The best way to customize the way you work in the Organizer is to set the options in Photoshop Elements preferences. Photoshop Elements preferences serve several purposes. They help customize the program to your particular designing style, and they help you make it easier to manage and locate photos in the Organizer.
In Files preferences, you can set file import settings to specify how you want Photoshop Elements to import and manage image files from different sources. If you have a digital camera or card reader, you can set preferences for downloading photos from the hardware devices. In addition to using a digital camera or card reader to import photos into the Organizer, you can also specify a folder on your computer from which to import photos from your mobile phone. When you download photos into the Organizer, Photoshop Elements uses the Adobe Photo Downloader (APD) dialog box. You can set preferences for the automatic or manual use of the APD dialog box to search for and download photos.
If you like using Folder Location or Date view, you can select an option to display all the photos grouped by folder (the default) or only show the files in the selected folder in Folder Location view, or select the holidays most relevant to you and create custom events in Date view. In Keyword Tags and Album preferences, you can set options for manual sorting, keyword tag display icons, and tag searching, either faster or more accurate.
In Adobe Partner Services preferences, you can set options to check for new service updates, Adobe promotions, product support updates, and other third party services. When you want to share your photos and projects, Sharing preferences provide you with options to select the e-mail client you want to use to share photos and projects via an e-mail message.
General preferences in the Organizer help you configure some common features for changing the appearance of the user interface (New!) and viewing photos in the Photo Browser. Specifying whether to display photos from oldest to newest or from newest to oldest, as well as how to display the date format are available in General preferences. Other options, such as allowing photos to resize past 100%, showing both matching and closely matching search results, using the current system font instead of the one specified by the application or showing fade transitions, can all be turned on or off in the options area. If you have hidden a dialog box by selecting the Don’t Show Again check box, you can reset all the warning dialog boxes so they appear again.
In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
Click General.
Select the Appearance options (New!) you want to use:User Interface Brightness. Drag to specify the brightness of the user interface.
Changes Affect Grid Brightness. Select to use the User Interface Brightness setting for the grid brightness.
Reset Brightness. Click to reset the brightness to the default setting.
Click the Print Sizes list arrow, and then select a default value of inches or centimeter/millimeters for print.
Click the Show Oldest First within Each Day (default) or Show Newest First within Each Day option.
Click the MM/DD/YYYY (default) or DD/MM/YYYY option.
Select the various options you want to use:Show Closely Matching Sets for Searches. Select to show both matching and closely matching search results.
Allow Photos to Resize. Select to scale photos past 100% up to the maximum size of the available space (default).
Use System Font. Select to use the current system font instead of the one specified by the application.
Adjust Date and Time by Clicking on Thumbnail Dates. Select to click on dates in the Photo Browser to adjust dates.
Show Fade Transitions. Select to show fade transition in the Photo Browser (default)
To display all warning dialog boxes hidden by selecting the Don’t Show Again check box, click Reset All Warning Dialogs.
To reset default settings, click Restore Default Settings.
Click OK.
When you take a photo with your digital camera, the image file includes additional information besides the photo, know as metadata. The metadata for a photo typically includes the date and time, shutter speed and aperture, and camera model. In addition to the default metadata, you can add your own custom metadata to an image file too. When most digital cameras take and save a photo and its metadata, they typically use the EXIF (Exchange Image File) image file format, a standard for exchanging data between camera and software. If an image file includes a Digimarc watermark, Photoshop Elements displays copyright information in the title bar and adds it to the File Info dialog box. In Files preferences in the Organizer, you can set file import settings to specify how you want Photoshop Elements to import and manage image files from different sources.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Files.
- Select the File options you want to use:
Use “Last Modified” Date if EXIF Date is Not Found. Select to use file last modified date for photos without an EXIF date (default). Deselect to leave the date unknown.
Import EXIF Caption. Select to to import EXIF captions from files if available (default). Deselect to delete the caption information.
Automatically Search for and Reconnect Missing Files. Select to automatically search for and reconnect missing files (default).
Enable Multisession Burning to CD/DVD. Select to enable multisessions burning to CD/DVD, which allows you to copy files to a disc multiple times to maximize the use of the CD/DVD.
