Photoshop Elements >
Workflow > First Steps >
1 - Opening a Photograph
Workflow
This document will get you going on the right workflow
"track."
What's workflow?
Workflow used to be:
Take Pictures > Rewind > Drop Film Off at Lab > Pick Prints
Up.
Nowadays, workflow is much longer.
That's bad?
No!
Now you can do so much with just a few clicks.
Before, you had to set up your darkroom to work.
Or, spend a lot of money on a custom print.
So, while there are many steps below, don't be alarmed.
The steps are easy to do.
For a discussion of the entire workflow, go to
Workflow.
Mac Users
When you see Ctrl, press the Command key instead.
There's one exception.
When you want to right click on something, press and hold
Ctrl, and click on the item.
Tip - Use a Flash Drive for Awhile
If you're a beginner, you may want to move copies of some of
your
photographs to a flash drive.
You'll open and save your photographs to-and-from the flash
drive for a few sessions.
By doing so, you won't have to confront opening and saving photographs
with Picasa, iPhoto, Bridge,
etc.
You can learn how to save to those organizing programs
later.
If you don't know how to transfer some of your photographs to
a flash drive, go to
How to Move Photographs to a Flash Drive.
Let's get going on the workflow track.
1 - Open Photoshop Elements
Open the program by double clicking on its icon on your
Desktop (Windows) or in the Dock (Mac).
The icon for Photoshop Elements 6.0 (Windows or Mac) is a blue circle with a
silver camera in the middle.
The Photoshop Elements 7.0 (Windows only) icon is a blue square with PSE in
the middle.
2 - Full Edit
If you're not already there, go to the Full Edit section of
the program.
What Does Full Edit Look Like?
The Full Edit section has a large blank area in the middle.
This is where you'll see the photograph that you'll
be editing.
There are tool icons on the left side of Full Edit.
The panel bin (palette bin) is on the right side.
This is where you'll find the layers of your photograph, and
other items.
The Project Bin is on the bottom of Full Edit.
This is where you'll see thumbnails of your photographs that
you'll opened in the program.
How Do I Get to Full Edit?
Click the orange Edit rectangle in the upper right corner of
your screen.
Select Full.
3 - Open a Photograph
To open a photograph, go to File > Open.
File is on the left end of the menu bar at the top of your screen.
Navigate to where your photographs are located.
As suggested above, navigate to the flash drive where you
have moved some of your photographs.
Windows Navigation
In the Open window, click My Computer (XP) or Computer (Vista
& Windows 7).
Look for your flash drive.
Look for No Name, Removable Disc, or the name of the flash
drive manufacturer.
Double click on the flash drive.
Select a photograph.
Double click Open.
Your photograph will appear in three locations.
Mac Navigation
In the Open window, click Finder.
Look for your flash drive under Devices.
Look for No Name, Removable Disc, or the name of the flash
drive manufacturer.
Double click on the flash drive.
Select a photograph.
Double click Open.
Your photograph will appear in three locations.
Three Locations
Location #1 - Middle of Your Screen
Your photograph will appear in the middle of your screen.
This is where you'll use the tools on the left side of
the screen to edit your photograph.
Location #2 - Panel Bin (Palette Bin)
Your photograph also appears as a layer in the panel bin (palette bin).
Again, the panel bin (palette bin) is located on the right side of your
screen.
The layer is called Background.
No Background Layer?
If your don't see the Background layer, click the tiny white
triangle on the left side of the Layers bar in the panel bin (palette bin).
No Panel Bin (Palette Bin)?
If there's no panel bin (palette bin), go to Window in the menu bar at
the top of your screen.
Click Panel Bin (Palette Bin).
Location #3 - Project Bin
Also, a thumbnail of the photograph appears in the Project
Bin at the bottom of your screen.
4 - Create a Background Copy Layer
As described, your photograph is a layer in the panel bin (palette bin)
called Background.
Make a copy of this Background layer.
There are two methods.
Method #1
Locate the icons on the top of the Layers panel (Layers palette).
Locate the first icon in the row.
It looks like a square with its corner being pulled up.
This icon creates a new layer.
Click on the gray area of the Background layer, hold, and
drag it on to the first icon above the Layers panel (Layers palette).
Let go of the mouse button.
A layer, called Background copy, will appear.
Method #2
Right click* on the Background layer, and select Duplicate
Layer.
A window will appear.
Click OK in the window.
A layer, called Background copy, will appear.
* If you're using a Mac mouse that doesn't have a right-click
button, hold down the Ctrl key when you click on the Background
layer.
Layers Panel (Layers Palette)
Your Layers panel (Layers palette) should look like this.
Next, you'll learn how to use Levels.
