When you go on a road-trip vacation, you need two things to make the trip a success—good navigational aids (maps), and an understanding of how to measure distances between two points on a road map (1 inch equals 100 miles). When you are working in the Editor, one of the keys to making the journey a success is to understand the navigational and measurement aids available. Photoshop Elements’ navigation and measurement systems are more that just information; they represent control of the photo and control of the creative process.
Photoshop Elements lets you choose a measurement system to fit a specific project. For example, if you’re working on images destined for the web or a monitor, you’ll be using pixels as a measurement system. Conversely, if you’re outputting to paper, or possibly a 4-color press, you’ll likely choose inches or picas. Selecting between different measurement systems does not impact the quality of the final photo; only how you measure distance. Trust me on this one; understanding how to measure distance helps to make the journey an enjoyable experience.
Having problems squinting at the small details of a photo? Using the Zoom tool is a great way to gain control over a document. Zooming into a section of a document makes touching up the fine details just that much easier. In addition, the Info palette gives you up-to-date information on the exact position of the cursor inside the document, as well as detailed color information that can be indispensable in color-correcting a photo.
Making changes to a photo is all part of the processing of creating the results you want. If you don’t like a change, you can use the Undo History palette to restore the photo. Think of the Undo History palette as having a magical mistake correction tool, which never wears out.
The Navigator palette in the Editor gives you an overall view of the photo and the ability to navigate through the document or change the zoom size. Viewing images at different sizes gives you the ability to focus on small elements of the design, without impacting the overall quality of the photo. Once small areas of a photo are enlarged, it’s easier for you to make minute changes. Zoom size determines the visible size of a photo, as seen in the document window. Zooming in (enlarging the photo) gives you a handy magnifying glass that lets you work on and manipulate fine details, and then you can zoom out (reducing the photo) to view how the changes impact the entire photo. The Navigator palette contains a thumbnail view of the photo, and under the thumbnail are easy-to-use controls that let you adjust the zoom of the photo. In addition, changes made in the Navigator palette are immediately viewable in the active document window (what you see is what you get).
In the Editor, display the Navigator palette.
Use one of the following methods to change the view size:
Drag the triangular slider to the right to increase the zoom or to the left to decrease the zoom.
Click the small and large mountain icons, located to the left and right of the triangular slider, to decrease or increase the zoom.
Enter a value from .33 to 1600 percent into the Zoom box.
There are additional ways to zoom in using the Navigator palette. In the View box, hold down the Ctrl key, and then drag to resize the active document.
You can constrain the view box to drag horizontally or vertically. Hold down the Shift key, and then drag the view box horizontally or vertically.
Zoomed images are typically larger than the size of the document window. When this happens, Photoshop Elements adds navigational scroll bars to the bottom and the right of the document window. However, using awkward scroll bars is not the only way to change the viewable area of the photo; the Navigator palette gives you a visual approach to changing the view area of the photo. The view box in the Navigator palette represents the visible boundaries of the active document window, which is the viewable area of the photo.
In the Editor, display the Navigator palette.
Drag the view box in the thumbnail of the active photo.
Click within the thumbnail.
The position of the view box changes, which also changes the viewable area of the photo in the document window.
You can show the Navigator palette. If the Navigator palette is not visible, click the Window menu, and then click Navigator.
You can change the zoom size of a photo using the Navigator thumbnail. Hold down the Ctrl key, and then drag in the thumbnail. When you release your mouse, the selected area expands. It’s just like using the Zoom tool, except you’re dragging in the Navigator’s thumbnail. Conversely, if you drag a second time (this time using a larger rectangle), the photo zooms out.
The view box defines the viewable area of the photo—the default color of the view box is red. It’s important for the color of the view box to stand out against the photo. However, some documents contain images that are the same color as the view box, making the view box difficult to identify. By changing the color of your view box to work with your photo, you can make sure your view box stands out against the photo. This may seem like a small thing to do, but it significantly cuts down on my frustration level, when I’m attempting to identify the view box.
Changing the view allows you to look at a photo up close or far away. You can change the view by using the View menu, the Zoom tools on the toolbox, and the Navigation palette. The View menu allows you to zoom in and out, fit the photo to the screen, and display the photo at the actual size. The Zoom In and Zoom Out commands let you view an photo at different magnifications. The Fit on Screen command displays the photo to fit on the screen, while the Actual Pixels command displays the photo at 100%.
