Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 Gets Organized
Adobe brings Elements Organizer to the Mac and adds a Content-Aware Fill feature…
In a noteworthy update, Adobe gives its entry-level image-editing software, Photoshop Elements, some serious image-manage- ment muscle with the inclusion of Adobe Elements 9 Organizer. Other welcome additions include a true layer mask feature, a Content-Aware Fill option for the Spot Healing brush (straight from Photoshop CS5), and a new PhotoMerge Style Match option.
Meet the Organizer
Photoshop Elements 9 abandons Bridge in favor of the Adobe Elements Orga- nizer, a stand-alone photo-management application that was previously available only with the Windows version of Elements. The Organizer features a cleaner interface with pared-down options, making it well suited for Elements’ typically hobbyist audience.
The Organizer can import photos and videos straight from your camera or card reader, your hard drive, or iPhoto into an Organizer catalog. The only caveat is that when importing multiple raw files, you’ll notice a system slowdown for a couple of minutes as the Organizer saves multiple preview sizes.
The Organizer simplifies the keyword- tagging process with Smart Tags. Once you’ve imported your photos, you can have the Auto-Analyzer engine assess the images and assign tags based on image quality or elements such as contrast, lighting, and common objects in the photos. For example, it may add an “In Focus” tag to images without blur.
The Organizer also uses an algorithm to detect faces so that you can organize your images based on who appears in them. Double-click a photo, and if the program detects a face, a box pops up asking you who it is; just click the box and type a name. As you identify more people, the program collects the information and begins to suggest names when you view an image with an unlabeled face.
The Organizer does more than simply bring order to your images. In Fix mode, you can apply any of a handful of edits to one or more photos, including color correction, cropping, and sharpening.
In Share mode you’ll find options for creating online photo albums on sites like Photoshop.com, Flickr, SmugMug, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, and Facebook. If you upload your files to Photoshop.com, you get a backup and synchronization feature. If you ever have to reinstall Elements, you can restore your entire image catalog at full resolution (up to 2GB with the free account; up to 20GB for $49 a year with a Plus account). The syncing feature also works between multiple machines.
Editing Enhancements
Back in the main application, the Photoshop Elements 9 interface uses bigger fonts, fewer colors, and higher-contrast icons, making it easier to navigate. It also reveals a number of new editing features. At the bottom of the Layer panel is a new Layer Mask button, which lets you easily hide layer content. The ability to add a true layer mask saves time and frustration, as the previous workaround required that you stack layers in a particular order and then use a Clipping Group. Layer masks are crucial for edits such as combining images and making text appear as if it’s behind an item.
The Spot Healing brush has gained a Content-Aware Fill option for removing unwanted objects or other content from images. This feature, taken from Photoshop CS5, works by looking at surrounding pixels and attempting to fill the area inside the brush with similar content (it does an amazing job as long as the unwanted content isn’t too similar to something you want to keep).
The PhotoMerge Style Match feature lets you take the stylistic properties of one photo (think texture, tone, and brightness) and apply them to another.
Photoshop Elements’ Create mode, used for making photo books, collages, and other products, now has a simplified interface and several new themes, templates, and embellishments. (The Organizer has an identical Create mode.)
If you’re new to image editing, Photoshop Elements’ Guided Edit mode shows you the specific tools you need to execute a certain edit, and instructs you on how to use them. New in this version are five Fun Edits, including an Out Of Bounds and a Lomo Camera effect. Elements duplicates your original layer, adds adjustment layers as necessary, and adds an editable layer mask.
Buying Advice
The inclusion of the Adobe Elements Organizer makes this update an important one. But the addition of a Layer Mask button, the Content Aware-Fill capabilities, and the Guided Edit mode features also make Elements 9 a good choice for current and new users alike.
Adobe brings Elements Organizer to the Mac and adds a Content-Aware Fill feature…
In a noteworthy update, Adobe gives its entry-level image-editing software, Photoshop Elements, some serious image-manage- ment muscle with the inclusion of Adobe Elements 9 Organizer. Other welcome additions include a true layer mask feature, a Content-Aware Fill option for the Spot Healing brush (straight from Photoshop CS5), and a new PhotoMerge Style Match option.
Meet the Organizer
Photoshop Elements 9 abandons Bridge in favor of the Adobe Elements Orga- nizer, a stand-alone photo-management application that was previously available only with the Windows version of Elements. The Organizer features a cleaner interface with pared-down options, making it well suited for Elements’ typically hobbyist audience.
The Organizer can import photos and videos straight from your camera or card reader, your hard drive, or iPhoto into an Organizer catalog. The only caveat is that when importing multiple raw files, you’ll notice a system slowdown for a couple of minutes as the Organizer saves multiple preview sizes.
The Organizer simplifies the keyword- tagging process with Smart Tags. Once you’ve imported your photos, you can have the Auto-Analyzer engine assess the images and assign tags based on image quality or elements such as contrast, lighting, and common objects in the photos. For example, it may add an “In Focus” tag to images without blur.
The Organizer also uses an algorithm to detect faces so that you can organize your images based on who appears in them. Double-click a photo, and if the program detects a face, a box pops up asking you who it is; just click the box and type a name. As you identify more people, the program collects the information and begins to suggest names when you view an image with an unlabeled face.
The Organizer does more than simply bring order to your images. In Fix mode, you can apply any of a handful of edits to one or more photos, including color correction, cropping, and sharpening.
In Share mode you’ll find options for creating online photo albums on sites like Photoshop.com, Flickr, SmugMug, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, and Facebook. If you upload your files to Photoshop.com, you get a backup and synchronization feature. If you ever have to reinstall Elements, you can restore your entire image catalog at full resolution (up to 2GB with the free account; up to 20GB for $49 a year with a Plus account). The syncing feature also works between multiple machines.
Editing Enhancements
Back in the main application, the Photoshop Elements 9 interface uses bigger fonts, fewer colors, and higher-contrast icons, making it easier to navigate. It also reveals a number of new editing features. At the bottom of the Layer panel is a new Layer Mask button, which lets you easily hide layer content. The ability to add a true layer mask saves time and frustration, as the previous workaround required that you stack layers in a particular order and then use a Clipping Group. Layer masks are crucial for edits such as combining images and making text appear as if it’s behind an item.
The Spot Healing brush has gained a Content-Aware Fill option for removing unwanted objects or other content from images. This feature, taken from Photoshop CS5, works by looking at surrounding pixels and attempting to fill the area inside the brush with similar content (it does an amazing job as long as the unwanted content isn’t too similar to something you want to keep).
The PhotoMerge Style Match feature lets you take the stylistic properties of one photo (think texture, tone, and brightness) and apply them to another.
Photoshop Elements’ Create mode, used for making photo books, collages, and other products, now has a simplified interface and several new themes, templates, and embellishments. (The Organizer has an identical Create mode.)
If you’re new to image editing, Photoshop Elements’ Guided Edit mode shows you the specific tools you need to execute a certain edit, and instructs you on how to use them. New in this version are five Fun Edits, including an Out Of Bounds and a Lomo Camera effect. Elements duplicates your original layer, adds adjustment layers as necessary, and adds an editable layer mask.
Buying Advice
The inclusion of the Adobe Elements Organizer makes this update an important one. But the addition of a Layer Mask button, the Content Aware-Fill capabilities, and the Guided Edit mode features also make Elements 9 a good choice for current and new users alike.
