- Photoshop Elements User Guide
- Introduction to Photoshop Elements
- Workspace and environment
- Fixing and enhancing photos
- Resize images
- Cropping
- Process camera raw image files
- Add blur, replace colors, and clone image areas
- Adjust shadows and light
- Retouch and correct photos
- Combine Photos
- Sharpen photos
- Transforming
- Auto Smart Tone
- Recomposing
- Using actions to process photos
- Photomerge Compose
- Create a panorama
- Moving Overlays
- Moving Elements
- Adding shapes and text
- Quick Actions
- Guided edits, effects, and filters
- Guided mode
- Filters
- Guided mode Photomerge edits
- Guided mode Basic edits
- Adjustment filters
- Effects
- Guided mode Fun edits
- Guided mode Special edits
- Artistic filters
- Guided mode Color edits
- Guided mode Black & White edits
- Blur filters
- Brush Stroke filters
- Distort filters
- Other filters
- Noise filters
- Render filters
- Sketch filters
- Stylize filters
- Texture filters
- Pixelate filters
- Working with colors
- Working with selections
- Working with layers
- Creating photo projects
- Saving, printing, and sharing photos
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Keys for selecting tools
- Keys for selecting and moving objects
- Keys for the Layers panel
- Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
- Keys for painting and brushes
- Keys for using text
- Keys for the Liquify filter
- Keys for transforming selections
- Keys for the Color Swatches panel
- Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
- Keys for the Filter Gallery
- Keys for using blending modes
- Keys for viewing images (expertmode)
Use the Brush tool
The Brush tool creates soft or hard strokes of color. You can use it to simulate airbrush techniques. (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Impressionist Brush or the Color Replacement tool , and then click the Brush tool icon in the Tool Options bar.)
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Select a color to paint by setting the foreground color.
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From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Brush tool.
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Specify Brush tool options in the Tool Options bar as desired, and then drag within the image to paint.Merk:
To draw a straight line, click a starting point in the image. Then hold down Shift and click an ending point.
You can specify any of the following Brush tool options:
Airbrush Mode
Enables airbrush capabilities. This option applies gradual tones to an image, simulating traditional airbrush techniques.
Brush
Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box.
Opacity
Sets the opacity of the paint you apply. A low opacity setting allows pixels under a paint stroke to show through. Drag the slider, or enter an opacity value.
Mode
Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image.
Tablet Options
Sets the options to control with your stylus if you are using a pressure sensitive drawing tablet instead of a mouse.
Brush Settings
Sets additional brush options.
Use the Pencil tool
The Pencil tool creates hard-edged freehand lines.
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Select a color to paint by setting the foreground color.
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From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Pencil tool.
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Set Pencil tool options in the Tool Options bar, as desired, and then drag within the image to paint.Merk:
To draw a straight line, click a starting point in the image. Then hold down Shift and click an ending point.
You can specify any of the following Pencil tool options:
Brush tip
Sets the tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box.
Opacity
Sets the opacity of the paint you apply. A low opacity setting allows pixels under a paint stroke to show through. Drag the slider, or enter an opacity value.
Mode
Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image.
Auto Erase
If you begin drawing and drag over an area that doesn’t contain the foreground color, the tool paints with the foreground color. That is, if we start with color other than foreground color, it paints the foreground color only. Click and paint on the areas containing the foreground color, pencil paints with the Background color.
Use the Impressionist Brush tool
The Impressionist Brush tool changes the existing colors and details in your image so your photo looks like it was painted using stylized brush strokes. By experimenting with different style, area size, and tolerance options, you can simulate the textures associated with painting in different artistic styles.
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Witht he Brush tool selected in the toolbox, select the the Impressionist Brush tool from the Tool Options bar.
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Set options in the Tool Options bar as desired, and then drag within the image to paint.
You can specify any of the following options:
Brush
Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box.
Opacity
Sets the opacity of the paint you apply. A low opacity setting allows pixels under a paint stroke to show through. Drag the slider or enter an opacity value.
Mode
Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image. See About blending modes for more information.
Advanced
Style affects the shape of the brush stroke. Area controls the size of the brush stroke. A larger area value also increases the number of strokes. Tolerance controls how similar in color value adjacent pixels must be before they are affected by the brush stroke.
Use the Smudge tool
The Smudge tool simulates the actions of dragging a finger through wet paint. The tool picks up color where the stroke begins and pushes it in the direction you drag. You can smudge existing colors in your image, or smear foreground color on the image.
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From the Enhance section in the toolbox, select the Smudge tool (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Blur tool or the Sharpen tool and then click the Smudge tool icon from the Tool Options bar.)
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Set options in the Tool Options bar, and then drag within the image to smudge color.Merk:
To temporarily use the Finger Painting option as you drag with the smudge tool, press the Alt key (Option key in Mac OS).
You can specify any of the following Smudge tool options:
Mode
Specifies how the paint that you apply blends with the existing pixels in the image. See About blending modes for more information.
