Every Pixel Counts!

Lately in class we've been working with Adobe Photoshop Elements as I have mentioned in my previous posts. Today we went over the general icon toolbar, and how we can use the features to enhance our own images.

**The letters in brackets are keyboard shortcuts

Marquee tool (M): Allows you to select a certain part of the image. The marquee tool can be selected to be rectangular or elliptical. When active, other parts of the picture won't be affected with the changes you make. To deselect either press ctrl +D or right click>deselect.

Move Tool (V): Used to move individual layers around.

Lasso Tool (L): Like the marquee tool, allows the user to select a part of the image, except the user decides the shape given to the marquee. The Polygonal Lasso Tool allows you to create various selections in the shape of polygons, and the Magnetic Lasso Tool grabs on to certain or similar pixels of the image so it is easier to select parts of the image.

Feather: The feather feature gives a soft edge to the selections made either by using a Marquee, Magic wand, or Lasso.

Magic Wand Tool (W): Selects fractions of the image, such as areas with the same colours or contrast ratios. You can change how many pixels will be selected by tolerance level. (If the tolerance level is higher, the Magic wand will select colours that aren't as close to each other.)

Crop tool (C): Used to select an area in the image, which is all you want to keep. You can choose from more options such as resolution, width and length before actually cropping the image.

Type tool (T): Allows you to insert text into the image. Can be horizontal or vertical.

Polygon tool (U): Allows you to draw a selected shape.

Gradient tool: Creates an overlaying layer with a blend of two or more colours.

Airbrush tool: Allows you to draw on the image with a brush that works and looks much like an airbrush.

Paintbrush tool (B): Also lets the user draw, but there are more options to what kind of paintbrush you would like to use.

Paint Bucket Tool (K): Fills a selected area with a chosen colour.

Pencil Tool: Also used to draw, works like a pencil.

Eraser Tool (E): Removes part of the image. Background eraser tool allows you to remove the background of an image. Magic Eraser tool works much like the magic wand by removing colours of similar contrast ratios.

Impressionist Brush: Gives the paintbrush an impressionist effect.

Blur Tool (R): Used to make parts of the image blurry.

Sharpen Tool: Sharpens the image by increasing contrast between individual pixels.

Sponge Tool: Softens the image, and blends the colours much like sponging a wet painting.

Smudge Tool: Like the sponge tool, it blends the colours. However, the smudge tool works more like using your finger to blend oil pastels.

Red Eye Brush Tool: Gets rid of red eyes in pictures.

Dodge/Burn Tool (O): Burn darkens parts of the image, Dodge makes the image brighter. Used for making pictures more realistic, shadows/highlights etc.

Clone Stamp: Clones a selected area. To select the area hold Alt+Click.

Eye Dropper (I): Picks up colours found in the image.

Hand tool (H): Used to move things around

Zoom tool (Z): Allows you to zoom in or out. This can be done with the Navigation tab as well.