User Guide Cancel

Get to know the Home screen

  1. Photoshop Elements User Guide
  2. Introduction to Photoshop Elements
    1. What's new in Photoshop Elements
    2. System requirements | Photoshop Elements
    3. Workspace basics
    4. Guided mode
    5. Making photo projects
  3. Workspace and environment
    1. Get to know the Home screen
    2. Workspace basics
    3. Preferences
    4. Tools
    5. Panels and bins
    6. Open files
    7. Rulers, grids, and guides
    8. Enhanced Quick Mode
    9. File information
    10. Presets and libraries
    11. Multitouch support
    12. Scratch disks, plug-ins, and application updates
    13. Undo, redo, and cancel actions
    14. Viewing images
  4. Fixing and enhancing photos
    1. Resize images
    2. Cropping
    3. Process camera raw image files
    4. Add blur, replace colors, and clone image areas
    5. Adjust shadows and light
    6. Retouch and correct photos
    7. Combine Photos
    8. Sharpen photos
    9. Transforming
    10. Auto Smart Tone
    11. Recomposing
    12. Using actions to process photos
    13. Photomerge Compose
    14. Create a panorama
    15. Moving Overlays
    16. Moving Elements
  5. Adding shapes and text
    1. Add text
    2. Edit text
    3. Create shapes
    4. Editing shapes
    5. Painting overview
    6. Painting tools
    7. Set up brushes
    8. Patterns
    9. Fills and strokes
    10. Gradients
    11. Work with Asian type
  6. Quick Actions
  7. Guided edits, effects, and filters
    1. Guided mode
    2. Filters
    3. Guided mode Photomerge edits
    4. Guided mode Basic edits
    5. Adjustment filters
    6. Effects
    7. Guided mode Fun edits
    8. Guided mode Special edits
    9. Artistic filters
    10. Guided mode Color edits
    11. Guided mode Black & White edits
    12. Blur filters
    13. Brush Stroke filters
    14. Distort filters
    15. Other filters
    16. Noise filters
    17. Render filters
    18. Sketch filters
    19. Stylize filters
    20. Texture filters
    21. Pixelate filters
  8. Working with colors
    1. Understanding color
    2. Set up color management
    3. Color and tonal correction basics
    4. Choose colors
    5. Adjust color, saturation, and hue
    6. Fix color casts
    7. Using image modes and color tables
    8. Color and camera raw
  9. Working with selections
    1. Make selections in Photoshop Elements
    2. Saving selections
    3. Modifying selections
    4. Move and copy selections
    5. Edit and refine selections
    6. Smooth selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering
  10. Working with layers
    1. Create layers
    2. Edit layers
    3. Copy and arrange layers
    4. Adjustment and fill layers
    5. Clipping masks
    6. Layer masks
    7. Layer styles
    8. Opacity and blending modes
  11. Creating photo projects
    1. Project basics
    2. Making photo projects
    3. Editing photo projects
    4. Creating Photo Reels
  12. Saving, printing, and sharing photos
    1. Save images
    2. Printing photos
    3. Share photos online
    4. Optimizing images
    5. Optimizing images for the JPEG format
    6. Dithering in web images
    7. Guided Edits - Share panel
    8. Previewing web images
    9. Use transparency and mattes
    10. Optimizing images for the GIF or PNG-8 format
    11. Optimizing images for the PNG-24 format
  13. Keyboard shortcuts
    1. Keys for selecting tools
    2. Keys for selecting and moving objects
    3. Keys for the Layers panel
    4. Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
    5. Keys for painting and brushes
    6. Keys for using text
    7. Keys for the Liquify filter
    8. Keys for transforming selections
    9. Keys for the Color Swatches panel
    10. Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
    11. Keys for the Filter Gallery
    12. Keys for using blending modes
    13. Keys for viewing images (expertmode)

Access Help resources for features, customize and share Auto Creations, try out new workflows, and do more from the Adobe Photoshop Elements Home screen.

When you launch Elements 2019, the Home screen helps you to easily get started with Elements applications. The Home screen showcases a carousel of cards to help you discover new features, try out exciting features, and explore and personalize Auto Creations. You can also quickly search for Help resources of your desired features. The Home screen also allows you to start from scratch with one of the Elements applications.

In the upper-right corner of the Home screen, you can click  or  to visit the Elements pages on Facebook and Twitter. If you need to contact Adobe Customer Care, click .

