Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
the panel. Just as with filters, use the panel's drop-down menu to see all your choices or pick
from only one category. The thumbnail images give you a preview of how each effect will
change your image. To apply an effect, double-click its thumbnail in the panel or drag the
thumbnail onto your photo. That's all there is to it. If you don't like the result, press Ctrl+Z/
⌘
-Z to undo it, since you can't do much to tweak it.
Here are a couple of effects-related tips to help you get the most out of these nifty-but-quirky
features:
▪ A few effects flatten or simplify your image, so it's usually best to make a copy of your
image, or wait until you're done making all your other edits, before applying an effect.
▪ Many effects create new layers; check the Layers panel once you're done applying them.
If Elements added a layer for the effect, you may want to flatten your image to reduce its
file size before printing or storing it.
It's easy to add effects you've downloaded (see
Chapter 19
for tips on where to find effects
online). Simply click the four-line square at the Effects panel's upper right, choose Load Ef-
fects, find the file on your computer, and then click Load. The effect appears in a category
called My Effects. To get rid of an effect added this way, right-click/Control-click its thumb-
nail in the panel and choose Delete Content. You can only add and delete effects one at a
time using these techniques, though, not a whole set of effects.
Actually, most of the time you'll probably want to install actions and effects in the Actions
panel instead of the Effects panel, since you have more control there. (Remember, effects are
actually actions.) For example, if the action is written to allow it, you can stop an action in
the Actions panel and adjust a setting before continuing to the next step, as opposed to the
Effects panel, where the action would simply run from start to finish.
TIP
If you want to apply an effect to only part of an image, check out the Smart Brush tool
(
Correcting Part of an Image
)
. Some of its presets are quite different under the hood from
effects, but the end result may be just what you're after.
