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Amazing Photoshop Elements: Toolbox

Photoshop Elements ToolboxThe Amazing Photoshop Elements Toolbox

There are so many wonderful things you can do with Photoshop Elements.

You will find many of our tips in our notes from previous meetings.

Photoshop Elements Part I

Photoshop Elements Part II

Photoshop Elements Part III

This time we will spend most of our time discussing the Magical Photoshop Elements Toolbox.

There are three kinds of tools in the Toolbox:

Hover your mouse over any area in the toolbox to see its name. Hold your left mouse button down over any tool with a little diagonal triangle at the bottom to see hidden tools with similar functions.

Selecting: These tools create “Marching Ants” that indicate that an area has been selected. Selection tools include the Marquee Tool, Lasso Tool, Magic Wand and Brush Selection Tool These are all found in the top 5th of the Toolbox.

Once and area is selected, any changes you make will only apply to the selected area.

Painting: These tools “paint” effects by holding down the left mouse button while moving the mouse in the area you want to change. Painting tools include the Paintbrush, Pencil, Erase, Red Eye, Blur, Sharpen, Sponge, Smear, and Clone Stamp tools.

All painting tools allow you to change the area that you are working on by adjusting the brush size and you can apply affects by making changes in the Options bar (tool bar under the file menu that changes when you select a tool).

Custom Tools: These are tools that don’t fit into the Selecting or Painting Catagory. Most of these tools are for artistic purposes and are not used to improve your photo.

  • Gradient Tool – Select this tool and then draw a line and it will fill the entire area with a graduated color scheme. You can manipulate the Gradient tool in the Options bar. Change the option to something other than normal to get a variety of effects such as a sunset or haze.
  • Text Tool – Select this tool to type text. Use the Options bar to change fonts, font sizes and other text effects.
  • Fill Tool – This tool fills the entire selected area with your foreground color.
  • Eye Dropper – Selects the foreground color. ALT+Click selects the background color.
  • Custom Shape tool – creates a custom shape such as a heart or star.
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2 thoughts on “Amazing Photoshop Elements: Toolbox”

  1. I was trying to access the articles on Photoshop Elelents I – IV but pages are not accessable? Are they still available?

    Cheers
    Steve

    1. Thanks for bringing that to my attention…recently ported my site from another system and some links didn’t carry through. The article has been updated and the links now work.

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