The Home screen has all the resources to get you up and running with your Elements app.

Note:

In the Windows Application Store version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, the Video Editor (Adobe Premiere Elements) is not available. Hence, video projects are not supported in this version.

Get started with the Home screen

When you launch the latest release of an Elements app for the first time, you can view the Last Used Version section on the Home screen. In this section, you can do one of the following:

  • For Adobe Photoshop Elements, select your previously used version in the Select Version drop-down list of Photoshop Elements and click Confirm.
  • For Adobe Premiere Elements, select your previously used version in the Select Version drop-down list of Premiere Elements and click Confirm.
The Home screen after the first launch of an Elements app; Notice the Last Used Version section.

Note:
  • Apart from selecting the previously used version in the Select Version drop-down list:
    • If you don't remember your previously used Elements version, select Don't Know.
    • If you are a new user, select First Time User.
  • In the Windows Application Store version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, the Select Version drop-down list for Premiere Elements is unavailable.
The Home screen on a subsequent launch of an Elements app. Under Auto Creations, click Add Media to import media. You can then view Auto Creations when you relaunch the app.

Explore and customize Auto Creations

Auto Creations, or auto-generated creations, are available to you on the Home screen. Under the section Auto Creations, you can view auto-created photo collages, slideshows, video collages, and Candid Moments. Click View All or use the number icons below the Auto Creations thumbnail to view all the auto-created projects.

Auto Creations are created with media (photos or videos) that you've imported. If you haven't imported any media, click Add media under Auto Creations on the Home screen and upload photos and videos. After sometime, relaunch the app to view Auto Creations in the Home screen.

To know more about how to edit and share Auto Creations, see View and share auto-created photo collages, slideshows, and more.

Import media to view Auto Creations such as slideshows, photo and video collages, and more.

Note:

In the Windows Application Store version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, video creations such as video collages and Candid Moments are not supported. 

Discover features and their Help resources

Learn new features

In the carousel of cards displayed in the upper part of the Home screen, you can find information about newer features in your Elements app. The cards are labeled What's New and have a blue tag. Use the arrows on the left and right side of the carousel to discover resources on new features. Hover over a What's new card and click Open Link. You can then access relevant Help resources to learn more about the feature. The What's new cards are also updated from time to time based on your actions in the app.

Use the arrows on the sides of the upper panel to learn about new features.

Find out exciting features

In the carousel of cards displayed in the upper part of the Home screen, you can find cards labeled Inspiration with an orange tag. These cards help you to discover fun features and access resources for the same. Use the arrows on the left and right side of the carousel to view these cards. Hover over a desired Inspiration card and click View. You can then access relevant resources to learn about the desired feature.

Inspiration cards
Click the Inspiration cards to learn exciting features.

Try out exciting features

The carousel of cards displayed in the upper part of the Home screen includes Try This cards (with green tags). These cards help you try many exciting features. The features can range from basic to advanced and are updated based on the actions that you perform in the app. Use the arrows on the left and right side of the carousel to access the Try this cards. To try out a feature, hover over the feature thumbnail on the Try this card and click Try. The Elements app is then launched and an onboarding coach-mark guides you through the steps to achieve your desired result.

Use the left and right arrows to find the Try This cards on the Home screen.

Search for Help resources of features

On the Home screen, use the Search bar at the top to quickly search and find Help documentation or tutorials of your desired features. You can search projects such as slideshow, photo collage, greeting card, and more.

Use the Search bar to search resources for features such as slideshow, photo and video collages, and more.

Open your desired Elements application

You can open any of the three Elements apps from the Home screen. Click the icon of the desired Elements app to open and work with it. From the Home screen, you can open the following:

  • Elements Organizer (Organizer) to import and manage media (photos and videos) files
  • Adobe Photoshop Elements (Photo Editor) to create and work with photo projects
  • Adobe Premiere Elements (Video Editor) to create and work with video projects
Click an icon to easily open your favorite Elements app.

Access recent files

You can access your project files in one of the Elements apps that you recently worked on, from the Home screen. This way you can quickly work with the project from where you left it. Elements displays up to six project files under Recent Files on the Home screen.

Note:

Ensure that you save your project file each time you exit the app. When you re-launch the app, you can pick it from where you left it from the Home screen.

 Adobe

Get help faster and easier

New user?