo Browser, which you can double-click to view it in a built-in media player. You can change the view in the Photo Browser to display any combination of media types you want. If you only need to work with photos, you can change the view to hide all the other media file types except photos.
If you need a larger view of your photos, you can use the Full Screen and Side by Side views, which allow you to view your photos in a full screen view without windows, menus, and palettes. In both of these views, a Control bar appears at the top of the screen, which allows you to access common display and editing commands. Side by Side view splits the screen in half and displays a photo on each side, which you can use to browse through photos on one side in order to compare them with the photo on the other side.
In the Organizer, you can also view and find photos by date using Date view. Date view allows you to browse through and locate photos by using a calendar, which you can also use to keep track of recurring events, such as birthdays and holidays, and even add notes. The Organizer also includes a Map view provided by Yahoo! Maps, where you can arrange photos by geographic location. It’s an electronic version of a map on the wall with pictures attached with push pins.
The Photo Browser is a display view in the Organizer that shows thumbnails of all the photos in a catalog. A thumbnail is a miniature preview of a photo that is small and displays quickly for easy management. When you open the Organizer, the Photo Browser appears by default. In the Photo Browser, you can use the Display button on the Shortcuts bar to change the display view between three different options: Thumbnail View (default), Import Batch, and Folder Location. Each of the views displays a thumbnail with ratings and the date and time below it. Thumbnail view displays thumbnails by newest or oldest first; Import Batch displays thumbnails sorted by their location; and Folder Location displays thumbnails by selecting folders in a file hierarchy, similar to the Folders list in Microsoft Windows. In any of the views you can change the size of the thumbnails and show or hide information details about the photos.
In the Organizer from Date view, click the Display button, and then click Photo Browser.In most cases, you’ll already be in Photo Browser view.
Click the Display button on the Shortcuts bar, and then click one of the following views:Thumbnail View. Displays a miniature preview of all photos in the Organizer.
Import Batch. Displays thumbnails by the imported location.
Folder Location. Displays a split pane with a file hierarchy in the left pane and a thumbnails view in the right pane.
To switch to Date view, click the Display button, and then click Date View.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Photo Browser, if necessary.
In most cases, you’ll already be in Photo Browser view.
- Click the Display button on the Shortcuts bar, and then click Thumbnails View, Import Batch, or Folder Location.
- To hide thumbnail ratings, date, time, and any other information below the thumbnail, deselect the Details check box on the Navigation bar.
To change the size of the thumbnails, use the following options on the Navigation bar:Small Thumbnail Size. Click the button to display thumbnails in the smallest size.
Slider. Drag the slider to display thumbnails in the size you want.
Single Photo View. Click the button to display the selected photo in the view.
Folder Location view splits the Photo Browser into two panels: a folder hierarchy on the left and a thumbnail view on the right. The folder hierarchy in the left panel displays a tree structure of all the folders on your computer (by default), where you can select the folder contents you want to view in thumbnail view in the right panel. The folder hierarchy is similar to the Folders list in Microsoft Windows. If you don’t want to display all the folder on your computer, you can show only the ones you want. In Folder Location view, you can manage folders, add unmanaged files to your catalog, tag files with their folder name, and add or remove folders from Watched Folder list. Files in the catalog are called managed files, while files not part of the catalog are called unmanaged files.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Photo Browser, if necessary.
- Click the Display button on the Shortcuts bar, and then click Folder Location.
- Use any of the following options to manage photos in Folder Location view:
Expand or Collapse Folders. Click the plus (+) and minus (-) icons to expand or collapse a folder.
Display Files in Selected Folder. Right-click in the folder hierarchy, and then deselect Show All Files. Click a folder to display the file contents in the right panel.
Display All Managed Files. Right-click in the folder hierarchy, and then select Show All Files.
Move Files. Click a folder to display the file you want to move, and then drag it to the folder to which you want to move it in the folder hierarchy.
Add or Remove from Watched Folder list. Right-click a folder in the folder hierarchy, and then click Add To Watched Folders or Remove From Watched Folders.
Add Files to Catalog. Right-click a folder in the folder hierarchy, and then click Add Unmanaged Files To Catalog.
Rename Folder. Right-click a folder in the folder hierarchy, click Rename Folder, and then type a name.
Delete Folder. Right-click a folder in the folder hierarchy, click Delete Folder.
Create Folder. Right-click a folder in the folder hierarchy where you want to insert a new folder, click New Folder, and then type a name.
Tag Files. Click the Instant Keyword Tag button to tag each item in a folder with the name of the folder as a tag.
See Also
See “Setting Folder View Preferences” on page 30 for information on changing the default Folder Location view.
