Photoshop Elements >
Best Practices
Here's a collection of the things that make editing go more smoothly.
Beginners should skim through the topics and come back periodically.
If you're retouching faces, go to
Retouching Tips, as well.
Photoshop Elements may crash.
Save as you work.
After you make the
Background copy, save the photograph as a Photoshop file (.psd).
Thereafter, periodically press Ctrl + s, .
Global → Local → Global
What do you do first, second, and third?
Global
Generally, make global changes first, such as:
• Levels.
• Color corrections.
Local
Then, make local changes, such as:
• Burning and dodging.
• Spot Healing Brush tool
• Healing Brush tool.
Global
Finish with a more global changes, such as:
• Sharpening.
• Noise reduction.
• Smooth
Skin.
For more detail, follow the workflow guidelines.
There are many links to articles and tutorials about each workflow
step.
Go to Workflow.
Zoom In
If you're editing part of the photograph, zoom in to that part.
When the Zoom tool is on + in the options bar, you can click,
hold, and drag out a box on the part.
When finished, always zoom out (Ctrl + 0) to check how your editing
looks.
What looks good up close, can look bad when seen with the entire
photograph.
Let's say you magnify the eyes on a portrait.
You lighten them.
Isolated from the rest of the face, the lighter eyes look good.
But, when you reduce the magnification to see the entire face,
the eyes are now too light in relation to the face.
So, go back-and-forth with the magnification to check your retouching.
Do It on a Separate Layer
If appropriate, do your editing on separate layers.
When?
After Making a Selection
If you've selected part of your photograph, consider copying
this area to a separate layer.
Press Ctrl + j.
Before Using the
Clone Stamp & Healing Brush Tools
If you're going to use the Clone Stamp tool or the Healing Brush
tool, create a blank
layer.
The cloned/healed pixels will be placed on the blank layer if:
• You select the blank layer.
• Sample All layers is selected in the options bar.
Advantages of Separate Layers
By placing the retouching on a blank layer, you can do the following.
Opacity
You can reduce the opacity of the blank layer to reduce the effect
of the retouching that's on the layer.
Reducing the opacity allows some of the unretouched Background
copy layer to be visible.
The mixture of unretouched and retouched can create a more realistic
result.
Erase
You can erase a portion of the retouching on the blank layer
by using the Eraser tool.
Delete
If it's a mess, delete the blank layer and start over.
Change the Blending Mode
You can change the blending mode for the blank layer from Normal
to a different one.
For example, the Luminosity blending mode will block the color
information.
Only the tonal information will be visible.
If you're new to blending modes, go to
Blending
Modes.
Resize
You can resize the pixels on the blank layer with the
Free Transform Tool.
Modify with Adjustment Layers
You can change the retouching on the blank layer with an adjustment
layer.
1) Create a
Levels adjustment layer or Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above
blank layer.
2) Group the adjustment layer with the blank layer.
Make sure the adjustment layer is active (highlighted).
If you haven't already done so, go to
How to Group.
When grouped, the adjustment layer will only affect the retouching
on the blank layer.
Make a Mask
You can paint a mask with the Brush tool, with black, to block
the effect of the adjustment layer, from part of the blank layer.
Layers multiply quickly.
Soon, you don't know which one is which.
Go to Rename
Layers.
Compare what you've done.
Compare the Original
To the Edited Version
You can compare the original to the edited version three ways.
The optimum way is the side-by-side method below.
Side-by-side
Do the following.
1) Go to File > Duplicate.
2) Click OK.
Photoshop Elements will append copy to the file name.
3) Open the Arrange menu and select the icon on the menu that
will display both photographs.
The Arrange menu is located at the top of your screen.
4) Be sure to do your editing on the original, not on the copy.
BTW
Don't use View > New View, as this merely opens the photograph,
not a copy, in a second window.
Because it's not a copy, changes you make to the original
also appear in the new window for the original.
Compare the Last Edit
To the Previous Edit
In Adobe-ese, the previous edit is called the previous state.
Eye Icon
Select and deselect the eye icon on layer to see the effect of
the layer.
Undo/Redo
Press Ctrl + z to undo a change, and Ctrl + Y to redo the change.
Icon in Adjustments Panel
When using an adjustment layer, you click and hold the third
icon at the bottom of the Adjustments panel.
Previous State Icon
If something isn't working, or if you get an error message, check
the layers stack on the right side of your screen.
The problem is usually due to the wrong layer being selected.
If the problem isn't there, check the options bar above your
photograph.
Combine All of the Layers
You can create a
composite
layer that's a combination of all of the layers.
The layers are still there, with the composite layer on top of
the stack.
Use the composite layer for sharpening, noise reduction, making
a black-and-white version of the photograph, and so forth.
