Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
NOTE
Elements 13 uses the same light color scheme Adobe has used since Elements 11. Unfor-
tunately, there's no way to change it if you prefer a darker look.
UP TO SPEED: WHICH VERSION OF ELEMENTS DO YOU HAVE?
This topic covers Photoshop Elements 13. If you're not sure which version you have, the easiest
way to find out is to look at the program's icon (the one you click to launch Elements). The icon
for Elements 13 is a teal square with a white, stylized outline of a camera on it.
If you're still not sure, in Windows, click once on the Elements icon on your desktop, and Win-
dows displays the full name of the program—including the version number—below the icon, if it
wasn't already visible. You can also check the Windows Start menu, where Elements is listed
along with its version number. Or, if Elements is already running, go to Help→About Photoshop
Elements.
On a Mac, look in your Applications folder to see the version number. If Elements is already run-
ning, go to Photoshop Elements Editor→About Photoshop Elements.
If you have an earlier version of Elements, you can still use this topic because a lot of the basic
editing procedures are the same. But Elements 13 has been updated in many ways, so you'd al-
most certainly feel more comfortable with a reference topic for the version you have. There are
Missing Manuals for Elements 3 through 12, too, and you may prefer to track down the topic that
matches your version of Elements. (For Elements 6 and 8, there are separate editions for the Mac
and Windows versions.) You can get a copy from
www.missingmanuals.com
, any online book-
seller, or your neighborhood bookstore.
The Welcome Screen
When you launch Elements for the first time, you're greeted by the Welcome screen (
Fig-
ure 1-1
). This screen is a launcher that lets you choose which part of Elements you want to
use:
▪
Organizer
. Click this button to start the Organizer, which lets you store and organize
your image files. It's explained in detail starting on
Using the Organizer
.
▪
Photo Editor
. Click this button to start the Editor, which lets you modify images. See
Editing Your Photos
for more about this part of Elements.