In the Photo Browser, you can display several different types of media files, including photos, videos, audio files, projects, and PDFs. You can change the view to display any combination of media types you want. If you only need to work with photos, you can change the view to hide all the other media file types except photos. The number of files in the Organizer can become large, so any way to reduce the clutter is a bonus. If you want to create your own set of files to view, you can mark the ones you don’t want, and then hide them.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Photo Browser, if necessary.
- Click the View menu, point to Media Types, and then select the media type you want to show or hide.
Photos. Displays photos files.
Video. Displays videos files.
Audio. Displays audio files.
Projects. Display project files.
PDF. Displays PDF (Portable Document Format) files.
If you have imported videos into the Organizer, the first frame of a video clip appears in the Photo Browser along with a Filmstrip icon. Photoshop Elements comes with a built-in Media Player that you can use to play a video. All you need to you need to do is double-click the first frame of the video clip in the Photo Browser to open the Media Player and start the video clip. The Media Player includes all the standard controls to play, stop, and control the video playback.
- In the Organizer (in Photo Browser view), double-click the video clip you want to open the Media Player.
- To start the video clip, click the Play button.
- To view the video clip frame by frame, drag the Current Position slider.
- To adjust the volume, drag the Volume slider.
To stop the video clip, click the Stop button.
When you’re finished, click the Close button.
Before you can work with photos in the Photo Browser, you need to select them. You can select one or more photos in the Photo Browser depending on what you want to do. If you want to edit a single photo, then select an individual photo. If you want to create a photo collage, then select more than one. You can select multiple photos that are adjacent (next to each other), or nonadjacent (not next to each other). When you’re done working with one or more selected photos, you can make another selection or use the Deselect command on the Edit menu to deselect the originally selected photos.
- In the Organizer (in Photo Browser view), use any of the following methods:
One Item. Click the thumbnail.
Multiple Adjacent Items. Hold down the Shift key, and then click the first and last thumbnail.
Multiple Nonadjacent Items. Hold down the Ctrl key, and then click the thumbnails.
A selected photo thumbnail is highlighted with a blue outline.
- To deselect items, click another item or click the Edit menu, and then click Deselect.
Full Screen view allows you to view your photos in a full screen slide show view without windows, menus, and palettes. When you move the mouse, a Control bar appears at the top of the screen, which allows you to access common display and editing commands. When you switch to Full Screen view, the Full Screen View Options dialog box appears, asking you to specify the options—such as Page Duration and Repeat Slide Show—you want to use. If you don’t want to see this dialog box the next time you use Full Screen view, you can change the options in the dialog box.
- In the Organizer (in Photo Browser view), click the Display button, and then click View Photos in Full Screen.
- If the Full Screen View Options dialog box appears, click Cancel.
- Move the mouse to display the Control bar.
- Click the Play button on the Control bar to start the slide show.
- When you’re finished, click the Exit button on the Control bar.
See Also
See “Using the Control Bar” on page 75 for information on using the buttons on the Control bar.
- In the Organizer (in Photo Browser view), click the Display button, and then click View Photos in Full Screen.
- Select the Full Screen view options you want to use:
Background Music. Specify the audio to play in the slide show.
Play Audio Captions. Select to play available audio captions.
Page Duration. Specify the display time for each slide.
Include Captions. Select to include available captions.
Allow Photos to Resize. Select to resize photos.
Allow Videos to Resize. Select to resize videos.
Show Filmstrip. Select to display all of the selected images in a strip of thumbnails.
Fade Between Photos. Select to add fade transitions.
Start Playing Automatically. Select to start the slide show in Full Screen automatically.
Repeat Slide Show. Select to loop the slide show.
- To not show the Full Screen Options dialog box, deselect the Show this dialog before viewing photos in full screen check box.
- Click OK.
- When you’re finished, move the mouse to display the Control bar, and then click the Exit button.
Side by Side view allows you to view and compare your photos in a full screen view without windows, menus, and palettes. Side by Side view splits the screen in half and displays a photo on each side. You can select a side and then browse through photos in order to compare them with the one on the other side. When you move the mouse, a control bar appears at the top of the screen, which allows you to access common display and editing commands for the selected side. If you prefer to view photos from the top and bottom, you can use the Side by Side button on the Control bar to switch the display view.
- In the Organizer (in Photo Browser view), click the Display button, and then click Compare Photos Side by Side.
- In Side by Side view, click the side you want to use, either left or right (default).
The left side is labeled 1 and the right side is labeled 2 after you click it.
- Move the mouse to display the Control bar.
- Click the Previous or Next buttons on the Control bar to display photos from the Organizer.
You can compare the photos on the two sides.
- To change the view from Side by Side to Above and Below, click the Side by Side View button arrow on the Control bar, and then click Above and Below.