In the Editor, click the View menu, and then click any of the following commands:
Zoom In. Displays the photo with an increase view percentage.
Zoom Out. Displays the photo with a decreased view percentage.
Fit on Screen. Displays the photo to fit on the screen in the document window.
Actual Pixels. Displays the photo at 100% in the document window.
Working with the Zoom tool gives you one more way to control exactly what you see in Photoshop Elements. Just like the Navigator palette, the Zoom tool does not change the active photo, it only lets you view the photo at different magnifications. The Zoom tool is located at the top of the toolbox, and resembles a magnifying glass. The maximum magnification of a document is 1600 percent, and the minimum magnification is less than 1 percent of the original photo size. Increasing the magnification of a photo gives you control over what you see and gives you control over how you work. Large documents are difficult to work with and difficult to view. Many documents, when viewed at 100 percent, are larger than the maximized size of the document window. When this happens, viewing the entire photo requires reducing the zoom.
In the Editor, select the Zoom tool on the toolbox.
Use one of the following methods:
Click on the document.
The photo increases in magnification centered on where you clicked.
Drag to define an area with the Zoom tool.
The photo increases in magnification based on the boundaries of the area you dragged.
Since changing the zoom size of a photo is fundamental to the creative process, Photoshop Elements gives you several ways to accomplish zooming. An additional way to zoom is using the options on the Options bar. To access the Zoom tool options, you must have the Zoom tool selected. Photoshop Elements gives you two handy zoom preset values. To automatically zoom the document to 100 percent, double-click the Zoom tool. To automatically fit the photo to the monitor, double-click the Hand tool.
In the Editor, click the Zoom In or Zoom Out buttons on the Options bar, and then click in the document window to increase or decrease the zoom.
Select the Resize Windows To Fit check box on the Options bar to resize image windows to match the size of their contents.
Click 1:1 (Actual Pixels), Fit Screen, or Print Size on the Options bar to quickly zoom the screen to a preset size.
One of those little used, but handy tools to have is Photoshop Elements’ Hand tool. The Hand tool (called so because it resembles an open hand) lets you quickly move the active photo within the document window without ever using the scroll bars. For example, you’ve zoomed the photo beyond the size that fits within the document window and you need to change the visible portion of the document. It’s a simple operation, but a handy one to know.
You can quickly access the Hand tool whenever you need it. Hold down the Spacebar to temporarily change to the Hand tool. Drag in the active document to the desired position, and then release the Spacebar. You’re instantly returned to the last-used tool. It’s important to note that you cannot use the spacebar to access the Hand tool if you are currently using the Type tool.
There are times when you’re working on a photo in Photoshop Elements, and you need to see two separate views of the photo. For example, you’re working on retouching a photo and you need a zoomed in view to do fine detail work. At the same time, you want to see a normal view to get an idea of how the retouching is affecting the normal-sized photo. Being able to view one photo at two different views is a valuable tool. The Image submenu on the Window menu provides options to help you work with multiple windows. The Match Zoom and Match Location commands allow you to match the zoom and location in multiple windows. You can also use the Cascade and Tile commands to display windows across the Photoshop Elements window.
In the Editor, open an image.
Click the View menu, and then click New Window for <document name>.
A copy of the active document is created in a new document window.
Select the Zoom tool on the toolbox, and then increase the zoom of the new document to the desired level.
Select an editing or painting tool, and then begin working on the new photo in the zoomed window.
The effects of your work instantly display in the normal document window.
When you’re done with the new window, click the Close button.
In the Editor, open one or more documents.
Click the Window menu, point to Images, and then click Match Zoom or Match Location.
Select the Zoom tool or Hand tool on the toolbox.
Hold down the Shift key, and click in or drag an area.
The other images are zoomed to the same percentage or location you clicked.
Photoshop Elements has a lot of tricks up its electronic sleeves, and one of the handiest is the ability to move layers between open documents. For example, you have a photo of a landscape and sky, but you don’t like the sky, so you erase it. You then open another document with a sky that suits the design of your document. It’s a simple matter to move the layer containing the sky into any other open document.
In the Editor, open two or more documents.
Click on the document containing the layer you want to move to make it the active document.
Select the Move tool on the toolbox.
Drag the layer you want to move from the open document window into the second document.
If the document you’re moving a layer into contains more than one layer, Photoshop Elements places the layer you’re moving directly above the active layer in the second document. If that puts the layer in the wrong stacking order, drag it up and down in the Layers palette until it’s correctly positioned.
