The basics

10 ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
THE NEXT LEVEL
of adjacent pixels and pixel groups. Elements also includes
the Unsharp Mask fi lter and the Adjust Sharpness feature,
which provides the user with manual control over which
pixels will be changed and how strong the effect will be.
The key to using these features is to make sure that the
changes made by the fi lter are previewed in both the
thumbnail and full image at 100 percent magnifi cation.
This will help to ensure that your pictures will not be
noticeably over-sharpened. See Step 13.
Saving your images
The fi nal step in the process is to save all your hard
work. The format you choose determines a lot of the
functionality of the fi le. If you are unsure of your needs
always use the native PSD or Photoshop format. These
fi les maintain layers and features such as editable text
and saved selections, and do not lose any picture details
due to compression. If space is a premium, and you want
to maintain the best quality in your pictures, then you
may decide to use a compressed version of TIF or Tagged
Image File Format. JPEG and GIF should only be used for
web work or when you need to squeeze you fi les down to
the smallest possible size. Both these formats lose image
quality in the reduction process, so keep a PSD or TIF
version as a quality backup. See Step 14.
Basic Elements workfl ow
These steps should be the fi rst changes
and enhancements you make to new
digital photographs. It is upon these
basics that the rest of the book will
build. So make sure that the sequence
and skills included here are second
nature before moving on to extending
your Elements knowledge.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
Step 13 >> Adjust Sharpness improves the overall
appearance of sharpness in the image by increasing
the contrast of adjacent pixels.
Step 14 >> Elements provides a range of fi le
formats that can be used to save your images.
Basic Elements Adjustments Workfl ow
Download
image from
camera
Import picture
from scanner
Tag photos (Right-click > Attach Tag)
Rotate picture (Image > Rotate menu)
Open image via
Photo Browser
Straighten picture (Crop or Straighten tool or Image > Rotate menu)
Crop picture (Crop tool or Marquee then Image > Crop)
Adjust brightness (Enhance > Adjust Brightness/Contrast menu)
Alter contrast (Enhance > Adjust Lighting menu)
Remove color casts (Enhance > Adjust Lighting menu)
Apply sharpening (Enhance menu)
Save fi le (File > Save As)