Brush
Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box.
Strength
Sets the amount of the smudge effect.
Sample All Layers
Smudges using color from all visible layers. If this option is deselected, the smudge tool uses colors from only the active layer.
Finger Painting
Smears the foreground color at the beginning of each stroke. If this option is deselected, the smudge tool uses the color under the pointer at the beginning of each stroke.
Use the Eraser tool
The Eraser tool changes pixels in the image as you drag through them. If you’re working in the Background layer or in a layer with locked transparency, erased pixels change to the background color; otherwise, erased pixels become transparent. Transparent pixels are indicated by the transparency grid.
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From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Eraser tool. (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Background Eraser tool or the Magic Eraser tool , and then click the Eraser tool icon in the Tool Options bar.)
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Set options in the Tool Options bar as desired, and then drag through the area you want to erase.
You can specify any of the following Eraser tool options:
Brush
Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brush drop-down, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider or enter a size in the text box.
Opacity
Defines the strength of the erasure. An opacity of 100% erases pixels to complete transparency on a layer and to the background color on the Background layer. A lower opacity erases pixels to partial transparency on a layer and paints partially with the background color on the Background layer. (If Block mode is selected in the Tool Options bar, the Opacity option isn’t available.)
Type
Brush mode erases by using characteristics of the brush tool, so you can make soft-edged erasures. Pencil mode makes hard-edge erasures like a pencil. Block mode uses a hard-edged 16‑pixel square as an eraser.
Use the Magic Eraser tool
The Magic Eraser tool changes all similar pixels when you drag within a photo. If you’re working in a layer with locked transparency, the pixels change to the background color; otherwise, the pixels are erased to transparency. You can choose to erase contiguous pixels only, or all similar pixels on the current layer.
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In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the areas you want to erase.Merk:
If you select the Background, it automatically becomes a layer when you use the Magic Eraser.
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From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Magic Eraser tool in the toolbox. (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Eraser tool or the Background Eraser tool , and then click the Magic Eraser tool icon in the Tool Options bar.)
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Set options in the Tool Options bar, as desired, and then click the area of the layer you want to erase.
You can set any of the following Magic Eraser tool options:
Tolerance
Defines the range of colors that will be erased. A low tolerance erases pixels within a range of color values very similar to the pixel you click. A high tolerance erases pixels within a broader range.
Opacity
Defines the strength of the erasure. An opacity of 100% erases pixels to complete transparency on a layer and to the background color on a locked layer. A lower opacity erases pixels to partial transparency on a layer and paints partially with the background color on a locked layer.
Sample All Layers
Samples the erased color using combined data from all visible layers. Deselect the option if you want to erase only the pixels on the active layer.
Contiguous
Erases only pixels that are adjacent to the one you click. Deselect this option to erase all similar pixels in the image.
Anti‑aliasing
Smoothes the edges of the area you erase, making the edge look more natural.
Use the Background Eraser tool
The Background Eraser tool turns color pixels to transparent pixels so that you can easily remove an object from its background. With careful use, you can maintain the edges of the foreground object while eliminating background fringe pixels.
The tool pointer is a circle with a cross hair indicating the tool’s hotspot. As you drag the pointer, pixels within the circle and of a similar color value as the pixel under the hotspot are erased. If the circle overlaps your foreground object, and it doesn’t contain pixels similar to the hotspot pixel, the foreground object won’t be erased.
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In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the areas you want to erase.Merk:
If you select Background, it automatically becomes a layer when you use the Background Eraser.
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From the Draw section in the toolbox, select the Background Eraser tool . (If you don’t see it in the toolbox, select either the Eraser tool or the Magic Eraser tool , and then click the Background Eraser tool icon in the Tool Options bar.)
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Set options in the Tool Options bar as desired, and then drag through the area you want to erase. Keep the tool’s hotspot off of areas that you don’t want to erase.
You can specify any of the following Background Eraser tool options:
Size
Pixel width of the brush
Tolerance
Defines how similar in color to the hotspot a pixel must be to be affected by the tool. A low tolerance limits erasure to areas that are very similar to the hotspot color. A high tolerance erases a broader range of colors.
Brush Settings
Sets the presets of the brush, such as size, diameter, hardness, and spacing. Drag the Size sliders or enter numbers in text boxes.
Limits
Choose Contiguous to erase areas that contain the hotspot color and are connected to one another. Discontiguous erases any pixels within the circle that are similar to the hotspot color.
More like this
- About blending modes
- About foreground and background colors
- About brush options
- Add a new brush to the brush library
- Set up pressure-sensitive tablet support
- About blending modes
- About foreground and background colors
- About painting tools
- About brush options
- About brush options
- Understanding layers
- About brush options
- About blending modes
- About brush options
- About blending modes
- About brush options
- About the Layers panel
- Smooth the edges of a selection by anti-aliasing
- About brush options