How to Use Photoshop Elements for Mac

One of the nice things about the Photoshop Elements software is that the software works identically on a Windows operating system and Mac operating systems. This means that there is nothing that needs to be re-learned if a Photoshop Elements user switches from a PC to a Mac. The only difference is that the software a person purchases must be designed to work with the Mac. In order to effectively use Photoshop Elements, it is important that the user understands how to use Photoshop Elements' basic processes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Photoshop Elements Software
• Mac Computer

1. Open Photoshop Elements. After the program has been installed on the Mac, the easiest way to open the program is to click on the Photoshop Elements icon in the Mac's dock. Depending on your personal preferences, the dock is either located horizontally along the bottom of the screen, or vertically down the left or right sides of the screen. The icon will begin to bounce after it is clicked on. This means the program is opening. Be patient. It will take a few seconds for the program to open.

2. Open an image by clicking on "File" in the top left-hand corner of the screen after Photoshop Elements has opened. Then click on "Open." A pane will open that will allow you to locate the image you want to edit. Select the image and click "OK."

3. Change the image size. Many times images are larger than they need to be. To change the image size, go to the "Image" menu that is located in the menu on the top of the page and click on it. When the drop-down menu appears, click on "Image Size." A window will open that will allow you to see the size specifications of the image.
   If the image is larger than 300 dpi, enter a number into the box somewhere between 150-300 if the image will be printed. If the image is to be used on the Web, change the dpi to 72. After you are satisfied with the image size, hit "Enter" on the keyboard.

4. Try out the tools in the toolbar located on the left or right-hand side of the page. The selection tools are among some of the most widely-used tools. These tools are able to select a certain section of the image and edit it, without needing to make the same changes to the rest of the image. Choose the "Polygonal Lasso" tool and draw a circle around a section of your image by dragging and clicking your mouse over this area.

5. Go to the "Effects" menu on the top of the page and choose an effect. You will see that this section has changed, but the rest of the image has been unaltered. Use the Ctrl+Z key command on the keyboard to undo what you just did with the selection tool.

6. Add words to an image by clicking on the text box tool in the toolbox and then click and drag the box in the area of the page where you want the text to appear. Use the keyboard to type in the text you want to appear. Use the text settings box in the menu on the top of the page to change text size, color, and weight.

7. Continue trying out the tools available in Photoshop. The best way to find out which kinds of tools and effects you like most is to simply play around with them. Each time you want to bring the image back to its original state, remember to use the "Ctrl+Z" command.

Tips & Warnings

• To make part of an image in black and white, use the selection tool to outline the part that you want to be in black and white and then select "Desaturate" under the Image menu.
• The Ctrl+Z function can only be used during a current session. If the program is closed and then re-opened, you cannot use Ctrl+Z to return to a previous setting before the program was closed.

Resources

• Photoshop Elements Tips & Tutorials
• Photoshop Elements Trial for a Mac