Photoshop Elements’ Info palette gives you a wealth of data on the current document’s color space, as well as information on the x/y position of your mouse cursor within the active document window. In addition, when you’re using one of the drawing or measuring tools, the Info palette gives you up-to-date information on the size of the object you’re creating. Photoshop works with black, white, shades of gray, and every color in between.
In the Editor, display the Info palette.
Select a drawing tool on the tool-box.
Drag in the document window to create a shape.
Release the mouse when the Info palette displays the correct dimensions.
See Chapter 13, “Using the Paint, Shape Drawing, and Eraser Tools” on page 291 for information on using drawing tools.
Knowledge of the colors used in a document is important, but so is a thorough understanding of the color mode of the document. Different documents require different color modes. For example, images displayed on a monitor use the RGB (red, green, blue) color mode, and images sent to a 4-color press use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). Not only does the Info palette measure color, it also measures color in specific color modes.
In the Editor, display the Info palette.
Click the More Options button, and then click Palette Options.
Click the Mode list arrows for First Color and Second Color Readout, and then select from the available options.
Click OK.
The Info palette now measures color based on your selections.
The Info palette now allows you display information such as: Document Size, Efficiency, Scratch Sizes, and more. At the bottom of the Info Palette Options dialog, you can select from the available options. The Info palette can even display whether the photo is using 8, 16, or 32 bit color channels.
Carpenters know that precise measurements are essential to making things fit, so they have a rule: Measure Twice, Cut Once. In keeping with the idea that precise measurements are essential, Photoshop Elements gives you several measuring methods; among them are the rulers. Rulers are located on the top and left sides of the active document window, and serve several purposes. They let you measure the width and height of the active photo, they let you place guides on the screen to control placement of other photo elements, and they create markers that follow your cursor as you move. As you can see, rulers serve a very important role. Ruler guides help you correctly align photo design elements.
In the Editor, click the View menu, and then click Rulers.
A check mark appears next to the Rulers option when the rulers are shown. The rulers appear along the vertical and horizontal edge of the document window.
To hide the rulers, click the View menu, and then click Rulers again.
See “Setting Units & Rulers Preferences” on page 488 for more information on setting Units and Rulers preferences.
In the Editor, the Undo History palette helps you streamline the way you work in Photoshop Elements. As you work in Photoshop Elements, the Undo History palette is tracking all your actions for the entire document. With the Undo History palette, you can undo or redo actions to correct mistakes.
The Undo History palette doesn’t replace the Undo and Redo commands on the Edit menu, it simply tracks every action you perform in Photoshop Elements. When you undo or redo one or more commands, the Undo History palette displays the results; the Undo/Redo slider moves according to the commands you select.
You can open the Undo History palette using the Window menu like any of the other palettes in Photoshop Elements. Each action you take in the active document during a work session (since you created or opened the document) appears on a separate line in the Undo History palette. The first action you perform in a work session appears at the top of the list and the last action appears at the bottom. Unlike other palettes in Photoshop Elements, the Undo History palette includes a slider on the left side you can use to undo/redo actions; the Undo/Redo slider initially points to the last action you performed. The More button (shown with the text More or double arrows, depending on whether the palette is docked or undocked) displays commands, such as Clear Undo History, specific to the Undo History palette.
You can use the Window menu to open/display the Undo History palette like any of the other palettes in Photoshop Elements. Each action you take in the active document during a work session appears on a separate line in the Undo History palette. Actions you take in other Photoshop Elements documents don’t appear in other Undo History palette lists. If you no longer need the actions in the Undo History palette, you can delete an individual action or the entire list. When you close a document, Photoshop Elements clears the Undo History palette.
Open or Close Undo History Palette. In the Editor, click the Window menu, and then click Undo History.
Delete an Item in the Undo History Palette. In the Editor, display the Undo History palette, select the item you want to remove, click the More button, and then click Delete.
Delete All Items in the Undo History Palette. In the Editor, display the Undo History palette, click the More button, and then click Clear Undo History.
You can undo or redo a single action or series of actions quickly with the Undo History palette. The Undo History palette contains the Undo/Redo slider which you can drag up to undo (restore previous actions) a series of actions, or drag down to redo (restore actions you’ve undone) a series of actions. You can also undo and redo previous actions one at a time using the Undo and Redo commands on the Edit menu or Shortcuts bar. When you use these commands, the actions in the Undo History palette change based on the command results. The Undo History palette and the Undo command can undo actions up to a maximum number (from 2 to 1000) set in the Performance tab of the Preferences dialog box.