Rotate JPEGs using Orientation Metadata. Select to speed up the rotate of JPEGs in the Photo Browser by using low resolution thumbnails. Deselect to use high resolution thumbnails.
Rotate TIFFs using Orientation Metadata. Select to speed up the rotate of TIFFs in the Photo Browser by using low resolution thumbnails (default). Deselect to use high resolution thumbnails.
- To select a location for projects and other saved files, click Browse, select a folder, and then click OK.
- Click the Preview File Sizes list arrow, and then select a preview screen size when storing photos offline.
- Click OK.
Folder Location view in the Organizer displays the Photo Browser in two panes, or split screen. A folder hierarchy pane appears on the left side and an image thumbnail panel on the right side. The folder hierarchy panel displays a tree structure of the folders on your computer, while the image thumbnail pane displays the photos on your computer. In Folder Location View preferences, you can select an option to display all the photos grouped by folder (the default) or only show the files in the selected folder.
If you have another photo editing application, such as Adobe Photoshop, installed on your computer that contains additional editing tools, you can access the application from the Edit menu in the Organizer to edit a photo. In Editing preferences, you can select an option to enable a supplementary editing application and then choose the application you want to appear on the Edit menu. The command on the Edit menu appears as Edit with application name. If you selected Photoshop, for example, the command appears as Edit with Photoshop.
A digital camera is a camera that takes digital photographs. A small memory card inserted into a digital camera stores the photos you shoot. A card reader is a portable hardware device attached to your computer in which you insert the card from the digital camera to download photos into Photoshop Elements. Camera or Card Reader preferences in the Organizer allows you to set options for downloading photos from a digital camera or card reader. When you download photos from a camera, card reader, or mobile phone, Photoshop Elements uses the Adobe Photo Downloader (APD) dialog box. In Camera or Card Reader preferences, you can set options for the automatic or manual use of the APD dialog box to search for and download photos. In addition, you can set options to automatically fix red eyes, suggest the use of photo stacks, and use the group custom name as a keyword tag for the imported photos.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Camera or Card Reader.
- To select a location for camera or card reader files, click Browse, select a folder, and then click OK.
- Select the File options you want to use:
Automatically Fix Red Eyes. Select to automatically fix red eye on import (default).
Automatically Suggest Photo Stacks. Select to automatically suggest photo stacks on import.
Make ‘Group Custom Name’ a Keyword Tag. Select to use the group custom name specified in the APD as a keyword tag.
- To select an APD dialog box or other APD options, select a download profile for a particular device, click Edit, click the Download Options list arrow, select an option, and then click OK.
Remove. Select a current download option, and then click Remove.
- If you selected the Auto Launch Adobe Photo Downloader on Device Connect check box, select the Download options to specify default values for automatic download:
Begin Download. Select an option to specify how to automatically download files.
Create Subfolder(s) Using. Select to create a subfolder using the selected date format.
Delete Options. Select an option to specify how to automatically delete files.
Copy New Files Only (Ignore Already Imported Files). Select to copy new files and ignore already imported ones (default).
- Click OK.
If you have a scanner attached to your computer, you can scan a photo print to create a digital photo file on your computer. Scanner preferences in the Organizer allow you to select options related to the scanner hardware and scanned photo file. In Scanner preferences, you can select the scanner hardware device attached to your computer you want to use, specify the file type and related quality setting for the scanned photo file, and select the folder location where to store it on your computer. In addition to selecting scanner options, you can also set options to automatically fix red eyes for the scanned photos.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Scanner.
- Select the Import options you want to use:
Scanner. Select a scanner attached to your computer or network.
Save As. Specify the file type in which to save scanner files, and then set a related quality level, if available.
The higher the quality level, the higher the file size.
Automatically Fix Red Eyes. Select to automatically fix red eye on import (default).
- To select a location for scanner files, click Browse, select a folder, and then click OK.
- Click OK.
Date view allows you to view and locate photos based on a certain day, month, or year. In Date view, you can keep track of recurring standard events, such as holidays, and custom event, such as birthdays, as well as add personalized notes to any day. In Date View preferences, you can select the holidays most relevant to you and create custom events. Depending on your preference, you can use Monday or Sunday as the first day of the week.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Date View.
