Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Color Space
has more about color in Elements.) You'll probably use this mode most of
the time, even if you don't plan on having color in your image, because RGB gives you
access to
all
of Elements' tools. That's right: You can use RGB Color mode for black-
and-white images—and many people do, since it gives you the most options for editing
your photos.
▪
Bitmap
. Every pixel in a Bitmap-mode image is either black or white. Use this mode for
true
black-and-white images—shades of gray aren't welcome here.
▪
Grayscale
. Black-and-white photos are technically called
grayscale
images because
they're actually made up of many shades of gray. In Elements, you can't do as much
editing on a grayscale photo as you can on an RGB one; for example, you can't use some
of the program's filters on a grayscale image.
TIP
Sometimes you may need to change the color mode of an existing file to use all of Ele-
ments' tools and filters. For example, there are quite a few things you can do only if your
file is in RGB Color mode. So if you need to use a filter (
Using Filters
) on a black-and-
white photo and the menu item you want is grayed out, go to Image→Mode→RGB Col-
or. Don't worry; changing the color mode won't suddenly colorize your photo; it just
changes the way Elements handles the file. (You can always change back to the original
color mode when you're done.) If you use Elements' “Convert to Black and White” fea-
ture (
Making Color Photos Black and White
), you'll still have an RGB-mode photo after-
ward, not a Grayscale-mode image.
If your image is in RGB and you
still
don't have access to all the program's filters, check
to see if the file is 16 bit (
Choosing Bit Depth
). If so, you need to convert it to 8-bit color
to get everything working. Make that change by choosing Image→Mode→8 Bits/Chan-
nel. You're most likely to have 16-bit files if you import your images in raw format (
The
Sharpen Tool
)
. Some scanners also let you create 16-bit files. JPEG files are always 8-bit.
Choosing a Background
The last choice you have to make when creating a new file setting is the file's
background
contents
, which tells Elements what color to use for the empty areas of the file, like, well, the
background. You can be a traditionalist and choose White from the New dialog box's Back-
ground Contents menu (almost always a good choice), or select a particular color or
trans-
