Tools

The toolbox in the Quick mode contains a small set of easy-to-use tools. The tools available in this mode are Zoom, Hand, Selection Brush, Eye, Whiten Teeth, Straighten, Horizontal Type, Remove Tool, Crop, and Move.

The toolbox in the Quick mode contains a small set of easy-to-use tools. The tools available in this mode are Zoom, Hand, Selection Brush, Eye, Whiten Teeth, Straighten, Horizontal Type, Remove Tool, Crop, and Move.

Zooms in or zooms out your image. The related tools shown in the Tool Options bar are Zoom In and Zoom Out. For more information about the Zoom tool, see Zoom in or out.

Moves your photo in the Photoshop Elements workspace. You can drag your image using this tool. For more information, see Viewing images in Advanced or Quick modes. 

Removes the red eye effect, pet eye effect, and corrects closed eyes in your photos. For more information about the tool, see Precisely remove red eye, Remove the Pet Eye effect, and Correct closed eyes.

Enhances the portraits by making teeth appear whiter and brighter.

Realigns an image vertically or horizontally. For more information about the tool, see Straighten an image.

Creates and edits text on your image.

This tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to streamline the removal of unwanted objects from your photos. You can select the object you wish to remove with a simple swipe. For more information about the tool, see Remove Tool.

Trims the part of an image according to the selection. For more information about the tool, see Crop an image.

Moves selections or layers. For more information, see Move a selection.

Toolbox in the Advanced mode

In the Advanced mode, the toolbox is richer than the toolbox in the Quick mode. The tools are organized in the following logical groups:

• View
• Select
• Enhance
• Draw
• Modify
• Color

Tools in the View group of the Advanced mode toolbox

Zooms in or zooms out your image. The related tools shown in the Tool Options bar are Zoom In and Zoom Out. For more information about the Zoom tool, see Zoom in or out.

Moves your photo in the Photoshop Elements workspace. You can drag your image using this tool. For more information, see Viewing images in Advanced or Quick modes. 

Tools in the Select group of the Advanced mode toolbox

Moves selections or layers. For more information, see Move a selection.

Selects an area in your image in a rectangular box. Hold the Shift key to make the selection a square.

Selects an area in your image in a free-form shape. 

Automatically makes a selection when you draw a shape around the object you want to select. 

For more information on selection, see Use tools to make selections.

Tools in the Enhance group of the Advanced mode toolbox

Removes the red eye effect, pet eye effect, and corrects closed eyes in your photos. For more information about the tool, see Precisely remove red eye, Remove the Pet Eye effect, and Correct closed eyes.

Removes spots from your photos. For more information about this tool, see Remove spots and unwanted objects. 

Applies tonal and color adjustments to specific areas of a photo.

Paints with an image sample, which you can use to duplicate objects, remove image imperfections, or paint over objects in your photo. You can also clone part of an image to another image. For more information, see Clone images or areas in an image.

Softens hard edges or areas in an image by reducing details. For more information, see Blur or soften edges. 

Changes the color saturation of an area. For more information on how to use the tool, see Adjust saturation in isolated areas.

Tools in the Draw group of the Advanced mode toolbox

Creates soft or hard strokes of color. You can use it to simulate airbrush techniques. For more information about the tool, see Use the Brush tool. 

Erases the pixels in the image as you drag through them. For more information about the tool, see Use the Eraser Tool.

Fills an area that is similar in color value to the pixels you click. For more information about the tool, see Use the Paint Bucket tool. 

Fills in an area of image by a gradient. For more information, see Apply a gradient.

Copies or samples the color of an area in your photo to set a new foreground or background color. For more information about the tool, see Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool.

Provides different shape options for you to draw. When you select the Custom Shape tool, you can access these shapes in the Tool Options bar. 

Creates and edits text on your image.

The other type-related tools available in the Tool Options bar are:

• Vertical Type 
• Horizontal Type Mask  
• Vertical Type Mask 
• Text on Selection 
• Text on Shape 
• Text on Custom Path

For more information about adding and editing text on your image, see Add text.

Creates hard-edged freehand lines. For more information, see Use the Pencil tool.

Tools in the Modify group of the Advanced mode toolbox

Trims the part of an image according to the selection. For more information about the tool, see Crop an image.

Intelligently resizes photos without changing important visual content, such as people, building, animals, and more. For more information, see Recompose a photo in Advanced mode. For a step-by-step, guided method to recompose, see Recompose a photo in Guided mode.

Selects an object in your photo and moves the selection to a different location, or extends it. For more information about the tool, see Move and reposition objects.

Realigns an image vertically or horizontally. For more information about the tool, see Straighten an image.

Use a tool

To use a tool in the Quick or Advanced mode, first select the tool from the toolbox. Next, use the various options in the Tool Options bar to accomplish your task.  

Select a tool

Do one of the following:

• Click a tool in the toolbox.
  
• Press the keyboard shortcut for the tool. For example, press B to select the Brush tool. The keyboard shortcut for a tool is displayed in the tool tip. You can also find a list of helpful keyboard shortcuts in Keys for selecting tools.

Select options from the Tool Options bar

The Tool Options bar appears at the bottom in the Photoshop Elements window. It displays the options for a selected tool. For example, if you select the Crop tool from the toolbox, you find related tools (Cookie Cutter tool and Perspective Crop tool), and other options in the Tool Options bar.

Edit tool preferences

You can modify the default preferences for tools. For example, you can hide the tool tips or change the appearance of a tool pointer.

Edit General preferences

Set the appearance of a pointer

Reset tool settings to default

You can restore the default settings of a selected tool or all tools.