- Select the Use Monday as first day of the week check box to use Monday as the start of the week or deselect to use Sunday as the start of the week.
- Select the check boxes next to the holidays you want to use in Date view.
Select All and Deselect All. Click to select all or deselect all the check boxes.
- Use the following options to specify and work with events.
New. Click to create a new event, which includes the date and frequency.
Edit. Select an existing event, and then click to modify it.
Delete. Select an existing event, and then click to remove it.
- Click OK.
A keyword tag is an information label that a program or you create and attach to photos to make them easier to locate. You can create your own custom tags with information important to you and attach multiple tags to the same photo for improved organization. An album is a group of photos organized into a collection. Each photo in an album is numbered to make it easier to sort and view. An album is useful for organizing images in photo albums and slide shows. In Keyword Tags and Album preferences, you can set options for manual sorting, keyword tag display icons, and tag searching, either faster or more accurate.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Keyword Tags and Albums.
- Select the Manual or Alphabetical option for the following Sorting options:
Categories. A group of photos organized by keyword tags, such as People.
Sub-Categories. A subgroup of photos within a category organized by keyword tags, such as Family under the People category.
Keyword Tags. A custom tag under any category or subcategory to organize photos.
Album Groups. A group of albums.
Albums. A group of photos you want to view together.
- Select the Keyword Tag Name icon display option you want.
- Select the Faster Searching or More Accurate Searching option for face tagging.
- Click OK.
Sharing preferences in the Organizer provide you with options to select the e-mail client—such as Windows Mail (Vista), Outlook Express (XP), Microsoft Outlook, or Adobe E-mail Service—you want to use to share photos and projects via an e-mail message. If you don’t have an e-mail client with an account, you can use the Adobe E-mail service to select an e-mail message directly from Photoshop Elements. If you make changes to photo captions, you can select the Write E-mail captions to catalog option to have Photoshop Elements automatically update e-mail captions in the catalog.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Sharing.
- Click the E-mail Client list arrow, and then select an e-mail client program.
Windows Mail. Select as the default on Windows Vista.
Outlook Express. Select as the default on Windows XP.
Microsoft Outlook. Select as the default when installed along with Microsoft Office.
Adobe E-mail Service. Select to e-mail directly from Photoshop Elements.
- Select the Write E-mail captions to catalog check box to update changes to photo captions in Photo Mail (HTML) to the catalog.
- Click OK.
Photoshop Elements uses Adobe Photoshop Services, such as the Kodak EasyShare Gallery, to provide access to additional online services. You can use these services in Photoshop Elements to send photos and create projects, such as a Photo Collage. The Adobe Photoshop Services are updated from time to time. In Adobe Partner Services preferences, you can set options to check for new service updates, Adobe promotions, product support updates, and other third party services. You can set options to automatically or manually check for services and to be notified when changes occur for specific types services. After you set your Adobe Partner Services options, you can access notification and updates by using the View Notification button or Envelope button on the Status bar in the Organizer workspace.
- In the Organizer, click the Edit menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Adobe Partner Services.
- Select the Check for Services options you want to use:
Automatically check for services. Select to automatically check for Adobe partner services.
Click Refresh to manually check for new services. If new services become available, a dialog box appears.
Notify me about Service Updates. Select to let you know about service updates.
Notify me about Adobe Promotions. Select to let you know about Adobe promotions.
Notify me about Product Support Notifications. Select to let you know about product support information.
Notify me about Third Party Services. Select to let you know about related third party services.
- To select a location for local services, click Choose, select a country location, and then click OK.
- Select the Settings options you want to use:
Show Quick Share Print order summary immediately after dropping photos on a print recipient. Select to complete an order in one step using the Quick Share palette.
Reset Accounts. Click to reset stored account information for all services.
Clear Online Service Data. Click to clear stored online service data and Adobe promotions.
- Click OK.
- After you set your Adobe Partner Services options, you can access notifications and updates by using either of the following buttons:
View Notification. Click the button (Mailbox icon) on the Status bar at the bottom of the Organizer window to view available notifications, updates, and services. In the Notifications window, select a notification, and then click View, or select an update or service, and then click Run.
Envelope. Click the button (Envelope icon) on the Status bar at the bottom of the Organizer window to view available notification, update, or service in the Status bar.