Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
TROUBLESHOOTING MOMENT: ABOUT PSE FILES
When it comes time to save a Create project in Elements, you get only one editable file-
format choice: PSE. (If you save your project as a PDF instead, you won't be able to go back
and edit it later.) This special format has both advantages and disadvantages.
When you create a PSE file, you actually create a
folder
containing a separate .psd file for
each page (or for each double-page spread, if you're creating a photo book), and a PSE
pro-
ject file
that contains all the info Elements needs to reassemble the document the next time
you open it. That's handy when you're working in Elements, but the drawback is that hardly
any other program can read these files.
PSE files work just fine if you print at home or use Shutterfly for online printing; you can
send them to Shutterfly as easily as you send JPEGs. The rub comes when you want to use a
different
printing service. If you make, say, a book that you want to print at Lulu.com or
MyPublisher.com, they don't accept PSE files—at least not as of this writing. Most printing
services require PDF files instead.
Fortunately, Elements can save your multipage PSE file as a multipage PDF that you can up-
load to your printing service of choice. (Be aware, though, that Elements creates
huge
PDF
files.) Usually, you'll want to wait till you're through editing your project to create a PDF. So
keep the file in PSE format as long as you still have work to do, and then when you're ready
to send it out to a printer other than Shutterfly, save it as a PDF. (Be sure to save the PSE file,
too, if you think you might want to edit it again.) There's also an Export Creations command
in the File menu; select it and Elements saves all the pages of your photo book as separate
JPEGs or TIFFs, or as a single PDF file.
