AN INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
Locate and recognise particular tools and modify the way they behave
Photoshop Anatomy Tools overview
Many of the tools
in the Toolbox are
brush-based, such
as the Selection
Brush [01]. These
brush-based tools
have similar editable
properties in the Tool
Options, such as the
size, opacity and so
on. With the Selection
Brush, you can click
these icons [02] to
make the tool add
to or subtract from
an initial selection
marquee as you painton the image. This is
useful when selecting
a sky, for instance,
and you select, say, a
tree along with the sky
by mistake – simply
switch to the subtract
mode, and paint over
the tree. You can also
change the shape and
texture of a brush tip
by clicking the Brush
Preset picker [03].
Scroll down through
the tips, and click a
tip preview [04] to
modify it.DISCOVER HOW
TO SWITCH ON
THE TOOL TIPSTo help you identify each tool in
the Toolbox you can set up
Photoshop Elements to display
a Tool Tip. This little rectangular
label pops up when you place
the mouse cursor over a
particular compartment in the
Toolbox, revealing the name
of the tool. To make sure that
the Tool tips are turned on,
go to Photoshop Elements
Editor>Preferences>General.
In the Options section tick the
Show Tool Tips box. Click OK.
These pop-up Tool Tips also
display the correct keyboard
shortcut, so you can summon a
particular tool with a tap of the
appropriate key. You’ll learn these
over time thanks to the Tool Tips.030401 0204 TOOL OPTIONS
When you select a tool, you can adjust the way it
behaves by adjusting the controls in the Tool Options.
Many tools are brush-based, so here you can adjust
the Size of the tip, for example, or change properties
such as Exposure.
05 OTHER TOOLS
The Dodge tool is visible in the Toolbox, but you can
access related tools (such as the Burn tool) by clicking
the icon revealed in the Tool Options. Compartments
containing multiple tools feature a little fly-out icon in
the top-right corner.06 EXTRA OPTIONS
Different tools have different editable options.
The Burn tool has a Range drop-down menu that
enables you to darken specific tones. Here we’ve set
it to darken the Shadows, so highlights will remain
untouched when we use the tool on the photo.01 LABELS
Labels break up the tools in the Toolbox into sections,
enabling you to find appropriate tools more easily. The
Enhance section includes retouching tools such as the
Red Eye Removal tool, the Spot Healing brush and the
Dodge and Burn tools.02 TOOL TIPS
These handy pop-up labels enable you to identify a
particular tool. Check out the quick tip below to find
out how to turn these on (or off). Although one tool
may appear in a compartment you can access its
cousins in the Tool Options.03 COLOUR SWATCHES
By default, the foreground colour swatch is black
and the background colour swatch is white. Press D
to set the default colours. Click a swatch to choose a
new colour from the Color Picker. Press X to swap the
foreground colour with the background one.Understanding...
BRUSH-BASED
TOOLS
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