Founded in 1982, Adobe has been creating outstanding software programs for photography and design ever since. Photoshop Elements image editing software is, of course, no exception. A quick glance at our side-by-side comparison will tell you everything you need to know about this exceptional, TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winning image editing software.
Adobe Photoshop Elements should not be confused with its sibling product, Photoshop. Though with that said, Photoshop Elements should not be considered a pared down or “diet” version of the original and still-current Photoshop. Rather, Photoshop Elements is the distillation of the larger Photoshop program, giving users a great deal of the high-watermark-setting tool and feature-sets at a fraction of the price and, more importantly, making Photoshop accessible and usable for amateurs and professionals alike. It is for these reasons and others that Adobe Photoshop Elements is our top ranked product for image editing software.
Photoshop Elements accepts every importing device, has every editing tool listed (not to mention even more than listed), is able to be shared in numerous ways, makes organizing photos a total breeze, has every output capability, is supported by every configuration, and has an excellent help and support section.
One feature that is often overlooked in other image editing software we reviewed is the product's website. On the Photoshop Elements website, customers will find videos showing them how to take advantage of all of its features. You can watch clips about everything from how to resize your photos without distorting them to how to share photos, from how to unclutter or repair photos to how to create an online album.
Adobe continues their legacy of developing the world’s best image editing software in this latest release of Photoshop Elements. Once again they have produced a powerful image editing tool that allows you to accomplish professional results without the frustration.
Considering the amount of Photoshop tutorials and user guides in existence for the full Photoshop program, much of Photoshop Elements value comes in its surprising user-friendliness—as well as its price tag. It’s design and editing features might not be as robust as the full version, but, the features and toolsets that remain are the ones that see the most regular use in the full, anyway.
The main focus of this application is obvious; image editing. For this image editing software, Adobe includes a set of tools and features that is unmatched in this category. The new upgrade for this application has added enhanced capabilities to familiar tools such as new tutorials, scrapbooking and online sharing. You will still find basic tools for cropping, minor cleanup, red eye removal and even a cloning tool. The Quick Fix tool is where most people start in Photoshop Elements. This lets you apply basic edits like color and lighting adjustments with one click. A preview window displays a before and after comparison of the image prior to actually applying the correction.
A project wizard is available to walk you through creating custom projects like photo books, calendars, greeting cards and photo slide shows.
Photoshop Elements image editing software has advanced selection tools that allow you to extract portions of a photo and insert that clipping into another shot. Also, the High Pass Filter can be used to extract line art and large black and white portions from scanned images.
Layer masks and clipping masks are both available in Photoshop Elements. A layer mask can be used to protect a portion of an adjustment layer, where as a clipping mask can be used to apply a gradient without actually altering the photograph.
Photomerge exposure is one of our favorite tools in this image editing software. This tool can be used to adjust photos with exposure issues by seamlessly blending two or more photos, thereby eliminating under, or over exposed portions. Photomerge can also be used to enhance facial features by using elements from other images. An example of this would be extracting the eyes, mouth and nose from one photo and inserting those features on another photo. This also works to insert (or remove) other people into a shot in case someone was left out of a picture and you want to correct the mistake.
If you have taken several shots of a scenic view, you can use Photomerge to combine the shots into one perfect image. You can also combine a series of individual shots to create a panoramic image. You can also create illustrations out of your images by using the new filters.
The Recompose tool is another fantastic and recently added feature in Photoshop Elements iamge editing software. This lets you resize photos without losing important visual elements like people or buildings. Normally when scaling an image, the result includes squatty or lengthened objects in the photo. Recompose identifies important objects in the shot and scales everything around them, resulting in a resized image with correctly proportioned objects.
People Recognition is a fascinating tool in Photoshop Elements. The Auto Analyzer automatically tags images that contain faces. Once this process is complete, you can begin identifying people in the photos. The program will learn what people look like and will start making suggestions about who is in each photo. Eventually it will actually find groups of photos of a particular person and allow you to batch tag them to save time.
Adobe Photoshop made a name for itself with its design features early on. With Photoshop Elements, the tradition is continued, albeit with a lighter torch. There might be fewer layering and carte-blanche image creation, but what Elements does offer are, more or less, the tried and true tools that are used the most by graphic designers. Though Photoshop Elements has everyday needs and projects in mind with its page design templates and album creation features, it can still be used to a certain degree for more nuanced image creation using its photo merge feature or its paint-like palette to draw and color from scratch.
When you're dealing with the best software in a particular category, odds are you're going to run into some problems with ease of use. Adobe Photoshop Elements image editing software is no exception. It's easier to use than the prestigious programs in some of the other categories, but it still comes with a bit of a learning curve. You get a sense that Adobe was trying to satisfy the photo editing experts that use their software while simplifying its feature set to make it more accessible to the less-experienced users. While Adobe Photoshop Elements, with its huge feature list, has to have some sort of a beginning learning point for everyone. But once that point has been reached, Elements is a powerful image editing tool.
Though it is important that Photoshop Elements maintains a simplicity and cogency throughout the editing and design process, the precision and ease that goes into using these editing and design tools and features is equally important. Few programs have managed to challenge—and more often than not, simply equal—Adobe’s intuitive and precise palette of manual and automatic tools. With Photoshop Elements, it is no different. Even manual operations executed on a touchpad are rendered deftly and accurately.
Adobe sets a mark that few can follow with its import capabilities. Users can pull images from their hard drive or from devices like PDAs and digital cameras to edit without additional uploading.
Like its edit and design features, Adobe Photoshop Elements never leaves its user without a variety of options. With its multi-page album/scrapbook design features, users can create scrapbooks, greeting cards, calendars, slideshows, mini-videos and even host finished albums and photos online at Photoshop.com or through an integrated social networking or photosharing site. Additionally, you have the option to pull images from one photograph and add to another, allowing you to create a brand new effect.
Another excellent export and sharing feature is the memory map-making features, which allows users to tag on an interactive map where individual photos were taken.
Adobe Photoshop Elements has an AB blood type among image editing software programs, as it is compatible with a surprisingly large list of different formats including GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, Photoshop EPS, Photoshop PDF, PNG and TIFF and more. You can also use this program to create scrapbook pages, greeting cards, CD/DVD labels and jackets and photo collages.
Adobe has consistently gone beyond what is necessary to provide its users with the resources necessary to make use of its products. The same remains true for Photoshop Elements, which boasts a variety of resources to help increase program fluency and knowledge, troubleshoot technical errors and improve efficiency with program tools and features. In addition to these resources, Adobe hosts a FAQ section and knowledgebase, moderates a community forum with topically-organized discussions and frequently has program updates available for download. Few manufacturers go to such great lengths to support their program.
Where Photoshop was once considered difficult and inaccessible for non-designers, here, with Photoshop Elements, users of all backgrounds can consistently produce professional-quality results across a variety of photo projects. Hands down, this is absolutely the best digital image editor in its class. The program is packed with fantastic features that are easy to use and allow for never-ending creative opportunities. It is easy to see why Adobe remains at the vanguard of image editing and design.
