Summary: Did you get a digital camera? You'll love this software
Comment: I have all sorts of software for image manipulation that came with digital cameras. But I plunked down good money for Photoshop Elements V.1.0 and now I tried V.2 and I really, really love it.
The interface is relatively easy to use (with pulldown menus or tabs as you prefer.) The manipulation of layers is made easier by working with the layer tab and the preview feature is a real boon.
There are artsy filters to add chalk, oil brush dabs, charcoal, and other brush effects to make a photo look like a painting. And I found it easier to use Photoshop Elements to start a web design and port it over to Dreamweaver than to use Macromedia Fireworks.
I really like V.2 and with a rebate from the serial number of Version 1, it's not a bad deal. If you have other software included with your digital camera and you find them awkward, give this a try. It's good enough for all but the semi-pro and professional graphics designers and a real bargain.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Second Review of Elements
Comment: If you page back in these reviews on Photoshop Elements 2.0, you may find the one that I submitted last November. I've never re-reviewed a product before, so this is a first for me.
Having owned Elements for almost a year, I can honestly say that this is without a doubt the second best and second most powerful editing program I've used, and believe me, I've tried them all I think. The best and most powerful of course being Photoshop 7.
For those of you considering purchasing either Photoshop 7 or Elements 2, you need to ask yourself one question....do I need the extra tools and capabilities of Photoshop for what I do with my images? You'd have to do some pretty serious justifying to spend six times the cost of Elements. In all honesty, I spent a considerable amount of time comparing Photoshop 7 and Elements tools to each other over the past 11 months, and with the exeption of the healing brush, the patch tool, the history brush, curves, and channels, there wasn't much I couldn't do in Elements and usually with fewer steps.
Let's just use red-eye removal as an example since everybody has that problem. In Photoshop 7, the best way to remove red-eye is with the channel mixer...a very labor-intensive prosess requiring multiple selections and adjustments. It works beautifully and once you're used to it, no big deal. However, in Elements, it's usually a one-click process. (Here's a little tip...the red-eye removal tool is nothing more than a color replacement tool in disguise. You can use it to replace the color in just about anything). However, let it be known that you can also replace color the exact same way that it's done in Photoshop 7. The commands are just in different menus, that's all. One other example is for effects. In Photoshop 7, there's a command to "fade" (whatever effect you've applied). Choosing this command opens a dialog box with a slider to adjust the fade and also the layer styles menu. The slider is nothing more than an opacity adjust. The same thing can be done in Elements by changing the opacity of the layer in the layers pallet. The layer styles menu is there as well. These are just two examples...I could keep going, but I don't have that much time or allocated space here.
I read one review in here that didn't recommend Elements for a professional. Well, I disagree whole-heartedly. I do photography and graphics full-time for a living, and I use this program all the time. It's served me well. Granted, it's not a replacement for what I do in Photoshop 7, but for many applications I get the same results usually with less labor involved. If I had to pick one thing that I'd like to see in Elements it would be the ability to work with channels. There is a book out called "The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements" that comes with software that will allow you to use channels, curves, etc., in a roundabout way, but it does work. Can't afford or don't need to spend $600 bucks for Photoshop 7??? Go for Elements for around $50 after the rebate and the book for another $30 and you'll be in business.
By the way...in case you haven't heard, the new version of Photoshop is on the way. It's "Photoshop CS" and the price is going up another $50. Elements 3 won't be far behind, and who knows what new surprises Adobe may decide to add.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great product for your money.
Comment: I have worked with this product on several occations. However, I actually own Photoshop 7.0.
I rate this item well because it is a great item for the money and is especially usefull to those who want to help their photos or add some effects to them, but don't know much of anything abouthow to do it. It works for many who don't need complete control over their images. You can get some cool effects with this product and even fix some color problems on your image or add text. This product is just a very toned down version of Photoshop. It is great for beginners who want to learn more about Photoshop, but can't afford the product yet. I recommend this item over ALL others of its type.
I do not recommend this item to a professional digital imager who does this for a living because you need to go get the full version.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This does what it is meant to do! 5 stars!
Comment: With the amazon.com price of about 60$, you can't go wrong.
Adobe Photoshop Elements v2.0 is aimed at being a relatively cheap priced program that can be used to create simple graphics and edit photos/pictures (even web graphics). This program does it flawlessly.
First off, this program is just a "toned-down" version of Adobe Photoshop. Having said that, this still offers a wide range of features that the average person will find overwhelming. Because it is based off of photoshop, this has some great features such as Selecting, layers, photo touch-up, color adjustments and transperency; the same Exact ones that are in photoshop!
The sad fact is that, most computers eaither come with no image editing software, or very little such as microsoft Picture It!. Also, i have looked at several digital cameras and seen the software that comes with them. I am very dissapointed with it. Basically these are just ment to quickly crop, edit colors, add text, and transfer the pictures from the camera to the computer. Adobe Elements v2.0 does all this, and better!
If you recently bought a digital camera, have the need to create simple web graphics, or want to touch up previous pictures this is your best bet. Jasc Paint Shop Pro is another alternitive, but i prefer the Adobe elements.
The documentation is very "cryptic", and does not "teach". There are a ton of tutorials though online for FREE provided by adobe which offer a hands-on approach to learing many of the features of Elements. Something Paint Shop Pro does not excell at. Also, there are a lot of books writen on elements 2.0 that will teach people how to use Elements.
I will be honest, if you have NEVER used any photo-editing software, and do not know the basics of how to use a computer, you will find yourself lost! In that case, i 100% recommend you get a book to accompany this software. It might take you a while to learn the in's-and-out's of how to use this software to its fullest, but once you do you will be able to do amazing things.
But, what sets Adobe Elements away from the competition is that Most Adobe products "act the same". What i mean by this is that, the "the magic wand tool" that is found in other adobe products is the same exact one in elements. This is true for most of the features and tools that Adobe products have. This helps make the transition over from other adobe products very effortless, in-case you have worked with other products or plan on working with other adobe products.
I have used several adobe products, including GoLive6, Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, Indesign2, and have experimented with other's as well. I am very impressed at what these can do; granted that some are expensive, they do amazing things!
The only major downfall, is that Adobe makes you sign their end-user liscense agreement, which basically states that Adobe is not liable for any damage or lose of data done to your computer ... EVEN IF THEY KNEW IT WOULD, a very disapointing thing from such a large company!
To sum up:
If you are looking for a fairly simple software program to edit and touch up photos, and even create a few of your own(at a relitively cheap price), Elements v2.0 should be your best bet.
I recommend you goto http://www.adobe.com/products/tryadobe/main.jhtml and download the 30-day trial version before buying it. Give it a shot for a few days, see how it works, and if you like it, i would recommend you get it!
~Hope this helps!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Definitely Not Photoshop, But Does The Job!
Comment: I purchased Photoshop Elements when I was hired by my father to create a presentation about his recent trip to Vietnam. I found that it did an exceptional job for what we needed for that project (mainly just simple color/brightness/contrast corrections, and cropping,) but, once I got to trying to use it for my own purposes, such as complex original creations needing features such as guides or advanced layer transparencies, it fell way short of what I needed. The bottom line here is that Elements is for the person who wants to do photo touch-ups and simple effects (like embossing and liquifying, etc,) but certainly isn't powerful enough for a creative professional.
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