I have been an avid user of Photoshop for several years. However, due to all of the wonderful features, options and techniques, I have never been able to master it. I’ve tried to get my wife to try Photoshop, but she feels it too complex and that she’s not a “computer” person. So, I figured it was time I reviewed Photoshop Elements 6 (PE6) to see if this was a program she could handle.
I installed PE6 from the bundle package that comes with Premiere Elements 4.
Right off the bat, I noticed the interface looked different that Photoshop CS3. I did notice, in fact, it looked something like Premiere Elements 4 (PE4). So, if you are used to the full version, get used to an interface change. If you are familiar with Lightroom, it’s not such a big change.
The workflow tabs are also setup much like those in PE4 with Edit, Create and Share. One of the features that I really liked (especially for newbies) is the Edit tab. The Edit tab makes it very easy to add many different effects to your image. You don’t have to go searching for it in a menu or library somewhere. This is great for newbies who are very visual.
To make edits on photos, you can use the Edit tab, or you can use the palette option. If making manual edits is still a bit much for you, never fear! You can place PE6 in Guided Mode. This mode helps to take the strain from your brain by providing detailed guidance on basic activities such as: exposure, rotating, cropping, sharpening, color correction and others.
The Create workspace is where you build your projects, once you’ve finished editing. The Projects workspace enables you to build multipage photo books, scrapbooks, collages, Web galleries, slide shows and more. You can even get step-by-step assistance if you're a newbie, or you can feel free to experiment on your own.
Finally, in the workflow is Share. Just like in PE4, you can output to different ways. You can export to the expect formats such as burning to CDs and DVDs (great for archiving), as well as exporting slide shows as travel-friendly PDF documents.
However, one of the coolest things you can do is to create a web gallery for uploading to your webpage!
Another cool thing you can do is to create a scrapbook, then easily order prints, share photos and photo creations on the web, share on CEIVA Digital Photo Frames™. This definitely saves a trip to the local photoshop for prints or printing out a low quality photo on your regular printer athome.
Overall, I’d rate PE6 a 5 of 5 stars. Just as with PE4 and Premiere Pro, more advanced users of PE6 will still prefer the the power and tons of features in Photoshop CS3.
Tested on:
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Windows XP Pro
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2 GHz Centrino Duo Pro laptop
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2 GB RAM
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CD/DVD Burner