In the Editor, display the Undo History palette.
Click the action name or drag the Undo/Redo slider up until the slider points to the last action you want to keep.
Photoshop Elements undos and grays out each selected action, starting from the bottom.
When you’re done, close the Undo History palette.
You can undo actions using the Undo command. Click the Edit menu, and then click Undo, or press Ctrl+Z.
See “Examining the Undo History Palette” on page 166 for information on different elements in the Undo History palette.
Click the action name or drag the Undo/Redo slider down until the slider points to the last action you want to redo.
Photoshop Elements redoes and removes the gray highlighting for each selected action.
When you’re done, close the Undo History palette.
You can redo actions using the Redo command. Click the Edit menu, and then click Redo, or press Ctrl+Y.
You can change the number of undo levels for the Undo command. In the Editor, click the Edit menu, click Preferences, click the Performance tab, enter a number (from 2 to 1000) in the Undo Level box, and then click OK.
As you work with photos, the contents of the Clipboard and the Undo History palette can start to take up a lot of memory (RAM), which can start to slow down your computer. If you have 1 GB of RAM or more, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you have 512 MG or less, it could be a problem. To avoid memory problems, you can clear Clipboard contents and the entire Undo History palette. When you close a document, Photoshop Elements clears the Undo History palette, while the Clipboard remains the same until you clear its contents.
Clear Clipboard Memory. In the Editor, click the Edit menu, point to Clear, and then click Clipboard Contents.
Clear Undo History Palette Memory. In the Editor, click the Edit menu, point to Clear, and then click Undo History.
Clear Clipboard and Undo History Palette Memory. In the Editor, click the Edit menu, point to Clear, and then click All.
To work efficiently in Photoshop Elements you need information about the active document. Details about the document’s size, resolution, color mode, and current size all help in the design and preparation of the final photo. Photoshop Elements displays current information about the active document on the Status bar, located at the bottom of the document window.
In the Editor, click the black triangle near the Status bar info box, and then select from the following options:
Document Sizes. The left number indicates the flattened size of the photo file, and the right number indicates the size of the open file, based on layers and options.
Document Profile. Displays information on the color profile assigned to the document.
Document Dimensions. Represents the width and height of the photo.
Scratch Sizes. The left number indicates the scratch disk space required by Photoshop Elements, and the right number indicates the available scratch disk space.
Efficiency. Displays a percentage that represents Photoshop Elements’ efficiency based on available RAM and scratch disk space.
Timing. Records the amount of time required to perform the last command or adjustment.
Current Tool. Displays the current tool.
A guide is a vertical or horizontal line that appears in a document window you can use to align objects. The grid is useful in designing a layout that is proportional and balanced. If you have a Photoshop file with guides present, you can view and use them in Photoshop Elements. Unfortunately, you can’t add or move them in Photoshop Elements. You can also use the Snap To option with the guide to enable objects to snap to a guide line when they get close it.
In the Editor, open a Photoshop file with guides.
Drag one or more objects to a guide to align them.
To have the object snap to a guide line, click the View menu, point to Snap To, and then click Guide.
As you drag close to a guide line, the object snaps to the guide line.
A check mark appears next to the Guide option when the Snap To feature is enabled, while no check mark appears when the option is disabled.
Notes can be found everywhere—you see them stuck to the side of refrigerators, bulletin boards, and even covering your computer monitor. Notes serve a purpose to remind you of important duties and events. If you work in Photoshop, the ability to save notes can help you remember an important part of the design, or they can instruct another designer to the how’s and why’s of your document. If you have a Photoshop file with notes, you can view and delete them in Photoshop Elements. Unfortunately, you can’t add them.
In addition to text notes, Photoshop lets you create audio notes. To create an audio note, your computer needs to have the ability to record sound. The good news is that most computers sold today, especially laptops, have the ability to record sound. Besides being an excellent way to communicate information, audio annotations give a sense of emotion or urgency, which sometimes can’t be communicated using the written word. If you have a Photoshop file with audio annotations, you can view and delete them in Photoshop Elements. Unfortunately, you can’t create them. Audio notes require that the receiving computer has an audio output, and while this might seem quite common with today’s technology, you might want to include a text note along with the audio note.