Video:Elements Tutorial: How to Start a New Project

Transcript:Elements Tutorial: How to Start a New Project

Hi, I’m Pelpina Trip, here for About.com. If you’re new to Adobe Photoshop Elements, and you’re not quite sure where to start, I’m going to help you out. In this video, I’ll show you how to start a new project. 

Photoshop Elements: Edit Mode

So, when you start Elements, you’ll notice that it has two main separate functions: the organizer and the full photo edit mode. The organizer lets you manage photos, organize them, and upload them to sites such as Facebook or Flickr.

The full Photo Edit mode lets you...you guessed it....edit images. Such as cropping, re-sizing, adding effects, color-correcting, and much more.  Let’s first take a look at the photo edit mode. If you want to edit an existing image, you first have to make sure you’re in the full photo edit mode. Then, go to the upper left menu, file, and click open. Now, search for the image file you want to open on your computer. I’m going to use this picture. There it is. Now you can edit it with full, quick or guided editing on the right hand side of the screen. 

If you want to start a new file, not an existing picture, say for graphics, go to the upper left menu again, new, and click blank file. Here you have several options: set its name, pick its size, resolution, and background color. And there you go, you have opened a new file, which you can edit any way you want.  

Photoshop Elements: Organizer

Now, let’s take a look at the organizer. We go there by clicking on the organizer button in the upper right hand corner of our screen. Elements will then give you several options to import pictures and videos: from files and folders, camera or card reader, by searching, and from iPhoto. Just pick any option you want, I’m going to upload a picture from my computer, so I’ll go to files and folders.  Just hit next, and then find the pictures and videos you want to open in elements. Select them, and click on get media.

Now, you have several options: you can organize in albums, fix the pictuers, create, and share. If you want to create a new album to organize all your pictures, click on the green plus botton over here, and change the album’s name. In the create menu, you can start a photo book, photo prints, calendars, DVD’s and much more. Many options as you can see. When you’re done, you can also share your images on sites like Facebook and Flickr.  

There you go, a quick overview of starting a new project in Photoshop elements. For more video tutorials and articles on Photoshop Elements, make sure you visit compute.about.com. Thanks for watching!