Review: Photoshop Elements 3.0

by Paul Gerstenbluth (ariefound@aol.com)

Why Recommend Photoshop Elements 3?

I highly recommend Photoshop Elements 3 for editing and enhancing your digital photographs. Cost and quality of Photoshop Elements3.0 makes this an excellent program for learning how to use the professional Photoshop tools.

Our RIAG President, Mark Rafferty, showed us the simple ways that Photoshop Elements 3.0can be usedfor editing photographs from our digital camera. Mark Rafferty's previous Saturday classes on digital photography were outstanding. I am looking forward to more of Mark's Saturday classes at his home.

What is new about Photoshop Elements 3.0?

You can share photos with friends. Photoshop Elements now has dynamic slideshows that include music and special effect transitions.

Photoshop Elements 3.0 also adds new photo editing features and editing tools. This allows you to remove flaws, transform photos with effects and filters and correct the photo's color and lighting.

How to Work with Photoshop Elements 3?

I set the Preference in Photoshop Elements. I can change: General, Display and Cursor, Transparency, Units and Rulers. Next, I can change the Photoshop Elements' Grid (includes snap to Grid), Plug-ins, Memory and Image Cache and File Browser.

The feature that works well for me is the QuickFix module. This allows me to automatically correct the color, sharpness, auto levels and contrast. The Process Multiple files allow me to resize my photo images. Also, using the QuickFix module, I can convert my photos to various formats such as Photoshop Raw, jpg and psd.

The Photo Bin feature allows me to move from photo to photo. This is easy when I click on the various thumb nails icons. This is a time saver since I know instantly what photos I have opened in Photoshop Elements.

I use Photomerge in Photoshop Elements 3.0 for making a panoramic photograph of a bridge. Photoshop Elements stitches the five to seven photographs of the bridge into one large picture. My favorite photo collages are made in Photomerge. I manually stitch together the photo images in Photoshop Elements' program.

Pro Reaction

• The redesigned user interface provides an ideal balance between ease of use and flexibility.
• Photoshop Elements3.0 now includes many new tools from Photoshop CS.
• The user interface has three work areas: Photo Browser, Quick Fix, and Standard Edit.
• Photoshop Elements has a Healing brush, cookie cutter tool, RAW & 16-bit support, divide scanned photos and photo filters.

Con Reaction

• Missing is the Extract tool and layer mask.
• I noted that Photoshop Elements 3.0 is slow in opening, closing, and switching modes.
• You have to study and work with the manual to enjoy full use of Photoshop Elements tools.

Final Notes

I find that using Photoshop Elements3.0 is all I need to organize, editand share digital photos. I now have very good editing tools for correcting and enhancing photos, drawings, and paintings. Photoshop Elements has several printing options: Contact Sheets, Picture Package, labels, single prints, and online service.

Photoshop Elements' System Requirements:

• PowerPC G3, G4 or G5 processor
• Mac OS X 10.2.8 or 10.3
• 256 MB of RAM
• 200 MB of available hard disk space
• Color monitor with video card with viewing thousands of colors
• 1024x768 or greater monitor resolution
• CD-ROM drive

Company: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Price: $89.00
Previous owners can upgrade for $69.99 (CD-ROM) or download the 300.2 MB file for $59.99. Note: Photoshop Elements' rebates are available.

Paul Gerstenbluth is President of the ARIE Foundation and is a Macintosh consultant. The ARIE Foundation's mission is to provide VA hospitalized patients with hobby materials and Macintosh Powerbooks that helps in their stay and recovery.

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