View and share auto-created collages, slideshows, and more

Each time you launch Adobe Photoshop Elements, the Home screen offers various auto-generated creations or Auto Creations. Enjoy Auto Creations of photo effects that include B&W Selection, Pattern Brush, Painterly, and Depth of Field. You can also access slideshows and photo collages which highlight your memorable moments. You can also instantly share the Auto Creations on social media.

When you launch Adobe Photoshop Elements, you can view the Home screen. On this screen, under Auto Creations, you can view auto-created photo effects such as Painterly and B&W selection, photo collages, and slideshows.

You can use the number icons below the Auto Creation thumbnails to browse through the first five creations. Click View All to access the entire list of Auto Creations in Elements. To delete an Auto Creation from the given list, click  at the lower-left corner of the Auto Creation's thumbnail.

Elements uses your imported photos to offer personalized creations based on your tags, keywords, album names, events, places, people, and location data.

Note:

• You can view Auto Creations based on the application that you have. For example, if you have only Photoshop Elements, you can view photo effects, slideshows, and photo collages. 
• If you launch Adobe Photoshop Elements using a shortcut, you cannot view the Home screen.
• The Home screen displays the previews of the Auto Creations. To view the desired Auto Creation, you need to open it.
• If you are a new user, ensure that you import photos in Elements Organizer and relaunch the application. The more media that you import, the more number of Auto Creations you can access on the Home screen.
• Older Auto Creations will be removed over time if you don't edit or save them.
• Starting from Elements 2020, you can view Auto Creations such as B&W Selection, Pattern Brush, Painterly, and Depth of Field effects.

Open an Auto Creation

Open an Auto Creation to edit, save, and share it. On the Home screen, under the section Auto Creations, you can find the Auto Creations. Click Open on the desired Auto Creation to open it in its respective Elements application.

Depending on the type of Auto Creation, you can edit it in Photoshop Elements or Elements Organizer. A photo collage or photo effects opens in Photoshop Elements. Slideshows open in Elements Organizer. 

Edit an Auto Creation

After you open an Auto Creation, you can edit it. Depending on the type of the Auto Creation, you can edit it in Photoshop Elements or Elements Organizer.

Refer to the following resources to learn more:

• Edit a photo collage
• Enhance a slideshow

Photo effects such as B&W Selection, Pattern Brush, Painterly, or Depth of Field, open in the last used workspace of Photoshop Elements, that is in either Quick or Expert mode. Use the Layers panel and toolbar in the Expert workspace to enhance or refine the photo effect.

For example, to edit the Painterly effect, select the Brush Tool in the toolbar and choose Brush > Artistic Brushes in the bottom panel. In the Layers panel, you can:

• Edit the mask. In the layer with the mask thumbnail (the first layer in the screenshot below), click the lock icon and then the Layer mask thumbnail to edit the mask.
• Hide a layer. (Click  of that layer to hide it.)
• Adjust opacity of the brush. Use the Opacity slider.

Save an Auto Creation

Once you've opened and edited an Auto Creation, you can save it. To save an Auto Creation, do the following:

• To save a photo effect or photo collage in Photoshop Elements, click Save on the taskbar. Alternatively, you can select File > Save As. By default, the Auto Creations are saved in the My Pictures folder. For more details on saving an Auto Creation in Photoshop Elements, see Save images.
• To save a slideshow in Elements Organizer, click Save in the upper-right corner of the Slideshow window.

Quickly share your Auto Creation

In Photoshop Elements, after you've opened and edited your Auto Creation, you can share it on your favorite social media sites.

To share an Auto Creation in Photoshop Elements, select Share in the upper-right corner of the Editor workspace. From the displayed drop-down list, select your desired option to share. To know more, see Share photos.

In Elements Organizer, once you've edited your Auto Creation, you can share it to Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, and more. To share an Auto creation in Elements Organizer, click Share on the taskbar and select your desired option from the drop-down list.

Frequently asked questions