Photoshop Elements /

Quick Fix / 2 - Quick Fix Palette

The Quick Fix palette is located on the right side of your screen.

There are four sections:

• General Fixes

• Lighting

• Color

• Sharpen

More is NOT better.

You'll get the best results by clicking the buttons sparingly.

Here's what each section can do for your photograph.

General Fixes

Smart Fix

Try Smart Fix first.

Smart Fix tries to correct everything all at once.

Everything includes the exposure, contrast, and color.

Exposure is the brightness of the shadows and highlights.

Contrast is the difference in brightness between the shadows and highlights.

1) Click the Smart Fix Auto button.

2) Compare the shadows, highlights, and color, in the Before and After images of your photograph.

3) If the result isn't satisfactory, click the Reset button above your photograph to the right.

4) Then, click on the Amount slider, hold, and drag it to the right.

5) Release your mouse button when the result is satisfactory.

6) If the result is satisfactory, click the check mark at the top of the General Fixes section.

If the result is poor, click the circle with a diagonal line at the top of the General Fixes section.

Try the Lighting or Color sections.

Red Eye Fix

If your photograph has red eye, click the Red Eye Fix Auto Button.

Red Eye Tool

You can also use the Red Eye tool located in the Toolbox palette along the left edge of your screen.

Click the red eyes on the After image.

You can't fix red eyes on the Before image.

If the results are unsatisfactory, click the Reset button.

Then, adjust the Pupil Size and Darken Amount in the options bar.

Lighting

Levels

The Levels Auto button is similar to the Smart Fix button described above.

The exposure, contrast, and color may be corrected.

Contrast

The Contrast Auto button will modify the difference in brightness between the shadows and highlights.

Unlike the Levels button, the Contrast Auto button will not modify the color.

Using Levels & Contrast

1) Try the Auto buttons.

Use the Levels Auto button if the exposure, contrast, and color need correction.

If the color is okay, use the Contrast Auto button.

Don't use both Auto buttons.

2) If the Auto buttons don't produce a satisfactory result, click the Reset button above your photograph to the right.

3) Then, experiment with the three sliders.

The three sliders are the same as Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Shadows/Highlights in Standard Edit (4.0) or Full Edit (5.0 and 6.0).

4) If the result is satisfactory, click the check mark at the top of the Lighting section.

If the result is poor, click the circle with a diagonal line at the top of the Lighting section.

Advanced Lighting Techniques

To control exposure and contrast more precisely in an entire photograph, go to Levels.

To control exposure locally, i.e., in just parts of your photograph, go to Burning & Dodging Introduction.

Color

1) If the color needs correction, try the Color Auto button.

2) If the Auto button doesn't produce a satisfactory result, click the Reset button above your photograph to the right.

3) Then, experiment with the four sliders.

Saturation is the vividness of the color.

Hue is the color.

Temperature refers to the color of the illumination in the photograph.

Tint is used to improve skin tones, and ranges from green, on the left, to magenta (pink), to the right.

For skin tone color correction, also try Adjust Color for Skin Tone Method.

4) If the color correction is satisfactory, click the check mark at the top of the Color section.

If the result is poor, click the circle with a diagonal line at the top of the Color section.

Advanced Color Techniques

Go to Color Correction Introduction.

Sharpen

Digital photographs are made from square pixels.

If there's an area with a color transition, the corners of the pixels make the photograph look slightly out-of-focus.

Sharpening increases the contrast along the jagged edges, making the photograph appear to be sharp.

Sharpening is always the last correction step.

1) Change the magnification of your photograph to 100% with the Zoom box.

Always judge sharpening at 100%.

2) Try the Sharpen Auto button.

3) If the Auto button doesn't produce a satisfactory result, click the Reset button above your photograph to the right.

4) Then, experiment with the Amount slider.

5) If the result is satisfactory, click the check mark at the top of the Sharpen section.

If the result is poor, click the circle with a diagonal line at the top of the Sharpen section.

Advanced Sharpening Techniques

Go to Sharpening Introduction.