Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The Eraser Tools
Everyone makes mistakes. That's why Adobe has thoughtfully included three different
mistake-fixers in Elements. The Eraser, the Magic Eraser, and the Background Eraser share a
slot at the upper right of the Tools panel's Draw section; their keyboard shortcut is E. You'll
probably use all three tools at one time or another. This section explains what each one does.
Using the Basic Eraser
The standard Eraser tool is basically just another kind of brush tool, only it
removes
color in-
stead of adding it. How it works varies depending on where you use it. If you use it on a reg-
ular layer, it replaces the color with transparency. If you use it on a Background layer or one
in which transparency is locked, it replaces whatever color is there with your current back-
ground color (see
Chapter 6
for more about how layers work).
The Eraser's Tool Options settings are pretty much the same as for any other
brush—including brush style, size, and opacity—with a couple of different twists:
▪
Opacity
determines how much color gets removed; at 100 percent, it's all gone (or all re-
placed with the background color).
▪
Type
. This setting tells Elements what shape eraser you want to work with: Brush, Pen-
cil, or Block. You can see the difference in how the Eraser is going to work by watching
the brush-style preview in the Tool Options area as you change modes. Picking Brush or
Pencil mode lets you choose any brush cursor you like. The Brush option lets you make
soft-edged erasures, while Pencil mode makes only hard-edged erasures. Choosing Block
mode changes the cursor to a square so you can use it like an artist's erasing block—sort
of.
Here's how to use this handy tool:
1.
Activate the Eraser tool
.
Press E or click the tool's icon in the Tools panel (it's a pink eraser, so it's easy to
spot).
2.
Choose your settings
.
In the Tool Options area, select a size, type, and opacity. (As noted earlier, the opacity
setting works differently here than it does for regular brushes.)
