First of all, we can’t continue without mentioning the new interface. It’s very different from version 10, almost unrecognisable as Photoshop. But this aside, the changes made hope to speed up edits and make things easier in general for the beginner.
The first ‘mode’ in Photoshop Elements 11 is Quick. Just like previous versions, the range of tools is limited to only a handful, such as the Quick Selection, Red Eye Removal and Whiten Teeth.
Notice how all the tool options are displayed along the bottom now, as there’s no Options bar along the top. Also at the very bottom is a Photo Bin button (used to be known as Project Bin) that brings up open documents.
Changes have been made to the ‘fix’ commands down the right-hand side of the interface.
These now include thumbnails which show instant previews of any changes. Just rolling over the small pictures will show an increase or decrease in exposure or colour for example. Edit options include Smart Fix, Exposure, Levels, Color, Balance and Sharpen.
Separate Highlights, Midtones and Shadows tabs mean that images can be altered quickly to correct Levels. This is a particular favourite of ours, as the addition of live previews before actually applying any changes is much more clear and help to gauge what’s right or wrong.
Each preview thumbnail is a ‘step’, but this can jump from being subtle to obvious too quickly. For more control, there’s a slider above for adjusting in smaller increments.
Colour changes were made to this image (see below) in just one click using the small boxes down the right side.
It’s incredibly easy to make these important changes, and we’ll hopefully be able to say the same about the rest of Photoshop Elements 11 in the coming few days, where we’ll be looking into the other modes and new features.
