Simply Photoshop Elements 9

Simply Photoshop® Elements 9

by Mike Wooldridge

First published under the title Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop® Elements 9, ISBN 978-0-470-91961-3 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

This edition first published 2011.

Copyright © 2011 for the adaptation outside the USA and Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Registered office

John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom

For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com.

The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organisation or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organisation or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-119-99002-4

Set in 12/14 Gill Sans by Wiley Composition Services

Printed in Italy by Printer Trento

Permissions

Brianna Stuarthttp: www.stuartphotography.net

Product screenshots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Editorial and Production

VP Consumer and Technology Publishing Director: Michelle Leete

Associate Director-Book Content Management: Martin Tribe

Executive Commissioning Editor: Birgit Gruber

Publishing Assistant: Ellie Scott

Development Editor: Shena Deuchars

Senior Project Editor: Sara Shlaer

Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen

Editorial Assistant: Leslie Saxman

Marketing:

Senior Marketing Manager: Louise Breinholt

Marketing Executive: Kate Parrett

Composition Services:

Compositor: Indianapolis Composition Services

Proof Reader: Susan Hobbs

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

About the Author

Mike Wooldridge teaches computers and develops Web sites from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Author’s Acknowledgements

Mike thanks Brianna Stuart and Dave Huss for the use of their beautiful photographs in the examples for the book. He also thanks Brianna for her help in preparing the hundreds of screenshots. He thanks Jade Williams for her project management, Scott Tullis for his copy editing, and Dave Huss for his technical editing. Mike dedicates the book to his ten-year-old son.

How to Use This Book

Do you look at the pictures in a book or newspaper before anything else on a page? Would you rather see an image instead of read about how to do something? Search no further. This book is for you. Opening Simply Photoshop Elements 9 allows you to read less and learn more about Photoshop Elements 9.

Who Needs This Book

This book is for readers who have never used image-editing software and want to learn how to work with digital photos on their computers. It is also for more computer-literate individuals who want to expand their knowledge of the different features that Photoshop Elements 9 has to offer.

What You Need to Use This Book

To install and run Photoshop Elements 9, you need a computer with the following:

• An Intel or compatible processor running at 2 GHz or faster

• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or 3, Windows Vista or Windows 7

• Colour monitor with a 1024x768 or greater resolution

• 1GB of RAM

• 1.5GB of available hard-drive space

You may find the following useful for capturing digital photos to use in Elements:

• Digital camera

• Image scanner

• Digital camcorder

The program’s Web features require an Internet connection and a Web browser. The following browsers are supported:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8; Firefox 1.5, 2 and 3; and Safari 2.0

The Conventions in This Book

A number of typographic and layout styles have been used throughout Simply Photoshop Elements 9 to distinguish different types of information.

Bold

Bold type represents the names of commands and options that you interact with. Bold type also indicates text and numbers that you must type into a dialog box.

Italics

Italic words introduce a new term, which is then defined.

Numbered Steps

You must perform the instructions in numbered steps in order to successfully complete a section and achieve the final results.

Bulleted Steps

These steps point out various optional features. You do not have to perform these steps; they simply give additional information about a feature.

Indented Text

Indented text tells you what the program does in response to your following a numbered step. For example, if you click a certain menu command, a dialog box may open or a window may open. Indented text may also tell you what the final result is when you follow a set of numbered steps.

Notes

Notes give additional information. They may describe special conditions that may occur during an operation. They may warn you of a situation that you want to avoid – for example, the loss of data. A note may also cross-reference a related area of the book. A cross-reference may guide you to another chapter or to another section within the current chapter.

Icons and Buttons

Icons and buttons are graphical representations within the text. They show you exactly what you need to click to perform a step.

You can easily identify the tips in any section by looking for the tip icon. Tips offer additional information, including hints, warnings and tricks....