- When you’re finished, click the Exit button on the Control bar.
The Control bar appears in Full Screen and Side by Side views when you move the mouse. The Control bar provides access to common navigation, viewing, and editing commands.
The left side of the Control bar displays navigation controls and the right side displays viewing and editing controls. You can click the Show/Hide Only Navigation Controls button on the right side of the Control bar to show or hide the viewing and editing controls.
The navigation controls on the Control bar include the following:
Previous. Displays the previous photo in the Organizer. (Press Left Arrow)
Play/Pause. Plays or pauses the slide show. (Press Spacebar)
Next. Displays the next photo in the Organizer. (Press Right Arrow)
Exit. Exits the view. (Press Esc)
The viewing and editing controls on the Control bar include the following:
Rotate 90° Left or Right. Rotates the select photo 90° left or right. (Press Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow)
Delete. Deletes the selected photo. (Press Del)
Action Menu. Displays a menu with commands to fix photos, and change properties.
Full Screen View. Displays photos in Full Screen view. (Press F11)
Side by Side View. Displays photos in Side by Side view and changes the display view. (Press F12)
Fit in Window. Displays photos to fit your screen. (Press Ctrl+O)
Actual Pixels. Displays photos in actual size. (Press Ctrl+Alt+O).
Zoom In or Zoom Out. Displays photos in different percentage view.
Sync Panning and Zooming. Displays the photos on both sides in Side by Side view in the same percentage view.
Set Rating. Sets the rating for the selected photo, which is used for searching and file management.
Hide. Sets the selected photo to be hidden in the Photo Browser.
In the Organizer, you can view and find photos by date using Date view. Date view allows you to browse through and locate photos by using a calendar. You can find photos from a certain day, month, or year. Since Date view is based on a calendar, you can keep track of recurring events, such as birthdays and holidays, and even add notes and other important information.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Date View.
- Click the Year, Month, or Day button to select a calendar view.
- Select the day in which you want to view photos:
Month View. Click the Previous or Next buttons, and then click a day to view photos in the right panel or double-click a day to switch to Day view.
Year View. Click a day to view photos in the right panel or double-click a day to switch to Day view.
Day View. Click the Previous Item or Next Item to navigate multiple photos on the same day. Click the Play button to view them as a slide show.
You can also click the Full Screen View button to view the multiple photos in a slide show view.
- If you can’t find a photo, click the Unknown Date icon to view any photos without a date.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Date View.
- Select the day in which you want to add a note or caption.
- To add a note, type the note text in the Daily Note box.
Note. Type the note text in the Daily Note box.
Caption. Click the Day button, and then type text in the Caption box.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Date View.
- Click the Event icon, or right-click the day you want, and then click Add Event.
- Type a name for the event.
- Use the list arrows to specify the event’s date, if necessary.
- Select or deselect the Repeating Event check box. If you selected it, click an option for the recurring interval.
- Click OK.
See Also
See “Setting Date View Preferences” on page 35 for information on using Date view.
The Organizer also includes a Map view (provided by Yahoo! Maps), which allows you to arrange photos by geographic location. It’s an electronic version of a map on the wall with pictures attached with push pins. In Map view, you can pin photos to point on the map. Photos pinned in Map view appear with a red pin. If multiple photos appears in the same location, a three-pin cluster appears in Map view. After you place photos on the map, you can move them around and share your completed result on the web or from a CD/DVD.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Show Map.
- If the Map Your Photos with Yahoo! Maps dialog box appears, read the message, select or deselect the Don’t Show Again check box, and then click OK.
Map view appears in a palette on the left side of the Organizer workspace.
- To add photos to Map view, use any of the following methods:
Drag and Drop. In Map view, navigate to the spot on the map, and then drag a photo to the map where you want it.
Place. Right-click a photo, click Place on Map, enter an address, click Find, select the address you want, and then click OK.
- When you’re finished, click the Close button in the Map palette.
- In the Organizer, click the Display button, and then click Show Map.
- If the Map Your Photos with Yahoo! Maps dialog box appears, read the message, select or deselect the Don’t Show Again check box, and then click OK.
Map view appears in a palette on the left side of the Organizer workspace.
- Place the photos you want on the map.
Zoom. Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out buttons to change the view percentage.
Map Position. Click the Hand Tool button, and then drag the map to change the position.
Display Photo. Click the Hand Tool button, and then click the pin with the photo you want to display. Click the Close button to exit the photo.
Move Pins. Click the Move button, and then drag a pin to another location.
Delete Pins. Right-click a pin, and then click Remove From Map.
Share Maps. Click the Share button to share your map on the web or on a CD.
Limit Search. Select the Limit Search to Map Area check box to view all the photos related to the pins visible on the map.
